“He’s cool, I promise. And since he’s my boss, you’re gonna be respectful, right?” I narrow my gaze.
“Yeah, yeah,” Charlie huffs, then turns on his feet to leave my room. “Aunt Juni and I are gonna order pizza now.”
“No movie till you’ve emptied the dishwasher,” I call after him before glancing back in the mirror to make sure my lipstick isn’t on my teeth. Satisfied I look as good as I’m gonna get, I make my way to the living room where Juniper and Charlie are fiercely debating pizza toppings.
“Just get half and half,” I say, right as there’s a knock at the door. Like gophers popping out of their holes, my son’s and my best friend’s heads both pop up and swivel to look at the door. “Be. Cool,” I hiss at both of them. Juniper smirks, and Charlie rolls his eyes. These two will be the death of me.
I smooth my hands down my sides and take a deep breath before opening the front door.
“Wow.”
Luca’s voice rumbles that one word, and I struggle not to melt into a puddle at the obvious admiration. To say nothing of how freaking gorgeous he looks.
“I knew that dress would be stunning on you.”
I blush furiously. “Thank you again for it. Please, come in. I just need to grab my purse.” I step back and gesture him inside, hoping my reaction to him isn’t tooobvious. “This is my son Charlie, and my best friend Juniper.”
Luca gives them both a warm smile. “Nice to meet you both. Juniper, have we met?” His brow creases slightly. “You’re quite familiar.”
“I’m good friends with Cal Prescott,” she explains, and he nods in understanding before turning to Charlie.
“How are you liking Cedar Creek?” he asks, perfectly polite, and I pray my son responds in-kind. Being protective of me is one thing, but being a jerk to my boss is another, and these days, preteen hormones are making Charlie anything but predictable.
Thankfully, he just shrugs. “It’s cool, I guess.” He stands up and looks my way. “Mom, can I have a pop before dinner?”
I nod, and he walks into the kitchen. I know what he’s doing. He’s purposefully walking past Luca in a way that his right arm is on full display and there’s no chance of Luca not seeing it. He wants to see how my boss responds to his limb difference and to be honest, so do I.
Luca’s eyes widen, which, fine, I can understand. It’s not every day you see a kid missing part of his arm. But it’s the way his one hand goes to the front of his left thigh that surprises me. He grips it tightly, for a second or two, before pulling his hand away and clenching it into a fist.
I can’t wonder what that’s all about right now, though, so I guess I’ll just be thankful he’s not horrified or asking stupid questions.
“Right, well, we should go.” I give Juni’s shoulder a squeeze as I walk by and call into the kitchen whereCharlie’s rummaging in the fridge. “Good night, kid. Be good, love you.”
“Night Mom, love you,” is the muffled reply I get in return as I shrug into my wool coat and grab my purse.
“Have fun,” Juni says with an enigmatic smirk. “Don’t worry about rushing home, I’ll stay as late as needed.”
God, could she be more obvious? My cheeks flame, and I pointedly don’t look in Luca’s direction.
We’re both quiet as we walk out the door to a waiting limo with a driver standing by the back door.
“I thought you were driving?” I say, coming to a stop.
His hand lands on my back. “This way, I can give you my full attention all evening.”
My heart races even faster. He’s treating this as more of a date and less of a business outing between two coworkers. Which is both thrilling and slightly terrifying.
I smile at the driver who’s holding the door open, then carefully slide inside the dark interior. My gaze drinks in Luca greedily as he says something to the driver, then carefully steps in himself, sliding into the seat next to me.
He’s 007 perfection in a crisp black suit and tie. His hair is artfully styled in that sort of messy way that looks completely intentional, and he’s trimmed his scruff neatly. The threads of silver at his temples make him look dignified and far too sexy. Forget James Bond, he looks like a younger Patrick Dempsey, only somehow hotter.
It’s funny, I’m normally drawn to a more rugged look. Jeans, T-shirts, plaid, that sort of thing. But beingaround Luca at work has me appreciating slacks and collared shirts in a new way. And this? Luca in a suit?
Hot enough to cause spontaneous combustion. Which makes me wonder if I should have slid an extra pair of panties in my tiny clutch somehow, because the ones I’m wearing feel damp already.
The way I react to this man should be illegal.
The limo pulls away slowly, and I look out the window for a minute before Luca speaks, drawing my attention his way.
