“Yes, he does. I wish she had been honest with me. Perhaps I could have helped somehow.”
“You couldn’t do anything if you didn’t know,” Luca says. “Are you alright?” He addresses me.
“Yes, fine. It was horrifying for me to see my journal in her hands.”
“I can only imagine,” he says.
“If she had torn it up I would have been destroyed.”
“I’m glad we came in when we did,” Angela says. “Well, I think I’ll call the dean to see how to handle this situation. Maybe she needs a bit of time off to adjust to all of this.”
“That might be best,” Luca adds.
Luca and I walk back to his office, his arm around my waist.
“How much did she read?” he asks.
“Quite a bit. She read the pages I wrote about when you told me about Sara.” Luca’s mouth drops. “Don’t worry, I was not specific. I just wrote how you told me a tragic secret you’ve kept all these years and how honored I was that you trusted me with it.” He exhales and sits back in his chair.
“I can’t believe she did that. That’s ballsy,” he says.
“For sure. I hope she’s okay, though. If she’s sick, then we have to try and forgive.”
“Yes. I’m getting very good at forgiving.”
I smile. “Besides, other than a few stressful moments, she didn’t really cause any harm.”
“No, I guess not.” He claps his hands together. “Well, should we get back to work?”
“Can we eat first? I’m starving.”
He stands and walks across the room to me, pulling me into his arms. His lips meet mine as he twirls me around and lays me on his desk. We kiss like this for several minutes or perhaps days. I lose all sense of time whenever his lips touch mine. His hands tangle in my hair as our bodies press together. I have to restrain my desire to pull my clothes off right here and now. He pulls back slightly and gazes into my eyes as I try to regain normal breathing again.
“That was nice,” he says.
“It always is.”
“Maybe we’ll work late tonight and do this again.”
“Oh, you tease!”
“I assure you I’m not teasing. I plan to follow through.” He pulls me up and kisses my forehead. “Lunch?”
“Yes, please.”
“By the way, I told Angela I won’t be attending the summer abroad program this year.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“I’ll be busy getting married and taking my wife on a European honeymoon.”
I smile. “What a lucky woman.”
THE PAST FEW MONTHS have been the best of my life. Every day, my relationship with Londyn deepens and I know we were meant to find each other. I look across the room at her as she types. Her brow furrows and she chews on that delectable bottom lip of hers. Every so often, she gazes up at me with those gorgeous eyes of hers and smiles.
I stand and walk over to her, then slide my hands over her shoulders, gently rubbing. “How is the book coming along?”
“It’s nearing completion.”
“What part on you on now?”
“New Year’s Eve and the Boston Library.” She grins and wiggles her eyebrows. “A perfect night.”
“It was indeed.”
“Are you sure you are absolutely comfortable with me publishing our story?”
“Yes.” I lean down and move her hair off her neck so I can kiss it. “This love of ours is too wonderful not to share. Besides, no one will know it’s us since you’re using a pen name.”
“True.” She brushes her hair off her face. “I’m just a bit stumped on how to end it.”
“How does our story end?”
She grins. “It doesn’t, but all books should.”
“Perhaps it should end in a villa in Tuscany, the summer sun fading in the sky. A breathtaking woman, who looks like a doll, stands in her wedding gown about to become a wife. Her loving fiancé stands beside her, taking in her beauty and thanking God for his amazing luck in finding her. She looks up at him, with her blue-green eyes, and smiles as his lips find hers. They both know that the future is full of promise and joy and they can’t wait to begin their lives together as husband and wife.”
Her face fills with her smile. “I think that’s a perfect way to end.”
epilogue
MY INTERVIEW WITH KATE WINSLOW is wrapping up and it’s just in time. While showing her to the door, she thanks me profusely as I hand her several signed copies of the books I’ve authored in the last five years. I can’t say it wasn’t an enjoyable time. Kate turned out to be fun and a good interviewer.
I watch from the front porch of our sweet little house and wave as Kate drives away. Just as I’m about to go inside, my love’s familiar car pulls up- the black Audi tt that he thinks is far too flashy, but I insisted he have. It’s a perfectly sexy car for a perfectly sexy man.
I smile and lean against a porch column, watching him step elegantly out of the car and walk up the front steps to greet me.
“How did the interview go?” he asks, kissing me on the cheek.
“It wasn’t that bad, actually.”
“Did you tell her your new project writing Maddie and Devon’s story?”
“No, I have so much to do with that, I kept it to myself.” I take his hand. “How was work?”
“I interviewed ten girls today, none of whom measure up to the one I lost.”
Laughing, we enter the house and walk down the hall to the study. I settle down on the nearby chair, the one I’ve come to adore as I’ve spent hours sitting in it, listening to my love read to me.
Smiling, he sets his bag down and leans against the desk. “I’ve gained so much in return though.”
“We both have.”
Walking over to me, he kneels down and brushes my cheek with the back of his hand. “I missed you today.”
“I missed you, too. It’s so nice having you around all summer.”
Leaning closer, he kisses me sweetly on the lips. “Yes, but this way you have an opportunity to miss me, no?”
“True.”
“Where are the children?”
“Upstairs.”
“Ah. So we have a few moments alone before they know I’m home.”
Smiling, I reply, “Yes, a few stolen moments.”
“I love this chair,” he says as he begins unbuttoning my blouse. “It reminds me of all those nights I spent getting to know you and letting you see inside of me.”
“I love this chair for the same reasons. We must always keep it.”
“Always.” He buries his face in my neck, kissing and nibbling my skin. His touch that I craved for so long he now gives to me freely. His lips are mine to kiss, his eyes gaze only at me. Sometimes I still can’t believe this man is mine.
“Londyn,” he whispers in between kisses, “I adore you.”
Throwing my head back, I soak in his loving words. They never cease to thrill me and remind me how passionate this man can be.
“I feel the same way. I always will.”
“Yes?” He looks up and gazes in my eyes. Reaching up, I run my hand through his hair and rest it on the back of his neck.
“Yes, Luca. Always.”
He sighs, pressing his body against mine as we enjoy these few quiet moments of passion in the place where he first kissed me, first touched me, first showed his desire for me. At times, it feels like it all happened just a short while ago. I don’t always remember it’s been six years already.
Luca’s hands slide under my skirt and rub me through my panties. I know we only have a short time, so I move quickly, tugging on his belt and unbuttoning his slacks. He pushes my skirt up and enters me, smiling as our bodies become one.
“You’re beautiful, angel,” he whispers.
“So are you, my love.”
We move together, quietly, holding on to each other tightly. We’ve made love in this room, in this very chair a thousand times over the years. Since the babies came
, we make it a point to find these romantic moments, to make sure we always stay connected. I am as in love with him today as I ever was.
His body tenses against me and mine responds. I whisper his name as my body is overcome with sheer pleasure. Luca lies against me for a moment, kissing my neck and telling me he loves me.
The moment is broken as we hear the sounds of laughing children descending the stairs. We quickly clean up and pull ourselves back together. The children burst into the room and hug Luca when they see him. Maddie follows closely behind. She grins as she looks at us and I know she understands what just took place.
“Welcome home, Luca,” she says.
“Thank you, Madeleine. How were the children today?”
“Divine, as always. I have to run. I’m meeting Devon for dinner tonight. He’s been working such long hours and he’s making it home early tonight.”
I stand and kiss her cheek. “Have fun. We’ll see you Monday.”
“Yes, you two have fun too.” She winks and I laugh. Luca grins sheepishly.
He sits down as both children climb in his lap. Little Giovanni lays his head on Luca’s chest, as older brother Matteo plays with his father’s large hands. It’s a beautiful moment.
“I love these boys, but I would love to have a little girl around the house. One who looks like a little doll like her mother.”
I smile. I guess now is as good a time as any. “Well, perhaps you’re in luck then,” I say rubbing my tummy.
“What?” His eyes shift from my belly to my face. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my God, this is wonderful.”
“It is. I wanted to make sure before I told you.”
“What a gift.” He kisses both our boys. “You’ve given me so much happiness, Londyn.”
“You’ve done the same for me, my love.”
“Boys, go play upstairs,” he says. “I’ll be up in a minute.”
The boys run out of the room, giggling. Luca approaches me and pulls me into his arms.
“Every day of my life with you is better than the one before. How is that possible?”
“You deserve to be happy. You always have.”
He nods and kisses me once more. His kisses still make my knees weak. Still leave me breathless. Every morning when I wake up, I take a moment to recognize that this is my life. This is my man. This is our love story.
I never thought I could love like this. I never believed it would happen for me. But one day, a long time ago, I met a man and he fell in love with me.
I fell in love, too, and every day, I fall a little deeper.
When not writing her next novel, Jennifer Domenico spends her time devouring the words of other great authors, watching home improvement shows or talent competitions, pinning way too many Nutella recipes, and sleeping whenever possible.
She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her very Italian husband who provides her with endless material for her next character. She loves connecting with readers so stop by and say hello to her.
Facebook.com/authorjendomenico
Twitter: @jendomenico
Other books by Jennifer Domenico
The Sunflower Trilogy:
Turn Towards the Sun- Book One
After the Rain- Book Two
Forever in Bloom- Book Three
Have my Heart- A Novella
Beautifully Twisted
Chasing Desire
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Bonus content for Londyn Falls coming soon. Check Facebook or my website for details.
Londyn Falls Page 48