I muffled a laugh as he peered down at her. “What happened to my free food for a year?”
She huffed. “Only if she’s with you.”
Lucas just shook his head as he took the boxes from me. “Fine. I will bring her back.”
My heart warmed at the thought. Was he thinking something more, well, permanent between us? This was a much better setup than I could have dreamed of on the day that my father had me dragged away for marriage.
Was I misreading this all? Was he not interested in anything long term?
What if it was just the here and now? The thought didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t want to be just the instrument of his revenge. I wanted him to care about me asLeda, not as Carmine’s daughter or any other motive he had in his mind.
I wanted Lucas to let me into his world, to move the darkness that surrounded him and bring something special into his life.
I wanted to be his personal heaven.
We said our goodbyes and climbed into the car, but instead of pointing it back to the yacht, we ventured further into the city. “Where are we going?” I asked as familiar buildings passed by. We were only a few blocks from Nico’s penthouse, and I longed to see my brother, to let him know that I was okay.
“My penthouse,” he said, tapping his long fingers on his thigh as he stared out of the window. I bit my lip and did the same, wondering what sort of fresh hell would await me there. Was that where he was going to turn me loose? Was that why he was bringing me into the city? Had he figured out who my father was going to give me to, and now that he had had his fill of me, he was going to turn me over to another sort of future?
My heart hammered against my rib cage as the car pulled up to a building not far from the Flatiron District, his guard helping me out and onto the nearly empty sidewalk.
“This way,” Lucas said near my ear, his hand on my lower back as he led me into the lobby. The building itself was old, and I watched as he swiped a card from his pocket against the elevator button, having it open nearly immediately.
“Wait,” I stated, turning to face him. “Just tell me what’s up there.” I needed to steel myself against what might be waiting and start to purge all of these feelings for Lucas at the same time.
He arched a brow. “Leda, I told you to trust me.”
Oh, I wanted to! I wanted to trust him, but I was also a D’Agostino, raised to trust no one in case they stabbed you in the back the moment they needed something else.
“Please,” I begged, my voice faint. “I can handle it.”
Really, I didn’t know if I could handle walking away from him, but I would have to. Lucas didn’t want anything long term from me.
Why would he? He had gotten what he wanted, and now it was time to move on.
Tears pricked my eyes, and his gaze narrowed. “I’m not going to let you go.”
I drew in a breath as the first tear spilled over, and he caught it with his thumb, brushing over my cheek lightly. “Trust me,” he said softly.
There was a lot of weight in his words, but what else could I do? I was his prisoner, and if he were lying to me, I would have to deal with it.
Even if it meant risking that he might break my heart.
Chapter 44
Leda
I walked into the elevator and watched as he swiped the card again, leaving his guards watching us. I could see the tension radiating off his body as we ascended, and every fiber in my being wanted to comfort him.
Still, I refrained. Trust him. I couldn’t trust him, could I? Lucas should be my enemy for what he had done to me, not my lover, and certainly not my friend.
Yet I wanted him to be so much more.
The doors opened, and Lucas stepped out, waiting for me to follow. A blast of cool night air greeted me as I realized the elevator opened directly into the penthouse shrouded in darkness. My feet were rooted to the floor as Lucas walked over to a table and switched on a lamp.
Light flooded the space. There was no one waiting for us, just the faint hum of the fridge in the nearby kitchen. “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” he said softly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Unless you’re scared of stainless steel. And if you are, well that’s something you’ll just have to learn to deal with.”
I burst into laughter at his attempt to lighten the mood, some of my worry sliding away.