“Are you sure about this?” Elena asked.
“Yes.” Liar.
She arched a brow. “You don’t sound certain.”
This was where he should reach out and squeeze her hand to reassure her, but instead he didn’t move. He didn’t trust himself to touch her. The images of their night together were still in the forefront of his mind.
He’d really mucked things up. The truth was he didn’t want to be Elena’s escort, but when her mother had mentioned Elena’s return to the island, he’d been caught off guard. And when her mother had mentioned the party, Luca had spoken without thinking.
And now, well, all he wanted to do was sweep Elena into his arms and pick up right where they’d left off back in Paris. He wanted to feel her eager lips beneath his—ready and willing.
He halted his thoughts. This wasn’t like him. When he ended a relationship, he moved on without looking back. With Elena there had been no moving on. Since that night, no other woman had interested him.
When he closed his eyes, it was Elena’s face he saw. It was the memory of her lips that tormented him. How was he ever supposed to get her out of his system?
So he didn’t dare look at Elena right now. He refused to act on those desires. She’d made it abundantly clear that she regretted their night together—no matter how hot and steamy it had been.
He just needed to focus on something else—anything else. His mind drew a blank. Perhaps he should start a conversation. Yes, that was a good idea. But what should he talk about?
“I was surprised to hear you were back on the island.” There—that sounded normal enough.
She shrugged. “I didn’t have much choice, considering I thought my mother truly needed me.”
“I take it she exaggerated her injuries?”
Elena nodded. “By the sound of her on the phone, she was on death’s door.”
Luca smiled. “I can imagine.”
“What does that mean?” Elena suddenly sounded protective of her mother.
“I just meant that your mother would do anything to get you home.”
“And how would you know? You’re here even less than I am.”
He shrugged, not certain he wanted to admit that he talked with her mother often enough. At first, Elena’s mother had concocted any excuse possible to call him, but as time went by, he got used to hearing from her. He actually looked forward to it, because she would fill him in on all of Elena’s accomplishments.
“I just remember how she used to be—always wanting you to stay close to home.”
Elena shrugged. “She finally accepted that my future wasn’t in Mirraccino.”
“Speaking of which, how did you get time off from your new campaign to fly here?”
Elena glanced away. “I...ah, had a break in my schedule.”
There was something more she wasn’t telling him, but he didn’t push. If she wanted him to know, she’d tell him when she was ready. The fact she was even speaking to him, he took as a positive sign. Maybe there was hope for their friendship after all.
The car pulled to a stop in front of the palace. Though he’d been staying here since he arrived a couple of days ago, he didn’t want to attend this dinner any more than Elena. But he refused to disappoint his sister. He’d already hurt her enough by leaving home and allowing extended gaps between visits. He knew Annabelle wanted her family reunited, and now that their mother’s killer had been caught, she thought it would fix everything.
It wouldn’t.
Luca had witnessed too much. Experienced too much. And he couldn’t be the son that his father needed—and perhaps deserved.
But now that Annabelle was getting married, hopefully she’d stop longing for the family she’d lost. When a family member was murdered, it seemed for the most part that families reacted in one of two ways. The horrific event either drew them together—the family against the world. Or it splintered them apart—each finding their solace in a different way. His family had been the latter.
Luca’s car door swung open, interrupting his thoughts. It was for the best. He didn’t want to dwell on how he’d disappointed his sister repeatedly over the years. Tonight was to be a celebration. And he would put on his biggest and brightest smile, which shouldn’t be too hard since their father, the duke, was not to be in attendance. Tonight was an informal gathering of friends and some family. Annabelle wanted her groom to meet the people who had meant a lot to her while she was growing up.
An enormous wooden door with brass fixtures swung open. An older gentleman in a black-and-white tux stepped outside to greet them.