“Yes,” I say. “I want that too.” Then, I kiss Luca, sealing my intentions.
I want a real relationship with him, a meaningful commitment, with all the messy emotions and hard truths it demands. With Luca, I want everything.
After a delicious dinner, I stifle a yawn and stretch my arms overhead. “That pasta was out of this world.”
“I’ll pass your compliments to the chef. He makes it fresh every morning.”
I shake my head. “Of course he does.”
Luca’s quiet for a beat, staring at me. And then, “You want to go somewhere with me?”
I tilt my head. “Now?”
He nods.
A sense of adventure sparks to life within me. While Ale and Andrés relentlessly tease Luca for being the dad of the group, he’s not as severe and strait-laced as they make him out to be. “Okay.”
He extends a hand to me. “Okay.”
I stand from my seat.
“I’ll clean this up. You need a warmer sweater or a coat,” he says, pointing at my thin knit.
“I have a leather jacket.”
His grin widens. “That’s perfect.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
Shaking my head, I leave him in the kitchen, a beautiful, open-concept design with similar tiles to the ones in the Italian restaurant I liked in Valencia, and hurry to my room for a jacket and ankle boots.
When I return to the foyer, Luca’s waiting for me by the front door, a helmet in each hand.
I falter. “What are we doing?”
He laughs and passes me a helmet. “Trust me?”
“You know I do.” I jam the helmet on my head.
Luca places his down on a console table as he makes sure my helmet is a snug fit. His thick fingers adjust and fasten the clasp. Then, he palms the top of my helmet and gives it a little shake. “You look badass, campionessa.”
“I am badass.”
He pulls on his helmet and opens the front door. And there, waiting for us to ride, is a sleek Ducati motorcycle.
I inhale sharply. “This is yours?”
He nods. “I have a different version in Valencia, but this one handles better on the backroads and open stretches.”
I point at him, narrowing my eyes. “You ride a motorcycle.”
He chuckles, tossing one leg over the bike and straddling it. “Sí. I’m letting you in on my secret.” He winks and I feel it like a pinch between my legs. My God, what is he doing to me?
Luca extends his hand. “Come on. I’ll take you for a ride.”
Placing my hand in his, I swing one leg over the bike and settle myself behind him. He clasps my hands and wraps my arms around his abdomen. “Hold on tight.”
