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back. He had no idea what she thought of their quick marriage. But his imagination was in top form just thinking about the possibilities of their wedding night, while his wife looked as though a river of ice flowed through her veins.
    She hadn’t even batted an eyelash when he’d apologized about the need to work on the flight. She’d simply smiled and reclined and closed her eyes. Putting his papers back in his briefcase, he stowed it under the seat in front. He took hold of her hand on the armrest between them—to give her some support if she was nervous about the landing, of course—and was rewarded with a shy smile. It was a new feeling for him. Sure, he had enjoyed his share of female companionship over the years, yet he had never felt a longing to simply touch someone. It wasn’t something that pleased him.
    Thirty minutes later, Sophia’s eyes widened as the valet handed over the keys to his Maserati GranTurismo. Luca opened the passenger door for her and couldn’t help grinning at the surprised look on her face. “This is my favorite toy,” he remarked as he slid behind the wheel. Her small, delicate hands ran over the butter-soft leather seats and along the dash. His mouth went dry as he imagined those same hands caressing his body. “I have a more practical vehicle, a Land Rover, for visiting job sites. This makes being stuck in traffic bearable. Do you drive?”
    “No, I never learned. And looking at this traffic, I don’t think I want to learn in Italy.”
    “City traffic takes getting used to,” he acknowledged. “Out in the country where I—
we
live, it is much easier to drive. I will teach you.”
    “Maybe when I adjust to the cars on the wrong side of the road,” she replied quietly. She stared out the window at the passing scenery, seeming so calm, serene.
    “It is such a beautiful country,” she commented as they left the motorway and started to drive through the village. “I’ve hardly been out of London. Have you always lived in this part of Italy?”
    “Yes, I was born not far from where we now live. My mother is originally from Sardinia, so I went there for summer holidays while my grandparents were alive. Then I lived in Milan in my twenties. When the villa came on the market, I jumped at the chance to buy it. Of course, it was in a derelict state, and it took almost a year to restore. I have only lived in it for six months. I am hoping you will have some suggestions on how to make it feel more like a home. Perhaps your interior design skills will help.”
    “How did you know I was studying interior design?” Sophia’s eyes narrowed.
    “Olivia mentioned it. I do not remember if it was before or after she told me that she would hunt me down and castrate me if I ever hurt you,” he replied, with a mock shiver.
    Sophia laughed, finally “Olivia is a bit protective.”
    “Protecting you is my job now. But she seems like a good friend.”
    “Olivia’s the best. Would you mind if she came for a visit in a couple of months?”
    “She can come any time you wish. There is plenty of room.” He drove through the new steel gates and pulled into the semicircle driveway.
    “This … this is your house?”
    “Our house,” he corrected as he stopped the car. Her reaction surprised him. He knew she’d married him for his money, and it seemed, the chance to leave London, but clearly she hadn’t expected this level of wealth. It suited him that she’d been easy to persuade. But at the back of his mind, he wondered what had made her desperate enough to accept his proposal.
    They had a lifetime to get to know each others' secrets—starting tonight. His blood rushed to his groin as it had when he’d first seen her in her wedding gown. Never having experienced such instant lust before, he was as intrigued as disconcerted.
    He dragged his mind from the bedroom and helped her out of the low-slung sports car. “Come, I will introduce you to Maria and Vittore.” His hand found its way