Chapter 32
Lucia
I’m wrapped in a towel when I enter our bedroom, finding Romeo sitting on the edge of the mattress with his head buried in his hands.
He looks up, and I feel his eyes on me as I cross the room, so I slip my fingers beneath the fold of the towel that sits just above my breasts, tugging it loose.
I hear a growl rumble in the back of his throat the moment it drops to the floor below.
Am I pushing things too far? Maybe. But if he’s trying to shut me out, then I need to be smarter and fight harder.
I originally planned to call Dante once I finished packing, but deep down, I knew going back to their house would only widen the gap between Romeo and me, and that’s something I can’t afford.
I had his keys in my possession, and once I learnt his birth date—the code to the gate—I decided to come here instead. It took a while to find an Uber driver who was willing to take me, our belongings, and the dog, but everything worked out in the end.
“Are you right there?” he asks as I open the top drawer of his dresser. I moved his boxers to one side earlier to make room for my underwear.
I turn to face him as I step into the lemon satin panties in my hand and shimmy them over my hips.
I meet his gaze and arch an eyebrow. “Would you rather have me walk around naked?”
He may be frowning, but I don’t miss the heat in his eyes as they peruse my body. He gave me the same look when I was in the bathtub earlier.
“No, I wouldn’t.”
Moving towards the bed, I sift through the piles of clothes I stacked there when I unpacked my suitcases, looking for something to put on.
I decide on a sundress and slip it over my head.
“No bra?” Romeo asks.
I shrug. “It’s just us here, so I’d rather be comfortable.”
His eyes narrow. “The doctor’s on his way, Lucia. You’re putting a fucking bra on.”
He pushes to his feet, and I don’t miss the way that move makes him flinch. He should be in the hospital, but since he doesn’t want to go back there, I’m happy to step in and play nursemaid. I might even look online and see if I can find a sexy nurse’s outfit to wear while I’m doing it.
“Actually—” He cuts himself off as he rummages through the clothes until he finds what he’s looking for. I roll my lips to hide my smile when he holds out a pair of tights and an oversized hoodie. “Put these on instead.”
I take the clothes from him and set them on the bed, reaching for the hem of my dress.
My teeth sink into my bottom lip as he snatches the clothes off the mattress and pushes them into my chest. “You can get changed in the bathroom,” he grumbles.
I walk the doctor to the door and thank him for coming, then head back to our bedroom. He’s the same one who came to visit me at Dante’s house, but I was so out of it that I don’t remember much of it.
He told Romeo he needs complete bed rest for at least the next few days and handed over a script for painkillers and antibiotics, just in case the wound shows signs of infection.
Since he has so many internal stitches, he’s not allowed to lift anything heavy or drive for the next six weeks, which didn’t go down too well.
I saw the steely determination in Romeo’s eyes when he was told that, so I already know he’s going to defy those orders the first chance he gets. But I’ll try my darnedest to make sure he doesn’t.
He’s still sitting on the edge of the bed, scowling, when I return. I move around to the side where he’ll be sleeping and proceed to fluff his pillows.
“You heard what the doctor said,” I say, pulling back the covers and gesturing for him to get in.
“This is bullshit,” he mumbles under his breath as he stands and rounds the bed.
He stripped out of that dreadful hospital gown before the doctor arrived and slipped on a pair of sweats—sans underwear—which, to my disappointment, he leaves on when he climbs under the covers.
“It’s only for a few days,” I say softly, covering him as he lies back.
“Two days too long. And if he thinks I’m not going to drive for six weeks, he’s fucking delusional. I have shit to do.”
“I’m going to call Dante and borrow one of his drivers. I need to get your scripts filled.”
“I don’t need a fucking driver, Lucia,” he snaps.
I ignore his outburst because I understand he’s frustrated. “Technically, you should be in the hospital, so be grateful you get to heal here instead.”
He blows out a frustrated breath, so I drop to my knees and lean in to place my lips on his cheek.
“Please try to do the right thing. I almost lost you once. I can’t go through that again.”
His features soften slightly when he side-eyes me. “I’ll try,” he mumbles.
“Good boy.”
“Don’t call me that,” he says, frowning again. “I’m a fucking man, not a boy.”
I let out a small laugh as I lean in to kiss his cheek again. “I won’t argue with you about that. You’re all man, Mr De Luca. Every delicious inch. Now, what would you like to eat?”
He lifts one shoulder. “Anything you cook. I love all your food.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “Okay.” I use the edge of the mattress to push myself up onto my feet. “Try to get some rest. I’ll be back soon with your food and meds.”
When I asked Dante to loan us a driver, I wasn’t expecting him to arrive with my sister, Angelina, and Chloe in the back seat.
Yet here we are, the four of us in the kitchen cooking up a storm, with the mountain of supplies they brought with them. They could’ve at least brought the babies along.
“Are you sure you want to live here?” Arabella asks with concern in her voice.
“What kind of question is that? Of course, I do. He’s my husband. I belong wherever he is.”
“Dante said Romeo didn’t seem too impressed about you being here.”
I shrug. “He was just surprised. This place is his sanctuary, but whether he wants to admit it or not, he needs me right now. So does Ki-Ki.”
“Ki-Ki?” Chloe inquires.
“His dog.”
“His actual name is Killer,” Arabella tells her, and I don’t miss the not-so-subtle look that passes between them.
“Are you safe around him?” Chloe asks. “He seems a little … aggressive. I thought he was going to attack us when we got here.”
“He’s a trained guard dog and doesn’t like strangers, but he’s good with me.”
“If you say so.”
“His name is misleading, hence why I call him Ki-Ki. He’s a great dog, lovable and smart,” I say in his defence.
A few hours later, we’d cooked enough food to last for days and restored the kitchen to its original sparkling state, which meant I could now focus all my energy on helping my husband heal.
Romeo’s medication has arrived, and I think my sister has finally accepted that I’m staying.
“Well, it’s been great seeing you both again, Angelina and Chloe,” I say, bringing this little powwow to a close. “I hope I get to see you before you head back to Sydney.”
I hug them both before I move to Arabella. “I guess we should be getting back to the kids,” she states, wrapping me in her arms and squeezing me too tightly. “I was looking forward to having you home again. I’m going to miss you, Lu-Lu.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m ten minutes away. We’ll see each other all the time.”
“I hope so. You’ve missed too much of Caterina’s life already.” She draws back, and I hate the glistening I see in her eyes when our gazes meet. “Will you guys come over for dinner tomorrow night?”
I’m about to tell her we can’t—not until Romeo is back on his feet—but a deep, familiar voice cuts in from behind me, effectively beating me to it.
“We’d love to,” he says.
I swing around to find my shirtless husband standing at the entrance to the kitchen. “You’re not supposed to be out of bed.”
“I was waiting for you to come back with my food,” he says with a flat tone. “But when you didn’t, I figured I’d come see what was taking so long.” His gaze sweeps the room, briefly landing on each of our guests. “Ladies,” he adds with a polite nod.
“Romeo,” my sister breathes, letting go of me and hurrying over to him. “It’s good to see you up and about. I was so worried about you when Dante told me what happened.”
Her hands snake around his waist, and the way his arms hang stiffly at his sides, accompanied by the surprised look on his face, it’s clear he didn’t see that hug coming.
I’m sitting cross-legged on the bed beside Romeo, feeding him his lunch.
“You don’t have to hand-feed me,” he says as I scoop up another spoonful of minestrone and lift it to his mouth. “There’s nothing wrong with my arms.”
“Shoosh. I enjoy looking after you.”
He doesn’t respond, but I catch the subtle curve of his lips before he opens his mouth to take what I’m offering. I think deep down, he’s enjoying having someone take care of him for a change.
I’ve had a productive morning. I’ve caught up on all our washing, finished unpacking, and taken Ki-Ki for a walk. I even met one of the neighbours, who was shocked when I introduced myself as Romeo’s wife.
She told me he was a quiet neighbour who kept to himself, but explained how he once helped her husband get his car going when it wouldn’t start. I could totally see him doing that.
I had our borrowed driver go to the pharmacy and purchase a plastic shower chair, similar to the ones used in hospitals. After breakfast, Romeo and I took turns washing each other’s hair.
With clothes on, unfortunately. He’s still not agreeing to my offer of a sponge bath.
When we switched places, he was so gentle with me. I’ve never had anyone wash my hair before, and those big, strong fingers of his massaging my scalp were heavenly. I may have moaned once or twice. It was surprisingly intimate, considering it was such a simple thing.
He was careful not to get my stitches wet, and when he finished, he even dried and brushed my hair for me.
Like I mattered.
Like he wanted to take care of me as well.
We’re heading to Dante and Arabella’s this afternoon to spend time with our extended family while they are here.
“Are you excited to see Caterina?” I ask.
His face scrunches. “Who?”
“Our baby niece.”
“Oh.” He lifts one shoulder. “I guess.”
“You won’t believe how much she’s grown. She’s so squishy.”
“Squishy?”
“You know, rolls on top of rolls. She has the sweetest little cherub face.”
“You like kids, don’t you? I saw how you were with Lil’ Peach.”
“I guess. Lil’ Peach was easy to love; she was such a cutie pie.”
“Do you want a family of your own one day?” he asks.
“I already have a family … I have you.”
“I meant kids.”
I frown slightly as I shake my head. “Not really.”
His eyebrows spring up in surprise. “You don’t.”
“I don’t think so … I don’t know. Kids aren’t something I ever yearned for, not like Arabella. She was born to be a mamma. She has that mothering nature.”
“You have that too.”
I laugh. “I don’t.”
“Look at the way you take care of me.”
I dip my face when I feel heat rise to my cheeks. “I was pretty wild and rebellious when I was young, so if I ever reproduced, I’m pretty sure I’d be in for some special kind of hell.”
Romeo chuckles, then reaches out, gently lifting my chin to meet his eyes.
“You’re still wild and rebellious,” he says, his voice soft but certain. “But that’s what makes you … you. And for what it’s worth, I think you’re pretty damn special just the way you are.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, Luc, I do.”
“What time do you want to head to Dante and Arabella’s?”
“We can go after this if you like. I know how much you missed your sister and niece when we were at the safe house.”
“I did,” I admit.
When Romeo finishes the last of his lunch, I shuffle to the edge of the bed. “I’ll just clean up the mess I made in the kitchen, get changed, and we can go.”
“Okay.” As I cross the room, heading for the door, he calls out my name. “Lucia.”
“Yeah,” I say, glancing back over my shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re here taking care of me.”
A smile tugs at my lips, even as a knot rises in the back of my throat.
His words linger, and for the first time, I let myself wonder if this isn’t just about survival for him anymore.
Is he finally accepting this? Accepting me?
Could we actually make something of this sham marriage?
Something real.
Something true.
I want that more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.