“Elise! Elise!” Luca called my name, squeezing my hand.
“What?” I growled. The last thing I enjoyed was having my daydreams interrupted. Especially when they were as good as this one.
“You’re dripping ice cream…”
Glancing down at my shirt, I saw the thick white lines of ice cream dripped across my boobs. I was a damn mess. “Shit!”
“Someone was off with the fairies,” Bryce taunted as I tried to mop up the mess with a pile of napkins.
“Give her a break, Bryce. Elise didn’t get much sleep last night,” Luca defended me.
“I’m sure she didn’t.” Bryce chuckled, winking at me.
“That’s enough, Bryce.” Luca’s tone was full of warning and left no room for misinterpretation.
“I’m fine. Just thinking,” I added, trying to put a stop to their testosterone show.
“You sure?” Luca whispered.
“Absolutely.”
“Love you,” he said so easily it sounded like something he let slip every day for the past ten years before grabbing my hand and kissing the inside of my wrist, sending a shiver down my spine as my heart melted just like the ice cream covering my shirt.
Chapter Twenty-Nine – Luca
I’d been at Mum’s place for twenty minutes, and I was already regretting not being able to convince Elise to join me. I mean, I understood that after an impromptu trip to Melbourne and missing a day at work she had shit to do, but I wanted her here. She was part of the family now, at least in my eyes. She should have to be subjected to family dinner.
Haven’t you had that baby yet, Ari?” I teased, earning me a playful slap from Mum and a smug smirk from Ari’s husband Josh. “If you don’t stop being an arse, I’m going to have my baby on the backseat of your car,” she threatened.
“Children!” Mum chided, flicking the tea towel at me.
“Sorry, Mum,” we both grumbled in unison.
“Where’s Elise?” Izzy asked, joining me at the kitchen bench.
“Home. She had shit to do so couldn’t make it,” I explained.
“So you invited her then?” Izzy confirmed.
“Yeah?”
“Ari, you owe me fifty bucks.”
“Wait! What?”
“Ari and I had a bet that Elise would be at family dinner sooner or later.”
I should’ve been shocked, but nothing these two did surprised me anymore.
“I thought you’d last another month before letting her near us.” Ari shrugged, snapping off a piece of carrot and popping it in her mouth.
“Why wait? When you know, you know.” I shrugged, catching all the women in my life off guard so much Mum dropped the tomato she’d been washing.
“And…and you know?” Mum asked curiously.
The silence that fell across the room was almost comical. They were all staring at me like I’d grown a second head. Deciding they’d already had their fun taunting me, meant I was about to make payback my bitch.
“We’ll see,” I offered with a wink before sliding off the stool, grabbing a beer from the fridge, and heading out onto the deck where Dad was manning the grill, leaving the women to untangle that one.
It was bloody freezing outside. The wind was whipping about and the heavy, dark clouds were rolling in. It didn’t seem to faze my nephews, who were tearing about the backyard like they’d spent the day downing red slushies.
Josh and Nathan were leaning against the railing, watching the mayhem while they nursed their beers and talked shit. When Jake went down, his cousins on his back, I expected them to be on their feet and heading in that direction instantly. Instead, they leant forward in their seats slightly but stayed still.
“Aren’t you supposed to be over there wrapping him in cotton wool?” I teased.
“Damn it, Luca! You scared the crap out of me,” Nathan complained as he stood up to shake my hand.
“They’re fine. We need to let them get a little bloodied and bruised while their helicopter mothers are distracted,” Josh confirmed as a defence.
All I could do was chuckle. He wasn’t wrong. I was just surprised he had the balls to do it. Ever since my sisters had brought them home, it’d been obvious they weren’t wearing the pants in the relationship. Izzy and Ari both had too big of a personality to take a back seat. But the men they’d chosen seemed to accept it without complaint. Thank God. And when I’d dished out the obligatory brotherly chat, the one that went, you hurt her, I hurt you, I thought they were going to piss themselves. Turns out though, my sisters had made the right choice. Their husbands doted on them and they were great dads.
“If she asks, I know nothing,” I told them. There was no way I was going down with them.
“Speaking of knowing nothing, have a nice time in Melbourne?” Josh asked with a grin plastered across his pale face.
“It was fine. Why?”
“How was your fancy party?” Josh added.
Both were acting weird as hell. “Same as always. Fancy finger food, a lot of golf talk, compulsory monkey suits and too much booze.” I shrugged.
“And the women?” Josh wriggled his eyebrows.
“Yeah they were there too. The wives seem to get grabby hands after they’ve had a couple of glasses of red.” I shrugged, remembering the silver-haired lady who’d pinched my arse every time she passed by. And by every time, I mean I think she deliberately headed in our direction on her way to the bar every fifteen minutes.
“And how ‘bout you? Did you happen to get handsy after a couple of glasses of red?” Nathan asked, smirking.
“Okay. What the hell are you two on about?” The sooner they got to the point the better.
“Should we tell him?”
“If he kicks your arse, Josh, I’m not pulling him off,” a voice came from behind me.
Spinning around, I found Hunter standing in the doorway, a bottle of water in his hand and Sienna tucked under his arm.
Glaring at Josh, I waited. He didn’t flinch.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Sienna huffed before digging her phone from her pocket.
“Daddy! Mummy said a bad word,” Princess Phoebe dobbed, stepping out onto the deck and looking up at Hunter.
Over her head, I saw Sienna roll her eyes. I doubted this was the first time she’d been caught saying something she shouldn’t in front of her very nosy three-year-old who mimicked everything she said.
Dropping to his knees, Hunter said, “I know, sweetheart. How about Daddy punishes Mummy later?”
“Okay,” she agreed happily before bouncing down the steps and heading out onto the grass where her cousins were wrestling.
“I don’t even want to know,” I said, pointing at a grinning Hunter as he moved behind Sienna and draped his arms over her shoulder.
“Sure you do.” Sienna winked at me before handing over her phone.
“Shit!”
“What?”
“I didn’t think…”
“If it makes you feel better, I don’t think Elise was thinking much either.” Sienna shrugged.
I know what she was trying to do. She was trying to make it okay, but there was nothing she could do to make this okay. The photo wasn’t exactly pornographic but it’s definitely not something I’d want to see splashed across the papers of my daughter doing, even if she did look completely breathtaking.
Elise’s leg was hitched up around my hip and I was holding onto her. Her head was thrown back while I kissed her neck. Her eyes were closed and her cheeks flushed. There was no doubt where the moment was headed, but at least everything that need to be covered, was.
“Good night?” Hunter chipped in.
With a smile and shrug, I answered honestly. “Best night.” There was no point lying to him. To any of them. If I could be honest with anyone, it was the people here right now.
“Elise looked stunning,” Dad added.
“You saw?”
“Of course I did,” he scoffed.
“You don’t even
have a phone that gets pictures. How did you even…”
“Come on, Luca. For a smart boy, you can be a complete dumbarse sometimes. Your mother showed me first thing Monday morning. And when I say first thing, I mean I was woken when she screeched after seeing you in the headlines of her favourite gossip site.”
“Mum has a favourite gossip site?” Sienna asked.
“Oh yeah. You don’t even want to know what I know about those bloody Kardashians.”
“That’s seriously funny.”
“Yeah, fucking hilarious. But you two,” Dad pointed between Sienna and me, “may want to keep that in mind.”
“What’d I do?” Sienna squeaked.
“I’m still trying to forget…” Dad grumbled, waving his tongs in the air before turning his attention back to the barbeque.
Hunter leant down and whispered something in Sienna’s ear which put stars in her eyes and made her cheeks turn pink. I have no doubt whatever it was that Dad read, I did not want to know.
“Sienna!” Dad’s voice boomed, shocking her out of the trance Hunter had her under.
“Yeah, Dad?”
“Can you go and tell your mother dinner’s almost ready?”
“Sure.”
“Nathan! Josh!”
I turned to watch them scramble out of their seats, and both were on their feet and standing in front of Dad waiting for their marching orders. It was damn hilarious. They’d been part of the family for years but they were still intimidated by the old man.
“Round up those terrors and get them washed up for dinner.”
“No worries, Angelo,” Nathan replied, already heading down the steps and out on to the grass with Josh barely a step behind him.
I waited until they were out of earshot before I turned back to Dad. “You enjoy that way too much,” I scolded him.
With a wicked smile on his face, he waved a hand in the air. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Yeah, no. I was calling bullshit on that. He knew exactly what he was doing and he loved every single second of it.
A moment later, a stampede was stomping up the stairs. Holding my hand up, I got high fives from my nephews as they were herded inside. When Phoebe followed along like a lost puppy, I swept her off her feet and hugged her close.
“Uncle Luca!” she whined, wiggling in my arms.
“You forgot to say hello, Princess Phoebe.”
With a dramatic eye roll she inherited from her mother, she burrowed her head against my shoulder and squeezed me tight. There was a reason this little munchkin owned my heart, and it was this moment right now. She gave the best hugs.
“That’s a great hug,” I told her.
“I’m nearly three,” she reminded me.
As much as I loved Phoebe, she had the attention span of a goldfish. One minute she was talking about a book she read, the next she was asking for a donut.
“I know. And I heard you’re having a unicorn birthday party.”
“I am!”
Behind her, Hunter was just smiling like the proud father he was. And he should be. Phoebe was awesome. Although she mightn’t have been planned, Hunter and Sienna were nailing this parenting thing.
“Oh silly me,! I must’ve forgotten.”
“You’re silly, Uncle Luca!”
“Phoebe! Are you coming inside for dinner?” Sienna asked from the door, making Phoebe wriggle even more.
Setting her down, I watched as she scampered across the deck to where Sienna was waiting before they disappeared inside leaving Hunter and I standing there in the now silence. Dropping into one of the chairs, I watched as Dad flipped burgers. There was no point offering to help. I’d learnt a long time ago not to bother trying to get between Dad and the grill. It was his domain and no one was ever getting close.
Propping my feet up on the railing, I leant back and drained the rest of my beer. Even though I could use another, I knew it wasn’t a good idea. I had training tomorrow, then back-to-back appointments.
“So, this weekend’s the big one?”
“Huh?”
Hunter had settled into the seat beside me and was peeling the label from his water bottle. “Your last game’s this weekend, isn’t it?”
Even though Hunter’s question was innocent enough, it made my heart hurt. Retiring had been my decision, one I hadn’t regretted for a second, but the closer it got the more nervous I got. I was almost as anxious as I had been getting ready to play my first game all those years ago.
With the words caught in my throat, I coughed.
“Sorry I can’t be there,” Hunter apologised genuinely.
“Isn’t your game at the same time?” I asked. Hunter was one of the best ruckmen in the AFL. The last thing I’d ever ask him to do was miss a game for me.
“Yeah, we start at one so I doubt I’d make it in time. But Sienna and Phoebe will be there.”
“Don’t they normally go to your games?”
“Yeah but this is your last game. It’s special. They want to be there for you.”
“And you’re okay with that?” I don’t know if I would’ve been. I’d like to think so, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Absolutely. Sienna wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Okay.”
“You ready for it?”
“Am I ready for the game?” I confirmed. Playing was easy. I’d done it so many times, pulling on my uniform and cleats was as natural as breathing for me. It was all the other stuff that was making this one different.
“Retirement?” Hunter confirmed.
“I guess so,” I lied. I hadn’t told anyone how much I was freaking out right now, but I had a sinking feeling come Monday, it would be even harder.
“Everyone will be there for you. I’m sure it’ll be a great afternoon.”
“Geez, Hunter. You make it sound like a death sentence,” I told him, trying to lighten the mood.
“Isn’t it?”
Chapter Thirty – Elise
I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I could hardly believe this was my idea. I must’ve been high or drunk or delirious or something. I was blaming Luca. It was all his fault. Thanks to him and his stupid talented tongue and fabulous fingers, he’d scrambled my brain. Now I was twenty minutes away from the two most important people in my world showing up on my doorstep for a dinner I hadn’t even started to cook. Or order. Let’s face it, there was no way I was ever going to pretend to cook.
I’d changed the sheets and stuffed the mountain of dirty laundry into the hamper. I was wiping down the bathroom counters while my mind was whirling. Since he’d dropped me home on Monday afternoon, I hadn’t had another chance to see Luca. Life had been getting in the way, and if I was being honest, it was really starting to piss me off. Talking to him on the phone and exchanging texts wasn’t nearly enough. I wanted more. I needed more.
“I think it’s clean, don’t you?”
Spinning around, my foot caught on the bathmat, and I skidded across the floor before falling back against the bathtub. Reaching out, I tried to break my fall but managed to smash my elbow on the corner of the tub. It instantly throbbed like a motherfucker.
“Ow,” I cried, cradling my hurt arm as tears filled my eyes.
“Shit, Elise. Are you okay?” Jax asked as he moved towards me.
“No. It really hurts,” I whimpered pathetically.
If you’ve ever hit your funny bone, you know just how painful it is. It rattled every bone in my arm, and moving it was so painful I had to use my other hand to see if everything was where it should be.
“Come on, sweetie. Let’s get you up off the floor.” Carefully, Jax helped me up and led me through the apartment before depositing me on the couch. When I went to stand, he nudged me until I fell backwards and into the cushions. “Let me up. I’ve got shit to do. And you’re early. Why are you early anyway? You’re never early.”
“I’m always early,” he countered, and I just rolled my eyes. “
Fine, I’m occasionally early. Now, what do you need to do that’s so important?”
“Are you freaking kidding me? I need to finish cleaning up and get changed. I have to order dinner…”
“I bought dinner,” Luca announced, breezing through the door.
Of course he did. And of course, he too was early. Why couldn’t they respect start times? There was still ten minutes before either of them were supposed to be here.
“How’d you even get in?” I asked, my eyes darting between them.
“The door was unlocked?” Luca offered.
“I used my key.”
“Of course you did.”
“Oh, stop being a drama queen. How’s your arm?” Jax asked.
Even though it was still aching, there was no point admitting it. They’d both just start fussing and then I’d have a headache to go with the pain in the arses they’d both turned into.
“Fine.”
“Arm? What’s happened to your arm?” Luca was dumping the bags on the table before coming towards me.
“Nothing. Jax is just being a pain in the arse. What’d you get for dinner?” I diverted. Luca didn’t look convinced, but he let it go.
When I went to lift my arse off the sofa, I whimpered, and Luca was at my side. He wrapped his arms around my waist, bending down and kissing me softly.
“Hey, pretty girl.”
My knees went weak at his words. “Hey yourself,” I replied as I snuggled against him.
“Are you two joining me for dinner or are you going to spend all night canoodling? ?” Jax asked, sounding exasperated.
“Is that an option?” I teased, watching Jax wrinkle his nose as he unpacked the bags.
Just when I thought Luca couldn’t get any more perfect, I saw how much Chinese he’d brought over. Guess dinner tomorrow night was sorted too.
“Come on. Let’s eat while it’s hot.”
Staring at Luca, I couldn’t help but lick my lips. And it wasn’t the smell of orange chicken that was making me ravenous either. Luca was standing in front of me looking like dessert. His hair was still damp and dripping on the collar of his tight white t-shirt. But it was the grey sweatpants hanging dangerously low on his hips that had me wondering if he was wearing boxers or briefs underneath. Or maybe, if I was really lucky, the only thing under the thin grey material was his magical pogo stick I couldn’t wait to ride.
Overtime (Playing The Field Book 1) Page 19