Luc (Rossi Brothers) Page 4

  Liz ignored her, making a beeline for the bathroom around the corner. She needed a few minutes alone. A few minutes to breathe, to cry if need be. She didn’t want to answer questions. She didn’t want to think about what happened on that deck. If she did, the pain would eat her alive. She’d worked hard to get to a place where she’d finally begun to stop crying, stop lamenting. If she started crying now, if she let this in, she might never stop. So, she simply walked, forcing herself not to run.

  “Liz?” Sam called again, her voice now full of sharp concern.

  Bruce trotted at her side.

  Halfway to the bathroom, the backdoor snapped shut. Luc had come back inside. Her stomach flip-flopped, and her chest clenched.

  “What the hell were you thinking?” Sam’s stern voice echoed down the hall, full of surprise and anger. The protective mama bear rising to the occasion.

  Liz halted, torn between the desperate need to collect herself in private and the need to defend Luc. This wasn’t his fault. She couldn’t let him take the brunt of Sam’s wrath all by himself.

  “Relax. That kiss was her idea.” Luc’s voice was calm and quiet. Did nothing rattle the man? “It was supposed to be a joke on you. I’ll go talk to her.”

  She needed to go back, but she couldn’t move, either. Hot tears collected in the corners of her eyes as helplessness overwhelmed her. She bit her lower lip to stem its quivering and blinked rapidly, but the tears slipped out, leaking down her cheeks. Two years might have passed, but the wound was still every bit as raw.

  Moving on wobbly legs, she made it to the bathroom a moment later, closing the door firmly behind her.

  Chapter Four

  “Sweetie, it’s me. Let me in.”

  A frantic knock sounded on the bathroom door, Sam’s worried voice calling from the other side. Seated on the toilet lid, too embarrassed to leave the safety of the room, Liz braced her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands. God, let the earth open up and swallow me now. She didn’t know which faux pas was worse: kissing on the first date or hightailing it into the bathroom afterward. She’d been hiding in here, trying to stem the incessant tears, for five minutes now. She’d known Sam would come after her sooner or later.

  Another knock sounded.

  “Like it or not, Lizzie, I’m coming in.” This time, Sam didn’t wait for a response, but entered the room and leaned back against the door. “Are you okay? What on earth was that all about?”

  Liz straightened, heaved a sigh, and waved a hand in dismissal. “Oh, I kissed him. It was supposed to be a joke on you, but it backfired.” She closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted by the whole evening. “It wasn’t supposed to be like that. I wanted to tease you. You weren’t very subtle, you know, watching us through the window the whole time.”

  She tensed, expecting a smart-aleck remark, but Sam didn’t laugh.

  “Sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to pry, but I know how hard this is for you. I really do like him. I wanted to know how you two would get on. I also wanted to be ready to club him if he tried anything funny.”

  Liz let out a tired laugh and opened her eyes. “You’re right, you know. He’s nice, and the man looks phenomenal in those jeans. He’s all tall, dark, and handsome. He speaks Italian, for crying out loud.” She rolled her eyes. “God, he sounds sexy doing it, too.”

  Sam pursed her lips. “I hear a ‘but’ coming.”

  Liz shook her head in miserable confusion. “I’m not ready for this. If anything proved it, that kiss did.”

  Sam’s mouth tipped into a slow smile. “You liked kissing him.”

  A heated shiver of remembrance moved through Liz. “I’d forgotten what it’s like when a man looks at me like that. To feel feminine again. Beautiful. That kiss though? I wasn’t counting on that.”

  Sam knelt in front of her and took her hands. “That’s not a bad thing, sweetie.”

  Pain settled over her like a heavy wet blanket, and the tears welled up all over again. On some level, she knew Sam was right, but she couldn’t convince her heart.

  “I got lost in that kiss, Sammy. For a brief moment, it was all about his lips.” She swiped at the tears with her fingers. “I actually forgot for a moment. Forgot Daniel’s death, the grief, the unbearable loneliness.”

  Sam frowned, sympathy rising in her eyes “He’d want you to move on. You can’t mourn him forever. Eventually, you have to get up.”

  “I know. I know. Except I wasn’t expecting to like it.” She groaned. “Now I feel like a fool. I started that, then completely overreacted. Now he’s out there thinking Lord knows what, and why I care, I have no idea.”

  “Because you like him.” Sam squeezed her fingers. “That’s okay, you know.”

  “I don’t want this to go beyond a single date.” Liz shook her head. “I agree it’s time to move on. I can’t live in pain and grief forever. I have to say goodbye, even if it kills me. And it does, you know. That’s what got me, if I’m honest. I enjoyed that kiss, and I feel guilty. Like I’ve cheated on my husband. Except Daniel’s not here anymore. I don’t know how to reconcile that.”

  “It doesn’t have to go beyond this one date, sweetie.” Sam shrugged. “But you can enjoy tonight. Give yourself permission to take that first step. It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.”

  Liz buried her face in her hands again. “Oh God, I’ll never live this down.”

  Sam stood, holding out her hand. “Come on, sweets. Time to get back out there. Luc’s actually concerned about you. He wanted to come after you, but I convinced him to let me come first. I figured you’d rather talk to me than him right now.”

  Liz let Sam pull her onto her feet. “Thank you. I just need a minute. I want to clean up a bit.”

  “Makeup’s in the cabinet if you need any.” Sam wrapped her in a tight hug and then pulled back, holding Liz by her upper arms. “Chin up, honey. You kissed a man on the first date. Big whoop. Lots of people do a whole lot more. In fact, your last book had exactly that. And then some. With more than one man. When you come out, come out with your head held high.”

  • • •

  Luc stirred the pot of soup for what had to be the tenth time. He’d spent the last five minutes helping Joe finish dinner in order to stay occupied. What he wanted to do was go after Liz, and the feeling left him torn in ways he didn’t know how to deal with.

  He shouldn’t have allowed that kiss to go beyond the required peck for Sam’s benefit. He ought to regret it, but he couldn’t drag up that emotion for the life of him. Liz had the softest mouth. She was the first woman since Maria to really awaken his senses, to remind him he was still alive. He couldn’t regret that.

  Except she’d run from him. She was in there, upset, because he’d taken a liberty he shouldn’t have.

  When Sam sidled up to the stove beside him, he turned to her. “She okay?”

  Sam shot him a smile as phony as saccharine. “She’s fine. She’s powdering her nose. She’ll be out in a minute.”

  “That’s a crock and we both know it.” Her attempt to sidestep his question scraped his last nerve. He dropped the lid back on the pot with a little more force than necessary and strode for the hallway out beyond the kitchen entrance. If she wouldn’t tell him the damn truth, he’d find out for himself.

  “It’s not you, Luc.”

  He grunted in response and headed out of the kitchen, stalking the long hallway toward the front door. Rounding the corner, he collided with a solid, warm body. Liz gave a surprised chirp and drew up short, bracing her hands against his chest. The force of their collision set them both off balance, and his momentum sent him pitching forward. He managed to catch her around the waist, steadying them both.

  As they found their equilibrium again, his gaze came to rest on hers. Head tipped back, she stared at him with widened eyes. Here she was, in his arms again. Damned if he didn’t like the way all those luscious curves fit against him, too. The way his hips settled against the warmth of her bel
ly made him ache in the most primal of ways.

  Liz smiled, the expression polite but shaky and every bit as phony as the one Sam had fed him moments ago. “Going somewhere?”

  “Was coming to find you, actually.” Some part of him said he ought to release her, but his hands had a mind of their own. He stroked her lower back, enjoying the simple warmth of her. God, he was losing his mind. The last time he’d had this strong of an attraction to someone, he’d ended up in love with a married woman. Unknowingly, maybe, but the result was still the same. His heart had gotten shredded.

  So, he forced himself to step back, tucking his hands in his pockets. Before he did something else he’d regret. Like be the one to take the initiative and kiss her this time. He ached to. The way her eyelids grew heavy suggested she might not slap him if he did, either. “You okay?”

  “To be honest, I don’t know.” She studied him for a moment, as if contemplating what to tell him. A soft flush crept into her cheeks, but she held his gaze all the same. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not.” He shouldn’t have told her that either, but so far tonight, they’d been honest with each other, and he had to admit he liked it. It was nice to have a woman be straight up with him for a change. Whether this went anywhere or not.

  The corners of her mouth tipped into the slightest of smiles. When Bruce trotted in from the kitchen and quietly took a seat at her side, she diverted her gaze to the dog, gently stroking his head. “I appreciate that, but despite what I write, I don’t usually do that sort of thing. Daniel was it for me. My first and my last.”

  “So why did you?”

  A beat of silence passed before she finally looked up. “I write romance for a living, and I’ve always been very observant. I know desire when I see it. It’s been a while since a man’s looked at me like that.”

  He wanted to laugh. She’d nailed him. What was worse, he admired the hell out of her for having the guts to say it to his face. While the voice of reason said he ought to leave this one alone, he couldn’t resist. “You’re a beautiful woman, Liz. You hold yourself with confidence. You know who you are, and you don’t make apologies for it. That’s sexy.”

  “Is that why you kissed me?”

  He hitched a shoulder. “Yeah, if I’m honest.”

  Neither said anything for a moment, but tension moved between them, hot and decadent and undeniable. Shit. There it was. The one quiet admission that made her irresistible. Attraction. So damn strong he was tempted to drag her back in his arms. Just for one more taste of the addicting cinnamon of her tongue. And it wasn’t one-sided. If he’d had any doubt before, he sure as hell didn’t now.

  Determined to keep his mind on the straight and narrow, he leaned back against the wall beside her. “May I ask what spooked you?”

  She idly stroked Bruce’s head for a moment, as if pondering her words. Or maybe she was trying to decide whether to say them. After a moment, she released a heavy sigh, her voice whisper quiet between them. “Guilt. You’re a good kisser, Luc.”

  In her soft-spoken statement and the sadness that seeped over her, he finally began to understand. Kissing him hadn’t been what had sent her running.

  “It bothers you because you’d do it again.” It sounded arrogant, but he had a feeling her guilt had little to do with him.

  “For a chance to feel like that again? Yeah. I would. Such a simple thing, a kiss, but I’d forgotten. How pleasurable it was. Is.” Her eyes glazed over, and she stared out ahead of her, as if not seeing him at all, something soft and dreamy moving over her face. After a moment, her eyes focused again, her gaze shifting to him. “I never realized how much I missed the small things. I wasn’t …”

  She shook her head and turned, leaning back against the wall beside him. For a moment, he could only stare at her. When she didn’t say anything, he gently nudged her with an elbow. “You weren’t what?”

  “Twenty years ago, I said vows. I promised myself to one man for the rest of my life, and some part of me insists I’m not dead yet. I wasn’t prepared to like kissing you. Or the guilt that would follow.” She shrugged, halfhearted and dismissive, almost apologetic.

  He pushed off the wall and turned to her, holding out his hand. “It was a kiss. A really nice kiss, but only a kiss. Doesn’t mean we have to make it any more than that. And Sam’s right. This is just a meal with friends. Now, come on. Dinner’s done, and Sam mentioned something about Scrabble afterward. I suck at Scrabble. I’m going to need you to kick her butt for me.”

  She studied him before finally slipping her hand into his and letting him pull her off the wall. “What makes you think I’m any good at Scrabble?”

  Chapter Five

  “You planning to see her again?”

  Luc darted an irritated glance at his brother. Nic played all casual curiosity as he leaned against the counter beside him, sipping coffee. As per their usual morning routine, he’d brought Alyssa by Nonna’s for breakfast. He and Nic had long since moved out, but they’d grown up in this house. For as long as he could remember, Nonna had insisted on them having breakfast together. It was tradition now, and he’d missed mornings like this during his time in Italy. The simplicity of toast and coffee with his family. With Nonno and their baby sister, Gia, gone, it seemed all the more important. He wanted to share their traditions with Alyssa, even the small ones.

  Nic, however, normally stopped by earlier. His brother was the only person, besides Sam and Joe, who knew about his date with Liz. Seeing the amused curiosity in his brother’s gaze, Luc was starting to regret sharing that little tidbit. If one more person asked him whether or not he planned to see her again, he’d scream.

  Three days had passed since his date with her. Sam had bugged the hell out of him all day yesterday at work, wanting to know if he had plans to call her. Never mind Nonna’s daily routine of asking the same question about every woman she casually introduced him to. Luckily for him, he wasn’t Nonna’s only victim.

  “Geez, not you, too. I hoped I’d at least get some sympathy out of you.” Luc rolled his eyes and took a sip of his coffee, glancing across the kitchen to where Alyssa and Ella, his eighteen-month-old niece, played with blocks on the floor. Alyssa built them up. Ella took immense pleasure in stomping them down. Their hearty giggles rang across the kitchen, warming his heart. Alyssa might have been a surprise, but he wasn’t sorry he had her. She made him glad to get up in the morning. He glanced at his brother. “What’re you doing here anyway? Aren’t you usually at the restaurant by now?”

  He and Nic were gradually taking over running the restaurant. Nonno was gone, and in her eighties now, Nonna was slowing down. She couldn’t run the place by herself anymore. So he and Nic had jumped in. After all, that’s what family did, right? Luc cooked and Nic managed the place, which left Nonna free to do what she loved most: spend time with her nipoti, her grandchildren.

  More to the point, Nic normally got there early with Sam.

  Nic shrugged. “Had to take Ella back to the doctor this morning. I think she’s got another ear infection. Now stop changing the subject. Nonna worries about you, you know.”

  His voice held a familiar edge that grated on Luc’s nerves. Nic might be younger by two years, but he’d always been the responsible one. Neither one of them had an easy time with relationships. Three years ago, Nic married his high school sweetheart only to divorce two months after their daughter was born. Nic’s wife had left him in the same situation Luc now found himself—a single father to a little girl whose mother had abandoned her.

  It was a damn curse in their family. When he was five, Nic was three, and Gia was one, their mother left them. Dropped them off with Nonna, went to work one day, and never came back.

  When he wasn’t forthcoming with an answer, Nic nudged him. “So?”

  What Luc wanted more than anything was for his grandmother to stop badgering him. He’d be fine if she’d stop trying to fix him. “Nonna worries more than she should. She thi
nks you work too much.”

  “She’s right. I do. It’s hard balancing the needs of the restaurant and time with Ella. You know that as well as I do. Are you going to see her again?" Nic smiled over his coffee cup, his eyes glittering with a familiar mischief. “Details, bro.”

  “Who had a date?” Nonna’s soft voice preceded her into the kitchen. She entered seconds later, Dino and Rocco, her five-pound Chihuahuas, following on her heels. The eyes that saw everything zeroed in on him as Nonna headed for the coffeemaker. “Did you have a date last night, tesoro?”

  Luc swallowed a groan. He’d never hear the end of this.

  Nic flashed a sheepish grin. “Sorry. She must have heard us talking when she came in.”

  He didn’t miss the hope that glittered like diamonds in Nonna’s eyes. She wanted her boys settled and happy. Nic was right. When Luc had come home from Italy in a funk, she’d worried. His problem was, death hung on him. He couldn’t lose someone he loved and forget about it. Gia’s death eleven years ago was still a wound in his chest that would never heal, and if he closed his eyes, Maria’s face, with her sightless eyes, was as vivid now as it had been a year ago. He still remembered holding her in his arms while he waited for the ambulance, the aching stillness in her body, and knowing there wasn’t a damn thing he could do for her.

  Luc picked up his coffee cup and moved to the counter. “Sorry to disappoint you all, but I don’t kiss and tell. I don’t think she’d appreciate being the topic of breakfast.”

  Nonna pulled a mug off the rack on the counter, darting a glance in his direction. “You must have liked this one.”

  She filled her mug and turned to wink at him. The knowing glimmer in her hazel eyes made him cringe with its familiarity. He’d seen a lot of that look lately. Nonna, God love her, was a meddler.

  “Ti voglio bene, Nonna.” I love you. “I know you mean well, but you’re not getting details. Stop worrying. I’m fine.” He crossed the kitchen to where she stood. Because she barely came up to the center of his chest, he had to bend to press a kiss to her forehead.