by Kate Kisset
“Oh. So now you remember?” Luca teased. She was trying to ignore the rib, but gave herself away with a glimmer of a smile. She pointed to his teammates, who were approaching carrying rakes, garbage bags, and equipment.
He took one last rub of her thigh and then tapped it. “Cleanup crew is here. To be continued.” After grabbing his bat bag, he got up and swung it over his shoulder. “And I know you remember what we did on your bed that day…”
He waited for her to gather her belongings. They left the dugout and headed to the parking lot side by side. She suddenly tilted her head up and caught him staring. “I have absolutely no recollection of whatever it is you’re hallucinating about.”
“Whatever you say.”
“I’m over here.” She pointed to an old white Beemer a few yards away. “I didn’t get much for my interview,” she said rummaging in her purse. He’d hoped she’d say that. Now she knew who he was and they’d bantered a little, the way they used to, maybe she felt comfortable being around him again.
“Quite a shame. I guess that means we’ll have to see each other again tomorrow.”
“Here?” She leaned back against the car door, tempting him. She had no idea what kind of effect she had on his body. Danica’s demeanor was like an invitation to a raging kissing party. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow’s good, but not here, too many distractions.” He placed his hands on either side of her, bracing against the car. “Let’s do it over dinner.” Her eyes looked like caramel, and the way she looked at him... “God, you are gorgeous.” He put his bat bag down and reached around her waist.
Danica squirmed a little, but didn’t break their gaze or try to move away. “Just a few questions before tomorrow, so I can get a head start tonight, okay?”
“So that’s how you’re going to play this?”
She tilted her cute chin up at him. “How many times do you get to first?”
“Ha! Loaded question!” He moved closer and waited a beat. “Too many to count.” She smiled up at him, still not moving from his arms. “And I don’t always stop at first. Sometimes I go straight to third…” He slipped his hand off her waist down to her butt cheek and squeezed. Please don’t be mad.
She grabbed his hand from behind and, shockingly, held it. Every part of her body, face, mouth, eyes, seemed to be greenlighting him.
“And sometimes I hit a home run.” He whispered, close enough to brush his mouth against her ear. He let his lips trail around to the sweet spot behind it and kissed.
She pushed him away, and he stepped back.
“What? We’re just getting started.”
“I can’t believe you just kissed me. Again!” His heart stopped until he caught the familiar flash of excitement in her eyes and the curve of her smile. She giggled before getting into her car and unrolling the window.
“Some things change, Danica, but many don't.” He braced a hand above her window and leaned in. “There is absolutely no way you would ever be upset by a kiss from me.”
She harrumphed, reaching into her glove compartment. Her cheeks looked a little pink, and her hand trembled when she passed her business card through the window. “You’ll need this to call me tomorrow.”
“No need, I already have your number.”
Chapter Five
Danica read Luca’s text at least thirty times since it pinged on arrival that morning. The eight hours she’d spent behind the computer at the Napa Sun seemed like twenty. Jittery tingles coursed through her veins, and she tried to keep a straight face in front of her coworkers while sneaking another peek:
Sexy,
Valley of the Moon Inn
Fire pit
Dinner 7:00
What are you wearing right now?
Danica arrived home from work and got ready for her dinner-date-meeting without uttering a word about her tête–à–tête to Lulu or Juliet. And if Sarah got wind of anything involving Luca, she’d march straight to Jamie and blab, so Danica stayed in her room and kept her jumbled nerves private. Heading out the door, she flung a wave to her roommates, promising to be home right after an important business meeting.
Against Luca’s protestations, she insisted on driving herself. No matter how many butterflies banged around in her tummy, insisting this was a date, this was officially the second half of the interview they started yesterday. Though she’d be the first to admit Luca’s choice of location, the romantic Valley of the Moon Inn, along with his text, completely threw her off.
Driving from the other side of town with the windows rolled down, she took a deep, cleansing breath and exhaled.
While keeping both her sweating palms on the wheel and focusing on the traffic ahead of her, Danica rattled off the interview questions she needed answered. She promised herself she’d find a way to wrangle control over Luca. Mr. Harvey rode her tail all day, asking for updates.
With her Beemer barely moving an inch a minute in traffic, her mind swerved to the facts. Luca technically played for a living, and did a lot of kissing during his off hours. In the past, granted, long ago, Luca was nothing like Michael, but in the past few days he’d planted more kisses on her than she’d been kissed the whole year: A kiss on the forehead in the hospital room, the major, earth-rattling, you-remember-me kiss at the Fourth of July party, and a kiss behind the ear yesterday.
The large water tower and blush stucco buildings of the Valley of the Moon Inn came into view, and her stomach churned. Clenching the wheel, she surveyed the property and pulled into the driveway. Everything about the place screamed wild monkey sex date.
There wasn’t a leaf out of place. The giant heritage oak trees twinkled against the powder blue sky with thousands of fairy lights. Enormous pots contained profusions of white geraniums and dark purple lavender. Pristine oyster shell paths meandered through formal clipped hedges.
A valet scurried to her car, and she pried her hands off the wheel to hit the unlock button.
“Staying with us this evening, Miss?” The attendant opened her door.
“Absolutely not. This is business.” Danica replied, more sharply than she intended while getting out of the car. “Sorry,” she apologized handing over her keys. “Just nervous, I guess.”
He bowed his head. “Not a problem. How may I direct you?”
Danica straightened the hem of her dress and threw back her shoulders. “Fire pit?”
“May I escort you?”
Danica shifted unsteadily and opted for alone time to get her bearings. “No, thank you. If you could just point me in the right direction?”
“Certainly. Just follow this path.” He indicated a white gravel footpath running between the dark green hedges. “It will be on your right.”
“Thank you.” Danica sighed, taking her time down the path attempting to calm herself.
She spotted him in a nonchalant pose, sitting on the bench near the fire pit, and her heart stopped. Any inkling of serenity flew out the window.
Although he was dressed casually, and wore a short-sleeved silky shirt with awesomely cut pants that seemed to hug his built-for-bad-body in all the right places, there was nothing casual about him. Luca oozed confidence and assuredness while he sat checking his phone like he owned the place. He glanced up. Their eyes met, and he grinned while rising. Danica couldn’t help beaming and had to hold herself back from breaking into a gallop and running into his arms.
Luca reached for her hands, and she grabbed hold of his. “You found it.”
“Hi.”
He tilted his head, and his smile lit up memories all the way back to the summer she went to every one of his games when he and Jess were on the same team. Goosebumps rushed over her skin. She’d forgotten the way he used to look at her. He couldn’t possibly mean to make her feel so...adored...with just a look. Not after all this time. Besides, she obviously excelled at misreading men. Before she could blink, or utter a syllable, Luca tugged her hands, making her move closer to his
body.
In an instant, his lips touched hers and locked on for a tender kiss that shook her. He wrapped his arms around her and moved his mouth to her neck. “You are magnificent, Danica.” She wanted to compliment him, too, but had misplaced her ability to think. Or speak.
“Who are you? I mean, should I call you Luca, or Danny?”
He reached for her hand. “You can call me Luca, the paper calls me Danny.”
With his hand clasped tightly around hers, he led her into a charming restaurant.
Their entrees and wine arrived almost immediately. Luca leaned back in his chair across the table and settled into her with a concentrated stare. Mimicking the intensity of his gaze, she stared back. Luca didn’t flinch. Instead, he kept his lock on her steady and even, like he was trying to peel off her layers and penetrate her soul. Her heart pounded nervously, and she looked down at the napkin on her lap. The temperature of the room shot up ten degrees.
“How are you parents?”
Her gaze flew up to meet his. “Er—um… Good, I guess.”
“I’m sorry about their split.” Taking a deep breath, he tilted his head back and stretched his neck. “I couldn’t believe it when Jess told me.”
“I don’t know what’s going on. They’re not even legally separated.” She sighed. “My dad is still over there all the time…”
“Think they’ll get back together?”
“Who knows?” Danica tasted the Pinot Noir and savored the delicious explosion of berry flavors trickling down her throat. “Mom is out of her mind, so I’ve been getting her out of the house as much as possible. Movies, shopping, dinner—anything… She still won’t tell me what happened. I don’t know if I should be mad at my dad for fooling around on her, or what the heck happened. It’s infuriating.”
“My bet is they’ll get back together.” Luca straightened. “Look, if they were really going to break up, it would’ve already happened. And the fact that she’s not bad-mouthing him is a good sign.” He reached past the votive candle and caressed her arm, leaving a trail of flames wherever he touched. “It’ll be okay,” he said, rubbing gently.
Struck by his tenderness, and the relief of having someone who’d known her parents since childhood to talk to, she barely got the words out. “Thank you, Luca.”
“Shall we get your interview questions out of the way?” He squeezed her arm. “So we can move on to a more exciting topic?” There was that one dimple in his right cheek again.
Stealing a quick glance at the couple next to them, Danica wondered if they could see the sparks flying off her. “I don’t know what other topic of conversation you have in mind”—she reached into her purse and grabbed her notebook and pen—“but okay, let’s get started.”
A waiter interrupted to top off their water glasses. She waited for him to leave before asking, “How’d you end up back in Sonoma?”
Luca held the stem of his glass and gently twirled it. The burgundy-colored liquid swirled up the sides of the goblet. “They offered me the gig, and I took it.” He took a sip.
“Okay, short answers won’t cut it.” She frowned at him, and he chuckled. “Let’s try this one. Did you take the job with the Sonoma Crushers to be close to your family?”
“I was a little lonely, playing so far from home, and you know I’m still tight with my family, right?”
Swiveling her head, checking to see if anyone could hear, she whispered, “It doesn’t matter what I know. People want to know what you think and read your words. Be professional.” She held up her pen. “That’s the whole point of me writing this story—Sheesh.”
“Why are you acting so paranoid?” Suddenly pivoting, Luca waved to the man and woman seated at an adjacent table. They turned to him with blank expressions, poised for a question.
Waves of heat rippled up Danica’s neck, and she brushed invisible crumbs off the tablecloth. Why did I think it was remotely possible to take control of an interview with him?
“Hi, I’m Luca Santino.” He tipped his glass to them. “And this is Danica Vargas, I had a crush on her in junior high—actually, all the way through high school, too.”
“You did not. Not through high school.”
The couple seemed amused and raised their glasses.
Danica gave them an awkward smile, and the couple went back to their meals.
“I don’t know why you’re acting like this is a big secret. You cleared it with your boss,” Luca whispered across the table. Then he raised his voice. “It’s perfectly acceptable for you to conduct an interview and date me at the same time.”
“Okay, okay.” She tried to hide her elation by casually reaching for her water, but the water in her glass almost slopped over in her trembling hands. “I wasn’t sure this was a date.” Feeling his eyes following her every move, she carefully downed a gulp of water without spilling and carefully returned the glass to the table.
Seconds ticked by. He’d just confirmed what she already knew, but didn’t want to admit. They weren’t here to stick to the facts about baseball, and they weren’t here to reminisce about days gone by in their teens. Luca wasn’t going to play that game, and had cut to the chase within twenty minutes. This was undeniably a date. Sort of.
“Can we please get to the interview?” She tucked her hair behind her ears. “I have a career too, you know.”
The waiter deposited their meals. Filet of Wild Atlantic Striped Bass for her, and Niman Ranch Beef Petite Filet Mignon, for him. Danica adjusted her position, straightening her back against the chair, hoping to regain a modicum of composure. Even if this was more of a date and less of an interview, or half-date and half-interview, she should have the mental capacity to share a meal without becoming discombobulated.
After taking a bite, Luca’s gaze came back to her. “Where were we?”
She swapped her fork for her pen. “Why are you on a Sonoma team?”
“Because there’s no better place on earth, and it’s minutes away from Oakland and San Francisco.”
“So which is it? Oakland Athletics or San Francisco Giants? Pick your dream team.”
“No way. Not a chance,” he said shaking his head. “I’d be thrilled with either organization, but could be persuaded to sign with any major.”
The delicate wine warmed going down, and a buzzy sensation took hold of her. She should’ve eaten more than just a banana for lunch. “What do you think about when you’re at bat?”
The laugh lines around his eyes deepened. “That depends on whether you’re sitting behind me in the bleachers checking out my ass.”
“How do you know I’m checking out your ass if I’m sitting behind you and you can’t see me?”
“Because I can feel you, Danica.” He wiped a grin with his napkin. “Most of the time, I can feel you.”
“And your ass?” she blurted. “Can it feel me when I’m looking at it?”
“Oh, my God.” He burst out laughing. “You haven’t changed at all. Let’s talk about your ass. It felt superb yesterday.”
“I’d rather talk about high school.”
His eyes sparkled. “High school? Why that’s so far back, I can’t even remember who I kissed or what I did way back then.”
“Touché. Continue, please.” She bit back a smile. “Tell me about your baseball experiences in high school.”
“As you know, I attended a private Catholic high school in Napa known for its excellent athletic program.” He hesitated, scrutinizing his glass. “I’d always fooled around with baseball, from Little League on up, but got serious about it in high school.” He paused, taking a sip. “That’s where I got the first indication of how great baseball could be. What a good player I could be.”
The waiter poured a little more wine in their glasses, and they each went back to their meals.
“Good?” Luca caught her with a mouth full of food, so she simply nodded.
Finally, she swallowed. “But when did you become s
erious enough to consider baseball as a profession?”
“I was scouted in high school.” Shrugging, he cast his eyes down. “I had the stats, was a decent prospect, but didn’t take any long-term opportunities seriously.”
She couldn’t imagine Luca being cavalier about anything. He practically lived on the baseball field while they were growing up. It’s one of the things she remembered most about him from then. Well that, and all the kissing… “Were you afraid? Once success became less of a dream and more of an actual possibility?”
“I don’t know.” All traces of a smile left his face. “I don’t think I was ready to make a career decision. The thought of signing a contract and committing to a team threw me. In high school, I wasn’t ready to do much of anything except play. Just immaturity, I guess.”
“Hmm…” Danica took another bite, employing an interview technique Mr. Harvey taught her, silence.
“It happened again in college. I took my eye off the ball, so to speak,” he said, downing the rest of the wine in his glass. “My dad flew down to Phoenix.” His voice softened. “You sure you want to get into this?”
“I do.” Surprising herself, and because she couldn’t resist how vulnerable and sweet he looked, she reached across the table and squeezed his hand. Remembering her deadline, she drew her hand back and picked up her pen. “I won’t write anything you don’t want me to, but tell me. What happened?”
“I thought my parents, my dad especially, wanted me to work in the family business. I’m the youngest—”
“I know.”
“The winery was in the early stages, and it was all my parents talked about, all they worked for, the only topic discussed at home.” Luca held up his hand. “Wait!” He pointed to her pen. “Please don’t write that. My mom would kill me.”
“You got it.” Danica placed the pen on the tablecloth. “Now, finish the story.”
“Of course, family was always my parents’ first priority, but growing the wine business was their passion. Michael went to Davis for viticulture and enology—and even though my folks encouraged me to play, I didn’t think they really wanted me to become a professional athlete. It seemed too risky, and I owed them much more, but I was wrong. I had their full support the whole time. Just didn’t know it.”
