Never Giving Up

Chapter 9

"You still haven't told me what you want for your birthday."

I turn my gaze to Luca as he continues to drive without looking away from the road. "I told you I don't want anything."

"Which translates to you wanting something," he justifies.

"I don't want anything."

This conversation has been going on since we settled down for an early dinner after he showed me round the rest of his apartment. It was a fairly brief tour of the four bedroomed penthouse apartment. He showed me the master bedroom, guest bedrooms, the kitchen, dining room, living room and media room.

Louisa's play room was neat and tidy with all her toys sitting perfectly around the room. As for her bedroom, he only point to the closed bedroom door that belonged to her which had her name written on it in fancy pink glitter letters. Something that would be obvious to those who saw it, who it belonged to.

"Anything I want I can always buy and have bought for myself already," I add.

"Well," Luca begins with a tilt of the head, "is there anything you're thinking of getting that I could possibly buy for you?"

"Hmm . . . I don't know." I shrug. "I don't really need anything."

"I could always buy you something over the top," he suggests.

"No!" I shout.

He laughs. "And expensive."

I hit Luca on the chest with pain my left hand. "Don't you dare. Plus, the necklace you gave me as an early birthday present was more than enough."

"Hmm, I guess you're right." His driving slows as he pulls up in front of the hotel. "I'll just have to think of something else to get you."

I take my seatbelt off. "I already told you that I don't need anything."

"Leave it with me."

I groan and lean in close to him. I place a chaste kiss on his lips and open the car door.

"I'll speak to you later."

"I'll hold you to that," he calls back to me as I close the car door over.

I move quickly into the hotel so no one recognises me. I look back outside before walking to the lifts and catch a glimpse of Luca's dark blue Audi Q5 driving off. I smile and make my way up to my suite, my smile never leaving my lips.

Upon entering the suite, I drop my bag down onto the floor by the entrance. I pull the copy of People magazine and my phone from it and walk to the living room. I'm expecting to see Allison sitting on the couch but she's not. Instead, there's a note left on the coffee table telling me that she's gone for some pampering the spa and will be back in time for a late dinner.

I scrunch the note up and throw it back onto the coffee table. "Lucky for some."

I flop down onto the couch and stare at the magazine in my hands. Even just looking at the picture of Luca smiling on the cover in a black shirt, top two buttons undone, has me debating whether or not to actually read the interview.

I still don't know if I want to read it despite Luca now telling me that I have to in order to understand why he needs privacy. I understand why he needs his privacy and it's more to do with his daughter than anything else. He wants to protect her from the life he has but that protectiveness can only go so far. There will come a point in time where Louisa will find out what he's done and there's nothing Luca will be able to do about that.