“Sophia, are you still available to come to Teramo with me and the Wilkinses on Friday?”
She flicked to her calendar. “Thanks for reminding me, I almost forgot. Yes, I can adjust the meetings I have; they’re not that important. How long will we be gone?” She was scheduling him into her life, like a client. He crushed the urge to walk over to her desk and pull her into his arms. To kiss her until he was all she could think about.
“Just for the weekend. This is the first site visit. If it goes well, we may have to go back again later in the week.”
“Oh, next week might be a problem. But I’ll deal with that if it happens. Do you really think he’ll go for the place?”
“I hope so. He is deciding between Teramo and a site he saw in Spain. There are more buildings in Teramo, but they are in worse condition. I need this contract, Sophia. It is worth twenty-five million Euros in profit to my company. Plus Chet has offered a ten percent share in the hotel. It will continue to pay, even after the work is all done. And if successful, it will make me one of the biggest property restoration companies in Italy. The name Castellioni will be known everywhere.”
“Wow, I didn’t realize it was such a big deal. I’m sure Chet will love Teramo. The photos you showed me were beautiful. But have you figured out how you’re going to make it work if you do win the bid? How can you oversee a project six hours from here?”
He took a deep breath before delivering the bad news. “We will have to move there for at least the start of the rebuild. I have found a nice house nearby we could rent. It is not as large as this, but it will be comfortable. Once things are running smoothly I can probably appoint someone to take over. But Chet was adamant that I be personally involved.”
“Luca, I just started my own business. I can’t move to Teramo for an indefinite period now. I have clients. And I convinced Isabella to do this with me. I can’t leave her in the lurch. You’re not the only one with responsibilities.”
A crushing weight descended on his chest. He pulled in a deep breath, hoping to relieve the pressure. “Come for the weekend. We can discuss the problems if I get the job.” He tried to inject a note of confidence in his voice. But the excitement of negotiating what could be the biggest contract yet for his company was tainted by the thought that it might mean a separation from Sophia. It was his worst fear, having to choose between his business and his wife.
• • •
Sophia zipped the suitcase closed and took one more look around the bedroom to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. Usually she loved these little impromptu trips with Luca. Generally it was just a day away, occasionally an overnight stay if it was a weekend. Then he’d find a gorgeous little hotel and he’d wine and dine her, shower her with romance, until she forgot he didn’t love her.
This trip, however, there would be no romance. Just a lead ball in her stomach as she contemplated weeks apart from Luca. It was the proverbial no-win situation. She could be a bitch and probably cost him the job. Or she could be super sweet and he’d win the contract and she’d lose a husband.
“Are you ready?”
Was she? “Yes, of course.”
Luca yanked her case off the bed and headed out the door. He hadn’t touched her. Normally, when he came near her, he would at least drop a kiss on her temple or run his hand down her arm. Some indication of wanting her, needing her. This time, nothing. Was it worry over securing the deal and the impact on their marriage? Or was he tiring of her already?
She followed him from the room and slid her sunglasses on her nose as she exited the house so he couldn’t see the dampness in her eyes. He sat behind the wheel in the Land Rover, waiting for her. As soon as she climbed in, he started the vehicle and sped off with a spurt of gravel. Soon they were on the motorway, the beautiful Italian countryside whizzing by the window.
“Where are we meeting the Wilkinses?” she asked as the silence in the vehicle became unbearable.
“In Teramo, at the hotel. Tomorrow we will go out to the site. Did you pack your walking boots? The terrain is pretty rough.”
“Yes.”
Luca had been to the site earlier in the week to double check some measurements and see the access roads for himself. He’d stayed overnight, their first night apart since they’d become lovers. If he secured this deal, it wouldn’t be their last.
“And you will play the loving wife so Mrs. Wilkins keeps her hands off me?”
It stung that he asked. No, I’m going to stand back and let her have you on the reception desk.
“It would be a disaster if the deal fell apart because Chet Wilkins cannot control his wife,” Luca continued.
Like you can control yours?
“I have played the devoted wife at every business function you’ve taken me to, in front of our friends and your mother. I’m pretty sure I can manage to convince a lush for one weekend that I’m desperately in love with my husband.”
His knuckles showed white on the steering wheel, but he didn’t make any other reply.
Eight hours later, Sophia nearly kissed the ground as Luca pulled to stop in front of a generic cement building. A couple of flags over the portico and a nondescript sign at the front were the only indications it was a hotel. The long drive from the villa had been interminable. Only once had Luca asked if she needed to stop for a break. Sensing his need to get the journey over with, she’d declined.
Traffic had been horrific. With the beautiful weather, it seemed most Italian city-dwellers were heading out to the countryside for some fresh air. At one point, they’d crawled along the motorway, rarely going above thirty miles an hour. The whole trip had emphasized just how far away it was from their home. If Luca moved here and she stayed in the villa, they’d have thirty-six hours together, if they were lucky, on the weekends. And she’d overheard a conversation where Luca had mentioned that Chet wanted the restoration done as soon as possible and was willing to pay extra for weekend work.
Which meant Luca wouldn’t be able to leave. She’d have to come down and see him. And if he was busy working, what would be the point? They’d be back to the first days of their marriage when they were roommates who worked opposing shifts.
At the reception desk, Luca asked if the Wilkinses had checked in already and was told they’d arrived a half hour earlier. Before they could even make their way to the lift, Leslie Wilkins emerged from the hotel bar, drink in hand.
“There you are, darlings. Hurry up and put your bags away and meet us in the bar,” Leslie said, her words only slightly slurred.