sounded innocent enough, but how that translated into a date was another story. “And that’s when you hatched this scheme to impose on his kindness.”
“Young lady—” her mother’s voice took on a sharp edge of indignation “—I don’t now, nor have I ever, hatched a scheme. I merely mentioned that you were flying in to town.”
“And I suggested that we go to the dinner this evening—together.” Luca was no longer smiling.
He was mad at her? She was only trying to undo her mother’s meddling. She was certain her mother had more to do with this arrangement than she was letting on. Wait. Had he just said he was the one who’d wanted to go to the dinner with her?
Elena’s gaze shifted to Luca. But it was like he had built a wall between them, and she wasn’t able to read his thoughts. Drat! She felt as though she was standing on shifting sand and she just couldn’t get her footing. The best thing to do was let him off the hook, gently.
“I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but you don’t have to bother,” she said, watching his eyes grow darker. “I don’t mind going to the palace by myself.”
“What about the palace?” Her father stepped through the doorway in his standard black suit, collared white shirt and black tie.
“Luca came to escort Elena to the dinner at the palace.” Her mother beamed. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
Her father’s face was pale and drawn. Dark circles had formed under his eyes from being on call for the king at any hour of the day or night. Elena wished her father would set some boundaries in his life, but he insisted that his duty was to the king, and he could not be deterred.
Everyone stood quietly waiting for her father to speak. It wasn’t like him to be so quiet. Usually he would tell her to have a good evening and be on his way.
“Are you all right?” Elena asked her father.
“I’m fine. Just a little tired.” Her father moved to stand in front of Elena. He leaned forward and pressed a feathery kiss to her cheek. “But I’m feeling better now. How could I not with my wonderful family around me?”
Elena’s mother nodded toward Luca. “Aren’t you going to say anything to our guest?”
Her father grunted as though he’d forgotten. He turned to Luca. “Don’t do anything to hurt my girl. Or else...”
Her father didn’t finish the threat, but Luca’s rigid stance and the firm line of his lips said that he’d gotten the message.
“I’ll go clean up for dinner,” her father said and moved toward the stairs.
“Shall we go?” Luca asked.
Elena had to try one last time to call off this awkward date. “As I was saying before, I really don’t mind arriving alone.”
Luca sighed. “Ah, but see, I do mind. I hate showing up at these family events alone. There will be questions about who I’m dating, if it’s serious and if I ever plan to settle down and get married. I’d rather avoid all that.”
So she would be doing him a favor? By what? Being his decoy? A shield?
No. No. No.
She wasn’t comfortable with any of those titles. Elena had enough of her own secrets. She didn’t need to be drawn into anyone else’s drama.
The past few months in Paris had consisted of making one bad decision after the other. It had gotten to the point where she had no faith in her own judgment. And now that she was pregnant, she had to make the right decisions. There was an innocent baby counting on her. She had mixed emotions about her unexpected condition. How could she tell Luca she was pregnant when she didn’t even know how she felt about it?
That was why her mother’s request for her to return home couldn’t have come at a better time. She had hoped some downtime would clear her head. At the time, she’d had absolutely no idea that Annabelle was having a big celebration or that she would include Elena in the festivities.
Her gaze landed on Luca. He looked uncomfortable and anxious to be anywhere but here. Things had definitely changed between them. Where there had once been an easiness, there was now this crackling tension. If she needed any confirmation that they could never go back to how they used to be, this was it.
Tonight, she would be nervous enough being a guest at the palace. She really didn’t need the added awkwardness she felt around Luca. If only he wasn’t so insistent on being a gentleman and escorting her.
“I’m not quite ready to go.” When he didn’t say anything, she added, “I don’t want to make you late.”
“I don’t mind waiting,” he said. “It’ll give me some more time to talk with your mother.”
Her mother smiled. “And I just made a fresh batch of those amaretto cookies that you enjoy.”
“They’re my favorite,” Luca said. “And I haven’t had them in a very long time. You really are the best in the kitchen.”
Her mother shook a finger at him. “You have grown up to be quite a flatterer. I’ll just go get you a few.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll join you.”
Her mother nodded and set off for the kitchen with Luca following closely behind. Elena stood alone in the entryway. What exactly had just happened?
LUCA COULDN’T TAKE his gaze off her.
Had Elena always been this beautiful?
Thankfully she’d turned her head to stare out the car’s window at the passing fields of wildflowers while in the background the setting sun painted the sky with streaks of orange, pink and purple. But tonight Luca was in no mood to appreciate nature’s beauty.
In the weeks since he’d last seen her in Paris, he’d convinced himself that everything about their evening together had been blown out of proportion by the champagne. He just couldn’t accept that he was attracted to his childhood friend. He couldn’t allow that to happen, because they could have no future.
He wasn’t into commitments.
Not now. Not ever.
But there was something about Elena that pulled at him...even to this day.
And then he remembered how he’d woken up the morning after they’d made love and heard Elena sniffling. The sound had ripped him apart. No one had ever cried after spending the night with him. And the fact that it was Elena, of all people, made the situation so much worse.
He hadn’t moved for an indeterminable number of minutes. Her muffled sobs had sliced through him. Clearly she’d thought their night together had been a mistake. Unable to think of anything to say to comfort her, he’d continued to breathe deeply as though he’d still been asleep. Each breath had been painful, as his entire body was tense. The memory was still so crystal clear.
