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“Sorry,” I murmur, sliding into the chair across from her. "Didn’t sleep well.”
She studies me over the rim of her coffee cup, her eyes—the same blue as mine—missing nothing. “You look tired. Are you still not going to tell me why you suddenly decided to visit in the middle of the semester?”
I shrug, focusing on buttering a piece of toast I don’t want. “Just missed home.”
"Mmm.” She doesn’t believe me—we both know it—but she doesn’t push. Instead, she folds her newspaper and sets it aside. “Well, since you’re here, I thought we might do something together. Just us girls."
“Like what?” I ask, grateful for the change of subject.
“There’s a new spa in town—Serene Waters. It’s supposed to be quite extraordinary. Very exclusive, very... immersive, they call it.” She leans forward, warming to her topic. “They customize the entire experience based on a questionnaire you fill out beforehand. Aromatherapy, sound therapy, massage, the works."
“Sounds nice,” I admit. A day of pampering might be precisely what I need to clear my head.
“I’ve already made reservations for this afternoon. Your father has meetings all day, and the boys are still at school, so it’s perfect timing.”
I nod, forcing a smile. “Sure, Mom. I’d like that.”
It’s only after I’ve agreed that a thought hits me like a bucket of ice water. Luca knows every high-end establishment in the state. His business interests touch everything. What if the spa is one of his? What if he’s there?
My stomach twists with a mixture of dread and anticipation, a physical ache that spreads through my abdomen and makes my fingertips tingle. Part of me—a bigger part than I want to admit—hopes he will be there. Hopes he’ll see me, corner me against some eucalyptus-scented wall, his cologne enveloping me as he demands explanations in that low, gravelly voice. The other part knows seeing him would undo all my resolve, like sugar dissolving in hot coffee.
“Lily? Are you all right? You’ve gone quite pale.”
I snap back to attention, forcing another smile. "I’m fine. Just... thinking about something from school. When do we leave?"
“Two o’clock. Wear something comfortable.” She rises, squeezing my shoulder as she passes. “It’ll be good for us both. You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on those shoulders lately.”
If she only knew.
I finish my breakfast mechanically, my mind racing. Should I cancel? Make an excuse? Or face the possibility of seeing him again, four days before his self-imposed deadline?
Ultimately, curiosity prevails. I follow my mother upstairs to get ready, my heart fluttering like a trapped bird in my chest, its wings beating against my ribcage with each step I take on the polished marble staircase.
After all, what are the chances he’d be there anyway? New York is a big state with eight million distractions, and Luca Ravello is a busy man with an empire to run and a city council to charm.
At least, that’s what I tell myself as I change into charcoal yoga pants and a cashmere sweater the color of sea foam that slips off one shoulder. My fingers hover over my phone on the vanity, trembling slightly, itching to text him, to hear the dark honey of his voice, to feel the callused pads of his fingertips tracing fire down my spine again.
Just four more days. I can resist him that long—even if every cell in my body screams otherwise.
Chapter 17
Luca
I slammy fist against the steering wheel of my Ferrari, earning concerned glances from pedestrians as I idle at a red light. Three days. Three fucking days and she’s still running from me.From us.
The light turns green and I accelerate harder than necessary, the engine growling in response to my frustration. Albany wasn’t part of the plan. Lily was supposed to be in Manhattan, where I could keep an eye on her, where my influence stretches like a spider’s web across the city. But the little minx fled to Daddy’s mansion, thinking distance would weaken my resolve.
She doesn’t understand yet. Distance only makes me more determined.
I pull up to Nico’s comfortable home in Woodstock. It’s only temporary, but still a far cry from his former quarters at St. Francis’s Church. Marriage has changed my oldest friend in ways I never expected. Left the priesthood for love—a concept that would have made me laugh a month ago. Now? I’m not so sure.
Nico opens the door before I can knock, his expression shifting from welcome to concern as he takes in my thunderous face.
“That bad, huh?” he asks, stepping aside to let me in.
“Worse,” I grunt, striding past him into the warm, spice-scented living room. The space feels lived-in now, feminine touches softening the edges of Nico’s former existence.
“Caterina’s is at an appointment nearby,” he says, answering my unasked question. “We have the place to ourselves.”
