Page 45 of Hard Lessons

Luca set down a plate stacked high with toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, tomatoes, and mushrooms.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the knife and fork he offered.

“My pleasure.” He sat with his own meal, a big smile on his face.

“What are you so happy about?” she asked.

“Life.” He stabbed at a piece of egg. “My first day waking up not behind bars in a while. You, here at my side. This place, it’s perfect.”

“This place.” She huffed and spread butter on her toast. “Is a dump. It’s a time warp. Some old biddy must have lived here for years, never done a thing, year after year the same.”

“Peaceful life, huh. I thought that’s what you said you wanted.” He shoved the egg into his mouth. When he’d swallowed he spoke again. “The seasons passing as they should, no drama, no chaos.”

“So youwerelistening to what I said.”

“Of course.” He sipped his coffee. “And I get what you’re saying, but it’s impossible. We were born into this. Our course in life is set.” He ate more egg, then folded a strip of bacon in half and munched on it.

Serena looked out of the window again. A gull was sitting on the bench peering in at her.

For a moment she envied the big white bird. What a simple life the creature had. None of the worries being born a Ricci and in love with a Morretti brought with it.

Love!

She scowled and drew her attention back to her breakfast. Of course she still loved Luca. That had never changed, not the truth in her heart. It was her ideas for the rest of her life that had been rewired, not her love for him.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

He studied her. “You can tell me, you know.”

She tilted her chin. “Okay, if you really want to know.”

“Go on.”

“I was thinking about how I love you despite you being an infuriating, jealous, bossy, pain in the ass.”

It wasn’t often Luca Morretti wore an expression of surprise, but his eyes widened and for a moment his mouth was frozen in a perfect circle. “Well,” he said. “I’ll be honest, I thought I’d have to work a bit harder than eggs and bacon to get you to admit that.”

She shrugged and started on her breakfast again.

“Not that I’m not pleased,” he went on. “I love you so much it hurts, here.” He banged his chest. “More than any man has ever loved any woman, which is why what you did hurt, with David, with the police, and then this last year.”

She believed him. The searing heat in his eyes, the truth in his voice, it was clear to see he loved her with every breath he took.

“And I promise to try to control my jealous thoughts,mio amore, and I’ll never leave you again; if that’s what upset you so much you made these crazy decisions, you have my word. My Morretti word.” He pressed his hand over his heart.

“Thank you.” Perhaps it would serve her well to lull him into a false sense of security before she made a dash for it. “That means a lot, Luca.”

He rested his fork down and reached for her hand. “I’m so glad you’re here, with me. We’ll fix this.”

She nodded and lowered her gaze to the plate. She knew the sincerity in his eyes wouldn’t be reflected in hers. Even if the love was, there was no way she believed they could fix this. Luca was who he was—untamable, wild, passionate, jealous and he thrived living on the edge. He wouldn’t change, not for anyone... not even her.

She was as sure of that as she was as sure she needed to leave.

And if she didn’t do it soon... she might not.

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