Love X 2: Duet (Second Chance Romance Boxset)

by Kate Kisset

  The waiter refilled their water glasses, and she took another bite of fish, waiting for the waiter to be out of earshot. “You were still at ASU, though, right? You hadn’t quit the college team or anything?”

  “No, but I slacked off practicing, focusing.” Luca put his fork down. “My stats weren’t what they should’ve been, Danica.” He sighed and looked down at his plate. “I missed my opportunity to get signed with a major, and that’s the real reason I’m here now.”

  “Oh.” Blindsided, she tried to come with something to make him feel better. “Well, my editor is pretty excited about the Crushers. The community is behind you. I’ve never seen Arnold Field so pack—”

  “It’s all good. I can still get signed. I know I can. I will.” His eyes sparkled, and the corners of his mouth curved up. “Did you know Joe DiMaggio played summer ball in Sonoma County?”

  “Yes.” Danica grabbed her pen and notepad, happy for the change of subject. “I just read that yesterday while doing research.”

  Luca nodded. He placed a forkful of steak in his mouth and moaned. The rapturous look on his face shot her imagination into overdrive, imagining the naughty things they could do together to make him feel that way in a different setting.

  She pried her gaze away from his gorgeous face, using every ounce of willpower to get back to her project. “Mr. Harvey suggested a few baseball movies.” She flipped a page in her notepad. “Bull Durham, Eight Men Out, and The Natural.”

  “Good picks.” His eyes shined. “Let me know if you want me to paint your toenails in the bathtub after you see Bull Durham.”

  “That’s a thing for baseball players, huh?”

  “You have no idea what a thing it could be for us.” He winked and put his fork down.

  She couldn’t get over how he could be so boyishly cute and so off-the-charts masculine and commanding at the same time. “Any more movies to add to the list?”

  “How much time do you have? So many. How about Moneyball, and Field of Dreams?” I think you’d enjoy both.” Luca repositioned himself in the chair, put his elbows on the table and leaned toward her. “Now it’s my turn. We can extend the interview to another day. Put the notepad away.”

  Without taking her eyes off him, she tossed her notepad in her purse. With the interview over, she could settle back and enjoy the closeup view of his face illuminated by candlelight. His eyes had turned a deeper color. The moment they stepped inside the restaurant, they’d changed from glistening sapphire to a vivid, liquid lapis.

  “Go for it. Ask me anything.”

  The dimple on his right cheek appeared. “Shall we go back to your bedroom, and the year 2002?”

  Bam. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that…”

  A busser interrupted them to remove their plates. Three women, obviously dressed for a girls’ night out, in short skirts and high heels, approached their table. Following a hostess holding menus, the ladies slowed to a flirty crawl when they spotted Luca. The blonde actually stopped and turned. Flipping her long tresses over a shoulder, her hair gleaming in the dim light, she shifted her weight from one stiletto heel to the other. What was she waiting for?

  The babe’s eyes eventually scrolled over to her. Narrowing her eyes, Danica matched her gaze. Seaming her lips and raising her chin, she locked on the woman’s stare without flinching. Just keep walking. He’s mine. The blonde gave a little sigh, flipped her hair again, and continued on the path to her table.

  “I’ve got another one.” Luca shifted in his chair smiling. “How ’bout the party your brothers had?” His eyes danced in the candlelight. “Your folks were out of town. Remember?”

  “How could I forget?” She let out a quick snort. “The police were called, and I got grounded for six months.”

  “Before the police were called?”

  She drew a curlicue on the table cloth with her finger. “I remember.”

  “Tell the truth, now.” Luca leaned across the table looking exceptionally mischievous. “You wanted to kiss me that whole summer, didn’t you?”

  Danica stifled a grin and casually surveyed the restaurant’s décor.

  “We hung out almost every day. Whenever I stopped by, you were there,” he pressed. “And that night I heard you asking Jess how long I’d stay. I got the distinct feeling you wanted to kiss me as much I wanted to kiss you.”

  “You got me.” She felt heat rush to her cheeks. “I did.”

  Luca practically bounced off his chair. “I knew it!” He beamed. “I had a feeling, but always wondered if I initiated our first kiss. You were such a little sex monster for an eighth grader.”

  “Right. Like I even knew about sex. How do you remember all these little moments in such detail?”

  “They weren’t little to me, Danica. You were my best friend’s smokin’ hot older sister...still are, by the way. You just don’t forget something like that. Ever.” Their eyes remained interlocked for a moment. “Don’t you remember your first kiss?”

  “I do.”

  “Well, there you go—”

  “It was you.”

  “May I interest you in dessert tonight?” The waiter hovered over them.

  They passed. Luca asked for the check and immediately turned back to her.

  “No way.” Luca lowered his voice. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I guess I was embarrassed because I was so inexperienced? Late bloomer?” She shrugged and then smiled remembering the night, and how her heart practically jumped out her skin, she was so thrilled. “Whatever the reason, I’m happy it was you.”

  “That’s kind of you to say, considering I probably drooled all over you.”

  “But you didn’t. You were the perfect first kiss.”

  He grinned. “I hadn’t mastered my kissing finesse. I didn’t even have my driver’s permit yet.”

  “Oh, my God.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “That really puts it into perspective. I honestly didn’t know I was such a perv.”

  “I was technically only thirteen, and you were fifteen.”

  She raised her hand hoping to push the words back into his mouth. “Stop! “You’re making me feel worse!” She flashed on another memory of kissing him in the dark closet at her parents’ house. “You seemed so much older.”

  “Well, I’m a fast learner.” Luca kicked back in his chair, looking smug. “Must’ve been my early growth spurt.”

  “Okay—I don’t know what to say here.”

  The waiter stopped at their table again. She chugged some water while Luca gave him his credit card.

  “Hey, Sexy.” He reached across the table, beckoning with his fingers for her to hold his hand. She clasped it, and he finished his thought. “I loved it. It was the highlight of my life—”

  She tilted her head and surveyed his face for telltale signs of teasing. “Seriously?”

  He nodded, squeezing her hand. “School, homework, baseball practice, and making out with Danica Vargas.”

  His eyes blazed into hers and her heart sank. She should have been more careful with his feelings back then. “I’m so sorry. I really didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

  He reached across the table with his other hand, and she held that one too. “I know you didn’t, Danica—and it doesn’t matter.”

  “It doesn’t?” Luca tickled the inside of her palm with his thumb.

  “No.” His face softened with a smile that lit up the room. “The only thing that matters is what we do now, and where we go from here.”

  They stepped outside, and a warm breeze caressed her bare arms. Jasmine and lemons scented the night air. He held her hand while they strolled through the gardens and back to the fire pit.

  They sat next to each other on the hard granite bench and watched the blue and purple flames tickle the air. Luca put his arm around her shoulder, and she nestled into him.

  “I don’t think we’ve really talked in, what, thirteen years?” Co
ntent basking in the warmth of his body, she let out a long sigh.

  “I saw you last year, at the wine release party at my folk’s house.” He squeezed her shoulder, pulling her closer. “It was only for a second. I was playing bartender.”

  Danica’s stomach turned at the thought of Luca seeing her with Michael that night. Although nothing major happened with Michael besides a few dances, she remembered the party well. It happened right after Sarah's big fight with Jamie. “You were stuck behind the bar the whole night?”

  “Pretty much.” He adjusted the fabric of his pants by his knees. “I tried to find you, but had to be at my girlfriend’s house for her birthday, so I left early.”

  Danica's heart plummeted. She felt so stupid for assuming His Hotness didn't have a girlfriend, but she didn’t have any claim on him. What could she say?

  He cocked his head at her. “I don't have a girlfriend anymore, if that's what you’re wondering. I have a lot of friends, but not one girlfriend, if you know what I mean.”

  “Hmm—” She glanced over at him. “I had a feeling.”

  He leaned over and planted a peck on her cheek. “What about you?”

  What was left of the lulling magic of the wine evaporated in her system, and her body ramped up to high alert. Her stomach gnawed with guilt over Michael. Why did I have to kiss him in his office? She focused on a couple walking in the distance.

  Luca nudged her shoulder. “What about it? Are you dating anyone special?”

  “No. Not dating.” Her brain played ping-pong, as she scrambled to say the right thing. True, she was not dating Michael but wondered if she should mention her crush or their kisses? Were crushes that go nowhere and kisses that mean nothing, worth mentioning? “Of course, anyone I did see, or would see, would be special—”

  “I get it. Of course, but you're not…” He glanced at her left ring finger. “You're not interested in or serious about anyone right now.”

  A little breeze kicked up, and the massive oak tree behind them rustled its leaves. She kept her eyes focused on the flickering flames. “No. I’m not seeing anyone at the moment.”

  “Good” Luca said without a trace of a smile in his voice. “I haven't had nearly enough of you, Danica. Not even one taste of enough.”

  Chapter Six

  After trying to wrap her head around her date with this new Luca, and her undeniable connection with him, Danica reworked the several paragraphs of the Santino Winery story. She could not stretch her creativity any further to make Michael’s biodynamic wine story better than it was. Satisfied, she hit the send prompt and emailed the article to Mr. Harvey. With the task complete and all her hard deadlines off her shoulders, Danica checked the Crushers’ Facebook page for new photos of Danny Deep.

  Clutching her mouse, she leaned in close to the computer screen and zeroed in on a row of thumbnail sized-photos. She clicked the cursor and enlarged an image. Her breath hitched and she sat up.

  The candid shot captured the true essence of Luca in a way no other picture had. Decked out in his navy-blue cap, he gripped the bat with both hands held high, near his shoulders.

  The camera caught him mid-laugh. His unadulterated joy made his one adorable dimple punctuate the most fantastic smile she’d ever seen. His eyes, in spectacular sapphire mode, shot sparks over his shoulder at someone out of the picture.

  Thrilled with her find, she saved it to her desktop and tucked it into her special Fantasy Baseball Dugout Pictures file.

  With a little more time to spare, Danica then searched IMBD and Google for any information on the Bull Durham toenail-painting bathtub movie scene. She double-checked her cable company listings, and made sure the film was available to rent, because she’d made plans to watch it with the girls that evening.

  Mr. Harvey still hadn’t come back to the office after lunch, so she left the Napa Sun at four and pulled into Bella Villa’s driveway by four thirty.

  After changing into shorts and a T-shirt, she half-skipped to the sunny patio by the pool for Chill Hour. Sarah and Juliet waved from their chairs.

  “Your little Wine Club starts earlier and earlier with you girls,” Lulu smiled while approaching the patio from her colorful vegetable garden.

  Juliet and Sarah waited a beat, and then called back in unison, “Chill hour comes at the same time every day!”

  Lulu carried a mountain of plump red tomatoes rolled up in the bottom of her shirt. “I’m making Caprese salad for an appetizer, and I hope there’s a little wine left to go with it.” She headed to the kitchen.

  “Thank you,” Danica yelled, plopping into a wicker chair before Lulu closed the kitchen door.

  Sarah scooted her chair forward to reach the ottoman with her feet. “We only started drinking at three thirty, so it’s not like we’ve been chugging all day.”

  “Hey, I’m not the wine police.” Danica held out her glass, nodding to the bottle of Patz and Hall chardonnay. “Pretty please.”

  She waited for Sarah to pour and turned to Juliet. “You seem happy, or happier today. Did the ratings come out?” A few days ago, she secretly confessed to Danica, she wouldn’t be at all surprised to be fired if the Romo and Juliet Morning Show didn’t do well in the ratings.

  “We’re up. Up, up, up!” Juliet threw back her head, her arms in the air. “I even hit my bonus, so I can finally take some time off!”

  “Thank God!” Danica settled into the chair’s soft cushion. “I knew you could do it, but that ratings system is so strange—it doesn’t seem to matter how good you sound.”

  “I’ll have you know”—rich golden liquid sparkled in her glass as Sarah took a sip—“The Romo and Juliet Show is playing in The Vine Café every morning from five to ten, and you sound awesome!”

  “Thank you. I’m happy to keep you company.” Juliet winked at her, and then cocked her head to Danica. “You’re looking a little elated yourself. Did you have another interview with Michael?”

  “Not exactly.” Danica shifted in her seat. “Sarah, how come you didn’t tell me Luca Santino was using the name Danny Deep?”

  Frowning, Sarah narrowed her eyes. “Everybody knows Luca uses that name.”

  “Well, you could’ve mentioned it to me. Said something like ‘Oh, did you know Jamie and Michael’s brother, Luca, is playing for the Crushers now, and he’s called Danny Deep? Or, Are you going to interview Luca? He’s a good source for your baseball story.’”

  “Why would I?” Sarah shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not like we talk about baseball—ever. And I thought you knew. Besides, I’ve barely seen you to discuss anything since I got back from Tokyo, but I’m sorry. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

  “And that’s where I’m afraid you’re wrong.” Danica waved off a bee buzzing near her glass. “It is a biggie.”

  Juliet put her glass down and leaned over the table to Danica. “Why?”

  Danica turned and straightened the chair’s back pillow. “Because I’m a reporter, and I’m supposed to know these things?” She turned back around to face the woman and wiped a few crumbs of nothing off her lap.

  “No.” Juliet narrowed her eyes. “I can tell by the way you’re squirming, that’s not it. Why is it a biggie for you, personally?”

  Rubbing the rim of her wine glass, Danica sat back in her chair. She considered fibbing, but knew they’d see right through her. She also didn’t want to start lying to them. She’d never done it before. She shook her head in resignation.

  “The number one reason it’s a biggie, Juliet, is because I used to make out with Luca Santino back in the day. We had a thing. Freshman year, to be precise. It started the summer after junior high.”

  Sarah choked.

  Danica held up two fingers. “Two. I’ve kissed Michael. Most recently in his office.”

  Juliet’s jaw dropped. “Holy Shit.”

  Danica added another finger to her count. “Three. I think I was on a date with Luca last night.”
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br />   “Crap.” Sarah’s eyes looked like giant, round dinner plates. “What the hell are you doing?” She pawed at her throat.

  “Hear me out.” Danica gave them the international talk-to-the-hand gesture and crumpled back into her chair. “I did not know what I was doing, and that is the God’s honest truth.”

  Brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, she took a deep breath. “Sarah, you have to swear to me you won’t tell Jamie any of this.”

  Sarah adamantly crossed her arms. “I’m not going to be dishonest with Jamie, but so far, he hasn’t mentioned anything about you and Luca or Michael. But, I can’t believe you really want to lie about this. They’re brothers.”

  Juliet held her hand up. “Wait just a minute. You’re telling us you made out with Michael and Luca and have never mentioned it, not even once?”

  “That’s because Luca and I were kids.” Her voice cracked. Danica dropped her shoulders and felt tears coming. “I’ve had practically zero contact with Luca since ninth grade, until his ball conked me on the head.” She gulped a breath. “I didn’t put two and two together until the Fourth of July party.”

  “So you’re just going to date both of them without telling either one?” Sarah stared at the table.

  “Ugh.” Juliet poured another glass. “Like that’s going to work.”

  “Look, I didn’t know I was on a date with Luca until I got there last night.” Danica waited a beat, hoping at least one of her friends would understand.

  “And Michael has never called me and asked me out on a date, not ever.” Clearing her throat, she reached for her wine glass.

  “I’ve only just happened to run into him at various work-related functions and the occasional family party to which this entire house was invited.”

  “I like the just happen to run into him part.” Juliet smirked. “Come on, you’ve been obsessed with Michael for a year.”