38 - Haven

It was the day before the Fourth of July, and Alex and Nolan had asked me to come to their summer house tomorrow for a celebration. They had a private island off the coast where they took vacations. So, since I would be mostly unavailable during that time, Luca had asked to spend today with me. I was honestly looking forward to our date.

Luca wouldn’t tell me where he was taking me, which was beginning to feel like a theme for his dates; he’d only told me to wear long pants, closed-toed, closed-heel shoes, and to bring sunscreen. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

At ten in the morning, he knocked on my door, wearing jeans and a T-shirt that stretched nicely over his defined muscles. The stubble on his jaw made him look rugged, and that, combined with his messy hair, gave him a roguish appearance.

“Hey, babe,” he greeted me. “Are you ready for our date?”

“Haven’t I told you not to call me babe?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Oh, but it’s so much fun,” he purred. “And you love it when I do.”

“I don’t think love is the right word.”

“Isn’t it?” His eyes twinkled with a mischievous gleam. “Come on, babe. We’ve got a lot to do today, and we should leave now if we want to make it back before sundown.”

I sighed, resigned. He was not going to give up the pet name. “What do you have planned that’s going to take all day?”

“Ah-ah. I can’t tell you that.” He winked, sending a flutter of butterflies through my lower stomach.

“Ugh. I’ve had enough surprises for one lifetime.” Or several.

“You’ll like this one. I promise.” Unable or unwilling to wait any longer, Luca wrapped his warm hand around mine and pulled me to his dark SUV. He opened my door for me, waited for me to buckle up, then closed the door and got in the driver’s seat.

I was curious about where he was taking me, but I knew better than to ask again. So, I sat and watched out the window as he took turn after turn. The land became less coastal and more forested. Soon, we passed a sign for a wildlife preserve, and Luca pulled down a road into the park.

“Getting excited yet?” he asked.

“I’m curious, that’s for sure,” I said, peering around.

Luca parked in a parking lot that had a sign labeled “Oak Park Trail.” “We’re here,” he stated.

He got out and opened my door for me. Then he unlatched his trunk and pulled out a hiking pack, which he put on. “I’m taking you to one of my favorite places to get away.”

I enjoyed hiking, but I hadn’t been in a while. Probably not since before I’d discovered Owen’s cheating. I liked that Luca and I shared a hobby. It was nice to know there were things we could enjoy together, and I wanted to find more. Smiling, I said, “That sounds wonderful.”

“I’m glad you think so.” He grinned. “I was hoping you would because if I dragged you out for this date all day and you ended up hating it, it would have been a poor date.”

“Lucky you,” I tease.

“You don’t think you’re lucky to be on a date with me?” he asked, tone serious and brow arched.

I froze because I hadn’t intended to insult him. “No, I am.”

He burst into laughter. “You looked like a deer in headlights. I wasn’t serious. You’re right; it’s me that’s lucky. And I’m not so easily offended.”

I was both touched and amused by his words. His teasing had grown on me, and he said some of the sweetest things. But I had to tease him back. “Oh, really?” I arched my brow this time. “Because you seem to have heart trouble every time I offend you.”

“Yes, I do. The trouble is I love you so much it hurts, and I think I’ll die if you’re not with me.” His gaze set me on fire as he uttered those words.

“Oh,” I breathed. It was all I could say.

“As much as I love it when you use that smart mouth of yours against me,” he murmured, “I think I love you speechless just as much.”

“You’re incorrigible,” I managed.

“But you love it,” he said.

I did.

“Come on. It’s going to take us a while to get there, and we still have the journey back.” He took my hand and pulled me toward the trail.

“I don’t need you to hold my hand, you know,” I said dryly. “I can walk just fine.”

“Maybe I need to hold your hand. Maybe you make me weak in the knees. If I fall, it’s because I’m falling for you.”

“There is no arguing with you,” I groaned.

“You can’t argue with someone who’s right.” He smirked, that cocky, devastating smirk.

We hiked up the trail until we came to a field of wild lilies. “This is my favorite place,” Luca said. “When I need to get away from my responsibilities, I come here and soak in the beauty.”

“It’s gorgeous.” And it was. I breathed in the scent and sighed.

“I’m glad you think so.” He took off his hiking pack and unzipped it, pulling out a couple of sandwiches. “It’s nothing fancy, but not much will keep in the heat.”

“It’s perfect.” I took one from him and bit into it.

“You know, lilies are an aphrodisiac,” he murmured.

“Is that why you love this place?”

“No. It’s because it reminds me there is beauty even in the midst of chaos if you know where to look.” He gazed out at the meadow.

“That’s actually very … nice,” I admitted.

He said nothing, deep in thought. After several long moments, he reached for my hand. “When my mother died, and when my father became indebted to the mob, things were bleak. I used to let negativity rule me. But then I realized that being negative wasn’t doing me any favors. I had to learn to shift my focus.

“When I discovered this place, it became my haven, somewhere to go to reset.” He kissed my palm. “Now it’s ours.”

“Thank you for sharing it with me.” I felt touched that he would let me into a place so dear to him.

Luca merely nodded. We remained in silence for a few minutes, then he asked me questions about my childhood.

“My mom died when I was young,” I explained, “but before that, we were a happy family. Dad treated me like I mattered to him. About a year after Mom’s death, he remarried. My stepmom, Lucinda, is awful. She hated me from the beginning. When she first moved in with us, it was just like the story of Cinderella; Lucinda would make me spend all my free time doing chores, and if I completed them, she would purposefully make a mess, so there was more to do.”

Luca scowled. “I hate that she did that to you.”

I shrugged. “The demands are different now, but she’s still the same old witch. Now she has my dad assign me the boring or difficult tasks at work, hoping I’ll fail.”

“Do you want me to take care of her?” Luca asked.

“What, like, take her out?” My brow rose into my hairline.

Luca threw back his head and laughed. “Former mob boss, remember?” He sobered. “No, but I can stage a public humiliation.”

I shook my head and leaned back into the grass. “That’s okay. I’m a firm believer that people’s actions will inevitably catch up to them.”

“You sure? I can help it along.” His expression was earnest.

“I’m sure. As tempting as that is, it would make me no better than her.”

“Alright, but the offer stands if you change your mind.”

We stayed like that, talking and reclining in the meadow, for a couple more hours. Then Luca said, “We should head back if we want to have daylight to see our way back to the car.”

“Okay.” I allowed him to help me up, and we started walking.

The hike back seemed to take less time, and soon we were driving to my beach house. When we arrived, Luca walked me to the door. “Do I get a kiss?” he asked, giving me puppy dog eyes.

“You’ve never asked before,” I said. “Don’t you usually just take what you want?”

“I’m trying to be considerate and respect it if you say no,” Luca growled, “but don’t tempt me, woman.”

“Kiss me,” I demanded.

Luca didn’t hesitate. His lips crashed over mine like a wave breaking over the shore, and I drowned. There was no coming up for air; there was only submersion as the force of his tempest buffed me.

His lips devoured mine greedily, and I was lost. I wrapped my arms around his neck, our bodies pressed close together, and gave him all of me.

“Dang it, woman,” he growled against my lips. “You’ll be the death of me yet.”

“Then we’ll go down together,” I said, smiling against his mouth. I drank him in like my favorite peachtini, drunk on the kiss. When we broke apart, we were both breathless.

“I’ll never get enough of that,” Luca whispered, leaning against my door. I grinned. I wouldn’t either. “Well, I’d better let you go pack. Don’t have too much fun with Alex.”

“Jealous, are you?” I smirked. “I make no promises.”

“It’s not fair he gets full access to you for the holiday, while I get to pine over you. And yes, I’m salty about it. You would be, too, in my shoes.”

“What if I said I might not miss you?” I teased.

“Then you’d be lying to yourself and me.” He kissed my hand. “Now, go before I decide that I can’t let you leave.”

“I’ll see you when I get back,” I said.

“Yeah, yeah.” He turned to walk away, then he called over his shoulder, “If Alex makes a move on you…”

“You’ll what? Kill him?” I teased.

“I will not be responsible for my actions.”

****

The next day, Alex, Nolan, and I took a boat to their private island. We packed enough clothes for a few days. Nolan said there’s a perfect view of the Fourth of July fireworks on the island, which I’m excited about. It’s been years since I watched the celebrations; I’d always been working. Since everything fate revealed, I’ve allowed myself more time to enjoy life.

We docked the boat on the small dock on the island and stepped ashore. The sun was just setting, casting the water in an orange and pink glow.

“You’re going to love this, Fay,” Alex said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me. His body against my back made me feel protected and safe.

I turned my head to gaze up at him and grinned. “I’m excited,” I admitted.

Alex’s eyes were bright and full of affection as he looked down at me. “Are you ready to see the house?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the two-story house with walls of windows. “We don’t need privacy here,” he explained. “No one but us comes here, and the trees block the view from the water.”

“I see.”

We walked inside, where Nolan was checking the fridge. “At least the staff stocked it like I asked,” Alex’s stepdad said. “Your mother was always in charge of that, Alex.”

Alex startled. “Oh, hey. Speaking of mothers. Dad, I’ve been meaning to ask you…” He pulled out something I immediately recognized: the photo of my mom and me he’d asked to borrow for research. “You’ve been in high society a while. This photo of Fay and her mom looks familiar to me, but I can’t place it. Do you recognize it?”

Taking the photo, Nolan froze. He dropped the gallon of milk he was holding, which spilled all over the ground. “Oh.” That one word was like all the breath leaving his body in a whoosh.

Nolan didn’t seem to notice the milk pooling at his feet as he breathed, “This is your mom?”

“Was,” I nodded.

“Was,” he repeated. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let the breath out. When he opened them again, he said, “Yes, I recognize her. Your mother was my first love. She ended things with me when I was twenty.”