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“Yeah?”
“I’m always going to want you to text and call me. I don’t care if it’s a million times a day.”
She smiled, wondering how he always knew the exact things to say to make her melt.
“Now that I have you in my arms again, it feels like the world is finally right.”
She felt the same way. She’d spent a lifetime feeling slightly out of step, unable to make the pieces of her puzzle fit together. Then she stepped under the mistletoe with Elio, and everything just slid into place.
“I can’t resist you,” he murmured, pressing his lips against hers, firmly, passionately, and this time, there was no pulling away.
At least not until she heard Liza’s voice right next to them. “What the hell are you doing?”
The two of them broke apart, and she could tell from Elio’s amused grin, he’d expected the interruption.
“It’s just like the mistletoe kiss but without the mistletoe.” Keeley grinned, stepping up behind Liza, one song ending as another began. It was a popular line dance, so the floor began to crowd up, everyone moving in unison.
“Mistletoe?” Liza repeated, confused, even as she hopped three times before sliding to the left. Obviously, Keeley had forgotten to fill their friend in on the holiday kiss. “What are you talking about?”
Gianna might have laughed at the four of them in a line, discussing the kiss while managing to keep time with every single one of the steps in “The Cupid Shuffle.”
“Gianna and Elio kissed under the mistletoe at the holiday party. And let me just say, it was a hot one. I don’t blame you for going back for seconds, girlfriend.” Keeley was, of course, under the mistaken impression that this was just their second kiss.
Liza, however, was too astute not to realize that things between them ran much deeper than that. But before she could call them out on it, they were absorbed into a throng of dancers, Gio and Rafe jumping in, guiding Keeley to a spot in front of them so they could follow her moves.
Liza laughed when Luca, who’d claimed a place next to her, slid left instead of right, bumping into her. “You’re messing me up,” she complained playfully.
The Morettis were no strangers to a good time, and they’d obviously hit that point in the night when everyone was ready to take things to another level when the next song started. They formed a big circle, everyone taking a turn in the middle, wowing the others with their wicked moves.
Gage and Penny took a long spin in the center of the circle as they all cheered them on. Gage, after much encouragement, dipped Penny, giving her a long, passionate kiss.
The deejay did a great job keeping everyone on the floor as the crowd “Uptown Funked” it, got “Footloose,” split up with guys on one side, women on the other for the standard, “You’re the One that I Want” duet.
Elio serenaded Gianna with “My Girl” as he old-school, sock-hop spun her around the floor. The women scream-sang “I Will Always Love You” so ear-piercingly that poor Whitney was most definitely spinning in her grave. By the time they’d finished grooving to “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” Gianna was ready for a break.
Elio went to the bar, grabbing a beer for himself and a glass of water for Gianna, before heading back to the table. She thanked him for the drink, taking a long swig before setting it on the table as the rest of their friends returned, fanning themselves and dropping exhaustedly back into their chairs.
Then Aldo, Kayden, and Luca drifted over from their table, shaking Elio’s hand and giving him shit for being so late.
Aldo teased his brother. “You know, I noticed you’ve adopted a Hollywood attitude since becoming a professional athlete, always needing to make a big, splashy entrance.”
“Asshole,” Elio muttered, then he took the opening his brother provided. “Guess I’m going to have to invest in a good watch, since I won’t be a professional athlete much longer.”
Gianna let her gaze scan the faces of everyone around the table, amused by how quiet they’d suddenly gotten. For a split second.
Then they all erupted at once.
“What are you talking about?” Liza asked, managing to make her question the loudest.
Elio tugged his sister’s hair playfully. “I hung up my skates. Let my contract lapse. I’m moving back to Philly at the end of the season. You up for one more brother shadowing your every move?”
Elio had claimed he wouldn’t do that, but like Aldo, he liked to poke the bear when it came to his siblings.
“Shit,” she groaned, though from the smile on her face, no one was buying the fact that she was upset. “You’re really quitting?”
“I’m really quitting,” he said.
Liza reached out, giving him a big hug. “I figured you’d hang in there at least five more years. Having you home…it’s going to be so awesome!”
