Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 102607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Luca: Good. I’m gonna take very good care of her. Just me. Sweaty. Shirtless. Already picturing your thighs around my head.
Nova: Dang. Pulling into your community—I didn’t realize you lived in an actual house. I thought I’d be going to an apartment.
Luca: Nope, I have a house. Better investment…
Nova: Why did I assume you did?
Luca: Don’t know.
Nova: Okay. Well I’m here.
Luca: Beat you here. See you in 2.
20
luca
I’ve been pacing for the past five minutes.
Back and forth between the living room and the front door, heart racing like I’m about to take a penalty shot in overtime. My shirt’s clinging to my back, still a little damp from the fastest shower of my life, the knot of post-game energy hasn’t unraveled yet.
Not even close.
Nugget watches me from the couch as her footsteps hit the front step.
My hand is already on the knob.
I swing the door open before Nova’s finger presses the doorbell.
Hair messy from the wind, her lips part in surprise at the sight of me, wide and glittering as if she didn’t expect me to look quite so unhinged when I opened the door.
“Were you watching out the window for me?”
Close. “Pretty much.”
Her eyes flick over me—barefoot, freshly showered, clearly vibrating with leftover adrenaline—grinning as her eyes sweep over my coc—
WHUMP.
The fucking dog launches himself off the couch like a furry cannonball, tail going full helicopter. Nugget skids across the hardwood floor, claws scrambling for traction as he barrels toward the new visitor like he’s been waiting his whole life for Nova to arrive.
She gasps and bursts out laughing just as the furball collides with her knees.
“Whoa!” Her voice goes full-on baby mode. “Who’s a handsome boy! Are you a handsome boy?”
“Uh. He’s excited.” I step back as Nugget folds himself into her legs, tongue out, whining dramatically so she won’t take her eyes off him.
Damn dog.
He’s a bigger attention whore than I am.
“Excited?” she says, crouching so she can kiss him on the face. “This dog is acting like I’m his soulmate.”
I frown, cause she hasn’t kissed me yet. “You might be.”
Nova scratches behind his ears and Nugget melts, eyes sliding closed as her nails relieve his itch. In slow motion the dog lets his entire body melt into the ground like a pool of caramel, back legs out, belly exposed—total submission.
“You’re embarrassing yourself,” I tell him, enviously.
Nova grins without looking up. “Awww, but he’s such a good, handsome boy…!”
Nugget thumps his tail in agreement, sprawled out like he owns the place. Honestly? He kind of does.
“Come on, dude,” I groan. “You’ve known her five minutes and you ditch me?” I snap my fingers. “Just like that, huh?”
Nova finally stands, brushing golden fur off her legs with a laugh. “Five minutes with Nugget and I feel spiritually healed.”
“Didn’t realize I had competition.”
She scoffs. “You didn’t until you opened the door.”
She walks past me, smirking, and Nugget leaps up, trotting after her like a furry bodyguard.
“Come on in,” I grumble.
I watch them move through the living room, like they’ve already claimed it together. She glances over her shoulder and catches me staring.
“So, this is your place, yeah?” she asks, smile crooked.
“It is.” I gesture toward the kitchen, motioning for her to follow me so I can offer her something to drink and make us a snack.
“How long have you lived here?”
“Since my rookie year. Bought it with my first check.”
She whistles low, eyes roaming over the open-concept kitchen, the tall ceilings, and the wall of windows facing out to the back deck. It wraps around the entire backyard, stretching beyond that.
It’s mostly dark, but if you look hard enough, you’ll be able to make out the glimmer of the pool hiding behind the privacy fence. Her eyes drift upward, taking in the high vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, then to the sunken living room a few steps down—oversized couch, leather chairs, soft lighting. Three random snuggle blankets that weren’t picked out by a designer and see regular use.
It’s comfortable.
A total bachelor pad.
“It’s beautiful, Luca.”
“Thanks.” I rub the back of my neck, hyper-aware of every pair of dirty underwear that might be on my bathroom floor because I wasn’t expecting company—or the water glasses I leave on my nightstand. “Don’t tell my mom, but I burn non-soy candles a lot.”
Nova laughs, sliding onto a counter stool as I open the fridge and start pulling things out. “This feels so domestic.”
The dog whines.
“I could get used to this.” Her sigh is content. “You making me snacks, the dog worshiping me…”
“Yeah?” I throw her a look as I start tearing open a pack of prosciutto. “How used to it are we talking?”
She leans against the counter and tilts her head, mock thinking. “Depends.”
“On?”
“How good the snacks are.”
I snort. “So shallow.”
“You knew this about me when you let me in.”
“Fair.”
I stack cheese, fruit, roasted nuts—and whatever I can find that doesn’t require cooking, onto the board. She watches with open amusement.