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Bam.There it is, the telltale building shake when someone has come in.A second later, there’s a knock on my door. Damn, did he fly up the stairs? “One second!” I call.He needs to wait a second, I think as I run to my room and grab my oversized hoodie hanging on the back of my door. Pulling it over my head, I feel my bun slip out of place and quickly throw it back up, not caring how it looks.
I jog back to the door and pause for a moment to catch my breath before swinging the door open. His large, tall frame fills the entire doorway, and my insides clench. I watch as his eyes dropdownmy frame, and that cocky smile of his grows wider as he drags his gaze back up to my face. I wantto slapand kiss him all at the same time.
“Gonna invite me in, boss lady?”
Here we go.
“I thought I already did. But if you call me that nickname one more time, I’m going to take your invite back.” I wave him inside while giving him my besteye roll. He chuckles as he walks past me, his delicious spicy scent tickling my nose. My eye roll doesn’t faze him. I’mstarting to thinkhe loves the sassy attitude.
Good. There’s plenty more where that came from. Andfor some reason,it comes out full force when he’s around.
“Okay, okay, I won’t call you that. Relax.” He strolls into the living room, looking around as he goes.
I close the door and follow him inside, plopping back down on the very spot I got up from. “Sit, make yourself comfortable. There’s coffee in the kitchen too, help yourself.”
“Wow, love the hospitality.” Luca smirks as he sits down across from me on the smaller of my two couches.
“It’s one of my specialties.” I return the smirk, mockinghis.
He chuckles as he rubs his fingers through his well-keptbeard, and I can’t help but think of those same fingers touching my skin, leaving invisible marks I’ll never forget. I squeeze my legs togetherin a weak attemptto stop the ache and wish he would stop looking at me like that. I’ll be jumping his bones in no time.
I fidget and pull at the strings of my hoodie, desperately trying to hide my arousal but failing miserably. He must sense it because he looks like the cat that just got the mouse, a satisfied look on his face.
Ugh! Can he be any more full of himself?
I need him out of here before I make somevery baddecisions.
But wait. Isn’t that my plan?
Seduce him into behaving? But how will I know he’ll behave? And right before the weekend? He probably has a million plans already.
Think, Nev. Quick.
“I’m sure you’d love to spend your morning with me, but I’ll get to the point of why I’m here. I wanted tosayI’m sorry. You know, for the pictures and headlines. All that bullshit.”
I blink, thinking I must’ve misheard him. Did this cocky ass just apologize to me? Am I hearing things? “Sorry? You’re saying sorry to me?” I ask, unable to hide the shock in my voice.
“What, did you not think a guy could apologize or something? Wedoknow the word.”
I arch a brow while swallowing back a laugh. Since when do guys apologize?Well,maybe some. My dad and brother will, but they are different. Did I ever expect Luca to apologize? Hell no. “Well, thank you, I appreciate the apology.”
“And just for the record, I didn’t sleep with those girls. I called them a cab and was waiting with them when I saw a couple of bozos across the street snapping pics. They love to fuck up my shit.”
“Do you ever think maybe it’s your reputation? And that they’ll jump at every chance they get for a story of you?”
“Of course I know it’s my fucking bullshit of a reputation.”
“If you know, then why don’t you keep yourself out of the limelight?”
Luca leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, his head falling into his hands. He tugs at the longer pieces of hair sitting on the top, avoiding eye contact. I can’t take my eyes off him, every second feeling like a million.All of thesefeelings are fucking maddening.
“Because, fuck them. Let them believe what they want. It’s all rumors and made-up stories to feed people the sick gossip they crave. I’m not going tostop living my life.”
“You don’t have to stop living your life. Just do it more privately.”
“Privately, hm?” His eyes darken as he drags them up my body. “I can think of a few things I’d like to do privately.”
The air hums to life between us. Like magnetic sparks pulling us toward each other, both of us helpless to its force.
