Page 5 of Girl, Reborn

Need to talk. You around?

She hit send before she could second-guessherself. Luca's response pinged back instantly, as if he'd been waiting for herSOS.

Yes, please. Going out of my mind here.

Ella cranked the engine and peeled away.The sprawling estate receded in her rearview, and all Ella could do was askherself the questions that still scurried around her head. Was Mia going to beokay? Did she know something that Ella didn’t? And was Martin still out there?

There was a hurt in her chest that noamount of distance could ease. Their connection had crossed a line, and Ellawasn’t sure if they could ever uncross it.

CHAPTER THREE

Luca’s apartment was a minimalist’swet dream. Spartan chic, clean lines, enough floor space to park a tank. The only signs oflife were a framed Boston Celtics jersey on the wall, an espresso machinegleaming like a showroom Porsche, and a single bookshelf crammed with FBImandatory reading and, much to her surprise, romance novels. Guess there wasmore to Luca Hawkins than she thought.

But interior decorating and questionablereading tastes aside, Ella was here to lick her wounds and regroup, not playMartha Stewart after the morning she’d had.

She stomped into the living room, ignoringthe twinge in her back that could have been an injury from last week or lastyear. By now, she'd stopped paying the aches any mind. Everything hurt andeverything sucked, but the pounding in her skull drowned out all the othercomplaints. Ella made a beeline for the couch, collapsed onto it, and plantedher feet on the table.

Luca emerged from the kitchen with a widegrin on his male model mug. ‘What is this, your grandma’s porch? Shoes.’

Ella popped her head up and spied herdirty Nikes. Dammit. She couldn’t even get the basics right anymore. She kickedthem off and said, ‘Sorry, my bad.’

‘Forgiven. Now, what’s eating you up?’

Ella cracked an eye, grunted somethingthat could've passed as a human sound with enough stretch. She wanted to spillthis whole mess out from the start, but she couldn’t even cast her mind backfar enough to discern the beginning. It felt like this whole thing had begunthe day she accepted the rank of Special Agent.

‘Ripley,’ Ella said. In a way, that oneword covered everything.

Luca strolled in with two steaming mugsbig enough to swim in. ‘Sounds like you need a Luca Special. Here, go nuts.’ Heset the cups down on the table in front of her then took a seat beside her.Close enough to smell the shower gel.

‘What’s a Luca special?’

‘Two coffees.’

Ella took one sniffed, wary as a strayeyeballing a hamburger in an alley. ‘What's in it? Should I be worried?’

‘I don’t mess around with java. Twodifferent single-origin roasts, hand-picked for peak flavor. A little Sumatranfor the bass notes, some Ethiopian for the high end. Finished with a twist oforange zest to make those taste buds sit up and sing.’

Ella stared at him as though he mightsprout a second head. She reached out and rested two fingers against his brow.‘Are you okay? Do you have a temperature?’

He clutched her wrist and gently pushed itaside. ‘If you want to touch me, you only need to ask.’

Despite herself, Ella felt her lipstwitch. Damn him. Smug pretty-boy thought he was slick with the charmoffensive, wearing her down with caffeine and quips.

‘Is that right?’

Luca shrugged. ‘Hush and tell me what’s sourgent you had to interrupt my busy morning.’

Ella scanned the room and saw nothing butdomestic normalcy at every compass point. ‘You were busy?’

He pulled his laptop up from beside thecouch. ‘Emails. Some of us actually read them.’

‘Ah,’ Ella said. She sipped the coffee andhad to physically stop herself from groaning out loud. It was perfect, becauseof course it was. Rich and robust, with a bright zing that made her eyes snapopen and her brain kick into high gear. Leave it to Luca to know exactly howshe needed it – hot, strong, with just the right amount of sweet.

Just like, she thought. Nope. Sheshoved that thought back into the box it sprang from, welded the lid shut forgood measure. Not going there. She and Luca were partners, that was it. Nevermind the stolen glances, the 'accidental' touches, the tension ratcheting up intheir few short interactions. They had a good thing going here, and she'd bedamned if she let her overactive libido screw it up.

Even if his mere proximity set her nervesto sizzling and made it hard to remember why dipping into the company ink was abad idea. Even if the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled made her thinkhorrible, treacherous thoughts about playing connect-the-dots with her tongue.

Ella slurped the coffee, using the mug tohide the flush climbing up her neck. From the heat. Definitely the heat and notthe six-foot-something distraction sprawled out next to her in sweatpants thatdefined everything.

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