Read Give a Little for Free Online Page B

worked here long?”
    Luca sat back, amused, as he watched the young man fall in love with her. It was inevitable; Beatrice was one of those women who inspired undying devotion.
    Mateo poured their glasses and with one last longing sigh, left them alone.
    “He’s sweet,” Beatrice said, lifting her glass to inhale the aroma.
    “He’s a boy.” Luca swirled his wine. “He won’t be interesting past a night.”
    “True, but that has its own allure.” She held out her glass. “To Italian stallions.”
    He laughed and clinked to the toast.
    Her eyebrows raised as she sipped the wine. “This is good.”
    He shrugged. “It reminds me of home.”
    “Home must be delicious,” she said taking another sip.
    He hoped she’d find out for herself one day, but first things first. “Tell me why you’re interested in Stallon-E.”
    She arched her brow. “Can’t I be interested because it’s a good investment?”
    “Yes, but that isn’t the reason,” he said with certainty.
    “Investing in this company would be a win,” she said too easily. “And I like to win.”
    He still didn’t believe her—there was more to it. “But you don’t know cars.”
    “No, but I know business. This business has the potential to overtake other electric car manufacturers.”
    A ripple of pride shot through him, that she thought his vision had potential. He didn’t need anyone’s approval, but having that of the woman he loved was a special sort of feeling.
    Before he could comment, she picked up her mobile and began to fiddle with it. He frowned. He shouldn’t have brought up business.
    The only sure way of refocusing her was to kiss her or to talk about her family. He couldn’t very well kiss her properly here, so he asked, “Are you ready for Rosalind’s wedding?”
    Beatrice set her device down, her gaze soft, the way it was when she talked about her sisters. “It’s finally happening, isn’t it? I didn’t think Ros and Nick would ever get their ducks in a row, especially with all the date and venue changes. I hear you and Nick picked out your suits.”
    “Don’t worry, I kept him from making any sartorial faux pas .”
    She smiled wryly. “Will he be wearing pink?”
    “Of course not.” Luca pretended to be offended. “Pink isn’t Nico’s color.”
    Beatrice smiled, but she didn’t laugh. He loved her laugh, probably because he heard it so seldom. If he could have one wish, it’d be to hear it for the rest of his life from his side in bed.
    If only he could get rid of the wall she had with him. He needed to figure out a way to smash it down.
    She was polite through dinner, making the appropriate conversation. If he didn’t know her, he’d have thought she was perfectly pleasant.
    Only he didn’t want appropriate or pleasant—he wanted her . He wanted to poke at her until her proper facade fell away and she was real with him.
    He would have preferred lingering after dinner with a macchiato, but the hundredth time she glanced at her mobile he tossed his napkin on the table and waved to Mateo for the check.
    Outside the restaurant, she began to play with her phone again.
    He quickly took her arm and walked her down the street. “My car is this way.”
    “I’m calling my driver,” she said, digging her heels in. “I’ll meet you there.”
    “That’s ridiculous.” He stopped and stared her down. “We’ll go together. Unless you’d prefer not to go?”
    Her eyes narrowed, the Mediterranean on a stormy day. “Fine.”
    He guessed her clipped tone was supposed to cut him, but as long as he got to keep her close he was willing to brave a couple wounds.
    Opening the door for her, she gave him a scathing look as she eased into his Ferrari. He stayed to enjoy the length of her legs, bared as her dress slid up.
    She made a point of pulling it back down.
    He leaned into the open door and softly said, “It doesn’t matter if you cover yourself head to toe, Beatrice, because I already know what every inch of