Page 48 of His Fantasy Bride (Things To Do Before You Die)

“Why? She’s not family. You’ve never even met her.”

“She’syourfamily,cara. And you’re mine. How could younotthink we would help?” He screwed up the check and tossed it in the bin behind him. “I don’t want your money.”

She frowned, but didn’t argue; she could send him another or do a bank transfer.

“Now,” he said, “according to my little sister, I owe you an apology.”

“You do?”

“I should never have sent you after that bastard D’Ascensio. But it was too good an opportunity. The girl I’d planned to use backed out at the last minute, and then you turned up, seeming to fit the bill in every way. How could I resist? And there was never any danger. And you know how to look after yourself. And you’re an actress and—”

“Enough,” she cut him off. “Forget it. It was a misjudgment on both our sides. Let’s leave it at that and forget it.”

He pursed his lips and studied her for what seemed like an age.

She twiddled her finger in her hair and waited for him to get to the point. Because obviously she wasn’t going to get away with this so easily.

“So, are you going to explain to me what the hell you were doing with D’Ascensio last night?”

She shrugged. “Is ‘no’ an option?”

“What do you think?”

“Actually, I think it really isn’t any of your business.”And that was going to work—not.

“You’re joking aren’t you?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Not joking.” She picked up her coffee and finished it off.

“I sent you after him. Of course I’m responsible for whatever mess you’re in now.”

“I’m not in a mess.”

“Cara, your love life has always been one big mess. Hell, I should have taken you when you made the offer all those years ago. Kept you out of trouble.”

And what alternative universe was he living in?

She stared at him in complete amazement. “You wouldn’t have lasted five minutes.”

“Probably not. So, you and D’Ascensio. Spill. If he’s hurt you, I’ll kill the bastard.”

“I’m not hurt.” She crossed her fingers on her lap. “And there’s nothing to spill. He looked me up when he came to town, we had dinner a couple of times, and I won’t be seeing him again.”

“Did he know about our little deal?”

“Not back then.”

“But he does now?”

“I told him the bare details, and he’s not stupid.”

Luca sighed. “Then I guess I should probably expect to hear from him or his lawyer.”

She couldn’t really make herself feel sorry about that. This was at least partly Luca’s fault, after all. It didn’t seem fair he should get away with only a bollocking from Theresa. It had been a stupid plan. “Perhaps, but he’s also not the monster you made him out to be.”

“You like him?”

“It’s irrelevant.” She got to her feet.

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