Forever Lies

12

Taking the bait, his eyes sparked with mischief. “I could have sworn you liked that in a man.” “It’s more tolerable in some men than others.” “And do you have any other bossy but tolerable men in your life?” Was he asking if I was seeing anyone? Surely, he knew the fact that I’d come to dinner meant I wasn’t involved with anyone else. “No.” He lifted his chin, acknowledging my answer as the server came to take our orders. “Captain’s menu, please.” “Yes, sir. And your antipasti selection?” We both gave our orders and had our glasses topped off before the man scurried off to the kitchen. “It’s refreshing to see a woman who knows what she wants,” Luca remarked. I had hardly perused the menu, knowing what I would order well before I arrived. “There’s hardly a bad choice on the menu. I grew up eating most of these dishes or simplified versions.” I smiled to myself, remembering my mother’s mother who used to cook for us at every opportunity. Food is a cornerstone in any Italian home. “Tell me more about your family.” “There’s not much to tell. There are lots of them—as is the Italian Catholic way—but otherwise, we’re a pretty standard lot.” “Are you close to them?” “That depends on what you mean by close. We have Sunday dinner each week, per my mother’s orders, but I wouldn’t say we’re close in the true sense. We’re all pretty private, I guess. What about you—are you close with your family?” “My dad wasn’t around, and my mom died years ago. I have a younger sister, but she’s a pain in my ass—always finding herself in some kind of trouble,” he grumbled. It made me smile to think of tough-guy Luca attempting to parent a younger sister. If she was half as gifted in the looks department, I could see how she might be quite the handful. “It’s good that she has you. A protective older brother could be an asset in this life.” The realization of what I’d said made my breath catch. I’d had an older brother once, and the memory of his loss, though many years ago, still weighed heavily on my heart. Not wanting to darken the mood with such thoughts, I cast them away with a silent apology to the boy who lived on only in memory. Our food arrived at that moment, giving me a chance to collect myself. Each course was more delicious than the last. I chided myself for relying so often on my meal delivery service. Their catered meals were as good as preprepared food could be, but it couldn’t compare to a freshly cooked meal. By the time dessert arrived, I could hardly take a single bite. There were only a couple fingers of wine left in the bottle, which Luca poured into my glass. “I can’t possibly drink anymore—I’m stuffed, and I need to be able to get myself home,” I said with a wry smile. The food had helped to mute the effects of the wine, but I had a nice buzz going. Not so much to be stumbling drunk, but enough that I felt light and airy. Luca’s eyes heated, and the muscles in his jaw twitched. “I’m sure I could get you home.” “I bet you could, and I’d probably lose my clothes in the process.” “Undoubtedly,” he admitted confidently. We held each other’s gaze for a pregnant moment. The hunger in his eyes was an erotic promise, challenge intrinsic in his stare. As if he could project thoughts into my mind, visions of Luca bare-chested and thrusting inside me, making me scream his name in pleasure, infiltrated my head. With a shaky breath, I dropped my gaze, breaking our contact. “I should probably get going—I have an important meeting in the morning.” My voice was breathy, and my words sounded uncertain, even to my ear. When I took a hesitant glance back up to Luca, he wore a wicked smile. “Let’s get you home.” After he paid the check, and we made our way outside, I turned to tell him goodnight. “Let me walk you to your car,” he offered. “I don’t have a car. I walked.” I didn’t want to tell him I had a driver. He was decently well-off in the money department, but I didn’t want to look ostentatious. “You’re not walking home,” he said irritably. “We’ll take a cab; come with me.” He tugged at my hand, but I held my ground. “I don’t need a ride—I live nearby.” Luca stepped close, his gaze burning through me, leaving his mark on my soul in a way that I’d feel long after we parted for the night. The air around us became charged with anticipation, heavy like the moist air of a sultry Florida evening. In that frozen moment of time, there was only me and Luca. Weaving his fingers into my hair, he slowly lowered his lips to mine. He was gentle but firm, his lips molding to mine as perfectly as I’d imagined they would. I could feel his restraint as if he were holding a delicate butterfly and trying not to crush its wings. Tasting. Testing. But before long, his control snapped as his touch dug into my flesh, and his kiss became demanding. He seized my mouth like he couldn’t get enough—like I held the cure to whatever darkness seethed inside him. I should have been alarmed, but instead, a moan slipped past my lips, spurring him on. I lost track of the city around me. People walked past us, and horns honked in the distance as cars wove in and out of traffic, but none of it penetrated my senses. I was ensnared in his kiss, his touch lighting my body on fire as I gave him everything he demanded. Eventually, he pulled back, eyes hooded and black as night. “Come, I’ll walk you home.” His warm fingers took hold of mine, a current running between us, electric and inviting. He led us down the sidewalk without a word from me until I realized we were walking in the correct direction without me telling him where to go. “How did you know which direction?” I asked curiously. He glanced at me wryly. “Lucky guess—I had a fifty-fifty shot.” I arched a brow. “Do you often play by chance?” “I very rarely leave anything to chance. I’m far too controlling to rely on luck to get me what I want.” “You don’t say,” I mumbled just loud enough for him to hear. He cut his eyes to me, and there was a hint of humor in their dark depths. “I see you, on the other hand, like to live dangerously.” His teasing made my heart sore, and I offered him a beaming smile to which he shook his head with a laugh. I led us to my building where trepidation and awkwardness set in, at least on my part. Nothing about Luca could ever be awkward or uncertain. He pulled me aside, just outside the entry steps.