by Lucy Knott
‘Ooh you have a proposition for me?’ he said, squeezing her tighter, his grey hoodie feeling snuggly. She played with the drawstrings as she took in his features. Amanda could understand his heartthrob status now and wasn’t quite sure how she hadn’t seen it before. His brown eyes were mesmerizing, and his Cupid’s bow was enough to make any girl jealous. She laughed out loud at his statement, rolling her head back, opening herself up to the little kisses he began smothering her neck with. She liked his kisses. She smiled brightly, thinking to herself that this side to their relationship simply fit.
‘Not that kind of proposition,’ she said, pulling away, slightly breathless. She ran a finger along his jawline and bit her lip again. ‘I’ll show you around Manchester, if, while doing so, you help me look for the perfect spot for my restaurant or possibly café – I haven’t quite decided yet, but I have a bunch of ideas in my head. Ooh and you might need to be a blogger boyfriend for a bit too. You can help me with the food shots, not boob shots.’
She laughed as excitement rose in her voice as she thought of dessert menus and the perfect lunch to feed her customers. Whatever she decided, she knew it was going to be homey, where everyone was welcome, and everyone was fed and looked after. As for her blog, she felt a sense of happiness in having a place to write and teach Grandpa’s recipes to the world.
Dan’s eyes lit up with pride. With his hands around her waist he picked Amanda up off the ground and twirled her round. ‘Yes,’ he exclaimed. ‘You know it, baby girl, I’m so proud of you. Of course I will help you look for a place – not sure I can promise to not get distracted with your second request though.’ He put her down, his eyes full of desire, scanning her figure from head to toe, then grabbed her face and planted a firm and happy kiss on her lips.
‘It feels so good to be right hey, Lou?’ Sabrina’s voice snapped Amanda back into the real world. Dan let go of her face slowly and placed an arm around her neck in a protective stance. Amanda wiped at her tingling wet lips and smoothed a hand through her hair, slightly flustered realizing they weren’t the only two on the balcony.
‘It sure does, Brina,’ Louisa responded, clinking her glass of champagne against Sabrina’s and wiggling her eyebrows in Amanda’s direction.
‘There has to be a limit to the number of weeks you can go around bragging about this,’ Amanda said, pointing a finger from herself to Dan as he walked by her side. She walked over to the small table that they had placed on the balcony for the evening’s drinks and treats and surveyed its contents, checking she had remembered to bring everything up.
‘Ooh I don’t know about that. I’m pretty sure I won’t ever get tired of saying “I told you so”,’ Sabrina replied, popping a taralli into her mouth.
Amanda picked up a glass of bubbly and passed it to Dan. When she looked at him there was no stopping the butterflies running wild in her belly. The fairy lights that decorated the balcony gave his brown hair a highlighted golden hue and his skin looked tanned even in the winter. He was truly handsome.
‘You know, now that we’re together and you’re part of the family, you have to stick up for yourself with these two,’ she said, nodding her head in the direction of where her sisters were sitting by the table and sending a mock stern look Dan’s way. ‘Call it brotherly love if you will, but you have to give as good as you get otherwise they will just keep terrorizing you.’ She picked up an olive and piece of fresh mozzarella between her finger and thumb and slowly placed it in her mouth savouring the milky flavour of the soft mozzarella and the sharp hit of vinegar that delighted her taste buds from the olive.
‘It doesn’t seem to be me they are terrorizing, my love,’ Dan said. He had one hand in the pocket of his hoodie, the other holding his champagne glass, and he was studying her, taking in the way she enjoyed her food. When she looked to him, he smiled so cheekily Amanda knew she would be lost to him forever. Out of the corner of her eye, Amanda noticed her sisters clinking glasses once more and helping themselves to the delicious spread she had so lovingly prepared. She would never live this down, she thought, ever.
‘Have we got enough champagne?’ Levi’s booming voice came through the door before he did. He walked onto the balcony with Nanna, Mum, Dad and all the aunties following behind. Luca was the last to make it up the steps, bringing with him a tray that made Amanda’s stomach rumble. Louisa had certainly found herself a keeper. Amanda was going to need a gym membership if she spent any more time around Luca and his out-of-this-world pastries.
Grandpa would be proud Louisa had found herself a man who could cook. Her breath caught at the thought. She moved away from the table and her sisters’ judging glares. Between herself and Luca, her grandpa’s passion for food would certainly live on – she was going to make sure of it. Just then she got another idea, she would possibly be able to import desserts from Luca’s bakery and have specials on the menu every now and again and maybe even vice versa. They could work together providing business for each other.
Grandpa would have thought the idea brilliant, working as one big family, helping others. Furthermore, she wouldn’t mind learning one or two of Luca’s secret family recipes. Despite the fact that she would always be biased and hold her own family’s recipes in high esteem above all else, being able to whip up a batch of Luca’s cinnamon cookies whenever she felt like it couldn’t do any harm.
‘Are you OK, hon?’ her mum asked, walking up to her and taking her hand. Amanda rested her head on her mum’s shoulder and breathed in the comforting scent of peonies and freesias, the notes of her mum’s favourite perfume. The scent had healing properties, she was sure of it. Whenever she felt overwhelmed, sad, lonely or had been away and missed home, she would get out her small bottle of the fragrance and spray a dash on her wrists. It always made her feel comforted and at home.
‘I think so, Mum, just missing him a lot and thinking of ideas. Are you OK?’ she asked, watching the wine swirl around in her glass.
‘I know, sweetheart, I miss him too and yes, yes I’m OK. He’s up there looking after us all. I can feel it,’ Mum said, in a confident whisper. Mum looked beautiful this evening. She always did, but tonight they had all opted for comfort with no need to get glam and attend some extravagant New Year’s party and Mum had on her gorgeous red cashmere jumper, slightly oversized, that the girls had saved up for and bought her a few Christmases ago. It fit her to perfection and brought out the rosy pink flush in her porcelain cheeks.
‘I think he would be laughing at this crazy bunch we’ve got here,’ Amanda replied, tilting her head in the direction of her growing family and putting an arm round her mum.
‘Without a doubt, sweetheart – you girls made him so proud. He loved you all with all he had. Promise me you won’t forget that?’ Mum said, tucking a loose wave back behind Amanda’s ear.
Amanda stood upright and wiped her eyes on Dan’s cardigan, which she had borrowed and was most likely not going to give back. It was way too silky soft and smelt like Dan; then she squeezed her mum’s arms tight. ‘I promise. He will forever be in my heart and mind, Mum, that I guarantee.’
‘Good and I’m looking forward to hearing these ideas, you know …’ Mum started.
‘Would you ladies like a cake?’ interrupted Luca, with an apologetic bow of his head. He really was the most gorgeous specimen. His blue eyes were like honest to goodness sapphires.
‘Dan, you need to start taking cooking classes from this guy right here. He just asked me if I wanted cake, homemade cake, be still my beating heart,’ Amanda shouted across the balcony, making her mum laugh and Luca blush.
Dan wandered over and placed a hand on the small of Amanda’s back. Yes, Luca was ridiculously good-looking and beautifully old-fashioned and a complete and utter gentleman, and though she wouldn’t have thought it possible for someone to rival Luca’s beauty, Dan had him beat with his long hair, muscular frame and delicious pout. Dan released the butterflies in Amanda like no one ever had before and no one else ever would. His
knockout good looks and rugged sexiness were an added bonus.
These two men should not be allowed in the same vicinity as each other, she thought, and Levi too. Thinking about it, the whole band were a dangerous bunch. There really should be a law against that many drop-dead gorgeous musicians forming a band; the world didn’t stand a chance. Taking a sip of bubbly and of course, a bite of the crisp, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth sfogliatelle she now had in her hand, she leant in to Dan’s solid chest and let him wrap his hands around her waist. This was slowly becoming her favourite place to be, wrapped in his embrace. She closed her eyes allowing the bubbles to fizz on her tongue, and the citrusy scent of the sfogliatelle to fill her nose.
***
Amanda could feel Dan behind her. He was swaying slightly to the music that was playing through the open bedroom door. Mum had put on one of Grandpa’s favourite CDs to make it feel like a proper New Year’s Eve party. Amanda opened her eyes and blinked. They were fuzzy from the champagne daydream she had momentarily been in. Then she tilted her head and turned round to look at Dan.
Being so close to him sent a shiver down her spine. She didn’t think she would ever get tired of being able to wrap her arms around him whenever she wanted. ‘I love you,’ she whispered in Dan’s ear.
A mischievous grin appeared on his face. He kissed her lightly on the nose. ‘I love you too,’ he said, his voice sounding raspier than usual, his eyes boring into hers as he placed his hands on both her cheeks and leant down, kissing her hard and heavy.
Amanda kissed him back, rising on her tiptoes so she could give just as good as she was getting. As Dan’s tongue teased hers she wondered why it had taken her so long to realize what she had in front of her. She pulled away from him, breathless, ‘All this time,’ she said, hitting him in the chest and staring him down.
Dan smirked and shrugged his shoulders. ‘All this time,’ he said. She couldn’t resist him. She pulled him by his shirt collar, so she could reach him better, and kissed him again with all the passion she had inside her. A part of her thought she had better start listening to her sisters more often – all this time and she had been missing out on his touch.
‘Would you two please get a room!’ Sabrina shouted from the other side of the balcony. Amanda stopped what she was doing, but before she could answer her sister back, Levi lifted Sabrina up in the air and showered her with kisses.
‘It seems Levi got his wish.’ She laughed, taking a break from kissing and resting her head on Dan’s chest. ‘He’s dating my sister after all,’ she said, recalling a conversation she and Levi had had back in San Francisco many moons ago. Levi being the boyish charmer and flirt that he was, had inquired as to whether Amanda had a sister and joked that Amanda should set them up. Looking at them now, Amanda wondered why she ever doubted him.
‘Is Luca the only one here with manners?’ Louisa tutted, looking from Amanda and Dan, to Sabrina and Levi who were still snogging. ‘Sorry, Dad,’ she added. Amanda turned to look at her baby sister. At that moment Luca picked Louisa up and twirled her around, planting a hard kiss on her lips. Amanda tilted her head back and let out a roar of laughter.
‘Mamma mia,’ Nanna exclaimed clapping her hands together as a golden flash of fireworks erupted in the sky and the church bells rang out in the distance, signalling it was the start of a New Year.
Acknowledgements
May I suggest that you grab a cup of tea or coffee, as I feel like my list of thank you’s is going to be a pretty long one.
I want to start by saying a huge thank you to HQ Digital for being such an incredible team to work with and for giving me this amazing opportunity. My editor Hannah Smith, you are amazing. Thank you for believing in me, for your endless support, for making sense of my rambles, and for having been a beacon of light during a difficult time in my life. I have loved every minute of working with you on this book.
A massive thank you to Victoria Oundjian for your guidance, support and kindness at the very, very beginning of my books journey. I couldn’t have done it without you and I am beyond grateful.
Rebecca Raisin and Holly Martin, thank you for being there for me, answering my questions, giving me advice and looking out for me. I am incredibly grateful for all you taught me and for your love and support.
To all my incredible author friends, you inspire me daily and I love you all so much. It has been a joy to get to know so many of you through the wonders of social media. You have all been a blessing in my life and I thank you for welcoming me, and my sister Kelly, into your world with open arms.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to you, the reader, and to every single person who tweets, comments and spreads the word about my book. You are all wonderful and it means everything to me.
To my family, The Knotts, The Osterfelds, The Sharpes, and my wonderful friends all around the world, thank you for dealing with my days of hibernation, me talking about writing, writing, editing and writing, nonstop and for all your love and encouragement. You are all awesome and inspiring and I love you all tons.
Mum and Dad, I love you more than words can ever express. Even though that never stops me from trying, but I will try and keep this one short and sweet. Thank you for your endless supply of love and support. You go above and beyond in all that you do, and I am eternally grateful.
My Nonni and my Grandparents, you all have helped shape me into who I am today and inspire me in all I do. Your love is truly a gift. Thank you!
Kelly, Chris and Jen, the sibling love is real. You all mean the world to me. I may be the big sister, but I learn from each of you every single day. I am so lucky that you all are mine! That goes without saying to my awesome brother and sister-in-laws too. I love you all!
Last but not least, to my husband Chris, inspired by our love and our story, I put pen to paper. Thank you for believing in me and encouraging me every step of the way, not just in my writing but with everything I set my heart on. You are amazing, and I love you.
Dear Reader,
I just wanted to say the biggest of thank-yous to you. It’s still kind of crazy to me that you are reading this book, my book, a book written by me, so it truly means the world that you picked it up and gave it a chance. Know that I appreciate you and think that you are awesome.
I very much hope that you enjoy the journey of Amanda, Sabrina and Louisa. These girls have been with me for the past few years now and they are a huge part of me. I’m incredibly excited that I now get to share them with you. My own journey of writing this book has been one of learning, growth, heartache and happiness. It’s a little piece of my heart that I am passing on to you.
Please know that whatever your dream may be, you are more than capable of achieving it. Always believe in yourself and no matter what life throws at you, hold your head high and give 110%. You are amazing and can do anything you set your mind to!
Thank you again for reading my first book.
All my love and hugs,
Lucy xx
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this book – we hope you enjoyed it! If you did, we’d be so appreciative if you left a review.
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About the Publisher
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