Page 62

Chapter sixty-one

Samara

I t takes Luca a lot longer to get back to the room than I’d expected, but I’m thankful for that.

The extra time allowed me the space I needed to calm my heart rate and drop my ass onto one of these lounge chairs by our private pool so I could pretend to have been out here this whole time.

Luca slides the door open, poking his head out. His eyes dance with mischief, and his smirk sends my gut into a tailspin. “You enjoying your book, princess?” he asks.

“Yep, it’s really great.”

His hand slips out from behind his back, holding onto the book in question as he wags it around, taunting me.

He stalks toward me, and I’m stunned.

Goddamnit.

Luca lowers, his lips ghosting over mine. “Looks like you forgot this,” he says, his minty breath coasting my lips and sending a chill down my spine despite the lack of wind out here.

He presses the book to my lap and straightens. “I’m gonna get washed up. Your surprise will be here soon,” he tells me, winking over his shoulder before heading back inside.

Surprise?

Twenty minutes later, Luca still hasn’t left the bathroom, and I’m starting to get anxious. The phone rings in the room, and when I answer, it’s my mom’s voice that sounds through the line. “Mara, how was your excursion today?” she asks, sounding ten times better than she had this morning.

“It was good, really fun actually. We had a great time,” I tell her, chuckling. “And I discovered that Luca is terrified of horses.”

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” she says, not sounding all that sorry the moment her voice breaks on a laugh.

“Well, I have a favor to ask,” she tells me, and my stomach drops. “I wanted to call and ask since we’re still not feeling great and won’t make it to dinner tonight. But Yera visited us today at the resort and wanted to see if you’d still be willing to have a little date with her son.”

I’m about to protest when she cuts in. “You and Luca said your relationship is new and still a bit casual, right? So what would it hurt to just grab brunch with her son? Maybe you’ll really like him.”

Suddenly, it doesn’t feel like there’s anything particularly casual about my fake relationship with Luca. And that terrifies me.

“Mom, this is completely inappropriate. I’m here on vacation with my boyfriend ,” I tell her, allowing the full weight of my frustration to seep into my voice.

“I know, Mara, but it’s just an hour. Come on. Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” she tells me. That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.

“Fine, one hour. That’s all ,”I concede.

“Incredible! You’re going to have such a good time. I’ll go tell Yera!” she shouts enthusiastically.

“Great.” I groan, hanging my head. “Text me the details,” I tell her before hanging up.

Luca comes out of the bathroom, freshly shaven and prettied up. “Who called?” he asks, tossing his dirty gym clothes in the laundry bag hanging in the closet.

“My mom.” I groan involuntarily.

He lifts a brow at me. “What’s she up to now?” he asks, taking a seat on his side of the bed.

“She set me up on a date with one of her friend’s sons. Which is exactly the reason you are here in the first place.”

His eyes sharpen, cheeks hollowing and nostrils flaring for a split second before he cools his expression. “That’s absolutely fucked,” he tells me. “And not happening.”

I shake my head. “I already agreed to it. Only an hour. We’re having brunch.”

Before he can say anything else, there’s a knock at the door. My brows pinch in confusion. “Did you order room service or something?”

His easy smile returns. “Nope, that’s your surprise,” he tells me as his long legs hitch over the mattress, climbing off and heading toward the door.

A woman dressed in an all-white uniform smiles at me as she brings in a folded table, and someone behind her is carrying a box loaded with items.

“Hello, I’m Valentina. I’ll be your massage therapist,” she informs me, setting up the table. Luca helps her, opening it with ease.

He sees me gaping at them and leaves her to stand in front of me. He grips my shoulder and looks down at me, our eyes only a few inches apart. “You deserve to relax, Samara. This is your vacation, too, not just your family’s. Go get changed into the robe I left in the bathroom for you and get your ass back in here for the massage of a lifetime. I’ll be just outside, waiting to hear all about it when it’s over,” he says, winking and spinning me toward the bathroom before giving me a light smack on the ass to urge me toward it.

I walk there like a zombie, too dazed to even threaten to bite his hand off for smacking my butt.

My heart constricts painfully in my chest. This man is both an angel and a devil. His sweet words and actions, combined with his sinful mouth and body, have me tripping all over myself. It’s certainly not something I’m accustomed to.

***

That was not only the most incredible massage I’ve ever had, but Luca also added on a facial and body scrub. It was amazing, and I feel so blissed out. My bones are made of jelly, and when Luca offered to order room service for dinner, I didn’t hesitate to take him up on it. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than in this feather-soft bed, lying beside Luca, watching whatever dumb movie he put on ten minutes ago. I have no idea what it’s about, but that’s only because I can’t seem to take my eyes off him.