by Aven Ellis
“Then she has a tremendous opportunity to grow,” Aunt Suzanne says. “Sometimes we evolve the most when we are truly tested and have to fight our way through. Something tells me Taylor is about to go through a hard time, but she’ll end up exactly where she needs to be.”
“Like I did with Gabe,” I say aloud. “Now, I have Luca.”
The studio falls silent, and all eyes turn to me.
“Who’s Luca?” Aunt Suzanne asks.
My face burns hot.
“Um, nobody.” I drop my eyes to my computer screen and bring up my inbox, hoping the conversation will be dropped.
“Sounds like Luca is a love interest,” Amy adds.
“What?” Katie shrieks. “How could you not tell me you had a new boyfriend?”
“Oh, no, no,” I say quickly. “We just started going out.”
“So no Netflix and chill yet?” Amy teases.
Gah!
“Ewh, Mom,” Katie cries. “I don’t want to think about you and Dad and . . . that!”
“Um, I need to check my messages,” I say, trying to escape the conversation.
“No, as your boss, I forbid it,” Aunt Suzanne says. “I want to know about this Luca.”
I know Aunt Suzanne was worried about me after I broke up with Gabe, but she was supportive of me making the tough decision. I’ll admit it. I’m dying to talk about Luca to people other than Livy and Aubrey, who are probably tired of hearing about him.
“He’s amazing,” I admit. “I met him at Livy’s engagement party.”
“Ooh, playing while on the job?” Katie teases.
“No!” I laugh. “He had seen me before on Livy’s website modeling jewelry with Major. Apparently, Luca has been interested ever since.”
“Is he a hockey player?” Aunt Suzanne asks, cocking an eyebrow. “That was pretty much the entire guest list for the Adams-Holder party.”
I nod. “He’s the starting goalie. Luca Ballerini.”
“Oh my God, you’re dating a player?” Katie squeals.
“Yes, but he’s so much more than that,” I say. “He’s driven and extremely mature, more mature than his years.”
“That’s good because guys our age are so dumb,” Katie says, taking a sip of her tea.
“I can’t stop thinking about him,” I admit, turning back to my aunt. “Luca is so dedicated to hockey. He’s passionate about pursuing his dream. He’s thoughtful and funny, and he listens. I can go on and on, but I’ve never felt this way before.”
“Um, you left out smoking hot.” Amy turns her iPad around to show a blown up image of Luca’s team photo for the Chicago Buffaloes.
As soon as I see his picture, my pulse skyrockets. Luca looks serious in his picture, his eyes determined with no hint of a smile on his sexy mouth.
Whew. I might need to adjust the thermostat when nobody is looking because my body temperature just shot up.
“Shit, Collins! He’s gorgeous!” Katie says, walking over to Amy’s desk to study the picture. “Whoa.”
I feel my cheeks burn hotter.
“If he kisses as good as he looks, you are one lucky lady,” Amy teases.
“You’re right,” Aunt Suzanne says.
I furrow my brow. “Right about what?”
“You haven’t felt this way before,” she says slowly. “Luca is different.”
I nod. “He is, Aunt Suzanne.”
Luca is different. He has changed everything I thought love could be and everything I thought I wanted and needed in a man.
I pick up my phone to retrieve my messages, knowing the sooner I get through the day, the sooner I will be in Luca’s arms later tonight.
Chapter 17
Never skimp on food at an event . . .
I stop on the sidewalk in front of a vintage apartment building on a tree-lined street. A cold wind rustles through the trees, sending a few crimson-colored leaves cascading down on me. The sky is a beautiful pinky-orange, providing a gorgeous backdrop for the city.
It’s so strange. I’ve lived in the Chicago area my entire life, but everything is alive and in crystal-clear focus for the first time.
The old buildings are rich with secrets of people who have lived in them since the eighteen hundreds. The leafy trees lining the sidewalk burst with the colors of fall as the beautiful sun sinks into the sky. Lincoln Park is vibrant with energy on this Thursday night, and all of my senses have come to life to experience it.
I can’t help but appreciate the beauty surrounding me down to the smallest detail, and I know this sudden clarity is due to one person entering my world.
Luca Ballerini.
Excitement swirls in me as I stare up at his building. Luca invited me over for dinner tonight so he can cook for me. I’m anxious to see him, and after we made plans this afternoon, I was useless for the rest of the day.
I ran out at lunch to work on a surprise for him tonight, but as soon as that was complete, I kept glancing at the clock, counting down the seconds until I could go home and get ready. If I wasn’t counting down the clock, I was either mentally reviewing my closet and picking out which dress to wear, or fantasizing about the way he smiles whenever I come into view.
I might have had one or two daydreams about kissing him, too.
Or five hundred.
A happy heat swells in my cheeks as I bound up the stairs to his building. I locate his unit number and press the intercom button.
“Yes?” His deep voice comes through the air, sending a tingle of delight down my spine.
“Prince Charming,” I say, “this is Cinderella. I’ve been dropped off by my pumpkin coach, and I have a very special delivery for you.”
I don’t need to see him to know he’s smiling.
“Then I will command the royal guard to allow you immediate access,” Luca flirts back.
I grin as he unlocks the access door to the building. I pull it open, letting myself inside. I take the stairs up to the second floor, my heels clicking against the hardwood as I go, and when I hit the landing, I make my way over to his door, Unit 2B.
I rap against the door, and as soon as I hear the door being unlocked, my heart jumps in anticipation. Luca pulls open the door, and I forget to breathe the moment I see him.
Oh, my. He’s wearing a crisp, white dress shirt and has the sleeves rolled up, revealing his massive forearms. A dishtowel is slung sexily over his shoulder as if he stopped in the middle of food prep to open the door. My eyes skim over him, from the dark jeans that hug his huge, muscular thighs to the rugged black boots he has on his feet. A Balmer Phantom watch adorns his wrist, and I swear nothing is sexier than a man with a fantastic watch.
I lift my eyes back up to his face and see his eyes are drinking me in, too.
Before I can say a word, he draws me inside and shuts the door. Luca brings me to him and slides his hands to my face, making my pulse race. Then he threads his fingers through my hair as he bends down and brushes his lips slowly against my forehead. I draw a breath as his warm lips find the bridge of my nose, then my cheeks, grazing my skin with the sexiest of kisses. Finally, he presses his mouth to mine in a sweet, lingering kiss.
I’m on fire by the time he lifts his head.
“I promised you I’d kiss every freckle on this beautiful face the second I saw you again,” he whispers, smiling at me.
Words escape me. Luca is touching me in ways no other man ever has.
And it moves me more than he could ever know.
“Best greeting I’ve ever received.” I grin at him. “I like the towel, too.”
Luca’s brow creases. “Huh?”
I incline my head toward the towel draped over his shoulder.
“Oh, shit, I forgot I had it there,” Luca says, smiling
sheepishly at me.
“Don’t be. It’s rather sexy on you.”
Luca’s mouth tugs upward in a smile. “A man in the kitchen is a turn on for you?”
“Yes.”
“Good to know, I’ll make a note of that,” Luca says. “Here, let me take your bags.”
“Oh, no, I’ll just set them down here,” I say, moving toward the kitchen table. I don’t want Luca to see his surprise yet, so I quickly set my purse and shopping tote out of sight.
“Can I at least help you with your coat?” Luca asks.
“Yes,” I say, delighted that he is such a gentleman.
I undo the sash on my trench and shrug out of it with Luca stepping behind me to take it off. I turn around and, with my coat draped over his arm, his eyes move over my body in a way that tells me he likes what he sees.
“Is this my special delivery?” he asks, his voice low. “You in this dress? Because you are sexy as hell, Cinderella.”
I turn, showing off my fifties-inspired black pencil dress. It is fitted with half sleeves and a diamond-shaped keyhole above my bustline.
I smile flirtatiously at him. “Do you like it?”
“I do,” Luca says, his eyes skimming over me again before resting back on my face. “I like the way you dress. Refined is sexy.”
Oh, Luca, the way you think is even sexier, I muse.
“Thank you,” I say. “But I do have a real special delivery for you.”
“What?” Luca asks, surprise in his voice as he stares down at me. “You have something for me?”
“To celebrate your amazing game last night,” I say.
I turn to my shopping tote and slide out the wrapped package I brought for Luca.
“For you,” I say, presenting the gift to him.
Luca’s expression is full of surprise. “For me?”
“Well, I didn’t put a tag saying Prince Charming on it, but yes, it’s for you. Open it.”
He tears open the paper, and his eyes widen when he discovers it’s the front of the sports page from yesterday’s paper, showing his gloved save in full color as the headline story. I matted and framed it for display.
“Collins,” Luca says, staring down at the glass, “you did this for me?”
He lifts his eyes to mine, and I can see he’s touched by my gesture.
“It was a huge moment in your career,” I say. “I wanted to preserve it for you, so I got the matte and frame and made this during my lunch break.”
“I love it,” Luca says. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I say. “Keep playing like that and I’ll have to take out stock in the local craft store.”
Luca smiles at me, and my heart fills with joy knowing he likes my gift. He places it on the table and takes my hands in his.
“I know I’ve said this to you before, but you’re more incredible than I dreamed you could be,” he says, bending down and dropping a kiss on my lips.
As his familiar mouth touches mine, I find myself falling harder for him.
He breaks the kiss and leads me into the kitchen. The countertop is covered with beautiful produce. I see bright orange carrots with long green tops, a fresh bunch of spinach, parsley, lemons, and a selection of herbs. There is a package of grass-fed butter and a shallow dish of salt pushed to the side, and I spot two huge steaks resting on a plate. My eyes nearly pop out of my head at the size of them.
“Those steaks are huge,” I say.
Luca slides an arm around my waist and draws me to him. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“There is no way I can eat even a fourth of that, and I love steak,” I declare, laughing.
Luca lets me go and moves past me. “They’re twelve-ounce ribeyes. One is for me. I have to eat six thousand calories a day to keep my weight on, so I need a whole one.”
“Six thousand calories a day?” I ask, incredulous.
“Yeah,” Luca says. “What can I get you to drink? Would you like a glass of red wine?”
“Yes, please. Luca, how do you manage that much food a day?”
Luca grabs a decanter and fills a glass. I’m impressed a twenty-one-year-old knows to decant wine. Serious gold stars for that.
“I eat seven meals a day,” Luca explains. “I hate it, to be honest. I’m so sick of chicken breasts, you have no idea. But it’s all about balancing your proteins and carbohydrates to maximize performance and maintain a healthy playing weight. I reduce my calories during the off-season, but now that we’re practicing and have games, I have to eat more, at least that is what my nutritionist says. That’s why I learned to cook. I can meet my nutritional goals at home easier than by eating out.”
He hands the glass of wine to me. “Here you go.”
“Thank you,” I say, taking it from him. “I don’t know how you do it. I’d be tempted to grab a box of Dunkin' Donuts and call it a day.”
Luca picks up a peeler and begins prepping the carrots. “I can’t do that, so whatever pumpkin-flavored donuts they have are all yours.”
“I love pumpkin donut holes,” I say, distracted for a moment by the thought of those.
“I can’t do any refined sugars or white flour.”
“So no cookies? No bread? Oh, I’d die without bread!”
“No bread. I do eat a lot of brown rice pasta and sweet potatoes, though.”
“I couldn’t do it. I love bread. It’s the perfect food. Bread and butter are bliss on a plate. Don’t get me started on how much I love pumpkin spice bread.”
“Let me guess. You hoard that, too?”
“Hoarding pumpkin goodness in autumn is a life rule, Luca.”
Luca glances over at me and lifts an eyebrow. “What else is a life rule?”
Being with you.
But I keep that life rule to myself.
For now.
“I need to develop the rest of them,” I say, taking a sip of my wine.
“Life rules are decided on the fly?” he asks as he begins to cut carrots.
“I guess you could say that,” I concede.
“So, we could write some together, couldn’t we?” Luca asks, his eyes locking on mine.
“Yes, we can,” I say happily.
Starting tonight.
Chapter 18
Being able to bring a dream to fruition . . .
“I can’t imagine a better night than this,” I murmur softly.
I’m having the kind of date I dreamed could exist but wasn’t sure I would ever find in real life.
Until now.
I’m lying in Luca’s arms on his couch. We had an incredible dinner with wine and conversation that never stopped flowing. After dinner, we settled on the sofa, which led to kissing and touching. How I love the way his hands caress me. I feel cared for in his arms. Protected. As if I’m the most important thing in the world to him when he’s kissing and stroking me.
Treasured.
Luca knows how to be sexy, yet he hasn’t pushed for anything more than kissing when we’re together. I love how he treats me. I’m not used to having a man show restraint and respect, and the irony is, it turns me on even more.
Luca drops his lips against my temple and warmth surges in me. I close my eyes and breathe in his masculine scent, wishing we could stay like this until the sun comes up.
“Me, either,” Luca says, running his hand over my bare arm and sending goose bumps sweeping across my skin. “I love the way your skin smells so sweet and how the scent lingers on my clothing after you leave.”
Then he drops his head and kisses my weak spot—the side of my neck—causing a moan to escape my lips.
“I figured that out,” Luca says sexily against my skin. “You like being kissed here.”
Then he kisses me again, his tongue flickering across my neckline, and I’m melting all over again.
“Yes,” I manage to say.
Luca laughs softly and props himself up. I turn so I’m on my back, gazing up at him.
“Life rule number two. Always kiss my beautiful girl on her neck.”
I gaze up at him in shock. He called me his girl. I’m so elated no words come past my lips. I simply stare at him with so much joy filling my heart I might explode.
“Ugh. That sounded very 1955 of me,” Luca groans. I melt when I see him wince. “I’m so bad at this. I just asked if you would be my girl. Shit.”
He drops his head next to mine so I can’t see him. Luca is so cute and bashful I can barely stand it.
“For someone who is wearing a dress circa 1955, it’s very appropriate,” I say, brushing my fingertips through his unruly waves.
Luca lifts himself back up to face me.
“So, you’ll be my girl?”
I laugh. “Yes. Yes, I will.”
He drops his mouth to mine, easing it open for another slow, sensual kiss.
I break the kiss and gaze up at him. “I mean, I can’t say no after you made a life rule to kiss my neck. That would be rude.”
Luca laughs, and I join him. He pushes himself up to a seated position and pulls me up with him.
“I’m glad you didn’t say no,” he says, playing with my hair.
“There was zero chance of that happening,” I say. “You might not have noticed, but I kind of like you.”
Luca grins. “Good, because I kind of like you. A lot. In fact, I have something for you.”
He leans over to the end table and retrieves an envelope. Luca hands it to me. “That’s for you.”
“For me?”
“You aren’t the only one with surprises tonight.”
I eagerly open the flap and find a credential with my name on it for the Chicago Buffaloes.