Letters To Luca

by M. R. Joseph

  “Leighton, oh, God, here I come baby, come with me. Let me feel you, let me see you. Look at me, Leighton, look at me as you come.” I do just that. Open mouthed and letting all my emotions come to grips with the reality of being so intimate with this man. He reaches down between us and begins to circle my clit with his thumb and almost instantly, my orgasm ripples through me as I cry out. I don’t stop riding him, I continue as I come, and I feel his cock harden and then hear him wail from the pleasure.

  I ride out the rest of my orgasm and he buries his face in my hair, holding on to me for dear life, tightly as though I might fly away if he doesn’t.

  We stay like that quietly for what seems like forever and he rocks me in his arms. I get up from my straddling position and lay back down beside him. He disposes of the condom in the trashcan beside my bed and we both lay there, satisfied and sated. He intertwines our hands together and brings mine up to kiss it.

  “Promise me something, Leighton.”

  “What do you need me to promise you, Luca?”

  I stare into his beautiful brown eyes.

  “Promise me that it will always feel like this. We can make this work. I need you to believe in this, in this connection we have. I want to give this a shot. I want you to trust me, I’m not like the others, there is more here than this, and I want to prove myself to you.”

  In all my years of loving him, all my years of writing those stupid letters, admiring him from a far, I don’t think I would ever be prepared to hear these words from him. I think back to laying on my bed at my parents’ house as a teenager, wishing he were mine, praying he would one day wake up and notice the silly girl in the baseball cap and sunglasses. I can’t go back and change it, so I’ll live in this moment for now.

  “I promise, Luca. I want this to happen to. It’s all I ever wished for.” Oh, shit. What did I just say?

  “All you ever wished for? What do you mean, sweetheart?” He looks at me a bit confused but sweetly at the same time. I need to cover up that blunder and hope I never slip like this again.

  “I mean, with all the trouble I’ve had with men, especially Michael, it’s just… I wished for honest feelings from someone. Genuine feelings. You know what I mean?”

  “Yes, I do. I absolutely do. This is going to work, Leighton. You and me. Got it?” He kisses my hand again and I melt.

  “Got it.”

  I hear someone call my name.

  “Leighton, you here? Leightybug?” It’s Kenzie. If Wes is with her, I’m not sure how he will react to seeing Luca naked and hot in my bed. Oh, God he’s so naked and hot in my bed.

  “Luca, It’s Kenzie. Stay here. I’ll be right back.” I grab my robe, wrapping it around me and head out into the living room.

  “Hey, good morning. Where were you? Where’s my brother?” I’m breathless and a little shaken.

  “Well, good morning to you, too. Wes is outside surveying the damage that the storm caused last night. Um, what were you doing in there? You look flushed and a little out of breath. Leighton, do you have a hot, baseball playing bar slash restaurant owner in your room?” She places her hands on her hips and taps her foot at me.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was sleeping.”

  “Yeah, I bet that’s not what you were doing. How was he, tell me, now, tell me, tell me. Did he take a swing and a miss or was it a home run?” She asks me a little too excited.

  “Oh for Christ’s sake, Mackenzie.”

  “Oh, please. What are you afraid of, Leighton, Wes finding out? Been there, knows about it. After we left here last night, he took me to eat and back to his house and we talked for hours. He suspected there may be something between you two and he doesn’t care. He really likes Luca.”

  The dread of my brother finding out about us leaves me and I’m relieved. On que, Luca steps out of the bedroom shirtless with just his shorts hanging down to reveal that sexy as fuck ‘V’ and those gorgeous tattoos. His torso is so long, slender but muscular. He has a runners body, built to last, built for fucking sin, and I’ve had that… twice. Yep. Me. Yay, me!

  “Good morning, Kenzie. Did you have a good night?”

  She strolls into the kitchen, still eyeing my man and practically drooling.

  “My night was fantastic. I’m in love, and it’s glorious.” She says in a sing-song tune. “What about you guys? Get any sleep? I blush, Luca does as well, and I see Wes appear at the door and wait for the shit to hit the fan. He slides open my door and greets us.

  “Mornin guys. That was a hell of a storm last night. Luca, you have a few shingles hanging down. I’ll fix them as soon as I can. Morning, Leightybug.” He walks over to me and kisses my far head, then goes into the kitchen, sweeps Kenzie off her feet and plants a big, huge kiss on her. Am I in the Twilight Zone, or does my brother not care that Luca Ferro is standing in my living room half naked after an all-night bang fest? I shake my head and look over at the two of them nose to nose, cuddling in my kitchen, and for some un Godly reason, it annoys me.

  “Wesley, do you even care that Luca is here, half his clothes are on, and he looks like a tornado just went through his hair? Don’t you have anything to say?” He kisses Kenzie on the nose, releases her and goes to stand in front of Luca.

  “Luca, you like my sister?”

  “I’m crazy about her, Wes.”

  “Will you be good to her, treat her right, like a lady, hold doors open for her, order dinner for her at a restaurant, let her pick a sappy girl movie out once in a while, and not put up with any of her shit?”

  “All of the above, Wes. All of the above.” Wes sticks out his hand to shake Luca’s. Luca takes it willingly.

  “Good. Now let’s go eat breakfast. I’m starving.” Wes walks back to the kitchen, grabs Kenzie by the hand, and pulls her outside.

  Luca and I stand there, dumbfounded then start to laugh.

  “Well then that’s settled.” He says on his way over to me.

  “What’s settled?” I ask him.

  “Us. You and me. We got the big brother’s approval, next we’ll move on to the dad.”

  He grabs my face tenderly and kisses me softly on the lips.

  “Go get ready. I’m hungry.” He smacks my butt and goes out the door towards his place and inside I’m dancing, jumping for joy and wondering how I got so lucky.

  After I get dressed I meet everyone at the parking spots behind the quad. Grace and James are there and Grace comes over and squeezes me. She whispers in my ear.

  “A little birdy told me you got laid by the hot baseball player last night.”

  I look over to Kenzie who shrugs.

  “Good news travels fast, huh?”

  “I want details later, Leightybug. I need details.” I nod at her and make my way over to Luca’s car. He’s standing by the passenger’s side, holding the door open for me, just like he promised Wes.

  “Your chariot awaits, Ms. Parks.” I go on my toes and give him a peck on the cheek. He makes an ‘awe’ sound and places his hand on the cheek I just kissed.

  “I’ll never wash this cheek again.” I roll my eyes at him, climb in and we take off for breakfast.

  These past few weeks with Luca have been the best of my life. We have been spending so much time together, and it’s been amazing. He’s amazing. He’s funny, smart, considerate, gorgeous, everything I ever hoped he would be. We have fallen in a good routine. We switch staying at each other’s places every night, except when he’s working late, he usually sneaks in my place and crawls into my bed and wraps his arms around me, kisses my shoulder, and falls asleep. He works really hard, and I’m proud of him. He told me once that he used to not take any time off. He felt bad about it if he did. I told him that was silly and he deserved it. Luca told me he never had a reason to spend any time away from the restaurant. He would go home to an empty house if he wasn’t out coaching baseball, or he would go see his family. He told me now he had a reason to come home. It was me. I was his reason. I’ve never been
someone’s reason, and I still can’t believe that every night I’m spending it with Luca Ferro, in my bed, holding me, making love to me, just existing with me. Oh and speaking of in bed, yeah, the sex is fan-fucking-tastic, but it’s not what this is all about. Us. We are so much more. Growing into so much more. It’s a relationship, a solid one.

  I’ve been busy myself. Today is the day my new book gets released and the buzz from Katherine is, it’s going to hit #1. My book advance was more than I anticipated and I can’t believe I am where I am with it. Today I have some phone interviews to do. All the reviewers want a picture of me, and they are not getting it. Katherine came up with the idea to use a stock image photo of someone and use that so I can remain anonymous. I know I’ll have to reveal myself to the world someday, I’m just not ready. Luca will know who I am, he’ll want to read the books because he takes an interest in everything I do. Once he does, I’ll have to explain it all to him. I’m the girl who wrote the letters to him in high school and college. I’m the one who decided to base her books on those letters. I made copies of every one of them when they were written. I used them as resources for my books. Just a glance at a page, and I know he’ll know. I keep all my files hidden in a locked filing cabinet in the spare bedroom, and I make sure I work when he isn’t around. I hate it, I truly do, but I’d hate us not being together because of it even more. That’s the only thing that scares me, this dishonesty I have about me being the girl with the letters. I won’t hurt him. I’ll have to tell him all the reasons behind them, and pray he will understand. For now, I’ll keep it all to myself.

  After my interviews and a two hour phone chat with Katherine about upcoming things with the book release, I’m ready for my nightly walk on the beach. Tonight it will have to be without Luca. He’s working late. It’s Friday night which means Ocean City in the summer is hopping, and it also means a tired Luca, which also means, no nooky for Leighton.

  I take my stroll on the beach at dusk. It’s a beautiful night. People are still out walking their dogs, some surfers are out, and few little kids were still digging in the sand with their families. The sky has a purple haze to it, and the sun is about to set and I’m missing Luca. I shouldn’t feel like this, so attached already, but he’s been a part of me for so long, it feels natural.

  It’s getting dark so I make my way back up to my place. Tonight I think Chinese food and ‘Notting Hill’ for my movie choice will be it for me. When I get to the porch I see in front of my door a heart made out of sea shells. I look to my left, then to my right. No one’s here. I carefully step over the shells and open my door. As I enter, I see a trail of more sea shells go from the living room, down the hall way to where my bedroom is. I instantly smile and my belly tightens. It’s very quiet, but as I walk one foot in front of the other, following the trail, I can’t help to feel the anxiousness of what’s behind my bedroom door. I turn the knob slowly. When I push it open, there on my bed is my gorgeous, Italian baseball player. My heart stops. It literally stops when I see those big brown eyes stare up at me. He flashes me his trademark sexy smile, and I think I’ll need resuscitation. Luca’s sitting, legs criss-crossed on the bed. A picnic quilt covers it, take out containers of food are displayed. A bottle of what looks like my favorite wine is in an ice bucket with two wine glasses next to it are on my end table.

  “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

  “I’m on my dinner break. I thought maybe you’d be hungry.”

  “Dinner break? You don’t take dinner breaks, Luca Ferro. What’s this all about?”

  He shrugs those broad shoulders of his, “Nothing. I was hungry.” He pats the seat next to him on my bed and holds out his hand for me. I make my way to the bed and take his hand. He still has a hold on my hand and brings it up to his lips to kiss the back of it.

  “You are a liar. You never eat the food at the restaurant. What’s going on, seriously?”

  He laughs and shakes his head. “Ok, fine. I missed you. I haven’t seen you in two days.”

  “What do you mean you haven’t seen me? You slept in my bed last night.”

  “That doesn’t count. You were asleep when I got home from work, and I slipped out this morning before you woke up. I went for a run, then had to go to the restaurant for a delivery. It doesn’t count.”

  I touch his cheek with my hand, and stroke his stubble. He’s wearing his Lucky’s polo uniform shirt and I see his Blessed Mother Tattoo peeking out. I trace it with my other hand. I gaze up into those brown eyes of his, and melt. Instantly.

  “Can I ask why the Blessed Mother and what is with the date. 9/29/99?”

  “Well, in my very catholic family, we believe in the power of the Virgin Mary. We prayed to her when my mom was sick, and she did get better, for a little while. Cancer is a son of a bitch. When it came back, we knew that all the prayers in the world wouldn’t save her, but it didn’t stop us from believing. My mom prayed to her every night. In Italian she would say the Hail Mary. She said it every night up until the night she passed away.”

  “9/29/99, I’m assuming?” I grab his hand and gently caress his knuckles. He nods at me yes, and he doesn’t have to say another word.

  “Do you want to talk about her? I’d love to know everything about her. What was her name?”

  “Mia. It means mine in Italian. She was beautiful, and sweet, and loving. I think I miss her even more now than I ever did.”

  “Can you tell me why that is?” He runs his hand over his beautiful face and sighs.

  “Because she will never know you, and that hurts knowing that she would of loved you.”

  His words enter my heart, and make it beat stronger and faster.

  “Oh, Luca. I know I would of loved her too because she was a part of you.” He smiles at me and shakes his head. I can see tears form in his eyes, but he doesn’t let them fall.

  “Okay, enough of that. I’ll tell you stories another time.”

  “Luca? I want you to know I missed you too. So, what did you bring me to eat?”

  “Your favorites. Fettuccine and Shrimp in Alfredo sauce, Caprice salad, chocolate lava cake for dessert. Did I do good?” I nod at him and he starts to dish out the food onto a plate for me. He pours me a glass of my favorite Sauvignon Blanc. We sit across from each other on my bed, eating pasta, drinking wine, and just simply talking. He tells me how busy it was at the restaurant and he was tired. We discussed my parents coming home from Europe next week, and how Wes and Kenzie were hot and heavy. Every weekend he would make the trip to Philadelphia to see her. He met her parents and they fell in love with him. Why not, he is my brother and he is the best. Kenzie was coming next weekend because Wes and Luca had to fix a few things around the quad. Kenzie is going to take vacation time and is going to stay a week. Luca said it would be ok for them to come to the reunion and hang out. His place, his rules. That’s what he tells me all the time. I have mixed emotions about the reunion, but I don’t want to tell Luca that. I wasn’t popular, I was a bit nerdy, unfashionable, and I had better relationships with my teachers than I had with my peers. Thank God for my core group of friends. It would of been a lonely four years.

  “So are you ready for the reunion? Is Val driving you crazy?” I shove a spoonful of Alfredo in my mouth. It dribbles on my chin and Luca reaches over to wipe it off with a napkin.

  “Thanks,” I say blushing.

  “She’s always driving me crazy. She showed up tonight with some of her bitchy friends and I caught her staring at me a few times. She needs to give it a rest. I’m taken.”

  “I agree. You are very taken.” I wink at him and he glances at his watch.

  “I have to go. I’m sorry, baby. I’ll be over when I’m done. It’s packed in there tonight so I’m not sure what time I’m getting home.”

  “No problem. Don’t work too hard.” Home. He says the word home, and I can’t help to think about how he’s coming home to me.

  He gets up from the bed and I’m still sitt
ing. He crouches down to meet my face as I swing my legs over the side. He grabs my face and kisses me. He dips his delicate tongue inside my mouth and I massage it with mine. His kisses stir my blood, make it pump harder, and make my heart race, and send me in a tailspin. The man can kiss and I could do it all day. When he’s done, I feel the loss of his lips.

  “There are two things I need to ask you, baby. First is I’m having this band come and audition for a Saturday night spot and I want to know if you will come and watch them with me, give me your opinion.”

  “Well doesn’t James usually do that with you?”

  “Yes, but…” He pauses and drops his hands to my lap to hold mine. “It’s an eighties band, and you know he hates it, but It’s popular music now. They play Journey, and Bon Jovi, and Def Leopard. Since Lucky’s brings in all ages, I thought about mixing it up. Will you come?”

  “Of course I will!” I sound a little too excited, but I don’t care. “What’s the other thing you wanted to ask me?” He stands and pulls me up by my hands. He wraps my arms around his neck, and places his around my waist. We are nose to nose and for some reason he seems nervous. His eyes are shut, and his breathing has changed.

  “Luca? What is it, baby. You can tell me.” He blows out a breath and raises his head to the ceiling. He opens his eyes and stares into mine.

  “I want to bring you home to meet my dad.”

  “That’s what you wanted to ask me? You seem so nervous asking me. Why?”

  “Because I’ve never brought a girl home before. Never, ever.”

  “Why?”

  “No girl was ever worth introducing to him, that’s until you came along.”

  Now I’m the one who’s breathing has changes, and I feel like crying. Not out of anything else but sheer joy.

  “Oh, God, of course I want to meet your papa. There’s nothing I’d love more than to meet the man who raised such a handsome, sweet, and smart man.” Luca pulls me in for a hug and it’s the best feeling in the world. To be in the arms of this man is more than life could ever give me. I’m elated that he would even want me to meet his father. As his arms continue to embrace me, he breathes into my hair and whispers in my ear, “Thank you, Leighton.”