“We don’t have time for a pre-dance quickie, Hot Stuff,” I say when Luca walks into his closet.
His eyes darken as they rake over my body, taking in my leggings and sports bra, and he wets his lips with the tip of his tongue.Shit, maybe we do have time…
He shakes his head like he’s trying to clear away cobwebs. “Damn, you’re gorgeous, Minx. But that’s not why I’m here. We need to talk.” He exhales loudly and frowns. A real frown.
I suck in a breath and point a finger at him. “Luca, you never tell a girl you need to talk two days before her wedding. You’re gonna make her think you’re getting cold feet.” My eyes go wide and blur with tears as panic starts to set in.Oh my god. Ohmygod. Is he getting cold feet?
His face changes. Softens. He moves so fast I don’t even register he’s doing it until he’s taking me into his arms. “Fuck. No. Never. Shit, I’m sorry.” His hold tightens until it’s almost painful. I wrap my arms around his neck and bury my face in his shirt. “Breathe. Just breathe with me, baby.”
Focusing on that, I match his breaths. I drag his scent into my lungs. It’s my favorite kind of air. I soak in the energy he’s offering me. Because of him, I believe in magic.
“I’m such a fucking idiot. I’m so sorry, Ari. That’s not what I meant at all.”
“You’re not an idiot. You’re just… are you sure you want to marry this mess?” I ask, my words muffled.
“Never been more sure of anything in my life. We’ll get shirts made up. The Idiot and The Mess. You’re mine, Ariana. Never fucking doubt that.”
“What…” I take a deep breath and square my shoulders. “What do we need to talk about?”
“I don’t trust my mom for shit, so I wouldn’t put it past her to try and corner you. Which, good luck, Mom,” he chuckles. “Even if she got you alone, she wouldn’t stand a chance. But I didn’t tell you something about why I came here in the first place, and she’ll try to use it against us.”
“Tell me now.” I brace myself for the worst. “Fast, before my brain spirals.”
“She didn’t just try to force me to go to college, she wanted me to agree to an arranged marriage. Tried to pick a wife for me. Even brought it up again today before she found out about you.”
I lean my head back so I can look up at him. “Oh my god, could you imagine the kind of girl she would choose?”
His brow crinkles. “I try not to.”
“Is that it?”
“Yeah. I don’t know what kind of spin she might put on it. I should have told you sooner. I just hated the whole thing so much.”
I run my fingers through his hair soothingly. “We’ve both made some mistakes. But people fuck up sometimes.”
He cups the back of my neck and presses his forehead against mine with his eyes closed. Still beating himself up mentally.
“I think I love you more than coffee, Beefcake.”
His chuckle fills the air. “I’m moving up in the world.”
“I didn’t think I would ever love anyone more than coffee.”
“I love you more than?—“
“Do not say protein shakes.”
“What’s wrong with protein shakes?” he asks, clearly offended.
“They’re fucking gross, Luca. And they’re green. Or orange. Or brown. Like poop.”
He opens his mouth, but his rebuttal is interrupted by Lil. “What is taking you— hey! We have to leave in five minutes! And you don’t even have a shirt on, Ariana! Wait, were you crying?” She’s next to us in seconds, glaring at Luca and putting an arm around me protectively. “I swear to Sexy Thor, I will kick your ass, Luca Alexander!”
“No need,” I tell her before turning back to Luca. “Go on downstairs. We’ll be down in a minute.”
He nods and presses his lips to my forehead before leaving. Once I know he’s gone, I grab Lil’s arm. “Holy shit, you’re not going to believe this.”
Chapter 64
