by Piper Rayne
He and Cris are laughing until they look at their girlfriends. Oh, how quickly their smiles vanish.
“Okay. We’ll go first then,” Mauro says.
“I’d have it no other way.” Luca’s now off his cousin and comes over to me, his arms finding my waist and his lips my neck.
“You can’t play with Lauren attached to you,” Enzo deadpans.
“Jealousy doesn’t befit you, dear cousin,” Luca bites back but does finally let me loose only to wrap his arm around me and Vanessa pulling us into a huddle. Maddie joins us. “Okay girls. We’re at a disadvantage size wise, but I have no doubt you know your man’s weaknesses. Use them.”
Maddie and Vanessa exchange a look that says, ‘we got this.’
“Lauren, you’ve got Enzo. He’s heavy right side, so you know what to do.”
The faith Luca has in me shocks me.
“All hands in. Bianco,” he screams.
“Why are we called Bianco? I’m not a Bianco,” Vanessa says.
I point to her spot. “It doesn’t matter. You stand there and remember you’ve got Cristian.”
She blows a bubble out of her gum and nods her head. “I’ve got you, baby.”
“Yeah you do,” Cristian coos and his gaze falls down her body.
“Van, eye on the prize. No flirting with the enemy,” I say.
Her lips dip.
“She can flirt with me anytime,” Cris says while Mauro is counting down to Enzo to shoot him the ball between his legs.
Once the ball is hiked, Mauro shoots out to Maddie who’s pretending to block her massive boyfriend. I run to Enzo. Maddie jumps on Mauro’s back as he passes her. Good girl. Vanessa stands there blowing bubbles, making Luca have to get Cris. Right before Enzo throws the ball, I jump to block, falling on top of him and we both tumble to the ground. Him somehow rolling over me. Man, he’s as big as Luca.
“Damn you are feisty,” he says, standing up and brushing off his legs.
I look to see what happened and Luca has the ball which means he intercepted the pass.
Getting up, I run toward him. “HA! You doubted us.” I point to Mauro and Cris, jumping into the right man’s arms this time.
Luca drops the ball, catching me. He laughs into the crook of my neck. “God I love…”
I hold my breath.
“Your spirit,” he finishes.
“Thanks.” I fall down.
Maddie and Van give us high fives and this time Luca will be the quarterback.
“You can’t be center again,” he says as I stare at him through my legs.
“Well, you’re not staring at Maddie or Van’s ass, so I’m center until there’s a guy to take my spot.”
He grins and pushes his hands out, sliding his thumbs along my center as I pass him the ball. A rush of need zips through my core and it takes me a second to straighten up and get my head back in the game.
I run out, but Enzo is on me, following me all the way to the end zone. Vanessa escapes Cris, and he’s on the ground, too bad there aren’t replays in touch football. Luca looks to me and there’s no way I’m catching this ball, my height a pure disadvantage compared to Enzo. Maddie and Mauro are busy flirting with one another, pretending like they’re covering one another. Vanessa is jumping up and down and Cris is getting up, prepared to go after her.
“Throw it!” I yell.
Luca lets the ball go and it’s like a movie where the ball is suspended in the air forever until it lands in Vanessa’s cradled arms.
I jump and flail my arms, running over to her. “Way to go.”
That ended up being the only touchdown that day because it’s fair to say we all kind of played dirty. Two of us jumped on Mauro’s back, Luca included to stop a touchdown.
By the end of the game, we all laid on the cold ground catching our breath, realizing we’re not as in shape as we were when we were younger.
“I have no doubt that you were captain now,” Enzo says next to me. “You’re a fighter for sure.”
“My fighter,” Luca crawls toward me, climbing on top of me, finding his spot between my legs.
“Ew, stop trying to get Zia to say you’re the happiest,” Maddie complains.
As the group of them head back to the house, Luca and I lay in the grass, staring up at a dark dreary sky that, funny enough, will forever remind me of one of my happiest times. The time when I found the place I fit the best. The Bianco’s don’t care about how crazy I can get. They like me for me, and I have Luca to thank for that.
Chapter Thirty-One
Luca
On the drive home from work, all I want to do is crash after an endless night of calls that never stopped. As I turn down my street to head down the alley, I realize that sleep is going to be postponed for a little bit.
Lauren is on a ladder half up to the second story with a long line of lights wrapped around the rungs of the ladder.
Jesus, if she’s not careful, I’ll be in an ambulance with her on the stretcher.
I park the truck and head to the front of the house where I admire her in her snug yoga pants with her short puffy jacket, which lucky for me does nothing to conceal her luscious ass. My mouth waters, wanting to bite down and accost her right here.
Now it’s not just sleep on my mind. Being buried in Lauren for a few glorious hours and then sleep sounds like a much better plan.
“Whatcha doing?” I ask, calling up to her.
“What does it look like?”
There’s no hello or my bed felt cold without you last night. Lauren’s not really one for mushy conveyances of love, so I’ve purposely kept the red heart emojis out of our text exchanges.
She loves my dick though, because she can’t stay off it. Her hands find a way to grab my ass or slide up my t-shirt. Her head finds a way onto my chest and her leg slides between mine in the middle of the night. I’m looking for assurances of her feelings for me through her actions, because I’m probably not going to get the words from her.
Like Mama says, action speaks louder than words, and I feel like a pussy for wanting her to tell me once how much…fuck, stop acting like a damn chick. Head in the game.
“Looks like you’re about to go to the emergency room,” I say.
I stuff my hands into my pockets and watch her. I have no doubt Lauren can accomplish getting the lights up herself. She prides herself on her independence, and I love dating a woman who knows who she is and what she wants. But sometimes a small stature is a limitation and that’s exactly what’s happening here because I’m not about to let her stand on the top rung.
“Do you doubt my ability?” She glances over her shoulder.
“Not at all, but I’d really like a good morning kiss.” The string drops from her hand, hanging down the house from a plastic holder while she climbs down the ladder.
“Only a kiss?” She grins.
“Well, I was hoping I’d find you in bed.”
She snuggles into my chest. “Welcome home.” She presses her lips to mine and my body is so relaxed I could fall asleep anywhere as long as she was in my arms.
“Rough shift.” I kiss her back, not getting too carried away because we’re outside.
“I’m sorry.” She tightens her arms around my torso.
I drop my bag by our stairs and circle her around. “Let’s get this done so I can take you to bed.” I kiss her forehead and then climb up the ladder before she has a chance to beat me.
She’d probably try to race me and we’d both end up on the ladder and then on stretchers.
“Luca!” she yells as I continue to climb.
“What? This is a man’s job.”
Sometimes it’s fun to get a rise out of your girlfriend.
“I think I heard that wrong.”
“You didn’t.” I take the string and her organized bucket of plastic holders, positioning and hanging as far as I can go.
The problem comes in when I have to climb down the ladder to get back on. She’ll fight me for it. I k
now.
“I’d cover your balls when you come down.”
God, she really is the best.
“Oh babe, there’s kids in the neighborhood, you should really wait to teabag me until we get inside.”
Unfortunately, I make this joke as I’m coming down the ladder, so I fully prepare myself for the smack on the back of the head.
“Oh, Luca, you don’t know me at all.”
I jump down once I’m four rungs from the bottom to escape Lauren’s wrath, but she jumps on me.
“Teabag, huh?” she whispers. “You do realize I have other powers to punish you with, right? Like withholding sex.”
“You’re not a masochist.” I pick up the ladder and slide it over. Yes, with Lauren on my back.
“Oh, believe me, you’ll crack first.”
She jumps off my back, but her hands slide up the hem of my jacket, under my t-shirt. I can easily ward off the hands on my stomach, but she ups the ante by sliding her hand down the front of my jeans.
“Kids, babe,” I whisper without moving. What can I say, if she can discreetly give me a hand job in the middle of the day I’ll welcome her kinky side. I’m about to say screw the lights.
“Putty in my hands.” She removes her hand and my dick is saluting instead of shrinking like he’s waving his hand with a ‘what about me?’
“Whoa!” I circle around.
She’s laughing. “Still think you’d hold out?”
I climb the ladder. “Who brought up this whole juvenile challenge anyway?” Keeping my mind off my dick that is desperate for some love after twenty-four hours at a station without its drug of choice, Lauren Hunt, I string the rest of the lights. The sooner we finish, the sooner I’m in bed with Lauren.
“You did and you know I love challenges. Is this is your way of wooing.”
“Wooing?”
“Instead of sending me flowers, you challenge me,” she says.
I climb down the ladder, grabbing her with one arm around the waist and swing her around. “Is that what turns you on? Beating me?”
She laughs in my arms, the fallen leaves from the old oak in front of the house next door crumbling beneath my feet.
“I’m not incriminating myself.”
“Hey guys.” Victoria comes out with Jade and Snowball.
“Hey neighbor,” I say.
I stop swinging her around and see Jade run down to hop on her bike to ride up and down the street.
Victoria zips up her coat and puts on her mittens.
“Finally putting on lights huh?” she asks. “Glad you got home, Luca because I tried to tell Lauren it wasn’t safe but…” She rolls her eyes and shoots me a look to say, ‘you know how she is.’
I put my arm around her waist because I know exactly how she is, and I wouldn’t change one damn thing.
“Reed begged me to stop until he returned with Henry.” Lauren clearly finds the fact that she could have killed herself hilarious and she squats down to pet Snowball. “Aren’t you the cutest thing in your little argyle scarf.”
“He was at the groomer.” Victoria shakes her head. “I figure I’ll never dress him up so, might as well leave it until it falls off.”
“It suits him, being the dog of a lawyer and all.” Lauren ruffles his white hair and Snowball pounces away to jump around the front lawn.
Speaking of lawyers, a minute later, Reed parks along the curb, an eager Henry running out with a football in his hands.
“Luca!” he yells and throws the ball at me. I run back and catch it.
I’ve met this little guy a few times when he’s been next door. He’s a great kid and I think I’ve gained a fan, humbly speaking of course.
“I think I need to change your name to Tom Brady.” I throw it back.
Next thing I hear is a crash of metal on concrete and Jade’s hands are out telling Henry to throw it to her.
Lauren stares over at them, half listening to Reed telling us how crazy traffic is already becoming with Christmas’ approach. Complaining about all the people from the burbs clogging up the side streets to go look at the tree and shop downtown.
“It’s my favorite part of Christmas,” Lauren joins in, confirming women are paying attention at all times even when you think they aren’t.
Reed gives me a handshake when I make my way over. “Hey, Luca.”
“Thanks for trying to tell Lauren not to put up the lights.”
Lauren narrows her eyes in my direction but keeps the conversation going in its previous direction. “I love the shopping at night with the lights and the tree up. Watching the ice skaters. All the red bows and green trees around. Christkindlmarket. It just puts that holiday spirit in you.”
“I do love the window display at Macy’s,” Victoria adds.
Reed and I stare at one another and I’m sure we’re thinking the same thing—football and turkey and cookies are probably the best things about Christmas.
“For Jade’s first Christmas, I was a crazy mom. Thought I had to do it all. Decorate a tree with everything Mickey Mouse. I made cookies, bread, eggnog. Decorated the entire house. I crashed so early on Christmas I told myself never again.”
“I think I’d be the same way,” Lauren says. “You always feel like the firsts should be special.”
Victoria looks at Reed and he looks at her, a knowing smile aimed at one another. “Seconds are good, too,” Victoria says and Reed hugs her, kissing her on the lips.
“EW!” Jade and Henry say at the same time.
“It was the first time Reed had proposed,” Lauren clarifies for me since I forgot Jade isn’t his. Victoria was married before.
“True.” Victoria and Reed don’t stop touching each other.
“And I’m the best, so it nulls the first,” Reed says.
All this talk about firsts makes me think about how I’ve already asked Lauren to marry me. What will happen the second time around when I actually mean it? She’ll always remember the first time. The one that came with bargaining and stipulations. Why am I so stupid? How did I ever think asking my high school crush to pretend to be my fiancée would turn out anything other than disastrous.
“Hey.” Lauren’s arms wrap around my stomach. “You okay?”
I gaze down at her, the woman who’s never out of my mind. “Just tired. Long night.”
“Let us help. It will get done faster for you.” Reed doesn’t ask permission, but grabs a string of lights, starting around the two bushes next to the staircase.
“Next you guys need a tree!” Victoria grabs garland and some white hooks making our entryway look like Martha Stewart was here. “Aw, your first tree.”
Lauren looks at me and I smile before climbing the ladder.
With Reed and Victoria’s help, we finish the house decorations and after I crash in Lauren’s bed because it’s kind of ours lately. Lauren has some errands to do, so she heads out to let me catch some zzz’s. Not exactly how I was hoping to spend my time in this bed but at least I get to smell her perfume on the sheets as I drift into dreamland.
Yep, I’m a total goner.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lauren
Staring out the front window I admire the white lights decorating the trees on the street. I sip my cocoa and enjoy the quiet of the house for a little while before I get to work on my gifts for my patients.
Putting together Briana’s gift is hard every year because it symbolizes the fact that I haven’t done my job well enough to get her better. I know the statistics, that she’ll probably need physical therapy most of her life, but I still hold out hope for her.
I spoke to my mom earlier and she invited us for dinner again in a couple of weeks. Said my dad should be easier to deal with by then. I was relieved to hear it though I didn’t enjoy putting her off wedding planning by feigning being so busy with holiday plans that I couldn’t even think of my wedding until the new year.
I set my mug on the coffee table and sit on the couch, looking at all the adjectives
I’ve printed out and cut into strips. I pull out the attributes of her and them and the fake snow in the glass ornament that already has her name and the year written on it with glitter.
A Hallmark movie plays in the background and my hand almost reaches for the remote when I hear movement upstairs. Then I realize, Luca won’t make fun of me for watching. Instead, he’ll probably sit down next to me and critique how unmanly the guy is and how unrealistic everything that happens is. I kind of love it. He’s willing to watch and we both pretend he doesn’t enjoy them as much as he does.
The toilet flushes, some water runs and as his footsteps fall on the stairs, my stomach stirs in anticipation of seeing his face.
“Hey, you let me sleep way too long.” He runs his fingers through his unruly hair and weaves through the two chairs over to me.
Luca is hot, that’s undeniable. I’ve always noticed his strong jaw, his broad shoulders, and his perfect set of white teeth against his bronzed skin and dark eyes. This buzzing inside of me isn’t from his level of attractiveness, it’s for him as a whole and the fact he’s mine.
“I think you needed it.”
He slides in behind me on the couch, his arms around my middle and his chin on my shoulder. “What are we doing?”
Can I just say I love that he uses we, like whatever one of us is doing, we’re in it together. I have to admit, Luca might’ve always been my biggest cheerleader, but he was so far back on the sidelines that it took me way too long to realize it.
“We’re making ornaments for my patients.”
He picks one up, shakes it making the show scatter within its limited space. “You made this?”
“Yeah. I do it every year. I usually get inundated with handwritten Christmas cards and homemade cookies. I want my kids to know I appreciate them just as much as they appreciate me.”
He squeezes me harder, and inhales a deep breath, like someone does when they sip their morning coffee and it warms my insides.
His lips find my earlobe, his teeth nibbling.
“I gotta finish this.” I lean my head in the opposite direction of his mouth.
