Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 128209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
I released an exasperated breath, but I could feel that his mood was slightly lifting. “How many women have you slept with? You had your first time when you were thirteen, so you’ve had ten years before we married.” I’d been wondering about it for a while, even if I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the answer, but I knew it would distract Luca from whatever demons the meeting had called out.
Luca’s expression closed off. “That’s not important. It’s the past.”
“But I’d like to know.”
“It doesn’t matter if there were one hundred or one thousand before you, because now there’s only you, Aria,” Luca said firmly.
I sighed. Perhaps he was right but I couldn’t let it drop that easily. “One thousand?” I prompted, widening my eyes.
He smirked. “Nice try. Let’s just say I took what I could get.”
“And you got a lot,” I finished.
“Not important,” he murmured before he kissed me. I knew it shouldn’t be, but I couldn’t help wondering if a man who was used to being with so many women could ever settle for only one, especially one who’d learned everything she knew about sex from him.
chapter 3
ARIA
The mid-October sun kissed my skin as we disembarked from our private jet parked at the airport of Palermo. While the weather in New York had been gray and rainy, sunshine and warmth greeted us in Sicily.
I tilted my face up, relishing the touch of the sunrays on my skin. In preparation for the warmer climate, I’d put on my orange maxi dress with the ombre effect and the golden belt accentuating my waist, as well as my favorite flat golden sandals.
Luca’s hand tightened around mine and I slanted him a look, finding him scowling menacingly at our pilot who had been ogling me. I tugged at his hand and he focused on me, the scowl slipping away. “You are too beautiful.”
“Right,” I said with a laugh. “Let’s go. I want to see the yacht.” That, and I wanted to get away from the pilot before Luca decided to relieve him of a few limbs.
A driver waited for us beside a white Maserati SUV when we stepped out of the airport. “It’s a soldier of the Sicilian Famiglia. My great-uncle is Capo.”
My eyes widened. “Oh, really? Have you met him before?”
“Twice. He wasn’t at my father’s funeral because he was getting a pacemaker at the time. He’s in his seventies, so at some point his grandson Alessandro will take over.”
“Not his son?”
“Dead. Killed by the Camorra. They rule over Naples and Campania.”
“Oh. What about the Camorra in the States?”
“They keep to themselves in the West. Benedetto Falcone is as crazy as they come.”
We arrived at the car. Our driver, a tall guy around Luca’s age with dark hair and a dark beard, shook Luca’s hand and introduced himself as Alessandro in Italian. Luca seemed surprised, then said in fluent Italian: “I didn’t recognize you. It’s been a while. I didn’t expect my great-uncle to send his own grandson to greet me.”
Alessandro inclined his head. “A sign of respect, Luca, as men of honor.” He turned to me and his eyes traveled the length of me, obviously surprised before he met my gaze and spoke to me in accented English. “It’s an honor to meet the woman with the golden hair who brought truce between the Outfit and the Famiglia.”
I almost snorted.
Luca’s vigilant gaze rested on the other man. “She’s also my wife.”
It annoyed me that they spoke English with me, expecting me to be incapable of speaking Italian. Perhaps I was famous for my beauty, but I had finished school best in class and could have gone to any Ivy League college I wanted if I wasn’t who I was.
I smiled despite my annoyance, and said in flawless Italian, “I didn’t bring truce, Luca did because he is the best Capo New York has ever seen.”
Both men regarded me in astonishment and I raised my eyebrows at Luca. Appreciation flickered in his gaze before he returned his attention to Alessandro. “Does my great-uncle expect a visit today?”
Relief settled in my bones when Alessandro shook his head. “He knows you’ll want to enjoy your honeymoon with your wife. But before you leave for New York, he’d appreciate a meeting.”
“Of course,” Luca said. We got into the car after Alessandro had helped Luca load our luggage into the trunk. Luca and I sat in the back, which Alessandro didn’t seem to mind. I had a feeling Luca wanted to keep an eye on the other man, so I was glad when Alessandro dropped us off at the harbor and drove off. Luca rolled our two suitcases down the long landing toward a black-and-white yacht, and not a small one as I’d expected. Luca helped me climb on the boat, then hoisted our luggage on deck.