She’s typing at her desk and pauses suddenly as she lifts her hand a little, her wedding ring sparkling in the light. I secretly slipped it onto her finger this morning, unable to resist. I was hoping it’d take her a little longer to notice. It’s crazy how badly I want the world to know that she’s mine. I want to mark her as off-limits, now more so than ever before. The more she gives me,the more scared I grow of ever losing her. This was meant to be a simple deal with an end date in sight, but every single one of my intentions went out the window the first time she fell asleep in my arms. There’s no fucking way I’m letting her go.
She looks up and catches me staring, a sweet smile finding its way onto her lips. I was worried that she’d be reminiscing about Ben, but she seems fine. If anything, she seems sweeter today. Somehow, I feel a little closer to her, as though she’s lowered her walls just a little for me. Will seeing him at the office undo the progress we’ve made?
I walk up to her and bend over, my hand wrapping into her hair as I steal a quick kiss. I thought she’d push me away and reprimand me, but she gives in and wraps her arms around my neck, kissing me back. She has no idea what she does to me. It’s fucking insane. “We’re at work,” she murmurs against my lips. “Anyone could see.”
“Maybe I want them to.”
Valentina pulls away and throws me a warning look, but the way her eyes twinkle negates her seriousness. “Don’t you dare,” she says, the edges of her lips tipping up into a small smile.
My eyes drop to her empty ring finger, and she holds her ring up between her thumb and index finger. “Did you put this on me, or am I losing my mind? I told you I wouldn’t wear it to the office.”
I smile at her, my heart heavy. “Maybe I just want everyone to know that you’re mine. Can you blame me?”
Her eyes widen, and a gorgeous blush stains her cheeks, making my heart race. She’s so painfully beautiful.
“Valentina,” I murmur. “There’s something I need to tell you.” She raises her brows in question. “Stephen is resigning, and I nominated you as a candidate for COO.”
She jumps up from her chair and closes the distance between us, her hands pressed against my chest and her face so fuckingclose. Is she daring me to steal another kiss? “Please tell me you aren’t joking, Luca. I won’t forgive you if you are.”
I wrap my hands around her waist and drop my forehead to hers, breathing her in for a moment. I’m like an addict, getting high off her fucking scent like a fucking fool. I pull away a little to look at her and shake my head. “It’s true, baby.”
Her eyes widen, and she rises to her tiptoes, kissing me with no regard for our environment. I wish I could just carry her into my office and fuck her until the unease I feel is put to rest, but I can’t. Whether I like it or not, I have to face the music.
“Valentina,” I murmur against her lips. “You aren’t the only candidate.”
She takes a step away from me when we hear footsteps around the corner, and I sigh, wishing I could just send a company memo informing everyone that she’s mine. I hate sneaking around with her. “What do you mean? Who else could possibly —”
She looks past me, shock and torment flashing through her eyes. “Ben,” she whispers. My stomach twists painfully, every fiber of my being violently responding to his name being on her lips.
He pauses in front of her desk, and I move to stand next to my wife. “He is the other candidate,” I tell her reluctantly.
The regret in his eyes mirrors hers, and it’s clear the history between them left its mark. How do I erase it? How do I erase every single fucking trace of him, when he’s standing right here, looking at my wife like he wants her back?
Chapter Forty-One
Valentina
“Val,” Ben says, his gaze filled with the same regret he showed me last night. “Can we talk?”
Luca tenses beside me, his hand brushing against mine. I look up at him, and he sends me a pleading look that’s so unlike him that I can’t look away. It’s like he’s silently asking me not to go with Ben, to stay right here, with him.
“Val?” Ben repeats, snapping me out of my daze. I turn toward him, surprise rendering me speechless for a moment. I didn’t think I’d ever have to see him again, yet here he is, showing up twice in the span of 24 hours. It feels ominous, almost as though life is trying to remind me what would happen if I allowed myself to give into the feelings Luca is eliciting in me. It feels like a reminder that good things aren’t meant for me.
“What are you doing here?” I ask him, my voice steady. I was shocked and emotional last night, but looking at him right now, I can’t help but feel like he pales in comparison to my husband. He’s inferior in every single way, and not just because he’s a cheating asshole.
“He’s Stephen’s son,” Luca informs me, “and the candidate you’re competing with.”
My eyes widen, and I grit my teeth. Back when we dated, he used to brag about the amazing senior position his father had at some big conglomerate. I’m surprised I never connected the dots. I always knew Stephen had a son who lived overseas, but I should’ve looked into it more.
I smile humorlessly, my stomach in knots. I’ve worked myself to the bone for the mere opportunity to be considered as COO, and he walks in here just like that. Seeing him hurts, but knowing he’ll take more from me than he already has kills me.
“Please, Val. Can we talk? It looks like we’ll be working together for at least a little while. Don’t you think it’d be best to—”
“Towhat?” I snap. “To reminisce? What for?”
He runs a hand through his hair and looks at me with that same look that used to make my heart race. Longing. Desire. Reverence. It’s what made me give him a chance in the first place. He didn’t care about my background, or the fact that I didn’t fit in amongst the rich students that surrounded him. He was the first person who made me feel seen, and letting him in was my downfall.
“How is your mother?”