Chapter Fourteen
Lia watched Luchino trying to covertly shove his linen napkin, bulging with scraps, into his coat pocket. She smiled as she realized she didn’t have the heart to tell him that the napkin wouldn’t fit. Closing her eyes, she said another silent prayer of thanks to have him back.
“Can I be excused now, Lia?” he asked softly.
She replied in a voice only he could hear, “Yes, just don’t get dirty again. You’ve already had one bath today.”
An indignant look replaced his mischievous smile. “I don’t need a bath just because my clothes get dirty. When I take the dirty clothes off, my body is still clean.”
Her brother backed his chair away from the table, making a loud scraping noise on the polished hardwood floor. Ren turned toward them, his attention pulled away from the men’s
