Chapter 40

The restaurant Luca chose wasn’t dramatic or flashy. It wasn’t the tower-high, jacket-required kind of place that would attract the media outside laying in wait to snap photos of the rich and famous. Instead, it was tucked behind a narrow street off the main drag. The tables were decorated with candles in mason jars, rough wooden booths, and soft Italian music that played gently in the background. Sutton appreciated it.

She appreciated even more that Luca didn’t try to play the part of the seducer. He didn’t touch her hand across the table, didn’t lean in too close. He just sat across from her, one hand resting beside his wineglass and the other occasionally touching his lip as he watched her.

She pushed spaghetti around her plate, not sure why she couldn’t make herself eat more. She wasn’t nauseous. She was just... anxious.

“Do you not like it?” Luca asked gently.

She looked up. “No—I mean, it’s good. I think I’m just... my mind. Call it pregnancy brain.”

He