Page 100 of Can't Always Get What You Want

I want Luca.

The thought startles me a little, not because it’s scary, but because it’strue.

And once I let myself acknowledge it, it’s like everything else fades into the background. The sneaking around.

The guilt.

Gio.

The what-ifs.

They’re still there, but they’re quieter now.

He’s the softest, warmest, most unexpectedly gentle guy I’ve ever known and I might becompletely, hopelessly, helplessly falling for him.

I rest my forehead against his collarbone and close my eyes. He smells like cedar, arms tightening around me a little, pulling me impossibly closer.

“Mmm.” Perfect.

His arms tighten a fraction more, like he wants to tuck me inside him. The wine buzz hums behind my eyes, softening everything except the sharp focus I have on this moment—his heartbeat beneath my cheek, the calloused pads of his fingers brushing my spine, the gentle heat that’s pooling low in my belly.

Then—without a word—he slides one arm beneath my knees and the other behind my shoulders.

I inhale a startled breath. “Luca?—”

He stands smoothly, holding me like I weigh nothing.

“Time to move you somewhere softer,” he murmurs. “You’re gonna fall asleep.”

So?!

Let me!

“I wascomfortable.”

“You’ll be more comfortable in my bed.”

Okay fine. Twist my arm.

He starts toward it, my arms instinctively looping around his neck. I can feel the strength in his chest, the heat of his body against mine. My breath catches for a different reason now.

The kind of reason that has nothing to do with sleep.

Yay!

My vagina is excited now, silently tingling.

He leans in, presses a soft kiss to the top of my head, and walks to the dresser. Pulls out a plain T-shirt—worn, oversized, soft enough to melt into.

“Want something to sleep in?” he asks.

It’s a generous offer.

Respectful.

Exactly what hethinksI need.

I shake my head. “Hell no.”

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