Luca angled his head to change position, his tongue stroking against hers, a low, deep groan sounding in his throat. It thrilled her to know he was as undone by their kiss as she was. Thrilled and excited her to realise her own sensual power. Power she hadn’t known she possessed until now.
The priest cleared his throat and Luca pulled back from her with a dazed look on his face. Artie suspected she was looking just as shell-shocked as him. Her mouth felt swollen, her feminine core agitated with a roaring hunger he alone had awakened.
Luca blinked a couple of times as if to reset his equilibrium. ‘Well, hello there, Signora Ferrantelli.’ His voice was rusty, his gaze drifting to her mouth as if he couldn’t quite believe what had happened between them moments before.
Artie licked her lips and tasted the salty sexiness of his. ‘Hello…’
Luca spoke briefly to the priest, thanking him for his services, and then led Artie to where Rosa had set up refreshments in the garden. She sensed him pulling up a drawbridge, a pulling back into himself. He stood without touching her, his expression inscrutable.
‘Right. Time to celebrate. And then tomorrow we’ll go and visit my grandfather.’
A wave of ice-cold dread washed over her. ‘But can’t we leave it a while? I mean, wouldn’t he expect us to be on our honeymoon and—?’
‘I can’t afford to leave it too long before I introduce you to him,’ Luca said, frowning. ‘He’s in a vulnerable state of health.’
Artie chewed at her lip and lowered her gaze. ‘I understand all that but I need more time to get used to being your…wife. I’m worried I’ll do or say something that will make your grandfather suspicious.’
Luca gave her a smouldering look. ‘If you kiss me like you did just then, any doubts he has will disappear.’
Artie could feel her cheeks firing up. ‘I was only following your lead. I haven’t been kissed before, so—’
‘Really?’ His eyebrows shot up in surprise.
She pulled away from him and hugged her arms around her body. ‘Go on, mock me for being a twenty-five-year-old virgin. I must seem like a pariah to someone like you who changes lovers daily.’
Her conscience rolled its eyes. I can’t believe you just told him you’re a virgin.
He scraped a hand through his hair, making it tousled. ‘Look, I kind of figured from your father that you were lacking in experience but I didn’t realise you’ve never had a boyfriend, even as a teenager. Did your father forbid you from going out or something?’
Artie averted her gaze. ‘No. I was busy looking after him after the accident that killed my mother and seriously injured him. There wasn’t time for dating.’
His deep frown brought his dark eyebrows together. ‘Why were you the one looking after him? Why didn’t he employ a nurse or carer?’
Artie turned slightly so she was facing the view over the estate. Luca’s penetrating gaze was too unsettling, too unnerving. How could she explain her reasons for taking care of her father? How could she explain the guilt that had chained her to his side? The guilt that still plagued her and had led her to marry Luca in order to save her family’s home? The home that was the only thing she had left of her family. ‘It was my choice to look after him. I was happy to do it.’
Luca came up behind her and placed his hands on the tops of her shoulders and turned her to face him. He expression was still etched in a frown, his hazel eyes gentle with concern. ‘You were just a child when the accident occurred. It was unfair of your father to allow you to sacrifice yourself in such a way. But what about school? Surely you would have had plenty of opportunity to mix with people your own age?’
Artie pressed her lips together for a moment. ‘I finished my education online. I was given special permission. I didn’t want to leave my father to the care of strangers. He was stricken with grief after losing my mother. We both were. It was my choice to take care of him—no one forced me to do it.’
His hands began a gentle massaging movement that made the tense muscles in her neck and shoulders melt like snow under warm sunshine. ‘I think what you did for your father was admirable and yet I can’t help feeling he exploited you. You should’ve had more time to yourself doing all the things teenagers and young adults do.’
Artie stepped out of his hold and interlaced her fingers in front of her body. She glanced to where Rosa was hovering with a bottle of champagne. ‘Shouldn’t we be mingling with Father Pasquale and our two other guests?’ She didn’t wait for him to answer and turned and walked towards the housekeeper standing with the priest and the other witness, who worked part-time on the Castello Mireille estate.
* * *
Luca watched Artie pick up a glass of champagne from the silver tray the housekeeper was holding. Her expression was now coolly composed but he sensed he had pressed on a nerve when discussing her role of caring for her father. He’d already suspected she was a virgin—her father had intimated as such—but no way had he suspected she had zero experience when it came to dating.
No one had kissed her before him.
She
