L'amore: The Luminara Series (76 page)

It sometimes feels as if we’re walking on eggshells as we very rarely bring it up or talk about it—forbidden discussion. I don’t think it’s just me in denial. It’s a family trait. I guess they’re trying to protect our feelings. Distraction works but my thoughts always go back to the matter at hand, as does Mum’s. It never truly goes away.

Lucca calls no less than four times to check on me, and I tell him that I’m fine every time. Granny, Mum, and Aunt Eva go with Lloyd an hour or so before Hayley and I are ready to travel back with Devon. It gives Hayley and me a chance to have a girl talk, alone.

“Oh no, I’ve left my purse, shit. I’ll just be a minute.” Hayley panics once we are seated in the back of the SUV. I think she’s a little tipsy with the four glasses of wine she consumed and the two blue concoctions. God knows what was in that. Conveniently, she waited until Aunt Eva left before she ordered them. She throws the door open and quickly runs back inside to the bar before I get the chance to say I’ll come with her.

While I’m waiting I check my emails and text messages, sending a quick one off to Lucy asking how her hot date went with Marco. Getting impatient, I think it’s been at least ten minutes since Hayley’s left. Surely it can’t take that long, unless she’s waiting on management to check if anything has been handed in. I do hope she finds it. I mention to Devon we need to go in and check on her if she’s not back in ten minutes. He agrees and says we both need to go as I’m not to be left alone.

I call her phone but it rings out.

After ten minutes, she still isn’t back and I have an awful feeling in my stomach.

“I’m worried about her. I’m going to get her.” I open the car door.

Devon calls Lloyd but disconnects when a tipsy Hayley tripping towards us, giggling from the front door of the hotel, holding her wedge shoes in her hands. Dear Lord, she’s properly drunk now. Pissed, no less.

She comes to a halt, staggering backwards, when a burgundy car nearly runs her over. I jump out and storm over to her and help her into the back of the car.

“What were you thinking? You nearly got yourself killed there. What took you so long?” I snap.

“Chill out. My purse wasn’t there, so I asked management to check while I waited at the bar and a guy bought me a drink. In fact, he bought me a couple of shots which, of course, I threw back.” She giggles.

“Are you insane? Taking drinks from a stranger? Hayley, Jesus, you should be more careful.”

“Oh relax! I saw the bartender pour them in front of me. It’s all good. Please, don’t tell my mum. She’s been yapping on about my party lifestyle, but I’m an adult. I can do what I like.” She slouches across the backseat of the car.

I fasten her seat belt. “Well, start acting like one and don’t you do that again. And stop talking to strangers you have no idea how risky that is,” I yell. I’m so angry with her because I love her and I’m only looking out for her. How could she be so irresponsible? Then again, she doesn’t know why I’m on edge but it doesn’t excuse her carelessness.

“Stop shouting at me, Lexi, you sound worse than Mum, just cover for me and I’ll owe you. Anyway, he had the sexiest accent.” I sigh and start to tell her the reason I’m being extra cautious but she falls sound asleep. I protectively cuddle her into my side until we reach home. I call Lucca and tell him about it because Devon will tell him anyway.

Devon lifts Hayley up and puts her in my mum’s bed. I’m so embarrassed by her antics today. I thank Devon profusely but ask him to keep it to himself. She mumbles and thanks me. I kiss her head leave her some water.

Mum and Granny start preparing dinner, my stomach taking a turn for the worse after lunch with pregnancy sickness and nerves over Hayley’s drama. I sip a camomile tea, leaning against the counter talking to Aunt Eva.

“Where’s Hayley?” Aunt Eva asks.

“In bed. She’s feeling poorly. We need to talk.”

“Oh, I hope she’s okay,” Aunt Eva replies.

“She’s sleeping it off,” I say.

Mum looks at me curiously, hoping Hayley doesn’t have the pregnancy bug as well. I lift my hand to my mouth, tilting an imaginary glass of wine when Aunt Eva turns to roll out the pastry for Granny. Mum understands nodding her head discreetly.

I tell them about her carelessness today, because while we’re all walking on eggshells, she’s being idiotic and it’s not safe to behave in that way, especially given the circumstances we are in. She needs a good talking too, but it’s Aunt Eva’s place to do it. I asked her to wait until Hayley’s sobered up to speak with her. I don’t want Hayley thinking I’m going behind her back, but it’s for her own good. I have her best interests at heart.

The boys return and we have a cosy night with a homemade steak pie dinner, sharing lots of old stories, minus an intoxicated Hayley, and Hayden who has gone away to Kingussie to meet an old friend. Lucca tells me he’s really gone to meet an old flame from the ski school and had Nate drive him. At least someone will be with him.

Avoiding the steak pie, I have parmesan chicken and some salad and say I’m trying to build my appetite back up. It’s hard as Granny makes an amazing homemade steak pie, but the smell of the meat curls my toes.

Mr. Carlin has retired to bed, feeling exhausted after his outdoor walk today. Lucca informs me that he never actually walked that far, but it’s still good exercise and the fresh air is great for him.

After dinner Lucca makes some calls to the specialist and CID for updates and other business calls. Then we decide to have an early night. It’s been a long day.

Checking on Hayley, I place some water and painkillers down next to her and a bowl in the event she’s is sick. Aunt Eva and mum have both checked on her, but she has been sleeping soundly. Hayley will be getting a good telling to in the morning.

In the shower, I update Lucca on her antics this afternoon. He knows I care deeply for her and is concerned with her careless behaviour as well in our current situation, but he doesn’t challenge the conversation any further. His mind is elsewhere. Distant.

I shampoo his hair, massaging his scalp to try and relieve his tension. It seems to relax him until his phone vibrates on the vanity shelf. He leaves me in the shower so he can check his messages. I switch the shower off, towel dry, and apply my body butter cream.

Lucca is sitting at the dressing table with his towel around his waist, using his laptop and phone at the same time.

I walk around him and lightly skim my fingers across his upper back as I place a soft kiss on his shoulder to let him know I’m here. He drops his shoulders under my touch then lifts my hand and kisses it. He needs five minutes so I use the time to read a magazine in bed.

He seems very irate and anxious as he runs his hands through his hair while checking emails. He pinches his forehead after a phone conversation with Omari. The defined muscles in his back flex, showing just how brawny his body actually is, not that I’m complaining about that view, but I know he’s tense. I ask if it’s regarding Kimberley, to which he comes over to the bed kisses my nose and tells me it’s nothing to worry about, just business that he needs to address.

I hate seeing him stressed. His face reveals a thousand worries, but he’s still magnificently beautiful. I need to relax and distract his mind because this tension is not good for either of us right now. We have enough to deal with, like a crazed lunatic on the run likely trying to track me down.

“You still have not read those documents Omari gave you,” he says.

“No, sorry. I’ve been distracted, but I’ll do it tomorrow. I promise. Is that why you’re so tense?”

“No, of course not. I just remembered when I spoke to him tonight. I am sorry, I do not want you to be uptight because I am tense. It is nothing I cannot take care of, so please do not worry.” His voice softens when he notices me picking the skin on my palms and biting my inside cheek.

I’m sitting propped up against the headboard naked, allowing the cream to absorb into my skin, as I look through a pregnancy magazine that Mum secretly bought me at the store. We change the subject and talk about the baby and our future. I’m hoping this will distract and relax him.

It does.

Lucca’s cheek rests on my tummy. His fingers lightly tickle the skin of my abdomen with gentle strokes, which elicit that deep fluttering sensation inside.

Comfortable.

Tranquil.

Blissful.

“I want you to see a doctor as soon as possible, and we will get you all checked out. I have arranged full private health care coverage for you, here and in Tuscany in case we are there.”

I don’t argue because he’ll be persistent, and I do want to know everything is how it should be with my pregnancy.

“I need to get this implant in my arm removed also.” That was a pointless exercise which caused a huge fight with Lucca afterwards. I never even knew I was pregnant at the time too.

He runs his thumb over the skin where it was inserted, sighing.

I read some facts and recommendations to him from the pregnancy magazine until I feel his body relax and his cheek sink heavier against my stomach. His slowing deep breaths billow across my skin. Knowing he’s fallen asleep, I turn off the lamp but don’t move just yet.

I close my eyes and reflect on the past few months, these crazy few weeks. Gently, I stroke his muscular shoulders and weave my fingers in his hair with the other hand, twirling my fingers.

“Lucca Caruso, thank you for giving me your light. I love you, and you are going to make the best daddy in the world,” I whisper. He stirs and splays his hand across my tummy. I’m not sure if he heard me, but it doesn’t matter. I’m only thinking out loud. A few moments later, I need to move to get comfortable until we are positioned in a warm embrace.

Sleep.

Lucca wakes me up the next morning by showering me in kisses and caressing my body all over, apologising for being stressed and falling asleep last night. He gives me three early morning orgasms no less, which my body is more than grateful for.

“I love these
gifts of the days
,” I mumble, completely sated and relaxed.

“Hmmm, you have no idea how much I do too. That was amazing, baby. You need to keep your energy levels up because I am planning to give you these gifts of the day, every day, forever and always.”

“That I can manage. It would be a shame to deny my horny, pregnant body such gratification. It makes me feel so much better,” I say with bashfulness, wetting my lips and smiling. Playful.

“Well, in that case, I will need to do this throughout the day for my own physical wellbeing, as well as yours, you understand. I cannot have you unwell,” he says, picking me up to place me in the shower.

“Of course. Then we’ll both be grateful and feel so much better.” I lean over to kiss him with my bruised lips.

“Did you mean it when you said I would be the best daddy in the world?” he asks while we get dressed.

“Oh, I thought you were sleeping.” I blush.

“I thought I was dreaming,” he replies with so much hope in his eyes.

“I don’t just think that, Lucca, I know it. You will be an incredible father, and I feel very blessed right now, even if I do feel si—” I run into the bathroom to vomit again.

Ghosts

The family is taking a trip to Inverness for some shopping today. Hayden and Hayley choose to stay at home with Nate because Hayden slumped on the sofa at four this morning after Nate brought him back from a house party and Hayley has a horrendous hangover, although she’s pretending to study. Nate will be pissed about babysitting all night.

Hayley and Hayden have been briefed about Michael Parks, and she now feels guilty about yesterday and apologises for her carelessness. I suspect she’s avoiding everyone because she received a family intervention this morning. I wouldn’t be surprised if Granny swiped her ass with her loafer and gave her a very rude awakening.

I ask Hayley to take the dogs out for me as the fresh air will do her good. I’m not particularly in a shopping mood, especially after being sick again this morning, but it pleases Granny, Mum, and Aunt Eva when we spend quality time together.