Page 21 of Be Very Quiet

Luca slowly shook his head. “I never would have held you back, Liliana.”

“I know you wouldn’t have, Luca. It wasn’t about you. You did nothing wrong and were exactly what I needed at the time.”

Luca sat back against the cushions. She’d obviously thrown him for a loop. Herself too. Once she’d opened her mouth, she’d been hit with verbal diarrhea, and words tumbled out unabated. She’d admitted practically everything except her undying love for him.

Liliana stood to find her wine glass. She needed the fortification. Luca also got to his feet, and she froze, staring into those light brown eyes that had haunted her dreams for years. He gave her plenty of time to move, but she was rooted to the spot. His large hands cupped her cheeks, and his head descended. She could tell him no, and he would stop. She was sure of it. Instead, her heart pounded, and anticipation surged through her veins. Did he taste the same as he had back then?

Luca’s lips touched hers, and she whimpered at the contact. It was everything she thought it would be and so much more. A decade ago, it had been evident that he knew how to kiss, and he’d only grown more proficient in the successive years. His mouth devoured hers, and she was swept along for the ride. He moaned, or she did. She couldn’t tell as she slid her hands around his neck and ran her fingers through his thick hair.

It suddenly occurred to her she wasn’t wearing a bra as she pressed her chest to his. The feeling was exquisite, even with the barrier of clothes between them. She could only imagine how it would feel skin on skin.

She was a heartbeat away from pulling him onto the sofa and begging him to make love to her when he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

“I’ve wanted to do that again for ten years.”

Liliana closed her eyes. Oh God, she’d wanted the same thing.

Her lids flew open, and she stumbled when Luca was suddenly gone. What the heck happened?

“Where did you get those?”

She turned to see him pointing to the vase of beautiful, fragrant flowers. “Aren’t they from you?”

“No. I would’ve sent gladiolus.”

Liliana’s heart skipped a beat. He remembered her favorite flower, after she’d mentioned it once years ago. She couldn’t bask in her feelings because he was taking a picture of the arrangement and reading the card she’d left on the counter beside the vase. Then he tapped buttons on his phone.

“Yes, can you tell me who bought a bouquet of red lilies to be delivered to Liliana Lima today?” His brows furrowed as he listened to whatever the person was saying. “Can you at least tell me if the order was paid with a credit card? Okay. Thank you.”

“Who sent them?”

“They wouldn’t give out the information, but she did say it was paid with cash, so there’s no paper trail.”

She couldn’t resist teasing him. “Maybe it was from one of my boyfriends.”

His gaze narrowed. “Do you have boyfriends, Liliana?” He practically growled the question.

She rolled her eyes. “Do you think I would’ve kissed you if I did?”

“I kissed you.”

Yes, he did. And she wanted him to do it again and again. “I wouldn’t have let you.”

All along, she thought Luca had sent them. “Maybe it was Rex?”

Silence. She looked up at Luca to see that his eyes were mere slits. “Who. Is. Rex?”

“Rex Raines. You know, ‘When you’re ready to move but don’t know what to do, give Rex a call, and he’ll handle it for you.’”

Luca just stared, and it dawned on her that he’d probably never seen the ads airing on late-night cable stations in Miami. “Real estate agent. His office is next to the studio. My landlord.”

“Why would Rex send you lilies?”

She lifted her hands. “I don’t know that he did, but he’s asked me out several times.” Liliana could practically hear Luca’s teeth grind together. “What’s with the overreaction? They are just flowers.” His expression gave nothing away, but judging by how he’d responded upon seeing them, something was up. Realization dawned, and horror gripped her. “Oh my God, it has something to do with the murders, doesn’t it?” Luca’s non-response was her answer, but that wasn’t good enough. “Tell me, Luca.”

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Flowers like these were found at both crime scenes.”

They were lilies, and her name was Liliana.

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