Page 48 of Banter & Blushes

She was standing behind the desk, a slight smirk on her face as she caught sight of us. Her eyes flicked to me first, then to Luca, her lip curling just slightly. I could feel my stomach drop.

"Oh," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "I guess the age gap doesn’t bother you, huh?"

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel my cheeks burning, my mouth going dry. I had a moment of pure mortification as I tried to process what just happened, her audacity, unsure of how to respond.

Luca didn’t hesitate for even a second. His expression darkened, and the protective instinct I’d seen before flared up again. Without missing a beat, he stepped in front of me, positioning himself between me and the receptionist with a firm but calm posture.

"You know," Luca started, his voice calm but carrying a weight that made the room go still, "I really don’t think that’s your business, but if you want to make it one, let me just remind you that the problem isn’t the age gap. The problem is thejealousyyou’re clearly displaying. And that, my dear, is something that doesn’t look good on anyone."

The receptionist blinked, clearly taken aback by the sudden shift in his tone. I could feel my heart in my throat, not sure whether to laugh or cry. I wasn’t sure what was happening—what was he doing?

Luca wasn’t done.

"You see, this amazing woman right here—she’s something special. She’s kind, she’s brilliant, she’s confident, and she’s incredibly strong—two things that you’d be lucky to see in a woman these days. And yet, here you are, throwing passive-aggressive comments her way because you’re clearly threatened by her." He stood taller, locking eyes with the receptionist, his voice unwavering. "And that’s not just rude—it’s ugly. You should really take a look at yourself. There are plenty of mirrors in this place."

The receptionist opened and closed her mouth, clearly flustered and unable to come up with a rebuttal. Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, but Luca didn’t let her off the hook.

“And you may not know it, but there’s not a lot of women like her left in this world—at least not the kind of women who have the strength to just be themselves without worrying about what other people think,” he added. “If you can’t respect that, maybe it’s time you reconsidered what ‘professional’ looks like in this place."

I had no idea what to say. My head was spinning from the force of Luca’s words. Was this really happening? Was he reallydefendingme like this? Did he really see me that way?

The receptionist stood there, speechless, her face a mixture of embarrassment and resentment. I could see her fuming, her lips pressed into a thin line,but she didn’t say anything more. She just turned away, clearly not knowing how to handle the situation.

I didn’t know how to handle it either. Instead, I just stood there, blinking up at Luca in disbelief and a little bit of admiration.

"Um..." I started, trying to find my voice, my hands still shaking from the unexpected confrontation. "You didn’t have to… did you just?—”

He turned toward me, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "And I would do it again, easily." He stepped closer, his hand brushing against mine. "You deserve to be defended. Don’t ever think otherwise."

My heart melted right there, and the embarrassment I’d been feeling slowly faded away, replaced by a warmth, a tenderness that made me want to hold on to him forever. But the truth was, it wasn’t just the fact that Luca had stood up for me—it was the way hesawme. The way he genuinely cared, without hesitation.

I didn’t deserve him.

But heck, I wanted to.

"I don’t know what to say," I muttered, still in shock.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed me on the forehead.

"You don’t have to say anything." Luca’s voice was soft, and he looked down at me with a mixture of affection and something deeper, something I wasn’t sure how to define. "I meant every word, Rebecca."

I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. It was a little shaky, but it was real.

"Well, thank you," I said quietly. "I needed that. More than you know."

He leaned in, just close enough to whisper, his breath warm against my ear. "I’ll always stand up for you. And if anyone ever tries to make you feel anything less than incredible, I’ll make sure they know your true value and worth. I’ll make sure to remind you, in case you forget that about yourself."

I couldn’t help but laugh, even though my heart was still racing. "What are you doing to me, Luca?"

As we walked toward the elevator, I felt a little lighter. Maybe things weren’t so messed up. Maybe there was a chance that—despite the doubts, despite the complexities—I could let myself have this.

Luca was right. Iwassomething special. And maybe, just maybe, I deserved to be seen that way.

THE JEALOUSY THAT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO EXIST

REBECCA

Icould barely contain my grin as I sat across from Maya in the hotel’s coffee shop, nursing a cappuccino that was only half-finished because I had been too busy practicallyswooningover Luca’s words in my head. I couldn’t help it. The memory of the way he had defended me so fiercely, standing up to the receptionist with such passion, made my chest feel like it was still on fire.

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