The Temporary Wife: Luca and Valentina's Story(34)

She falls silent, the gears in her brain turning.

“Leave her to me,” I tell her. “No matter her reaction, I’ll abide by the terms of our contract. Whatever I promise you, I’ll deliver, regardless of whether or not this will work.”

She nods hesitantly, and I glance down at the empty sheet of paper in front of me. “Tell me your requirements.”

The way she looks at me makes me wonder if she’s trying to determine whether to put her faith in me. She brushes her hair out of her face and inhales deeply, as though she’s gathering her courage. “I want the very best care you can get my grandmother, including home renovations where required. I want round-the-clock care, and caretakers that will treat her with respect and affection, no matter how bad she gets.” She pauses then. “Once we divorce, I also want enough money to continue that level of care for the rest of her life.”

Perhaps she isn’t quite as clever as I thought her to be, or she’d have known I’d give her whatever she wants, unconditionally, if she simply asks for it. If she were to deny my proposal and plead for help, I’d still grant it.

“What else? This is your one chance to demand anything from me. If it’s in my power, I’ll grant it.”

She hesitates, but then she steels her spine and smiles. “I won’t stay in my role as Executive Secretary for much longer. From what I understand, Stephen is looking to retire. Once he does, I want his job. I want to be the Chief Operating Officer of Windsor Finance. I don’t need you to give me the job, but I want your vote when the next COO is appointed.”

Her request doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. If anything, I should’ve started quietly advocating for her already. “It’s only right that your career continues to advance, especially now that I’m asking you to stay when one of the reasons you wanted to leave was further career growth. You have my full support, Valentina.”

I’ve been selfish with her, and I’m starting to realize that I can’t forcibly keep her by my side. Even now, as I’m about to marry her, it’s because it’s mutually beneficial. If I hold on to her too tightly, I’ll only end up crushing her.

“Luca,” she says, her tone firm. “There’s one more thing.”

I straighten my back, intrigued by the look in her eyes. Whatever she’s about to tell me is clearly non-negotiable. Interesting.

“I don’t want anyone but our families to know about our marriage. We’ll be getting a divorce in three years, and I can’t risk being known as your ex-wife for the rest of my life. I’d like to walk away with a clean slate and no baggage, and I can’t do that if I’m forever linked to you.”

She sighs and looks away. “I don’t want our marriage to impact my job either. For years, there have been rumors about me sleeping with you to get ahead, and I don’t want any of that to seem true. I’d like us to separate our professional and private lives.”

I don’t like the sound of that. My need to publicly claim her as mine is barely tolerable, yet I have no choice but to suppress it if I want her to marry me. Besides, there’s no way I can disclose our marriage even if I wanted to, not with the engagement hanging over my head. “Understood. But in return, I have some requirements of my own.”





Chapter Twenty-Four





Valentina

Luca stares at me for a moment, a vicious glint in his eyes. I didn’t think I’d ever find myself in this situation, negotiating the terms of my marriage with a man I spent years hating.

Even now, my feelings for him are complicated. I hate that he’s using my weakness to coerce me into a situation I want no part of, and it pains me to know that even now, as he’s about to make me his wife, I’m nothing but a tool to him.

I’m unsure if I’ll be able to walk away in three years unscathed. I may pretend I’m made of ice, but there’s no denying that Luca affects me in a way no one else ever has. In just the last few months, he’s hurt me more than I thought he was capable of. How much will be left of my heart by the time we part ways?

“Tell me your requirements,” I murmur.

He nods at me. “My grandmother will have several rules we’ll have to abide by. I suspect they’ll be the same ones she laid down for Ares and Raven. Our marriage must last for three years, and throughout that time, we cannot be apart for more than three consecutive days at a time.”

I purse my lips and nod. “That won’t be a problem. We haven’t been apart for over three days at a time for years, bar a few holidays here and there.”

Luca smirks then. “It looks like you may be misunderstanding what I’m telling you. This marriage may be temporary, Valentina, but it’ll be very fucking real. I want you to move in with me, and I want you in my bed, every single night.”

I open my mouth to protest, but he holds up his hand and chuckles. “It’s no secret that I want you, but this isn’t a rule I came up with myself. It’s a rule my grandmother will lay down once she finds out what we’ve done.”

The mere thought of sharing a bed with Luca has me flustered. When he touches me, he makes me lose all reason, all restraint. I become a version of myself I hardly recognize, and the loss of control is daunting, yet entirely irresistible.

“Look at me.”