Page 4 of Perfectly Leashed
“Told you,” Luca said softly.
Darcy thought he detected amusement, maybe something warmer, in Luca’s voice.
“How’d you learn all this, anyway?” Darcy walked at a steady pace. “Mechanic and dog trainer seems a very specific combination.”
Luca glanced sideways, his gaze flickering oddly—briefly amber—before turning back to storm-cloud gray. Darcy blinked rapidly, deciding he was hallucinating from caffeine withdrawal. Or hormones. Probably hormones.
“Family thing,” Luca said after a pause. “We stick together. Look out for each other.”
“Family, but not by blood?” Darcy asked, quieter now, pulse tripping faster at the thought of what Luca’s life might really look like.
Luca nodded. “Exactly that.”
The ease in Luca’s voice tugged at something deep inside Darcy, a long-buried ache for belonging. He had his grandma, and he still kept in touch with his dad, but nothing had been the same since his mom passed away a few years back. He’d lost that sense of family, of being a part of something. The people he worked with at the pet store were cool, and his coworkers at the pizza place he worked at on the weekends were nice.
But none of them offered what Luca seemed to have found.
Clearing his throat, Darcy fought to keep his voice casual. “Sounds nice.”
“Yeah.” Luca’s smile was almost reverent. “Nice… and complicated.”
Darcy could sense layers beneath his simple response, mysteries hidden behind his careful gaze. He wanted to ask more, to dig deeper, but a pit bull pawed impatiently at his thigh, demanding attention.
“Sorry, Meatball,” Darcy muttered, scratching the dog’s head awkwardly. “Got distracted.”
Luca watched, expression unreadable. “They like you.”
“Pretty sure they just see me as a pushover,” Darcy retorted lightly. “I’m too scrawny for leadership.”
Luca’s laugh caught Darcy off guard—warm, easy, genuine. “You’d be surprised. Leadership’s not always about muscle.”
“Good thing. Mine are mostly decorative.” Darcy flexed, showing off his twig biceps.
Luca’s gaze lingered, eyes sparking again with that hint of amber. Darcy’s breath caught, his heartbeat erratic beneath his ribs. Maybe he was imagining the glow, projecting his own jittery nerves onto the guy’s face.
“You just need practice.” Luca gently tapped the bicep closest to him. “Want me to walk with you tomorrow? I could show you more.”
Now was he flirting? No, it was just a kind gesture. But who offered to help someone walk dogs? It had to be flirting. It just had to be.
“You’d...do that?” His mouth went dry.
“Sure.” Luca said it casually, like it was no big deal. “Might stop Meatball from chewing tires.”
A sudden burst of laughter escaped. “That tire had it coming, leaning like it was looking for trouble.”
“Damn troublemaking tires.” Luca chuckled quietly, a warm sound Darcy felt right down to his bones. “How about it, then?”
“What?” Darcy frowned. “Are you still talking about tires?’
His damn mind couldn’t stay focused. Not when Luca looked at him that way. It was definitely flirting. Possibly…
“The walk.” Luca rolled his eyes, but Darcy could tell he was just teasing. He liked that. His last boyfriend had been a wet noodle, rarely laughing or even smiling. Luca was a breath of fresh air that Darcy wanted to spend more time with.
“Well, if you insist.” He feigned a dramatic sigh to match Luca’s theatrics.
“Perfect. Meet me by the shop. Early.”
Darcy’s heart pounded traitorously fast. “It’s a date.” He froze, cheeks flaming. “I mean—”
