Page 41 of Wicked Healing

Erin found herself watching his mouth and wishing she could kiss him again. Maybe the call had been a fortuitous interruption, though. He had literally just moved into the apartment. It was way too early to even be considering any type of relationship.

“What happened to your dad,” he asked abruptly.

Erin blinked, caught a little off guard. “He died several years ago. Cancer.”

“I’m sorry,” he told her, looking regretful.

Straightening her spine she turned toward the patio door. "I'm going to heat up the grill," she said, letting herself out onto the patio. "Back in a sec."

Once the grill was lit Erin had no other reason to stay outside, but she needed a breather. Hovering at the back corner of the house she drew the fragrant evening into her lungs, then exhaled. The heat was beginning to ebb away as the sun disappeared below the horizon. This was her favorite time of evening.

“Do you mind if I join you?" Luca said from a few feet away.

Erin tried not to jump but he'd startled her. "Damn dude, give a girl notice when you sneak up on her.”

Luca laughed. “Sorry. I thought you heard me.”

Wicked was at his side, of course. The dog looked more relaxed than Erin could ever remember seeing him. At La Jolla he'd been a little relaxed but here, in his home environment, he was even more so. Erin was glad. She’d hoped that staying here would be good for them both.

“If you grab the kebabs pan," Erin told him, "the grill is probably hot enough to cook."

Luca tipped his head in acknowledgement. "Will do," he said with a small smile.

Erin watched him go, feeling like her entire world was changing.

They had a really nice dinner. They chatted about inconsequential things, movies, books, people. The kiss wasn't mentioned but there was a tension in the air. They were both thinking about it and as the night drew on the tension spiked. Would he kiss her good night? Erin had no idea, though she knew what she wanted. It was like dessert after dinner; not needed and usually not good for you, but wanted nonetheless.

Luca had enjoyed a couple of beers but he was steady on his feet as he helped her clean up dishes. Actually, he parked himself in front of the sink and washed what need to be washed. He was limping a tiny bit more than normal.

“You've been on your feet a lot today," she said softly. "How does your amputation feel?"

He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Not bad. You're right, though, I've been on it a lot today. I'm going to have a sore spot or two."

Erin winced. "I'm sorry."

“It's not your fault," he said. “Besides, it's good for me to be up and moving around. Haven't done that a lot recently."

They cleaned up the kitchen in silence and when the dishes were put away, she could tell he was getting ready to leave. "If you think of anything you need, you know, in your apartment, let me know. I go to town a couple times a week. I'd be more than happy pick you up some stuff.”

“Thanks, Erin."

For a moment, they just kind of stared at each other. Then Lucas shifted. Wicked was at his side in a moment, ready to go. Grinning, she moved to the door to lock it after they left.

“Hey,” she told him with a laugh, “you get to sleep with your long-lost lover tonight."

She nodded her head at Wicked. Luca laughed and gave her a look, his dark eyes heavy-lidded as he walked out the door. ”Not necessarily the one I was hoping for, but we’ll make do.”

Erin was laughing as she closed the door behind him, and it took her second to realize he hadn't kissed her.

* * *

Luca woke slowly,not wanting to move. There was a large weight curled up against his back and he could tell it had been a long time since he’d moved. Some subconscious part of him didn't want to jostle Wicked, which meant he hardly shifted when he slept. Golden light was glaring in through the east side window, inescapable. Damn. He'd have to cover that before he went to bed tonight.

Grabbing the spare pillow, he settled it over his face and stole a few more minutes of sleep. His ribs were aching now. He had to move. Sitting up on the side of the bed he shifted his legs over. Wicked let out a growl/moan. Luca didn't want to encourage him to get out of bed yet because he only had one leg right this second. Reaching, he grabbed the sleeve that rolled over the stump. He rolled it on then seated his leg down into the socket. Now he could go take a piss.

Luca did what he needed to do in the bathroom then rousted Boss from the mattress, pushing his prosthetic on. "Time to go, old man."

Snatching clothes from the closet, Luca dressed. Pulling on the T-shirt, shorts, and running shoes. It had been later when he arrived at the ranch and he’d been busy unloading. This morning he wanted to explore.

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