“Should I be worried here?” she asked.
“No,” Andrea said, shaking his head.
Why was Luca walking around like he was auditioning for the secret service? He turned around again a couple of times, not unlike a dog looking for a place to settle, then nodded and turned toward the door.
“OK, scriverò il rapporto per confermare la residenza. Ha troppo pochi mobili sinceramente però…”He trailed off, raising his hands in dissent, and walked out.
“What was that?” asked Lora, pointing at the door.
“That was a confirmation of your residency, though the chief of police says you have too few pieces of furniture for his taste.”
“Interesting. I’ll be sure to take his advice under consideration. I almost had a heart attack.”
“It was certainly not what I was expecting in that moment,” he said.
“Me either,” she said, laughing, moving back toward him. She touched his arm, and he pulled her over between himself and the counter.
“I am glad for the interruption, though,” he said, leaning toward her. He pulled his glasses off and pressed his lips to hers again.
“What do you mean?” she asked, leaning away.
“I mean I am not prepared for this.”
“Do you not feel comfortable? I’m sorry I thought—”
“No, no, no. What I mean is, I am not preparedtechnically. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to have any kind of safe-sex equipment around, and I need to go deal with that.”
“Oh. Yes. That,” she said, kissing him again. She pulled his bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t suppose you have a pack of those in the trunk of the Panda with the flares.”
“No, but if we suddenly need a pair of swim fins or a traffic cone, we’re all set.”
“Well, that’s a new one for me,” she giggled, raising a brow.
“My options are to go to the pharmacy, where the woman behind the counter cured my first ear infection, or try to not be seen loitering near the solitary vending machine in town that only sells condoms and cigarettes.”
“What on earth will you do?”
“I don’t know yet, but I didn’t get this far without being resourceful. Don’t go anywhere,” he said, kissing her one last time. “I’ll be back.”
Chapter 19
Andrea barely knocked on the door before she pulled him inside and pressed his back against it.
“Did you get the goods?” she asked, as if he were smuggling in contraband. She pulled the neck of his T-shirt down and kissed along his collarbone.
“Maybe.” He ran his hands down her back.
“Seriously?” She paused and looked up at him.
“We are all set. I had to make a little exchange with a tennis player I know who was luckily coming through town anyway and didn’t mind making a quick stop.”
“You basically Deliveroo’d a condom.”
“I told you I was resourceful.”
“I don’t think you should run for mayor. You should run for president.”
“Come here,” said Andrea, hooking his finger into the tie at the waist of her dress. He pulled her close again, running his hands up her back. She could already feel the ache settle back in her core. “This is too much talking. I want to take youupstairs now. And I am not sure what you have planned for the rest of the day, but you will not be doing any of it. If that’s not what you want, let me know now. But if it is”—he paused, looked her dead in the eye, and pointed up the stairs—“go.”
