I don't remember putting the rest of the groceries away. But, somehow, when I returned to my senses, I was standing alone in the kitchen with empty grocery bags in my hands and the power had come back on.I don't remember what else Luca had said to me before he walked away. I just remember watching his lips as they moved and recalling the way they felt pressed against mine.Even after the several minutes it had been since he'd left the kitchen, the taste of Luca's mouth lingered on my tongue, leaving me longing for more.I found myself reminiscing about the feeling of his hands on my face, wishing he hadn't pulled away from me. The racing thoughts added weight behind the pull I felt towards Luca.The imaginary rope I felt tethered to earlier that day had just become shorter and now tugged me backward, forcing me into a test of strength and self-control. I wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms and let him kiss me for the entire rest of my existence.I knew that it was nothing
I woke at the break of dawn the next morning feeling more rested than I'd felt in a long time. Getting out of bed quietly so as not to wake Luca, who was stillsleeping soundly on the floor, I left the bedroom and went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.I sat out on the back deck drinking it, watching the purple sky slowly fade to pink and then orange. I tried not to spend those solitary, peaceful moments thinking solely of Luca.But I failed.He was all I could think of.His perfect tan skin.Obsidian-black hair that curled just so.Gorgeous green eyes that almost glowed in their intensity. Supple pink lips that were always plastered in a sexy half-smile. Not to mention a body that would have inspired Bernini himself.And that damned pet name.Every time the word 'amore' slipped off his tongue I felt a year added to my life. I only snapped out of my perverse thoughts when I absentmindedly took a sip from my mug and singed my tongue on the tea that was still too hot to drink.In t
"Luca?"I stepped into the garage through the open door to see the back of his shoulders and head as he removed the canvas top from his Jeep."I'm over here, amore," he said.Luca kept his attention on the straps he was pulling off the interior crossbar as I walked over to where he stood."I figured we could take the Jeep," he said."It's supposed to be done raining for a few days so why not take your top off."My eyebrows furrowed.Luca stopped what he was doing and laughed at himself."I meant to say why not take the top off" he said, gesturing to the Jeep as he shook his head."Mhm."I walked over to the car parked beside the Jeep that was still under a dust cover. I couldn't help but try and deduce what kind of sports car it was by studying the curves and angles that were hugged by the canvas."What's this?" I asked.Luca put a hand up on the side of the Jeep and propped himself against it."Used to be my favorite thing in the world," he answered."Used to be?""It's my second fav
I stared at the half-finished canvas in front of me; trying-as I had been for the past two hours-to gather the motivation to paint. I had nothing else to do and Luca had disappeared into his office above the garage.I fought the urge to slap the paint on my brush in a large 'X' across the canvas and trash it. All I had done for the past few hours had been stare at the imperfections and flaws that I saw and it infuriated me.Would I be able to finish the painting in a month? If I was, who knew if I would even see my parents on their anniversary...When would I give them the painting?I couldn't imagine just mailing them something that had taken me months to finish. All of my work up to that point felt useless. Taking a deep breath, I stood up from the floor and stretched my legs out.As I was walking downstairs to make myself a late lunch, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see Mady's name and photo flashing across the screen.I eagerly answered the call."Bitch, you are
After finally making some progress on the canvas, I was robbed of my lighting by the setting sun. I went downstairs and stepped out onto the back deck to get some fresh air. As soon as I walked out, the lights in the pool came on, turning the water bright blue.I heard a gate open and shut and looked over to see Bates running full speed at the pool, taking his shirt off and throwing it on the concrete."Cannonball!" He screamed before leaping into the air and the crashing down into the pool, soaking everything within a fifteen foot radius.As he surfaced, we made eye contact."Are you six?" I asked him, laughing."Come down here and ask me to my face," he said threateningly."Dude, I was trying ask you what kind of pizza you wanted!"Blaine shouted, walking through the gate that Bates had just dashed through.Luca followed him, noticing me standing on the deck."I've already told you!" Bates yelled."I want cheese with extra cheese!""Six-year-old status confirmed," I said, earning a
The rest of the night passed without allowing for any more time to think.The boys plowed through the pizza and went downstairs to the basement to watch a hockey game while I stayed upstairs and took a bath.Luca came upstairs later that night after Bates and Blaine had left to find me sitting in the bed with my notepad resting on my knees as I doodled.He leaned over to look at the sheet of paper, seeing the dogwood flowers I had sketched out and begun shading."That's really good," he said.I couldn't help but blush."Thank you."He backed away and walked into the bathroom, staying in there for a few minutes to shower and get ready for bed. I was pestered the whole time he was in there by a nagging guilt in the back of my head.When he came out of the bathroom, dressed again in only boxer briefs, I felt like I was experiencing déjà vu.He grabbed the blanket that was thrown over the back of the chair beside the bed and tossed it to the ground.As he reached over to grab a pillow, I
I woke up the next morning cuddling one of the pillows that separated Luca and I, the other pillow having disappeared under the sheets.When my eyes opened to see him lying next to me, I couldn't help but stare for a few moments. Hands and arms tucked under his pillow, Luca laid on his stomach with his head turned towards me. His olive skin was a stark contrast against the pure white color of the sheets and his dark hair stood out even more so.Luca's facial hair had grown out a bit since I'd met him a few days prior. It added to his masculine aura and I decided that I liked it.After laying there for a few moments, knowing I wouldn't fall back asleep, I sat up in the bed slowly before getting up to walk quietly across the bedroom floor. It was still early in the morning, the room cast with blue hues of the twilight.I closed the door behind me softly and walked into the kitchen to make tea.Barely catching the kettle before it began to whistle, I had nearly dozed off standing at the
I was regretting my decision to meet with Fallon as soon as I stepped outside in my gym shorts. Chill bumps immediately covered my body and I held my arms close to my chest as I walked towards the driveway.Deciding that I needed to warm up, I walked past the truck and the Jeep and continued my brisk stroll up the driveway towards the gate. The gate opened as it sensed me walking towards it, closing behind me as I stood in the street.Lifting my left arm, I tapped against my watch to start recording a run and began to jog down the road.As my feet hit the ground with each step, I was reminded how badly I needed new running shoes. A shin splint was sure to arrive the next day.Breathing in the cold morning air made my lungs squeeze in my chest and I found it more difficult to get air out and in. By the time I reached the bottom of the hill, I found myself hunched over and panting like I'd already run a marathon.I looked at my watch.0.63 miles.Kill me now.I was at least two more mil