Feels Like Falling (Dangerous Love Book 5)

by Elle Keating

  “Oh, that sounds interesting. What kind of show? What do you do?” From the inquisitive and sincere look on Gianna’s face it was now obvious that she had no idea who Peyton was. Which made Peyton deliriously happy. Like Luke, they were being nice to her, inviting her into their home, to their dinner table because they liked her as a person, not because she was a rich celebrity. They didn’t care who she knew or how much money she had. It was so damn refreshing that she wanted to cry into her risotto.

  “It was a fashion show. I am…was…a model. I’m officially retired now.”

  Gianna’s jaw dropped slightly and then she sighed. Gianna rested her chin in her hand and said to Luke, “You couldn’t give your favorite cousin a heads up?”

  “A heads up?” he asked with mock innocence.

  Gianna narrowed her eyes at him. “Yes. A heads up would have been nice. Peyton probably thinks I live under a rock or something. Because why else wouldn’t I recognize a world-famous supermodel?”

  Luke burst out laughing, which prompted Gianna to throw her cloth napkin at him. The banter between them drew chuckles from Anthony, Angelina and the children, though she wasn’t sure if Roman and Maura knew what they were really laughing at. “I do apologize, Peyton. I truly had no idea,” Gianna said, flashing Luke one last playful glare.

  “No apologies are necessary. I love that I can just be myself here,” Peyton said. Gianna smiled as she watched Peyton help herself to some of the savory pork. Satisfied and only feeling slightly guilty over the large helping of meat she had scooped onto her plate, she was just about to dig in when she noticed that Gianna was still staring at her, as if deep in thought.

  “Luke, credo che tu l’abbia trovata,” Gianna said.

  The adults at the table went quiet, but Roman and Maura continued to carry on. Luke turned and looked at Peyton. The playful glint in his eye had faded and was replaced with some unidentified emotion that made her heart race. His hand enveloped hers and he said, “Si. Lei è la mia altra metà, la pace che cerco.”

  Peyton had zero idea what he had just said to her, but whatever it was made the women at the table gasp and then smile. Angelina even fanned herself with her hand. As much as it killed Peyton not to ask him for a translation, she somehow knew it was best to wait until she and Luke were alone.

  Luke squeezed her hand before letting her go. Further dinner conversation remained lighthearted and easy and before she knew it, Peyton was clearing her dessert plate. Stuffed to the gills, Peyton and Luke got up from the table and started to take their plates to the kitchen when Angelina demanded that they stop and take a walk around the grounds. From her tone and the way she wagged her finger at Luke, it was obvious that she didn’t want her dinner guests helping her clean up.

  “Better do as my aunt says,” Luke said, taking Peyton’s hand. “Come with me.”

  ***

  Luke

  “They are incredible, Luke. Your family, how welcoming they are…it’s amazing.”

  Godsent and selfless were other words that came to mind when he thought of Lucrezia’s relatives in Italy. He remembered how ‘welcoming’ they had been the first time he had met them. Despite Lucrezia and Patrick’s instant love for him and his brothers, it had occurred to him that maybe not everyone would accept them as true McGinnis children. Nervous and feeling more than a little awkward, Luke had stood in front of his new Italian relatives not knowing what to do or how to introduce himself. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait long because Angelina had grabbed him and wrangled him into a hug. Gabe and Brennan were next, and she took both his brothers into her arms, squeezing them until they couldn’t breathe. It didn’t matter to his adopted parents or any member of the extended family where he and his brothers had come from, that not a drop of McGinnis-Maccione blood flowed through their veins. They were McGinnis children. Just like Carina and Jake.

  Luke smiled at her, which caused Peyton’s rosy cheeks to darken. Although the temperature hovered in the mid-sixties and they were dressed in layers, the air had a bit of a bite. Feeling brave, he reached over and took her hand in his. The warmth of her hand was like a bolt of electricity, one that he felt travel to every limb and rock-hard appendage.

  Why the hell hadn’t he thought to take care of that? Being around Peyton fully loaded, just aching to explode, did not put him in the best frame of mind.

  Get it together. Tell the man downstairs to stand down. Seeing you pitch a tent while taking what is supposed to be a leisurely stroll through the vineyard will not win her over.

  And winning her over was his goal right now, not getting into her pants. Summoning his inner gentleman, he forced his eyes away from her ass, which was unfortunately where his gaze had been glued and decided to speak from the heart. “I have never brought anyone here before.”

  “Why is your aunt and uncle’s winery so special to you? You should see yourself right now. How relaxed you are…and how easy it is for you to smile.”

  He couldn’t explain it, but he had always felt at home in Italy, at the Maccione winery in particular. He had no idea if he was even of Italian descent, but it didn’t matter. From the moment he had stepped foot on the boot-shaped peninsula he had felt like he truly belonged there. At first, he had thought it had only been him to feel Italy’s magnetic pull, but he learned over time that the rest of his siblings felt it too.

  “When I was seventeen, my dad was shot multiple times while walking to his car after work. Some thug ambushed Patrick, seeking revenge for having arrested him months prior for drugs. But before my dad went down he was able to get one shot off.”

  Peyton gasped. “Did he die? The man who tried to kill Patrick?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. I hope he’s still rotting away in hell,” she said with a clipped tone. He looked over and saw her gazing out over the fields. Luke loved her strength and her protective nature. She would never cower or look for pity. And she would always fight for herself and for those she treasured. She was fucking perfect.

  “After hours in surgery, my dad pulled through. But he wasn’t the same. The damage that bastard had inflicted forced my dad to end his career as a police officer, a role and job he loved. When it finally hit him that he was never going to put on his uniform again, he sank into a deep depression, and became someone who we no longer recognized. But Lucrezia didn’t allow her husband and the father of her children to stay in that dark place for long. One day she came home and announced that the family was to pack and prepare for a month-long stay at her sister’s home in Italy. She said that the McGinnis family needed a reboot, to get away and figure out what’s important. No one questioned her, not even Patrick, and the next thing I knew we were boarding a plane to Italy.”

  Luke led Peyton to a gazebo at the edge of the property and took a seat. Located on the edge of a cliff, they could see the valley below and the neighboring farms. “I can imagine Gina doing something similar for her family. It was as if she had a well of strength bubbling inside her and when needed she would tap into it and the world would be right again,” Peyton said.

  His heart ached for her, that she had lost the only woman who had the right to be called her mother. The thought of losing Lucrezia made him ill. He had no idea how he would cope without her in his life. “I like to think that Lucrezia and Gina would have been good friends if they had ever met,” he said. Peyton smiled and then stared out over the expansive landscape. The wind whipped through her hair, forcing him to breathe her in, that scent that drove him fucking crazy. It took every ounce of restraint he had left in the tank not to kiss her.

  “So, what did you do here during that month?” she asked. Her question was a welcome distraction, though he didn’t take his eyes off her mouthwatering lips.

  “I discovered what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. All it took was one day, one eight-hour day of working alongside my uncle in his fields, with my sleeves rolled up and covered in sweat to know that I was meant to harvest the land. The high I had experienced, th
e satisfaction of working so hard…well, I wanted that feeling every day for the rest of my life. So, when my family returned home, fully recharged just as Lucrezia had intended, I got a job at a winery just a few minutes from my parents’ home in New Jersey. Jim, the owner of the winery, was a little rough around the edges, but kind and willing to work around my schedule. I knew sheer desire wasn’t going to make my dream come true. I needed to know how to run a successful business, what would make it thrive and what could destroy it. So, after I graduated from high school, I applied for a student loan, enrolled in a local college and majored in business. Jim must have sensed that I considered my position at his winery as something more, that it wasn’t just a way for me to make some beer money, because he quickly took me under his wing. He began teaching me not only how to cultivate the land, but how to market a product that people kept coming back for.

  “At some point during the five years that I worked there, my relationship with Jim evolved from employee and employer to what I can only describe as a partnership. And I would have been happy with that. I didn’t need to be the sole owner or the person in charge. That wasn’t what drove me. But then Jim died suddenly from a heart attack and everything changed. To my shock, I learned that he hadn’t left his winery to his two sons who he’d had a falling out with for reasons still unknown, but he willed it to me. The land, the winery, everything was left to me, a twenty-two-year-old who had just graduated from college. Grateful, but scared as shit for being handed such a gift, I went straight to my dad and made him a proposal I hoped to hell he would accept. Because I needed him. I needed my dad more than ever. So, over coffee and a plate of my mom’s chocolate chip cookies, I asked my dad to be my partner. To help me run not only Jim’s winery, but to expand it and create something that Jim and I discussed but never got around to doing. Jim’s winery had been successful, but the facility was limited and designed only to produce a product, not captivate people or make them want to come and stroll the grounds. It never gave me the feeling I had encountered here at my aunt and uncle’s winery. But starting a winery from scratch couldn’t happen overnight. So my dad and I took over Jim’s winery, bringing in a healthy profit, and began executing our plans for the Lucrezia winery. And the rest, you know, is history.”

  “You own two wineries?” she asked, her eyes wide. He was surprised over how intrigued she seemed as she listened to him, as if hanging on his every word.

  “Technically, at one point I did. A few years ago, my dad and I merged the two and now it’s just known as Lucrezia. If you read the history of the winery on our website…well, I made it clear to anyone who wanted to know that the Lucrezia winery, which I named after my mom, wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Jim.”

  “Roman! They’re here! I told you I’d find them first. You lost!” Maura was jumping up and down, her voice a literal squeal.

  “And what did Roman lose?” Luke asked, shifting his attention to his cousin.

  “A bet. He now has to do my chores for a week!”

  Luke reluctantly let go of Peyton’s hand and walked over to Roman, who had come into view looking defeated. “Tough break, kid.” Roman stared at him and shrugged his slumped-over shoulders. “Need a lift back to the house?” Luke asked.

  Roman’s eyes lit up and he instantly stood taller. “Yeah!” Luke dropped to his knees and allowed the six-year-old to climb up. With a rejuvenated Roman happily perched on his shoulders, Luke looked back at Peyton. For a moment he thought his heart stopped. Maura’s tiny hand was tucked securely in Peyton’s as they walked toward them. His little cousin was looking up at Peyton in what could only be described as awe. Peyton smiled at her as they strolled hand in hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

  As they were making the trek back, he heard Maura tell Peyton, “I want to marry Luke when I grow up.”

  Peyton glanced over at him and smiled before she looked at Maura. “Is that so?”

  “Yeah, but Roman says I can’t. Because that would be gross.” Luke saw Peyton bite her lip through her smile. “Do you think Luke’s gross?”

  Luke drifted closer to listen to their conversation. “No, I think he’s very handsome, actually,” Peyton said.

  “It’s gross because Luke’s your cousin and he’s old,” Roman said. That boy was definitely Gianna’s son. Just like Gianna, he had no problem telling it like it was.

  Luke chuckled at the old comment but stopped when he saw the disappointment on Maura’s face. Luke grabbed Maura’s free hand and said, “One day you’ll meet someone even more handsome than me, someone nice and funny, someone who will listen to your stories and make you smile.”

  Maura didn’t respond but just looked at him thoughtfully, as if taking it all in. And then out of nowhere she asked a question that almost made him drop Roman.

  “Why aren’t you married, Luke?”

  Peyton’s neck practically snapped as she locked eyes with him. She too was interested in his answer, an answer he had but couldn’t share with a five-year-old girl. “Well, I’m waiting for the right woman,” he said. He never took his eyes off Peyton, who now appeared flushed.

  Again, Maura pondered his answer for a bit before she answered, “Peyton’s nice and really pretty. And she also makes you smile. Why don’t you marry her?”

  How did he allow himself to be cornered by a five-year-old? He needed to say something, but what? And then he did what he had been doing this entire trip. He told the truth.

  “Peyton is very pretty…beautiful inside and out. Her heart is kind and pure, just like yours, Maura.” Maura squeezed his hand and smiled. Peyton just stared at him, her eyes wide, as if she had lost the ability to speak. “But what I like the most is how she makes me smile and how happy I am whenever I’m with her.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Peyton

  As much as she hated to say goodbye to Luke’s family, to those two adorable children in particular, Peyton was thankful to be in Luke’s rental car and on their way back to Villa Rosa.

  Two days.

  That was what he had asked for. That was the amount of time he had requested to show her that he was the man for her. Initially, she had been skeptical as to whether it was possible for Luke to open up to someone. He had shut her out one too many times, which made her question his sincerity when he said that he had changed, that she had changed him. But after today, how could she doubt him? Although she still didn’t know exactly what had happened to him and his brothers before they were adopted, he was sharing bits and pieces of his past with her. Her heart told her that he would share the rest when he was ready. She just needed to be patient.

  “Is everything okay? You’ve been so quiet,” he said.

  The concern in his voice forced her to look at him. And that was when she knew. Although they only locked eyes briefly before he looked back at the road ahead, those two seconds was all it took. His piercing blue eyes had connected with her soul and she saw the man, the only man who could possibly understand and accept her, the man who could bring her tortured soul peace.

  She was in love with him.

  “Yes, it’s just been a long day,” she said, barely able to get the words out. The realization that she loved the man sitting just inches from her made her woozy and incapable of providing him with more of a response.

  Luke pulled into the Villa Rosa parking lot. “Well, we can stay in tonight if you like. I’m not sure if you noticed, but Aunt Angelina slipped me a gift basket before we left. Wine, cheeses, fruit, two types of bread. She even threw in two wine glasses and a bottle opener.” She heard him speak. Words registered. But her own thoughts and feelings bombarded her, not allowing her to give him a simple okay.

  I love him.

  So much that it felt like she was suffocating.

  What if he didn’t feel the same? She knew he cared about her, but love? Was he capable of it? What would he do if she told him just how deep her feelings went?

  Peyton didn’t waste any time and exited th
e car. She practically ran into the B&B, waved at Rosa as she passed her and entered their room. Luke must have thought that she had lost her mind since he basically had to sprint to keep up with her.

  “I…um, I need to use the bathroom,” she said, avoiding his gaze. She ducked into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Once inside, she took off her coat and hung it on the hook behind the door. Can’t breathe. Still too many clothes. She felt like she was burning up. The shoes and socks were next to go. Feeling slightly better, she walked over to the sink and splashed some water on her face.

  Is this what love feels like? Like you can’t get control of yourself, that your emotions are in such disarray that even regulating your body temperature is next to impossible? I have to know how he feels. I’m not strong enough to tell him first, to just put my heart out there, not knowing if he feels the same for me.

  Peyton turned the water off and stared at herself for a full minute.

  How does he feel?

  And then it hit her. Maybe she did know. Maybe he’d already told her, she just hadn’t understood at the time. Peyton withdrew her phone from her back pocket and found a translator website. She typed in the words that had made Gianna and Angelina gasp at the dinner table and pressed enter.

  Lei è la mia altra metà, la pace che cerco.

  It took less than two seconds for the Italian phrase to be translated into English. She dropped her phone into the sink and cried into her trembling hands.

  She is my other half, the peace I seek.

  ***

  Luke

  No matter how many times he replayed the afternoon and the car ride back to Villa Rosa over in his mind, Luke still couldn’t figure out what had made Peyton go from carefree and relaxed to distant, and from the way she’d escaped into the bathroom, more anxious than he had ever seen her. He thought he had made progress, that he was starting to make her believe that he could be everything she needed, that he was capable of opening up to her. But as the minutes ticked by, as he stared at the closed bathroom door, his hope dwindled.