Chapter 26: Not worth your time
Sara set down her fork and knife neatly on the plate before reaching for the napkin. She dabbed her lips and took the last sip of wine, savoring its warmth.
"The food was delicious," she remarked but her gaze drifting past Luca, toward the shore where clusters of people lingered, laughing in the night breeze.
"It was," Luca agreed. He leaned back, dabbing the corner of his mouth with his napkin before signaling the waiter and settling the bill.
Sara’s eyes flickered once more to the lively seafront, the faint sound of music carrying on the wind. If she could keep him outside longer, maybe he’d exhaust himself enough to collapse straight into bed later.
"Are we going back to the room already?" she asked casually.
"Yes. I’m tired," Luca replied firmly, rising from his chair. He offered her his hand. "We’ll explore tomorrow."
Reluctantly, she placed her hand in his. Rising from her seat, Sara allowed him to lead her away, back toward their suite while her mind schemed for more ways to keep the night from turning too intimate.
’Well, he won’t force himself on me. That’s not the kind of man he is. So far, he hadn’t done anything like that, except for kissing me. But then, I somehow responded,’ she thought.
The door of their suite clicked open, pulling Sara out of her thoughts. Her phone buzzed in her jeans pocket, and she pulled it out instinctively.
A frown tugged at her brow as she read the message from an unknown number. Since blocking her stepsister, Frida had begun texting from another.
[Asher is hurt thanks to your husband. He beat him up after kidnapping him.]
Luca, sipping water, noticed Sara’s gaze fixed on her phone.
"What are you staring at?" His voice cut through her reverie.
Sara’s lips tightened as she replied softly, "I always thought Frida was a good person."
"When her mother was never good to you, how did you expect her to be?" Luca remarked, setting his glass on the table.
"You’re right," Sara said. "She always kept such an innocent face in front of me that I never realized her eyes were set on Asher. Now she’s lying in this message, saying you kidnapped him. Can you believe the audacity? I don’t want to even think about her... or Asher. Yet she sends me messages like I owe her something."
Luca’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening at her words. For a moment, his composure faltered. ’I should have broken his mouth,’ he thought.
"Show me," Luca demanded while hiding his fury. "What exactly did she write about me?"
Sara handed him the phone without a word. Luca read it before returning the phone to her.
Sara switched her phone to silent and sank onto the bed.
"I don’t understand what you even liked about that bastard," Luca said.
"He made me feel pampered," Sara murmured, her voice breaking. Tears gathered in her eyes, the same ones she had refused to shed the day she’d discovered Asher’s betrayal, how he had cheated on her with her own stepsister.
"Many guys approached me, but everyone had ill intentions," Sara murmured softly.
"And you didn’t realize Asher’s evil intentions. His fucking face is enough to tell anyone he’s a cheater," Luca muttered with jealousy. "You shouldn’t waste your thoughts on him or your stepsister. They’re not worth your time."
Sara’s gaze shifted, and out of nowhere she asked, "Are we going to sleep together... on the same bed?"
"Of course," Luca replied without hesitation, his voice firm. "Get changed."
"I’ll sleep—"
Luca cut her off before she could finish.
"You’ll sleep on the bed. I don’t want any arguments about this. Don’t worry. I won’t do anything unless you want me to."
Relief washed over Sara at his words. She nodded softly and went to change.
When she returned, the room was dimly lit, casting a warm glow across the suite. Luca lay inside the sheets, his figure half-hidden in shadow. He looked at her without speaking as Sara stepped closer before sliding inside the sheets. She turned her back to him while keeping her hand on her chest.
She felt Luca moved slightly.
"Grandma thinks I’m the most suitable husband for her granddaughter," Luca began.
"When did she say that?" Sara turned her head toward him, only to find him uncomfortably close. "Why did you move to my side?"
"We never set rules for the bed. You can come to my side too," Luca replied with a mischievous grin. "I can’t sleep. Shall we do something... fun?"
"What fun?" Sara asked, a flicker of confusion crossing her face.
Luca shifted closer until their heads rested on the same pillow.
"Hey, you promised—" Sara began, but her words died in her throat as Luca pressed a finger gently yet firmly over her lips.
"If you stay silent, you appear more beautiful to me," he murmured, his finger lingering before slowly lowering it.
"You think I speak so badly?" Sara challenged, glancing at him with a sharp glare.
"You only spat angry words at me," Luca replied with a teasing smirk.
"That’s because you make me do it. You annoy me," Sara said.
"Well, it’s fun to tease you," Luca admitted with a sly smile, his eyes glinting in the dim light.
Sara turned her head away, deliberately refusing to look at him.
"What did you like about me? You never told me," Luca whispered softly, his breath warm against her ear.
"I like nothing about you," Sara replied firmly, though her voice faltered slightly.
"Liar," he murmured.
"Ahh!" Sara gasped, pressing her hand to her ear after he suddenly nipped her earlobe. Her head snapped toward him, meeting his gaze.
"What are you doing? I thought you were tired and wanted to sleep. But turns out you want to bother me all night," Sara said.
Luca smirked, leaning even closer so she could feel the faint heat of his breath against her skin. "Maybe I like bothering you," he whispered with a smirk.