by Kate Kisset
“Maybe, but I didn’t realize Michael is just a flirty flirt, flirt and that’s it. He doesn’t have any real interest in me. The only time I thought we might actually be on a real one-on-one date, we weren’t. And Luca? I can’t believe what’s happening there…”
Sarah sighed. “Tell us about the date last night.”
“Technically I was on the job. Just like most of meetings with Michael, our get-together was work-related. But Luca went out of his way to make it special, and the interview turned into a pretty romantic dinner. Plus, it’s different with him because of our past make out sessions, and the fact he’s known me forever. We technically never dated, because neither of us were old enough to drive. Oh, gawd, my head is spinning.”
“Okay, let’s break this down in the simplest terms.” Juliet rested her elbows on her knees and leaned toward Danica.
“You’ve kissed both guys. Exactly what kind of kissing are we talking about, here?”
Danica rubbed her temples, hoping to quell the beginning of a raging tension headache. “Does teenage kissing count? Because that was as hot and hormonal as it gets.”
“Let’s stick to the past few years and start with Michael.” Juliet rested her glass on the table.
The heat rose from her chest to her neck. Danica turned away from Juliet. How could she be having this conversation? “No tongues with either guy.”
“Okay, that’s a start,” Juliet grinned and scooted her chair a little closer. “Length of kisses?”
“You know the State Department would probably hire you if the morning show thing doesn’t work out.” She crossed her arms and held them against her body.
“Okay, longest with Michael was about four seconds. I was tipsy at a wine tasting and forgot to spit. It was a while ago.” She took a sip of wine and put the glass back on the table.
“There was another kiss at the Harvest Festival, and another at the estate wine release party last year. Kisses were about two seconds, no more than—hold on.” Danica put her hands up, closed her eyes and counted to three under her breath. “No more than three seconds.”
Juliet pursed her lips. “So that’s it?”
“Oh, and of course, there was New Year’s Eve. I’d guestimate three seconds at the stroke of midnight.”
Sarah blinked rapidly like a bug had flown into her eyes. “And that’s all?”
“Yes, other than a few random pecks and smooches here and there, and then when I kissed him in his office. Again, no tongues, and he didn’t seem into it. And that’s it.”
“You’ve been very busy reapplying lip gloss, my friend. I had no idea…” Juliet snuck a glance at Sarah. “What about Luca?”
“Now he, he is a serial kisser—constantly planting them on me before I know what’s happening.” Danica rubbed her neck hoping she wasn’t breaking out in a rash.
“We’ve kissed too many times to count! And it’s so easy with Luca, he acts like it's the most natural thing.” She threw her hands up, exasperated.
“Luca will give me a kiss hello, a kiss just because I’m sexy, another kiss here, a kiss there, a kiss because we’re having potato salad, a please remember me kiss. He kissed me in the hospital!” Danica moved her hand to her heart and patted it.
“I had a head injury for crying out loud, and didn’t even know who he was! Can you imagine?”
Sarah shifted in her chair. “I don’t understand how you didn’t recognize someone you used to make out with.”
“Are you trying to make me feel worse? I feel terrible about it. I should’ve recognized him, but… Luca was the last thing on my mind. I hadn’t seen him forever. His face has filled out, his body isn’t gangly, he’s taller, he’s huge now… And a man instead of boy, he’s different.”
Juliet brushed her arm with a glass of water. “Here, drink some.”
“Thank you.” Danica took the glass and chugged. “I feel awful.”
“Well, you were in the hospital. You had every reason to be distracted and not exactly expecting a paramour from your past to come waltzing in for a visit. But I do have one question.”
Juliet turned to Sarah and then shifted to Danica. “Why don’t I get any kissing?” Juliet pouted. “Is it because I’m the only one without a Santino brother? What have I been missing with these guys?”
“This is getting incestuous.” Sarah chuckled. “I don’t think I can handle any more Santino brothers getting involved with either one of you. Jamie and I might have to move.”
Shaking her head, Sarah checked her phone. “I still think you have to tell them, Danica. At least Luca. These guys are tight, and it’s a close family. To tell you the truth, I don’t know how it’s going fly with either of ’em.”
“I’ll tell them at the proper time. I will. I promise.” But she couldn’t imagine a right time to tell Luca she’d kissed Michael.
How, in the span of only a week, had she managed to find herself careening through life on a zip line? Although her friends meant well, talking about kissing Michael and Luca only made the situation worse. She wasn’t a juggler. She didn’t know how to deal with this. “I just don’t want to hurt anyone, or ruin anything before it’s happened.”
“I get it,” Juliet stated. “But it’s dicey. You really don’t want to piss off either one of these guys.”
“Caprese salad, girls!” Lulu approached holding a big tray of tomato, mozzarella, and basil. There were napkins, silverware and plates on it, along with Lulu’s usual Campari and soda drink.
Lulu set the platter on the table in front of girls and passed out napkins and plates. “Help yourself.”
Danica reached for a napkin. “You didn’t have to do all this, but thank you.”
“Looks yummy.” Juliet spooned a little heap of salad on a plate.
Lulu settled into a chair and sipped her cocktail. “So fill me in, what’s the Chill Hour news of the day?”
Danica’s stomach flipped.
Sarah smoothed the napkin on her lap with both hands and didn’t say a word.
“Danica was just about to tell us which Santino brother she likes kissing more.” Juliet swiveled toward her. “So which is it, Luca or Michael?”
Chapter Seven
Florescent lights buzzed overhead in the break room. Reaching over the stale remnants of day-old cinnamon cake, Danica snagged her You Had Me at Merlot coffee mug and poured a cup. She’d gone to Grace’s Table for lunch, hoping a meal at one of her favorite restaurants would distract her from the Michael-Luca situation. Instead of feeling invigorated, she craved a nap and a lobotomy.
Her plan to enjoy an hour of solitude and a delicious blue cheese wedge salad tore out of the restaurant when hot, sizzling memories of Luca came barging back without warning. His smile. His voice. The long talks at Mom’s kitchen table. The way he holds a bat. His kisses. Then. Now.
Before lunch, after making final edits on her Crushers’ story, Mr. Harvey flung a curve ball. He assigned her a second baseball article and needed a re-tooling of the first. The original piece would now focus on the Crushers team, the other would be an in-depth feature story on Danny Deep.
Mr. Harvey already asked his favorite intern, who worked from home, to help with the second story, and she was thrilled to share another byline with Danica. But after Luca’s heartfelt confession over dinner about losing focus at ASU, Danica wasn’t about to let anyone else take over. She made sure Mr. Harvey agreed she would still conduct all the interviews and do most of the writing. She didn’t care about the byline so much as being worried about Luca being presented in a positive light. And Luca had no problem doing another interview if necessary. All she had to do was ask.
Instead of calling Luca immediately, Danica pulled a few favors from her coworkers, and scored a source from the San Francisco Giants coaching staff. The perspective of a coach would round out the Crushers story. She also called a friend of an acquaintance in the Oakland Athletics sales department, hoping for a lead. Whi
le waiting for their return calls, she opened a new document on her computer and typed:
I believe in soft, wet kisses.
I believe in slow, deep kissing.
I believe in slow kisses that last two weeks.
She gulped a sip of coffee and stared at the screen. Why couldn’t she remember the exact quote Kevin Costner’s movie character said to Susan Sarandon’s in Bull Durham? She shouldn’t have to Google it. Juliet must have repeated the line at least fifty times last night after they watched the movie.
Admonishing herself for procrastinating and knowing full well Bull Durham quotes about kissing had absolutely zero to do with anything, she grabbed her cell phone. Danica bit her lip and hit Luca’s number. Holding her breath, she waited for him to pick up.
“Hey, Sexy, miss me?” His deep, gravelly voice resonated through her. He sounded out of breath.
“I’m actually working on your story, which has turned into two articles. I need a few more quotes from you. Is this a good time?”
“Anytime is good when it comes to you. Come over.”
“To the house?” She rolled her eyes, hating the way her voice squeaked in panic, and lowered her pitch. “Your parents’ house?”
“Yes, the same humble abode where I kissed you on the Fourth of July. Our best kiss so far, this round, wouldn’t you agree? But only because it was the longest.”
She scanned the room, hoping her coworkers wouldn’t notice the blowback of her exploding hormones. Just him mentioning their kisses made her breathe a little faster. You’re at work. What is wrong with you? She grabbed a pencil. “We can do this now. I’m at my desk.” She scribbled on her notepad. “I don’t want you to go out of your way.”
“Are you afraid I'll seduce you in my bedroom? Because I'll only do that if you ask nicely.”
The heat from her neck flushed up to her face. “Funny—”
“It's happened with us before, and funny is not the way I recall the encounter.” His voice drilled straight to her panties. “When can you get out of there?”
Danica checked the old analog clock hanging over the printing presses. “Twenty minutes?”
“Perfect. I’ll be waiting.”
Danica started the car and cranked the stereo full blast. But Bruno Mars blaring When I Was Your Man couldn’t penetrate her fog of nerves.
She navigated out of the Napa Sun parking lot to California Street with the steering wheel in a death grip. Five minutes away from the Santino Estate, she relaxed her fingers, inhaling deeply, concentrating only on the road and the vineyards.
With Michael Santino safely away in Italy, she didn’t need to worry about running into him. She could get lucky and find the Santino house empty. Maybe she’d have privacy to go over her questions with Luca.
She fought to steer her brain away from sweaty skin-on-skin memories of her and Luca in her old purple bedroom. Even though they’d kept most of their clothes on, and didn’t go all the way, she could only imagine how they’d be together now, how perfectly they’d fit, and how her body would respond. It didn’t help that she now knew his kisses, his touch, his voice, his body, his everything, had only become more scorching with age.
Exasperated, she shook her head, demanding her brain stay in work mode, and forcing herself to run through the interview questions until she pulled into the Santino driveway. When she got out of the car, the late afternoon sun blasted her with heat. Shooting for an air of confidence, she held her head high and marched up the steps to the magnificent front door and knocked.
“Hold on. I'm coming.” Luca's voice came from the other side of the door.
He opened the door, and her breath caught at the sight of him shirtless with a towel wrapped around his waist. What little confidence she had about staying on point wilted. Thanks to that point sticking out under his towel.
He gave her a devilish once-over. “Come on in, Sexy.”
After stepping inside, before she could get a word out, her cheek was resting on his cool, damp chest. He hugged her so tight, she accidentally pressed up against his bulge. Sweet baby Jesus. When they broke from the hug, Luca offered his hand, and she searched his eyes before grasping it. Did he know how his half-naked body affected her?
“I just took a dip.” He winked and then led her through the great room. “I'm sure we have an extra suit around here if you'd like to cool off before our interview.”
“No thanks, I'm good.” Danica said entering the warm kitchen rich with the mouthwatering aromas of garlic and basil.
“That's it. I can’t take it anymore.” Luca linked his arms around her waist and drew her close.
The faint scent of chlorine tickled her nose before she looked up. This time she saw it coming and she tilted her head to meet his kiss. He pulled her up by the waist onto her tiptoes. His lips, cool from the swim, pressed against hers, and heated to a slow burn. Danica closed her eyes, and he held her closer against him until the kiss turned into fire. Locked in his strong embrace, and lost in a kiss she wanted to last forever, she felt her knees gave out.
“Hmm.” His deep voice vibrated through her cells. “Delicious.” He kissed her on the nose like an exclamation point. “Mom,” Luca called to the stove area.
Danica stared, stunned, at Madeline Santino’s blue, paisley-covered back and felt the blood from her face rush to her toes. She hadn’t noticed her standing there.
Please don’t say anything about Michael.
Although Maddie had no reason to mention him, Danica’s heart squeezed with worry anyway. She had spent a lot of time with Michael at several Santino parties, and even danced with him in front of her. Hopefully Michael hadn’t mentioned anything to her.
“Aren’t you going to say hi to Danica, Mom?”
“Of course, honey, always a treat.” Maddie stashed her wooden spoon on the counter and wiped her hands on her apron. Rushing across the room, she gave Danica a warm hug. Can she feel me trembling? Pulling back, Maddie found Danica’s hand and held it. “I guess this means you've forgiven Luca for that horrible accident.”
“Absolutely, it’s all in the past.”
It seemed unnatural to feel nervous around Maddie, a woman she’d known forever, and she didn’t like it. Luca and Jess’s friendship wasn’t the only bond between the Vargas family and the Santinos. All the Santino boys attended Napa Elementary with her brothers. Brandon hung out with Leo Santino, and her oldest brother, Matthew had, for a time, with Michael. As far back as she remembered, there had always been at least one Santino in her environment, and Maddie was usually nearby.
She scanned over the family room couch to Luca near the French doors. He nodded to the outside patio. “Let's sit by the pool.”
“Come back inside if you get hungry,” Mrs. Santino called out on her way back to the stove.
The serene quiet of the manicured yard and gardens amplified the sound of busy bees and the low hum of the pool cleaner. She rustled the leaves of a lavender bush with her foot, and its sweet scent filled her nose.
Luca, taking long, self-assured strides, led her to two lounge chairs tucked under an umbrella next to the pool. “You sure you don’t want me to find a suit for you?” He flung off his towel off like a waiter displaying a dessert tray.
Did he have to be so obviously comfortable displaying his body?
Spreading out on the lounger like an Adonis in navy blue trunks, he patted the recliner next to him. “Make yourself comfortable.” Two glasses of ice water and suntan lotion sat on the table between them. “Let’s do this.”
Danica kicked off her heels and maneuvered into an uncomfortable position on the lounger. “How long have your folks lived here?” she asked, trying to divert her attention from his rock-solid thighs. “I remember my mom used to drive you home to one of the alphabet streets near us in town.”
“G Street, and don’t pretend you don’t know which house,” Luca twisted the cap off the suntan lotion. “I know for a fact you sta
lked me. Frequently.”
The fragrances of orange blossom and coconut teased and tickled her senses. She tried not to stare or notice how the oil made his muscles stand out so much they looked edible while he slathered his chest.
Even though she had no reason to feel guilty, she did, and with a queasy stomach, she scanned the premises for Michael.
Luca motioned to the house. “They moved here after my senior year of high school. You were long gone by then.”
“Sonoma State is in Santa Rosa, it’s not like I left the country,” she said straightening the front of her skirt.
“They built this place up, little by little. Put the pool in about five years ago.” Luca rubbed the lotion over his biceps. He caught her looking, and a grin the size of the Napa sky stretched his mouth, and there was his dang dimple again.
How am I going to get through this interview? She pried her eyes away from him and focused on the pool. “Feel good to be home?”
“I’m only parked here until I find a place, but yeah, I’m glad there’s room for me. They wanted a house big enough for all of us. Wives, kids...you know, a family compound.” He turned to her. “You don’t look very comfortable there, Ms. Prim.”
Danica cautiously put her feet up, keeping her knees together, and pulling her hem down toward them. “If I knew I’d be sitting out by a pool today, I wouldn’t have worn a skirt.” She pointed to the towel Luca had discarded. “Could you toss that to me?”
“Not gonna do it. It would ruin my view.”
She steadied a glare, waiting for the towel, and then raised her eyebrows.
With a resigned sigh, Luca got up, grabbed the towel, and sauntered to her chair. Crouching over her, he meticulously placed the nubby fabric over her legs, and then snuck his hand up under the towel and squeezed her thigh.
The view of Luca touching her, combined with the sensation of his strong hand wrapped around her moist skin, fired every nerve in her body. “Ahem.”
“Just making sure you were properly covered,” he said grinning. “Better?”
“Thank you.” She reached into her bag and pulled out her notepad.
