Janine’s POV
The sun had already dipped below the horizon by the time I left the office. My shoulders ached from sitting at my desk all day, staring at numbers that refused to make sense. The vineyard was quiet, the workers gone, but the weight of responsibility hadn’t left with them. It followed me everywhere”; sinking into my bones.
1 barely noticed Luca waiting outside until he spoke.
“Come with me.”
I blinked, startled. He leaned casually against his car, hands in his pockets, watching me with that unreadable expression he wore when he was up to something.
I exhaled, rubbing my temples. “Luca, I have so much to”
He shook his head. “Not tonight.”
I frowned. “What do you mean, not tonight?”
He straightened, stepping closer. “I mean you’re taking a break.”
I huffed a laugh, exhausted. “I don’t have time for a break.”
“You don’t have time not to,” he countered. “You’ve been running yourself into the ground, Janine. I see it. Everyone sees it.“.
I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out.
Luca reached for my hand, threading his fingers through mine. “Trust me.”
Something in his voice, steady and sure, made it impossible to say no. I let out a slow breath, nodding. “Okay.”
A small smile tugged at his lips. “Good. Let’s go.”
Luca drove us out of town, winding through roads lined with towering trees. The tension in my shoulders eased little by little as the city lights disappeared in the rearview mirror.
“Where are we going?” I finally asked.
“You’ll see.”
I shot him a look. “That’s not an answer.”
He smirked but didn’t elaborate.
I sighed, leaning back against the seat. The car smelled faintly of leather and something distinctly him. warm, steady, familiar. I hadn’t realized how. tightly I’d been wound until now, sitting beside him, the world slowing down for the first time in weeks.
Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to a small cabin tucked away in the woods. Soft light spilled from the windows, casting a warm glow against the darkening sky. My brow furrowed as I turned to Luca.
“A cabin?”
He cut the engine and turned to me. “For one night, you don’t have to be in charge of anything. No work, no stress, just you and me.”
I stared at him, my heart doing something strange in my chest. “You planned this?”
1/3
Chapter 156
He nodded. “You needed it.
I swallowed, suddenly unable to find words.
Luca got out first, grabbing a bag from the trunk, then came around to open my door. “Come
- on.
I followed him inside, warmth immediately wrapping around me. The cabin was cozy, with wooden beams and a crackling fireplace. A bottle of with, and two glasses sat on the small kitchen table, a simple but thoughtful touch that made my throat tighten.
Luca set the bag down and turned to me. “Hungry?”
I shook my head. “Not really.”
“Wine, then.”
I let out a breathy laugh. “You’re determined, aren’t you?”
He grinned. “When it comes to you? Always.”
Heat crept up my neck as he poured two glasses. He handed me one before leading me to the couch. I curled up against the cushions, tucking my legs beneath me.
For a while, we just sat there, sipping our wine, listening to the fire crackle. The quiet wasn’t uncomfortable–it was the kind that settled deep, wrapping around me like a blanket.
Luca watched me over the rim of his glass. “How are you feeling?”
I exhaled, setting my glass down. “Lighter. For the first time in a while.”
His expression softened. “Good.”
I studied him, the way the firelight flickered across his face, the way he looked at me like I wasn’t carrying the weight of an entire legacy on my shoulders.
“Luca,” I said quietly.
He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
I hesitated. “Why do you do this?”
His brow furrowed. “Do what?”
“This.” I gestured around us. “You make sure I eat, you remind me to breathe, you pull me away when I’m too buried in work to think straight. Why?”
His gaze held mine, steady and unshaken. “Because I care about you.”
My chest tightened. “You don’t have to.”
“I want to,” he corrected.
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know how to lean on people, Luca.”
He set his glass aside and reached for my hand. “Then let me show you how.”
I let him thread his fingers through mine, the warmth of his touch grounding me.
“You don’t have to do everything alone, Janine,” he said softly. “You never did.”
My throat tightened. “It feels like I do.”
Chapter 156
He shook his head. “That’s because you never let anyone help.
I didn’t argue because he was right.
Luca shifted closer, his free hand lifting to brush a strand of hair from my face. “Let me help.”
Something in his voice, in the way he looked at me, made the last bit of resistance crumble. Fleaned into his touch, my eyes stinging
“Okay,” 1 whispered.
His thumb brushed against my cheek, his touch achingly gentle. “Good.”
The air between us shifted.
Luca was close, too close, and I wasn’t sure I wanted him to move away.
His gaze flickered to my lips for the briefest moment before meeting my eyes again. “Janine.”
I didn’t know what I was supposed to say. So I didn’t say anything. I leaned in.
Luca met me halfway.
The moment our lips touched, something inside me melted. He kissed me softly, carefully, like he wasn’t sure how much I could take. But I wasn’t fragile, and I didn’t want careful.
I deepened the kiss, fingers curling into his shirt.
Luca responded instantly, his hand sliding to the back of my neck, his thumb brushing against my jaw. He kissed me like I was something he’d been waiting for, like I was something worth holding onto.
And for the first time in a long time, I let myself believe I was.
When we finally pulled apart, we were both breathless. Luca’s forehead rested against mine, his fingers still tangled in my hair.
I closed my eyes. “Thank you.”
His thumb brushed over my skin. “For what?”
“For this.” I swallowed. “For you.”
His lips ghosted over my forehead. “Always.”
I let out a slow breath, my grip on him tightening.
For the first time in weeks, I wasn’t drowning.
I was floating.
AD
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