Page 39 of Tulips and Lost Time

“Tulips.”

“The flowers? What about them?”

“I don’t want roses. I don’t want diamonds. When you want to show me affection, or apologize for something you did, or maybe even just because, I like tulips.”

“Oh…kay?”

“I like chocolate. White chocolate is better than milk chocolate. Milk chocolate is better than dark chocolate. I prefer my steak cooked until it’s still just a little pink. I don’t want it to bleed, but I also don’t want it to be all brown.”

“Alright…”

“I like to read. All the time. All the books. I like the kissy kind. The ones where the hero would do anything for his heroine. Where he will be anything she needs.” She rises to her elbow and looks down at me. “I like staring up at the stars more than anything else. And quality time spent with those I love. I don’t want diamonds or chocolate or even tulips if I can have time instead. Oh, and I’ve been waiting for years for you to invite me onto the back of your motorcycle.”

“Onto my bike?” I choke out. “Marc would kill me!”

“He’ll wanna kill you for kissing me anyway.” She leans in and drops a fast, sneaky kiss to the center of my lips. “We won’t tell him. I like coffee first thing in the morning. It’s not an addiction, it’s a routine. I could quit any time.”

I narrow my eyes and question her honesty.

“I’m going to be an RN. Ultimately, I’d like to work trauma in the ER. So comfortable shoes and a nice watch are probably right up there for yearly Christmas gifts. I want children someday. Lots of them.”

“Children?” I scramble onto my elbows and pull back to place space between me and her. “Kari, hold on?—”

“I don’t necessarily mean with you. I don’t even need you to get me steak or shoes or books. But I’m sharing the things you don’t know about me. So eventually, someday, when you’re not afraid of my brother and if we continue kissing some more, you’ll have a head start. And if not, then I’ll tell these things to the next guy I kiss. And the guy after that. Eventually, one of them will be the right one, and at that point, he’ll order my steak exactly right, and maybe he’ll have a motorcycle too.”

“I’m not taking you on my bike.” Hard stop. No way. Not happening. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Then maybe a guy in college will.” Satisfied, she flops back down and brings her hand up to touch her plump bottom lip. “I liked kissing you, Luca. It was better than I expected.”

“Kari—”

“And you gave in way faster than I expected.”

“For fuck’s sake.” I slam my eyes shut and groan. I’m a dead man.

10

LUC

IT’S CALLED BONDING

Iwake in the dark to Billy stirring, her little body twisting in her wrap and her face readying to screw up. I’ve spent enough time with infants to know she’s hungry.

And she’s about to be pissed about it.

“I got you, Beautiful.” A long, drawn-out yawn wracks my frame and holds me captive, while remnants of a dream fade into the back of my mind. A first kiss. A challenge. Kari Macchio’s first ever attempt at being seductive.

And me, the idiot who could never say no, even when we both knew we shouldn’t be playing with fire.

I think of what came after that kiss. The hours we spent on the halfpipe. Talking. Skating. Laughing. She was able to relax because she’d gotten her way, and her nerves had subsided. But in exchange, my stress levels were at an all-time high.

Because I kissed my best friend’s, completely, totally, off limits, don’t touch or you’ll die, little sister.

And I was certain the next time Marc looked me in the eye, surely he’d know what I’d done.

You need to relax, she’d laugh, taunting me. It was just a kiss.

But it was never just a kiss between us. Ever. Not then, and not now.

---