Chapter 24

ROBIN

Doing his tie up and slipping into his jacket, he shouted out, “You ready to leave?”

Robin came from the bathroom. “I wish we didn’t have to go back. I like having you all to myself.”

She walked over and straightened his tie, flashing a smile at him. Back home, she knew he’d be busy with work, and she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Grazia, even though she had been a little friendlier lately.

“You’ll still have me to yourself. I work from home, so you will see me all the time. You might even get sick of seeing so much of me.”

“Never, Luca. I love you. Thanks for the most amazing two weeks of my life.”

“It’s I who should be thanking you. You’ve made me a happy man, and I will take you on more trips. Ready?” he asked, lifting her chin and planting a deep and passionate kiss on her lips.

Pulling away, he made a low growling sound. “If I don’t stop now, we’ll never leave this room.”

Laughing, she picked up her purse. “Okay, mister, if you really want to go, let’s get going.”

LUCA

Arriving home, they were greeted by Filippo. “Welcome home, you two.” He gave Robin a quick kiss on the cheek and shook Luca’s hand. “I must say the two of you look so happy.”

“We are very happy,” Luca said, and with one hand around her waist, he smiled down at her. “Want something to drink?”

“You go ahead. I’m going upstairs to freshen up,” she said, looking lovingly up at him.

“Okay, don’t be long,” he said and winked at her. “Or I’ll have to come up and get you.”

When she was gone, he and Filippo went to the family room and poured a couple of shots of scotch and sat on the leather sofa.

“So where’s Grazia?” Luca asked, taking a sip of his drink and loosening his tie.

“She went out with Eleonora and won’t be back till dinner.”

“You didn’t let that bitch into my house, did you?” Luca glared at Filippo.

“No, she hasn’t stepped foot in here since the wedding. Judging from the smile on both of your faces, I take it the honeymoon went well.”

“It was amazing. Only one problem occurred. We ran into Sandra.”

“Shit, how did that go?”

“Not good. Sandra had to blab that we were together for four years. Robin didn’t take the news well. We had a fight about it; she was mad that I didn’t tell her about it.”

“Robin was jealous, Luca. It shows she loves you,” Filippo said, getting up and pouring them another drink. “Are you now willing to admit that you also love her?”

Luca raised his glass to Filippo. “That, my friend, is between me and my wife.”

They may have been friends, but he had no intention of talking about his personal relationship with Robin to him or anyone.

ROBIN

When Robin returned to the family room, she found Filippo alone.

“Do you know where Luca went?” she asked, looking at his wrist and seeing the new watch he was wearing. It looked like one of those Rolexes, worth thousands of dollars.

“Yes, love, he’s in his special room. Said he wanted to be alone.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll just let him know dinner is almost ready.” She left the room, feeling his eyes on her.

Knocking lightly on the door, Luca replied, “What?”

Through the door, she raised her voice a little. “It’s me, Luca. Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Robin, come in.”

She opened the door and stepped just inside, and he patted the seat next to him on the sofa. “I thought you said I was never to come in here?”

He smiled and motioned for her to sit down. “I did, but I changed my mind. You said you liked this room because of the view.

“As my wife, I would like for you to come here anytime you want, whether I’m here or not,” he said as he started kissing her neck. He slowly laid her down, his hand sliding up her leg.

She put her hands on his chest, feeling his hard muscles. A tingle raced through her fingers right down to between her thighs. “Oh my, Luca, you can’t be serious. Not here; someone might walk in.”

Grumbling, he got off her and went over and locked the door. Turning to her, he smiled and started undoing his pants. “Take off your panties now or another pair will be destroyed.”

Her tongue involuntarily ran over her bottom lip as she stood and slowly pulled them down, knowing the slower she moved, the more excited he would become.

He was by her side in a flash, and she made a soft gasp when he flung her down and got on top.

Though she tried to protest at first, he felt how wet she was down there and knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

He embedded his member deep inside, making her moan and squirm as he began thrusting faster.

Her soft moaning rang out as she nibbled his ear. Finishing what he started, he kissed her neck, his voice quiet when he spoke. “Now this room is more special to me than before.”

They cleaned up in the adjoining small bathroom and joined the others in the dining room where Grazia and Filippo were waiting.

“Welcome back. I hope your honeymoon went well,” Grazia said, a smile on her face.

“It did,” Luca replied as he pulled out Robin’s seat, but something about Grazia’s demeanor had him suspicious. “What’s on your mind?”

Grazia had a smirk on her face. “I take it you have not seen today’s paper.”

“No. Why?”

“There’s an article in it about you and Robin. Quite entertaining.”

Getting up from the table, he went and picked up the paper from the counter. His eyebrows pulled down, and his lips tightened as he read the society page.

“Who leaked this to the press?” he barked, looking over at Grazia and then Filippo.

Both stared at him, shaking their heads.

Robin got up and went over to Luca, and when she tried to take the paper, he pulled it away. “Let me see it,” she said, afraid of what it would say, but she still needed to know.

“You don’t need to read this. It’s trash, and whoever gave this information to the news will have me to deal with.”

“Luca, please, if it’s about me, I have a right to know.”

Taking it, she started reading. Her jaw dropped open, and she felt the pain and embarrassment run through her veins, and her eyes filled with tears.

She read how Luca paid money to buy her. It went on to say how he married her for the sole purpose of sex and to avoid the scandal of having to pay for a sex slave.

There were pictures of her trying to chase after Sandra only to be held back by Luca; it showed the anger on his face and her trying to hit him.

The caption read ~Billionaire has his hands full with his bought and paid-for whore~.

Dropping the paper, she ran from the room and headed to her bedroom. Luca followed suit.

He found her lying facedown on the bed, crying. Going over, he sat down and rubbed her back. “Don’t be upset. The media is always writing stuff about me and whoever I’m with. I will see they lose their jobs.”

Robin sat up, her eyes swollen from crying. “But that is what the world thinks of me, that I’m some dirty whore you paid for.

“Those pictures make me look like some kind of crazy person, and they think you only married me for appearance’s sake.” She sobbed when he wrapped his arms around her, stroking her back tenderly.

“I don’t care what the world thinks, Robin. All that’s important is what we know and think. I love you. I’m hopelessly devoted to you, and my heart is saying never let go.”

He wiped her tears away. “Now, let’s go down with our heads held high and show Grazia and Filippo that we don’t give a flying leap what other people think.”

She buried her face in the crook of his neck. Her shoulders shook as she shed more tears, and he held her tight, kissing the top of her head.

Once she settled down and had splashed water on her face, they headed back downstairs. She felt better when he held her hand; she felt him giving it a squeeze as they sat and finished their meal.

LUCA

“Luca, perhaps it would be a good idea to hold a press conference, you and Robin. That way, you could set them straight, tell them they got the story wrong and you married for love,” Filippo said as he put down his fork.

“That’s an excellent idea, Filippo. Set it up,” Luca said, giving Robin a smile. He knew she might not like it, but once he explained, he was sure she’d go along with it.

“I’ll get right on it.” He turned to Robin. “I hope, my dear, that you will be able to entertain yourself for the next few days. Luca and I will be busy finalizing the sale of the winery business he is buying.”

She looked over at Luca. “I may take my horse Star out riding, and maybe I could start on sorting the stuff that’s upstairs in that room.”

“I’ll have some people help you. I don’t want you going up there alone. If you go riding, your bodyguard will go with you,” Luca said, smiling back at her.

“Bodyguard? I thought you let him go when we got married.”

“No, not exactly. I kept him on in case you go somewhere without me.”

“I’m not a child, Luca. I don’t need a babysitter,” she said angrily.

“Robin, it’s for your protection. I’m wealthy and well-known. There are a lot of crazy people out there that could try to get to me through you.”

He sensed an argument coming and seeing the grin on Grazia’s face put an end to the discussion. “We’ll talk about this later, in private.”

ROBIN

Later, as they all sat around having tea, it was getting late, so Robin excused herself, saying she was going to bed.

Coming out of the shower wearing a flimsy cover-up, she found Luca already in bed, his upper body naked, as she was sure the rest of him was.

“You could have stayed longer with the others; I wouldn’t have minded.”

“I didn’t want to be with them. I would much rather be with you.”

Getting out of bed, he walked over to her in all his naked glory. Touching her flesh just above her chest, he traced a finger along her collarbone down to her cleavage.

“Promise me you won’t go riding or up to that room alone.”

Her breath hitched in her throat when his touch lit the flames of desire within her. “You worry too much, Luca.”

“I’m your husband. It’s my job to worry and protect you. Oh god, I love the way your skin feels after a shower, so silky soft, and you smell so fresh.”

Pulling the top she wore down, he let it fall to the floor; his mouth traveled down until he heard her purr-like moans.

Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her over to the bed. He had clearly been waiting since after dinner to do what he was about to do to her.

Later she snuggled up to him, her head on his chest, listening to his heart beating. “Luca, do we have to stand in front of a bunch of cameras and tell everyone about us?”

“I’ll not have people calling my wife a whore and thinking the worst about you. We have to stand up and tell the world we married for love.”

“But you did pay for me in a sense. You gave my uncle triple what the horses were worth. I heard you tell him you would if I was part of the deal, I was standing right there.”

“Okay, you’re right, but they don’t have to know that. I know at first I wanted you as a wife in name only, but I fell in love with you,” he said, tracing his finger along her lips.

“I’m not good at talking in front of a bunch of people. I’m scared I’ll say the wrong thing and embarrass you more.”

“You won’t, and I’ll do most of the talking, okay?” he asked, lifting her chin to kiss her.

“Okay,” she replied before he rolled her onto her back, and getting on top, he started touching and kissing till she was responding, squirming frantically beneath him.