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)
His arms wrap around me instinctively, anchoring me in place. One of his hands rests low on my back, fingers splayed like he's trying to memorize the shape of me. The other is still curled around a wine glass, held slightly off to the side so we don't spill it on the rug.
God, this rug. Plush and overpriced.
Jeez.
I’m getting drunk.
I lean into his chest, letting my head rest against his shoulder. His heart beats steady and slow beneath my ear, and I think, this is the safest place in the world.
The grazing board sits within reach, and Luca bends forward to place a small cracker on my tongue, or more sugared pecans, hand-feeding me like I’m a pampered royal—which I’m not mad about…
I am a queen.
“You look so hot in my number,” he murmurs close to my ear, causing a shiver to reverberate down my spine.
His voice is so so good. Deep and good.
Yum.
“I almost had a stroke when Gio skated over and pointed to it—I didn’t want him to turn around and see that it was your number.”
Luca’s mouth moves into a thin line but then he quickly recovers. “Ha ha. I would have loved to see that.”
"And now that I’m here, it’s going to smell like you.”
“I could eat you up…”
I grin. Buzzed and happy and blissfully full of cheese. "You’re so horny."
"Very."
He sets his wine glass aside, freeing up his hand to rest on my thigh, just above the bend of my knee. His thumb starts to move in small circles, casual and possessive and completely unfair.
I feel like I'm floating. Not just from the wine, but from the quiet. The weight of his touch.
And somewhere in the middle of that floaty feeling, it hits me.
This is where I want to be.
Not just tonight. Not just on this rug or in his lap. But in general.
With him.
That realization doesn’t come with a crash or a panic. It’s not fireworks or a dramatic score. It’s just a slow, warm settling deep in my bones.
I want to be here.
I want to wake up tangled in his sheets and feed him sugared nuts and kiss his stupid perfect face whenever I want.
I want Luca.
The thought startles me a little, not because it’s scary, but because it’s true.
And once I let myself acknowledge it, it’s like everything else fades into the background. The sneaking around.
The guilt.
Gio.
The what-ifs.
They’re still there, but they’re quieter now.
He’s the softest, warmest, most unexpectedly gentle guy I’ve ever known and I might be completely, hopelessly, helplessly falling for him.
I rest my forehead against his collarbone and close my eyes. He smells like cedar, arms tightening around me a little, pulling me impossibly closer.
“Mmm.” Perfect.
His arms tighten a fraction more, like he wants to tuck me inside him. The wine buzz hums behind my eyes, softening everything except the sharp focus I have on this moment—his heartbeat beneath my cheek, the calloused pads of his fingers brushing my spine, the gentle heat that’s pooling low in my belly.
Then—without a word—he slides one arm beneath my knees and the other behind my shoulders.
I inhale a startled breath. “Luca—”
He stands smoothly, holding me like I weigh nothing.
“Time to move you somewhere softer,” he murmurs. “You’re gonna fall asleep.”
So?!
Let me!
“I was comfortable.”
“You’ll be more comfortable in my bed.”
Okay fine. Twist my arm.
He starts toward it, my arms instinctively looping around his neck. I can feel the strength in his chest, the heat of his body against mine. My breath catches for a different reason now.
The kind of reason that has nothing to do with sleep.
Yay!
My vagina is excited now, silently tingling.
He leans in, presses a soft kiss to the top of my head, and walks to the dresser. Pulls out a plain T-shirt—worn, oversized, soft enough to melt into.
“Want something to sleep in?” he asks.
It’s a generous offer.
Respectful.
Exactly what he thinks I need.
I shake my head. “Hell no.”
I want to be naked. I want him to be naked, too, but first thing first.
Tugging at the hem of the hoodie I struggle to lift it over my head—almost get stuck—before tossing it to the floor. Now I’m only in my leggings and push up bra doing my darndest to perch delicately and sexily on the bed.
“Come here,” I whisper, holding out my hands, beseeching.
Come hither.
Luca doesn’t pounce like I expect him to.
Nope.
In true, gentlemanly fashion, he kneels in front of me, fingers skimming along the waistband of my leggings, not even bothering to try and peel them off. Not yet. No, he makes me wait, pressing a kiss to my sternum above the lace of my bra.
“Delicious,” he murmurs, causing my chest to tighten. “I like taking my time with pretty things.”
My hands move instinctively, threading through his hair, urging him closer, but he only chuckles softly against my stomach. A rumble I feel more than hear. He leans into the touch with a quiet sigh, then trails another kiss lower, over my ribs, my stomach, every inch of exposed skin.