Chapter 4: The Meeting

Lucca Giovanni's POV

After Laura emailed me at 4 AM, I was a bit taken back when I read the content of the email that she wanted to talk about the marriage proposal that I told her behind the pub the other day. I smiled like an idiot when I saw the email. I read it and wrote it back in a flash, with a tease that I was a very busy man. I'm sure that my secretary can take care of my meeting because I will be meeting with the only person that I have to wait for 3 years to get back from abroad.

I told my secretary to reschedule my 10 AM meeting for the next day as I want to have my time mostly with her. I smiled as I sent an email to my secretary. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was my mum. I answered the phone with a heavy heart as I wanted to prepare for her nagging.

"Hello, mother," I said, uninterested.

"Mi Figlio, when are you going to come to visit us? Your father has been asking for you forever," she said as I rolled my eyes at her introduction.

"Mother, I will come home this weekend. It's not that long now. Also, what are you doing up so late at 12:45 AM?" I said as I was typing on my laptop about some investment of my companies, sorry, empire.

"Really? You will be back this weekend? Oh my, that's great. You see, Lucia Ricci is here. You might want to catch up or reconnect after, what 3 years ago? Anyway, she will be here, so that would be great to…" she said before I interrupted her.

"I will have someone with me this weekend," I said before the end of the line went silent.

"Mother, are you there?" I said as she was quiet for a while now.

She cleared her throat before starting to speak again. "Do I know this girl?" She asked. I smiled at her question.

"Very. Anyway, I see you this weekend," I said before hanging up as my mother was about to ask another question. I leaned back in my chair as I closed all the tabs of my work and left with the wallpaper of my iMac. It was our picture when we were 5 and 6 years old. I was one year older than Laura. Her face smiling at the camera as her violet eyes shone brightly. My heart warmed at the picture before putting iMac on sleep mode and turned in for the night. I can't wait for the morning to come.

Laura Conti's POV

"I was a bit surprised to see you emailed me at 4 AM. Seriously, Laura, what are you doing stay up so late?" Lucca said, trying to remove the silence between us.

"It's none of your business for what I did at 4 AM, isn't it now? Since I don't care whether you did the same thing as well," I said bitterly to him. He just chuckled at me before the elevator dings to mark that we have arrived at his office. The door opened and he gestured for me to walk.

"Ladies first," he said. I just rolled my eyes at him. The interior design was elegant and sophisticated. It was my first time being in his office and I was awed at the mahogany furniture that was decorated in his office. His secretary was typing into her computer before she greeted us, mostly Lucca, and continued to work on her laptop.

"Mr. Giovanni, you have a meeting at 2 O'clock with our investor from China and then, you have a video conference with an investor from Russia," she said before Lucca interrupted.

"Sara, can you clear the rest of my schedule today? I have important matters to discuss with Ms. Conti here. Thank you," he said before pushing me into his office and closed the door. I heard a click sound, an indicator that he locked the door. Great, now I am trapped with this gorgeous specimen. Wait, what... I shook my head before he put his hand on my back and showed me toward the chair in front of his huge mahogany desk. I took a seat as he sat on his chair.

"So," he said as he leaned back on the chair looking at me.

"So...what?" I asked him.

"I mean you reach out to me for terms and conditions. So, let's hear it," he said before putting his hand on the table, tapping it.

"Oh... uh... Okay. I don't come to prepare and everything and all but I've been doing some list on my mind that I wanted, so here is the thing..." I stammered before he stood up and walked toward me. He leaned on his desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest. I gulped at his sight.

"So, you made an appointment with me," he said before he bent to level his face with me, "wasting my time hearing your stammering about your T&C," he put his hands on both sides of the chair, "and here I thought you're a genius one in your little family," he whispered into my ear.

"So, tell me, Ms. Conti, what exactly what you want?" he asked as he looked deeply into my eyes with his slate orbs. I looked into his eyes and was lost for words.

"I...I...I...," I keep stammering until he stood up and dragged me from the chair. He pulled me toward the door and I had to think fast. Then, all of sudden, I remembered.

"My father. I need your help finding my father's killer," I said making him stopped in his feet. He turned toward me expecting me to elaborate.

"My father, I believe was being murdered in cold blood. I don't believe what the police said about his death was because of the heart attack. His condition was not describing from someone that being died of a disease. It was planned, years of it. I need your help, Lucca, to put my father's injustice. I don't want his killer running free in the street," I said with the determination within my eyes.

He released my eyes and thinking about helping me. He put his hand under his chin as his face was thinking so hard about my proposition.

"You also need me as I need you," I said before he looked at me.

"I know you need someone to present as your bride at your family reunion this upcoming month. You need to convince your mother that you have found the one. The one that you proud enough to marry her," I said not blinking from his stare.

"And you think you are the one that presentable enough to make my mother stop pestering me for the rest of my life?" he dared me, his eyes twitched with mischievous.

"Perhaps long enough for you to find the one that will stop you dead on your feet when you look at her, that's when you know you found her. That's what my father always said, don't you remember?" I said while looking at him to read what was going on in his mind. His face was emotionless as he has nothing to say about the matter, or he was good enough to hide his emotion from the public.

"Ah, the famous catchphrase of Conti line, 'Stop on your track was the one that attack', isn't it? My mother would not believe if I bring you home during the holiday just for fun. I need to show her that I am serious, hence, the marriage. Have you think about the proposal?" he said before walking near me. I stepped backward until I hit the coffee table, making me stumble back and landed on the one seat sofa. I yelped before my butt landed. He was still towering me with his huge frame as he trapped me under his arms.

"So tell me, Laura, are you willing to sacrifice your freedom and be my wife so that your father's death will see its shining rays?" he asked while caressing my cheek. I dared to look into his slate orbs as its magnetic colors pulled me into the depth of his eyes. Some emotion been showed but it quickly disappeared when he blinked.

"Yes, if you willing to pay for the investigation of that case and I will be willing to be your bride," I said bravely, not thinking through as his body heat was near to me, making me wet down below. He smirked before his mouth went to my left ear.

"Be careful what you wish for, Laura because sometimes it might backfire on you as well," he said and all of my senses were out of the window because he claimed my mouth like he fucking owns it.

My mind keeps telling me to push him away but my heart ached at his magnetic touch. As on cue, Lucca pulled me closed to him as my erected nipples were grazing his chest that buried beneath his Armani suit. He wetted my lips for opening and I happily obliged as I moaned when his tongue went down my throat. I snaked my hands up to his neck as his hands were roaming my back. I wore a denim jacket and mustard shirt before he suddenly lifts them.

My mind was hazy as he pushed my clothes up and release my left breast from the bra. He sucked on it as it was his life oxygen and I moaned as his wet tongue was doing the erotic circular movement to it.

"Lucca," I breathed out as he released my breast, making a pop sound.

"Soon, Laura. Now, we need to get you a ring," he said before putting my clothes back on its place and pulling me up to stand. He fixed my hair as I was still mesmerized from that captivating kiss. My mind was a haze and all my eyes could see was his perfect kissable lips.

"Soon, Laura. This all will be yours," he said before perking my lips and dragged me out of his office.