Chapter 48
Tonight, it was Luca who made his way to his wife, long after Nico had fallen asleep and the silence of the house settled around them. The soft hum of the night lamp was the only sound that broke the stillness. Amber sat on the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest, her hands restlessly flicking the switch on the lamp, turning it on and off, on and off, as if trying to focus on something, anything, to push the weight of her thoughts away. She paused when she noticed Luca standing at the door.
“Came to gloat?” she asked, her voice a mixture of bitterness and exhaustion.
Luca studied her in the dim light, his gaze steady and unwavering. “Is there anything to gloat about?” His voice was calm, but beneath it, there was a depth of understanding. He wanted her to know that, despite everything, he was on her side. If he had pushed her into this decision, it was only because he believed it was the right thing for her— for both of them.
Amber’s eyes flickered to the side, avoiding his gaze. "I’m sorry. I’m just not in the right frame of mind,” she said quietly, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke. “What with everything... with your mother and Nico... Don’t think for a second that I don’t appreciate what you’re doing. I know you’re making a sacrifice.”
Luca felt a knot tighten in his chest. Sacrifice? The word lingered uncomfortably in the air, a misunderstanding that struck him with unexpected force. He had never thought of it that way. To him, being with his wife and son was what he wanted most in life. It wasn’t a sacrifice—it was everything. He took a step closer to the bed, his eyes fixed on Amber. “Sacrifice?” he echoed, his voice low. “Is that what you think? That being with you and Nico is a sacrifice?”
Amber didn’t meet his eyes. Instead, she looked down, the weight of everything pressing on her like a physical force. She didn’t respond, but her silence spoke volumes.
Luca felt his heart tighten, a pang of sorrow for her that matched his own. He knew she was struggling, and the last thing he wanted to do was add to her pain. “I suppose,” he began, his voice softening, “your decision to come to the States to care for Nico... that’s why Carlotta ended our engagement, isn’t it?”
The words hung in the air, but they were not the words he really wanted to speak. The truth of it was, the broken engagement wasn’t just about the logistics of his life with Nico. The reason Carlotta had ended things was because his heart had never fully belonged to her. His love had always been with Amber. He had told her that, plainly, just the night before—telling her that he had never stopped loving her, that she was the one who had always held his heart. But she had refused to believe him, as she always had, and he hadn’t pushed her further on that. He didn’t need to.
But now, looking at her—so fragile, so vulnerable in that moment—he couldn’t bear to press her any further. He wouldn’t say those words again, not now. Not when she was like this.
Luca paused, letting the silence settle between them. His thoughts shifted, and a quiet resolve formed in his mind. He could feel the uncertainty that had been building in him over the past few days slip away, replaced by a renewed sense of determination. He wasn’t going to let anything hold them back anymore.
“I’ve already made arrangements,” he said, his voice firm but gentle. “I’ve alerted my pilot. The jet will be ready tomorrow morning. We’ll be in the States in a few hours.”
Amber looked at him—really looked at him this time. Her dark, expressive eyes lingered on his face, moving over him with a kind of scrutiny that felt almost tactile. Luca could feel her gaze, heavy and deliberate, like a touch that wasn’t quite physical but still sent ripples of sensation coursing through him. Her intent expression stirred something primal in him, something he struggled to contain.
Her gaze wasn’t merely curious; it was searching, peeling back layers, as if she were trying to see something deeper within him. The intimacy of it was intoxicating, and Luca felt his pulse quicken, a warmth unfurling low in his stomach. He couldn’t stop the cascade of thoughts it unleashed—his imagination conjuring a vivid image of her beneath him, her body pliant and yielding. He pictured her pinned to the bed, her wrists locked firmly beneath his grip, her breath hitching in surrender. He could almost feel the tension in her muscles as she writhed beneath him, helpless to the power he held over her, and the thought sent a surge of heat through his veins.
The mental image was visceral, raw, and nearly overwhelming. He could feel his control slipping as he imagined the way her lips would part, her voice trembling with half-formed pleas as he held her there, immobile, completely his. His restraint would fray just enough to allow him to tease her, to push her to the edge of her endurance until she begged for him to claim her.
Luca’s breath hitched, and he exhaled slowly, forcing himself to shake the vision free. He clenched his fists, grounding himself in the present. No. Not now. He couldn’t afford to lose control, not with Amber already so fragile, so vulnerable. The last thing she needed was for him to give in to the hunger clawing at him.
He sighed deeply, scrubbing a hand over his face as if the motion could erase the flood of heat coursing through him. "Focus," he muttered under his breath, his voice so low it was barely audible. Otherwise, he thought grimly, he was going to lose his mind entirely.