The heat from the coffee hits my throat hard as I swallow it, causing me to wince until it passes. It doesn't take long to pass and when it does, I look back at Allison who is simply staring down into the half-empty cup of coffee she's holding with both hands.

Just looking at her, I can tell she hasn't slept much. Her hair is tied back into a messy ponytail and her make-up is as simple as it can be considering the shades of make-up she uses are marginally darker than mine. She could have used my foundation but she chose to use the BB cream instead with only mascara on her lashes and her eyebrows darkened and defined with an eyebrow pencil.

You can't say she hasn't made an effort when she has. She's made as best of an effort as can be expected after what we both went through last night. I knew her sleep would be disturbed and most would expect mine to be the same but it wasn't. I slept like I normally do – soundly and comfortable. Even more comfortably when Luca finally came to bed, when that was I don't know. I can just remember feeling him slip into the bed, pull me in close, place a kiss on my shoulder, then whisper goodnight.

Next thing I knew, it was morning and Allison and I were both going through our morning routines earlier and slower than usual. If it wasn't for us having work to go to today, we'd both be curled up together on the couch pigging out on anything we could get our hands on. Sadly, that isn't to be the case.

"What time do you finish work at today?" I ask, breaking the silence in the kitchen between Allison and myself.

She takes a deep breath and draws her elbows into her sides, pulling her cup closer to her. "I finish at one today."

"That's not like you."

"I know but I have an interview with another company," she confesses.

I share a glance with Luca who is busy drinking his cup of tea and eating a croissant. He raises his brows and signals for me to ask more questions. I look back to Allison. "An interview? Are you looking for another job?"

"I've already got the job. It's just to go over the final details before I start next week."

"Wow," I breathe. "You kept that quiet."

"Are you working your two weeks notice?" Luca enquires.

"I have. Tomorrow's my last day." She looks at me. "I needed a change and to be frank, it's come at the perfect time for me after everything that's happened. I don't want to continue working for that company knowing I could potentially run into Greg's dad one day when he's there for business."

"That's a good point." I finish the remainder of my coffee now it's cooled down. "At least you can move on and not have to look over your shoulder thinking either him or his dad will turn up. Did Greg know you were applying for other jobs?"

"I didn't tell him," she confesses.

"I don't know if I should say that that's good or . . ."

"I know what you mean but it is good. I just didn't think that I'd be where I am today at my age," Allison sulks. She stares down at her cup then suddenly takes a deep breath and looks back at me with a forced smile on her face. "Anyway, I can always look on the bright side of life. I'm free to be who I truly am and the right guy will come along who will treat me how I'm supposed to be treated. There's plenty more fish in the sea as they say."

I smile. "That's true."

"I've just got to get my life into another gear and decide my next move other than thinking of where I'm going to live in the meantime and how I'm going to get my belongings from Greg's house without seeing him."

"I can send one of my guys to his house to get them for you," Luca suggests. "And you can stay here until you get a flat or something sorted."

I look at Luca in shock.

I can't believe he just offered Allison the chance to stay here after all that's gone on between them. If this was a couple of weeks or a month ago, that suggestion wouldn't have come out of his mouth. Heck, the thought wouldn't have even entered his mind. He would have been saying to her where's your paper cup and I'll put some change into it for when you pick your place on the street to sit.

I'm taken aback.

"Thank you, but I couldn't ask you to do that," Allison responds. "I have been looking at places to stay and I'm going to view a few places later."

Luca shakes his head before swallowing the mouthful of tea he took after offering Allison his help. "It's fine. I wouldn't be offering if I didn't want to do it."

"Only if you're sure."

"I'm sure," Luca confirms with a tight nod of the head. "If it makes you feel better, you can always go with them so they know what they're packing is yours. Plus, I'll be leaving for New York at the weekend so you can keep Kaylee company while I'm away."

I smile at him and turn my attention back to Allison.

She flashes him a sincere smile. "Thank you, Luca."

Luca smiles briefly and places his empty cup in the integrated dishwasher behind him. He turns and takes the two cups Allison and I were drinking from and places them in the dishwasher before turning it on. He turns to us and picks his phone up from the worktop. "I'll get Trent to make the arrangements and you can decide between you when will be the right time to go."

"I think it'll be sooner rather than later." She gets to her feet and runs her hands down the front of the loose fitting, green print tie neck dress I let her borrow for work today. "I can't borrow Kaylee's clothes forever."

"Gee, thanks." I get to my feet. "You're so kind."

"I don't mean it in a bad way." She defends swiftly. "I simply like wearing my own clothes and what we both wear to work are entirely different styles at times."

"I knew what you meant," I tell her. "I was merely making a joke."

"Not a good one, then."

My mouth falls open in shock and I walk ahead of her out the kitchen towards the front door. "I am not going to work with you, today. You can make your own way there."

"I'm only kidding like you were." She catches up to me quickly, an arm linking with mine. "Thank you for allowing me to borrow something from your wardrobe."

"It's fine."

She lets my arm go and we take our coats and bags that are offered to us by Jones who is waiting for us by the front door. We slip the coats on and Jones leads the way out of the house and to the car.

"Enjoy work today," Luca says from behind us.

I look over my shoulder at him and smile. He winks at me on his way to the Jaguar that's sitting parked up behind the Audi.

"Hey, Luca," Allison calls. Luca looks at her. "Do you have any rich single male friends?"

Luca rolls his eyes. "I don't. Lucky for them, they're all happily married."

"Hmm, they don't know what they're missing with me, then."

Luca doesn't respond. He gets in the back of the Jaguar, Carlo closing the door behind him and getting into the driver's side. The engine starts up quickly and I turn my attention to Allison who is now standing at the opposite side of the car.

She looks over at me and shrugs. "What?"

"Really? Any single rich friends? You only broke up with Greg."

"Hey, you never liked him anyway. Plus, I can move on as quick as I wish after what that bastard did."

She gets in the car and I follow her lead with a shake of the head.

Only Allison could think of asking Luca if he had any single friends for her to date. I don't know if his answer to her was the truth or a lie just to shut her up but at least it worked. Plus, it's gotten her back to her usual self with the banter she's always had with Luca.

My day at work is how it usually is – hectic but gratifying. I don't get a decent break until I return to my office late on in the day after a video call with Jackie and Oscar who told us that we're both needed in New York next week to meet a new client with her. It's something we can't pass up on as it's a big contract which can mean that we could be means spending more of our time in New York rather than here in London.

It's not something either Oscar or myself are used to doing but it has its benefits. More so for me because I can spend more time with Luca as it's technically home base for him there. There would be no scheduled times to call each other or distance between us which will be good. We can spend some decent quality time together and be as normal as a couple as can be.

I'm just going over a few final things for tonight when my office door opens and Jade steps in. I glance at her from where I'm standing by the filing cabinet looking at her file and return her given smile.

"If you're about to tell me that we had a meeting today, I can only apologise for missing it." I quickly say, suddenly unsure of my schedule for today just in case I missed a meeting.

"We didn't," she assures.

She closes the door and takes a seat at my desk. She crosses her bright blue trouser covered legs over one and other and relaxes into the chair. I don't rush what I'm doing but decide to cut it short and walk over to my desk with the file in hand.

"Can I ask you something?" Jade asks when I get to my desk.

"Depends on what it is," I answer.

"How are you feeling about tonight?"

I place the file down on the desk and raise my brows quickly. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"You should but I'm not the one making my first official outing as a couple with a former bachelor," she states with a grin.

"And I'm not the one opening my first café outside of America," I counter, staring her down.

"I'll make a deal with you," she starts, sitting up straight. "I'll tell you how I'm feeling about tonight if you tell me how you're feeling."

"Alright." I take a seat in my chair and clasp my hands together on my lap. "You first."

She sits back further in the chair and shrugs. "I'm apprehensive. It's a big step and if it doesn't work here, it's a waste of time and money. It also means that it will never work anywhere else other than America."

"It's a giant leap for you but you have to do something that's outside your comfort zone in order to accomplish your fears at times," I add.

"Is that what you're thinking tonight will be for you?"

I narrow my eyes at her. "Meaning?"

"Until this point, the pictures Luca has wanted the world to see of you have been under his strict command. Now he's admitted to the two of you being a couple, he won't stop those pictures being released and the stories being published because this is classed as work for him. He won't go through the channels he once did to keep the pictures hidden from those who want to know what he's doing. He'll be proud to show you off tonight and so he should be. He's happy and he doesn't care who knows it. It'll be clearly written all over his face and you're the one who has made him like that."

I stare at her.

I know I've made Luca happier just by being with him and that makes me happy to see him happy. He's been more than just a boyfriend to me over the years. He's been my best friend – something I would never say to Allison because she would get jealous. He was and is my first and only true love.

He has had every wall imaginable up around me which has stopped onlookers from getting too close me. He's protected me even when I've told him I don't need to be protected but he did it anyway. He knows what I need before I realise I need it. He can read me like a book and knows the ending before I do.

I don't know if all of those things – and many many more – are good things but they are to me. It's what makes Luca Madden a man that fights for what he loves and wants. He's more than what people just get to see on the outside on a daily basis. They only see the businessman whereas I see the boy who became a gentleman.

I see his sweet and caring side. I see the manners he was raised to have. I see the man out of the suits he wears like a costume for work. I see the flaws he has that people don't know about. I see the good and bad things Luca wouldn't dare let anyone see and it's simply because we've known each other that long.

I see him for him and not who he has become. The outside world sees him as Luca Madden the self-made businessman who can do nothing wrong in the business world. I see him as Luca Madden the man who makes mistakes and the love of my life. Both of which are the same person but different on so many levels.

"So what you're basically saying is that I have to look and act the part tonight even though I'm technically there for work?" I try to justify.

"Exactly," she confirms.

"This will be fun and games, then."

"Not when your boyfriend is Luca Madden it isn't."

I shake my head. "And how does that help?"

"He plans everything out beforehand. Your outfit will already be hanging up in your wardrobe for tonight and it will match his perfectly."

I watch her closely as she gets to her feet and picks her bag up off the floor where she sat it when she sat down. She turns and walks to the door to leave.

"He asked you to get me a dress for tonight, didn't he?" I call to her.

She looks over her shoulder at me and smiles. "Who else would he ask?"

She winks and leaves my office like she was never here. I stare at the ajar door until Julia steps into my office with an envelope in one hand.

"Tell me something," she begins. I take the offered envelope she holds out to me and wait for her to go on. "Why can we never look like how she does on a daily basis?"

I cock my head to the side. "That's because that is what money buys you."

"Now you're dating Luca Madden, you'll be turning up to work looking like that, too."

"Don't count on it," I defend.

"Come on, Kaylee. Even I can tell that you're wearing Michael Kors today."

She nods in the direction of my sleeveless black broderie anglaise dress. I look at my dress then up to her.

"I bought this," I tell her.

"Is it or is it not Michael Kors, though?"

"It is but I still bought this."

"Still designer, though."

"As is about a third of my wardrobe if I'm lucky."

"Oh well, then." She shrugs and walks out my office, pulling the door closed behind her.

I shake my head with a roll of the eyes and get back to what I was doing before Jade and Julia came into my office. "Finally, some peace and quiet."

Before I know it, I'm home and staring at along-sleeved, ivory lace-panelled crepe dress hanging up in wardrobe with matching silver accessories laid out next to it. I touch the soft fabric lightly and look over at Luca who is busy hanging up the suit jacket he wore today.

"Why did you get Jade to buy me this?" I query.

He looks over his shoulder at me then to the dress before turning his attention back to getting changed for tonight.

"I wanted to buy you something nice," he answers.

"Why when I have plenty of dresses I could have picked from to wear tonight?"

"Because I wanted you to have something distinctive to wear tonight and not plain black even if you're technically going for work."

"I have to play my part tonight, Luca." I look back to the dress. "Wearing this isn't me playing my part."

"It is when you're turning up with me and this is our first official outing together as a couple," he sighs.

"I know it is but I still could have picked something else," I draw out. I glance back at the dress and walk over to Luca. "Anything else."

He looks at me with a small smile when I come to a stop next to him but continues to look through his clothes for something to wear tonight.

"It's not like we haven't gone out before as a couple," I point out.

"I know but this is a business night out for me which classes as our first proper work-related night out together as a couple."

I groan and walk back over to the dress. I stretch it out as best as I can while looking at it. "Why is it even hanging up in here? I have my own wardrobe where all my own things are in."

"I have to see what will go with my outfit choice tonight," he answers.

I leave the dress and everything that's to go with it and walk out of the walk-in wardrobe.

"Where are you going, now?" Luca calls to me

"To have a shower and get ready for tonight or is that not allowed?" I call back.

"It is but we're leaving within the hour."

"I'm quick, don't worry."