“God, yeah. They need a place to meet, and... okay. Okay, today is supposed to be nice, right? I can get the outdoor tables and podium set up, they can meet up outside. That’ll work, I think, and if anyone tries to make it your problem, you’re welcome to—”
“Tell them where they can stick it?”
“To refer it back to me, brat. Are you going to be coming in soon?”
“Yup, I’ll be in at nine.”
“Excellent. Plenty of time to get things set up for a 10:30 meeting. Thank you for the heads-up.”
“Sure, no problem. How goes the snake situation? Did the guy ever show up?”
“He... Um. He did.”
“Why do you sound like that? Did he like, show up in a van he sleeps in and a snake-sniffing dog or something?”
“No, he’s perfectly—look, you can meet him when you come in? He drives a perfectly respectable car.”
“Boo, I was hoping to meet a snake-sniffing dog. See you in a few.”
Macy ended the call just as Luca came back, an expression that was simultaneously amused and slightly chagrined on his face.
“So how far away is the Caston Bakery?”
“Um? About a five minute walk or so? If you go to the steps in front, you can see it.”
“That’s where Miss Cathy and AJ are. They’re getting us breakfast.”
“Oh, they do great breakfasts. You’ll like it.”
Luca gave her a look, and she couldn’t help breaking into giggles.
“But there’s something else you’d maybe like more, huh, big guy?”
To ease the sting a little, she crossed the room to give him a hug. It startled her a little, how quickly she had gotten used to reaching for him. Something in her brain told her that Luca was for touching, for hugging, for other things she was now very eager to learn about, and that thought made her bury her face in his shirt.
“We’ll make up for it later,” he whispered against her hair, and this time, she couldn’t stop a small heated whimper at the low rumble of his voice, the evidence of how much he wanted to continue pressed against her leg.
There was honestly no telling how long they might have let it go on if they both hadn’t gotten texts on their phones at that same moment, and their in-unison groans made Macy laugh out loud.
“I have a private bathroom here, but if you want a shower, there’s actually one in the basement. I’ll show you where on the map. It’s a little filled with spiders, but you know. It’s plenty of hot water at least. From what Amy tells me. I’ve never showered here. Because of the spiders.”
“I’m usually bigger than the spiders, I’ll be fine. See you around front in a few?”
She kept a toiletries kit in her desk for emergencies, but Luca actually met her in a fresh shirt on the steps of City Hall. Apparently he had found the spiders to be manageable, and he emerged from the doors looking bright and handsome with his still-damp hair curling slightly at the nape of his neck.
“Well, don’t you look good enough to eat,” she blurted out without thinking, and a slow, honey-dripping smile spread across his face.
“Yeah? You hungry?”
“Famished.”
He took her hand, and such a jolt of electricity went through her that she stared, aware that her face was flaming and her eyes were wide. From the expression on Luca’s face, he felt it too, and the only thing that kept them from reaching for each other was the fact that they were in broad daylight on the steps of City Hall.
“Is it always going to be like this?” Macy asked, her voice hushed, and Luca shrugged, never taking his eyes from her face.
“It can’t. I mean, mated couples go to work and do more than just stare at each other and want to get their hands on each other. I’m just having a hard time thinking about what else might compare.”
“Good morning, good morning, good morning!” cried Miss Cathy, coming up the walk. In one arm, she had a large paper sack stamped with the logo of the Caston Bakery, and her right hand was held firmly by AJ, a very serious look on his face.
