The Mr. Wrong Series

by Madden, A. M.

  “Hey, little buddy, is everything okay? Where’s your mom?”

  My mouth opened, yet Mikey answered for me. “She’s right here. We just had an egg hunt.”

  Luca laughed. “I bet that was fun. Did you get a lot of eggs?”

  “Yes, but not the most.”

  “That’s okay. What’s up?”

  “Can you tell my friend, Simon, that you are the best soccer player in the world and my coach?”

  Luca didn’t reply as quickly as Mikey would have appreciated. “Am I on speaker phone?”

  “Yeah, Simon’s here. When I told him all about my best friend, he didn’t believe me because you’re not here.” My heart sunk with a weight of regret.

  “Hi, Simon. Mikey is telling you the truth, I’m a very good soccer player, but decided not to go pro. Because of that, I can’t claim the title of best in the world.”

  “But you are,” Mikey chimed in. “You’re better than my coaches.”

  I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle a laugh knowing full well Luca fully agreed with that assessment. “That’s true.”

  “See!” Mikey said to Simon. “Thank you, Luca.”

  “Can I talk to your mom now?”

  “Yup.” He practically tossed the phone at me and ran off with Simon and the other kids.

  After clicking off the speaker function, I brought the phone to my ear. “Hi.”

  “Good morning. Happy Easter.”

  “Happy Easter. I hope he didn’t interrupt anything.”

  “Just having breakfast with Cassie.”

  A wave of unnecessary and irrational jealousy washed through me. “Oh, tell her I said, ‘hi.’” Taking a breath, I added, “Would you like to come to my parents’ for lunch? It might get a little insane due to the number of people who are going to be there. But, I’d love it if you were one of them… bring Cassie.”

  “What time?”

  “One.”

  “Text me the address, and I’ll ask Cass too.”

  “Okay, see you soon.”

  I watched my son having a fun time. Children’s laughter played like a song in the background. Mikey giggled while tapping kids’ heads in a game of duck duck goose. Minutes later my mom stood next to me. “Should I set another place at the table?”

  “You heard that?”

  “Some of it, yes.”

  “I hope it’s okay that I invited him and Mikey’s teacher?”

  “Of course it’s okay. Sweetheart, I know this is hard on you. I saw Michael’s face when he was talking about Luca. This man isn’t Dillon… rest his soul.” The sarcasm dripping from her words was unmistakable.

  Yeah, his cheating soul. It broke my heart that mourning for my late husband ended so abruptly thanks to his mistress. “I know that. But, having my son’s heart broken again isn’t an option. I’ll do whatever I need to insure that doesn’t happen.”

  Her kind eyes that could always see right through me softened. “Are you sure it’s just Michael’s heart you’re protecting?”

  “No, I’m protecting my own too, I know that. It’s probably why I didn’t ask him over today. It scares me to already feel so much for this man.”

  She smiled. “Sweetheart, you need to live life. Not just for your son, but for you too. If this man makes you happy, then allow yourself to enjoy it. Our hearts are meant to love, and you have so much love to give. Don’t be afraid to open it again.” I nodded. “Now, I need to get home and start preparing the table.”

  I knew she was right. I sent Luca my mom’s address and as soon as I pressed the green send button, my heart felt lighter. This was right. Having him with us today should have never been a question in my mind.

  Luca

  Cassie was all smiles when we walked up to the front door of Sabrina’s parents’ home. “Nice touch.” Cassie smiled at the flowers I held in my hand for Mrs. Ricci. With a slight tremble I pressed the circular button on the door frame. “Are you nervous?”

  I studied my petite friend with amusement. “Yes, a little bit.” Cassie laughed at me. “Some friend you are, I should have left you home.”

  She smacked my arm. “I’m just trying to ease your worries. Relax, Luca, they’ll love you.” Even with the top button open on my button down light blue shirt, it still felt as though it was closing around my neck. With a curved finger, I hooked the fabric and pulled to allow me some give. “Wow, you are nervous,” she quipped.

  “Thanks, Captain Obvious.”

  When the door swung open, Sabrina took my nerves and my breath away. Her dress fit as though it were made for her. Pink flowers that dotted the white material matched the color of her lips. Lips that I had kissed and who had kissed me back not less than six hours ago, yet all I wanted to do was devour her all over again. “Hi, come in.”

  I moved aside to let Cassie pass first. “Thank you for including me today,” she said pulling Sabrina into a hug.

  Taking that minute to gather my thoughts, and force my body to not ravish hers, I waited for her eyes to land on me. I chastely kissed her cheek and felt it rise in a smile beneath my lips. With my lips close to her ear, I whispered, “I’ll kiss you properly when we’re alone. There are about twenty pairs of eyes watching.”

  When she turned around, a very attractive woman walked toward us. The resemblance to Sabrina was uncanny. “You must be Cassie, I’m Isabelle, Sabrina’s mother. Mikey and Sabrina speak so highly of you.” They shook hands. “I give you all the credit in the world for doing what you do.”

  A blush colored Cassie’s cheeks. “Thank you. And thank you for having me in your home.”

  Her mother turned her attention to me. “Mom, this is Luca. Luca, this is my mother.”

  “Well, aren’t you a handsome man.” My lips curled up at the corners. “Sabrina, you didn’t tell me how handsome he was.”

  I laughed when Sabrina shielded her face with her hands. “These are for you.” I handed her the flowers. “You and Sabrina could be sisters.” Tossing in a wink for good measure, I added, “Are you sure you’re her mother?”

  “Smart, charming, and easy on the eyes. And your accent… you sound like my husband’s Great- Uncle Antonio.” Her mother looked at Sabrina, whose cheeks deepened in hue. “I’m going to go put these in water.”

  Sabrina ushered us into the living room where several people were chatting and laughing amongst themselves. A man stood and the way his eyes appraised me, there could only be one answer as to who he was.

  “Luca, this is my father.”

  He extended his hand to me. “Sebastian Ricci.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ricci. I’m Luca Benedetto.” His grip was firm, but his smile was kind, just like his daughter’s.

  “Please, it’s Sebastian.”

  “Luca!” Mikey’s voice boomed through the room. “You’re here!”

  Just as he did other times he saw me, he launched his body toward mine, forcing me to catch him mid-air. “Hey, buddy.”

  “I knew you’d come. Can you come out back with me? I have my hacky sack, can you show everyone how good you are? I learned some tricks too that I want to show you.” When he stopped to take a breath, he finally acknowledged Cassie. “Oh, hi Miss Brooks.” His attention span was short lived. “Come on…” He tugged my hand.

  “If you’ll excuse me, sir?” Sebastian regarded us with amusement, as did Sabrina. “Want to come with us?” I asked her. It was clear my pleading eyes were for naught since she just smiled and didn’t budge.

  Outside kids were laughing and playing. Mikey tapped a boy on his shoulder. “Luca, this is Simon the one that didn’t believe me.”

  Simon zoned in on me with eyes as wide as the sun. “Hi, Simon. So, do you play soccer too?”

  He shook his head. “I’m more into basketball.” Appraising me he said, “Can you dunk a basket?”

  Mikey chimed in, “I bet he can.” His eyes zipped toward me. “Can you, Luca?”

  “Only if I’m standing on a ladder.” The two
boys broke into a fit of laughter.

  Mikey handed me his hacky sack. Without hesitation, I did what Mikey had asked me to do—showed off.

  Laughter and stories flowed throughout the dinner conversation. Every so often, I’d catch Sabrina’s eyes making me wish we were alone. Her family and friends were very welcoming. Her father and I even shared a few stories about Italy. It had been a while since he had been there, but talking to him made me miss my family more than I already did.

  When the party was over, Mikey, who should have been hopped up on sugar, appeared to be exhausted. The kid refused to admit it and fought Sabrina tooth and nail to stay longer. On our way out, Cassie and I walked Sabrina to her car passing mine on the way.

  “Wow!” Mikey exclaimed. “It’s the Batmobile!” Unknowingly, he pointed to my car. “Mommy, look how cool that car is.”

  Sabrina smirked at my prideful face. “That’s Luca’s car.”

  His eyes widened. “Can I ride in it?”

  I pushed the door lock prompting the handle to pop out. “I don’t have a car seat, buddy, but you can sit in it for a minute. One day, if it’s okay with your mom, I’ll take you for a ride.”

  “Cool!” I opened the door for him to slide inside. “How fast does it go? I bet it goes really fast.”

  The kid reminded me of myself when my dad got his first Alfa Romeo. All I wanted to do was ride around with him at top speed—which thanks to my mother didn’t happen. Sabrina’s face mirrored the one my mom used to give my dad.

  “Pretty fast, but we don’t live on a racetrack, so we won’t be speeding.”

  “Aww, man.”

  “Come on, Mikey, we need to get you home.” Sabrina’s mom voice prompted him to get out. “Tomorrow’s a school day.”

  With a pout he asked, “Can you come over and read to me again?”

  I kneeled down to his level. “I need to take Miss Brooks home, she also has school tomorrow. But, I’m going to follow you guys to make sure you get home okay.”

  Cassie smiled and said goodbye to the both of them before sliding in the seat Mikey just vacated.

  “You don’t need to do that,” Sabrina said quietly for my ears only.

  Ignoring her, I asked, “Buddy, which car is yours?”

  His tiny hand lifted and pointed to a red Honda CRV that was parked a few spaces away. Sabrina put her hand on her son’s shoulder and shook her head as we all started walking toward her car. After she clicked open the door, she said, “Hop in, Mikey, and buckle up.”

  “Drive carefully. I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Luca…”

  “I’m following you, Sabrina.” Not giving her room to argue, I said, “Bye, Mikey,” before turning to leave.

  Chapter 22

  Sabrina

  The past few weeks had been nothing short of astonishing. That would be the only word I could use to describe my life since meeting Luca. From the first day we locked eyes, I knew he was something special. Fear of the unknown encapsulated me on so many levels, but I finally began to trust that not every man could break a woman’s heart.

  To some people, I appeared to be a widow who had quickly moved on from the death of her husband. But they didn’t know the real reason my grief was short-lived, and I wouldn’t taint Dillon’s name for my benefit. Just like everything else in life, it would flush out on its own when his mistress’s child came around.

  My parents suffered along with me once Dillon’s dirty secret was revealed. After meeting Luca on Easter, they were thrilled for me… and for Mikey. They watched his relationship with Luca and even my father approved. I had to laugh when he told me so since it took months for my late husband to gain his approval. But, that was what made Luca different.

  Tonight, was date night. Becky and I had a very busy day at the salon, and my mom picked Mikey up from school for me. What I didn’t bargain for was the fact that his soccer coach surprised us with a scrimmage the next day. My parents, who would normally take him if I couldn’t, had a church event to go to and planned to take Mikey. Of course, now that he knew his friends were playing soccer, that was all he wanted to do.

  When my phone rang with a FaceTime request from my son, I knew what was coming.

  My finger tapped the green circle. “Hi, baby. Are you having fun?” I propped my phone on the vanity and slid an earring in continuing to get ready.

  “Mom, please?” His hands pressed together in front of his face.

  “Honey, I wish I could take you but I can’t. I tried to get out of work.” I slid my other earring in and picked up my phone to finish getting ready. Guilt flooded me, but there was nothing I could do. I had asked Becky what Jared was doing, but he was going to see his paternal grandmother since Mother’s Day was tomorrow.

  When the buzzer rang, I carried the phone with me to the door. Luca stood there with a smile on his face. “Hi, beautiful.”

  “Is that Luca?” Mikey’s voice rang through my phone’s speaker.

  Luca stood next to me and angled the phone so he could be in the camera’s spot. “Hey, buddy. Are you having fun?”

  “Can you take me to my soccer game tomorrow? Mommy has to work and Grandma and Grandpa can’t take me. I don’t want to miss it. Puh-leeeze?”

  Luca let out a laugh and turned to me. “If it’s okay with your mom, I’d love to bring you.”

  “Sweetie, your grandparents have the day planned with you.”

  “Mom, they’re going to a church thing to serve food. They won’t care.” He turned away from the phone and yelled. “Grandma, do you care if Luca takes me to soccer?”

  My mother appeared on the screen. Her eyes went wide as did the smile on her face when she saw Luca. “Hi, you two. Sabrina, it’s fine with us. We feel horrible as it is. You can come back on Sunday for brunch as planned… both of you.”

  “See! Luca, can we go in your car?”

  “One thing at a time, buddy. I’ll get the information from your mom and I’ll pick you up in the morning. We will let you know the time, okay?”

  “Yes!” He fist-pumped in the air. “You’re the best.”

  “Hey…” I said with a pout.

  “I mean you’re the second best. No one is better than my mom. Okay, I gotta go eat dinner. Bye. Love you.”

  The moment the screen went dark I set my phone aside and asked, “Are you sure about this?”

  Luca wrapped his arms around my waist bringing me flush against his body. “Positive.”

  Without hesitation, I linked my fingers together on the back of his neck. “You’re a special man, do you know that?”

  He lowered his head resting his forehead against mine. “You have no idea how happy you’ve made me.” Soft lips caressed my cheek, jaw, and finally my lips. It wasn’t a hasty or aggressive kiss, it was tender, loving, and all Luca. Like a free fall off of a cliff, I could feel my heart doing the same. It hadn’t been very long since I met this wonderful man, but I knew deep down, in the middle and on the surface, I wanted more with him.

  From my experience, the feelings I had weren’t infatuation, they weren’t lust, and should have probably scared me. The fact that they didn’t spoke volumes. There was one person that I was concerned with and that was my son. He had already fallen for Luca, and I wasn’t far behind.

  “Let’s go to dinner before I decide to have you instead.” Luca’s deep voice caused my insides to quiver.

  Desire accentuated the beautiful brown eyes I’d come to adore. With every breath I took, I wanted him more and more. “I am hungry.” I smirked and may have batted my eyelids a few times.

  A low growl rose up his chest. Strong hands cupped my face. “When we get home, you’re all mine… do you understand?”

  “I’m yours now.” Using his wrists for balance, I gripped them. “Kiss me again, Luca.”

  Not a millisecond passed before he devoured my mouth with his. Luca’s tongue danced with mine. He tasted of mint and his own uniqueness—a blend that I started to crave. Our hips pressed tog
ether, and I felt his obvious arousal. It was as if my entire body wanted to climb him and tangle around him like a vine to a post.

  His hand grabbed my right ass cheek forcing us closer together. When our kiss broke, our breaths were audible. I no longer wanted to go to dinner, but he laced our fingers together and pulled me out of my apartment.

  I turned to lock the door, and he pinned me up against it. Nose to nose, he skimmed the knuckles on his right hand down my cheek. “Later. I’m going to give you so much pleasure, you’re going to wish you didn’t have any neighbors.”

  Luca’s last comment about giving me pleasure didn’t bode well when we were going to dinner and had no chance of acting on it. Since leaving my apartment, said pleasure was all I could think about, and feigning innocent thoughts was hard as hell. Somehow, I managed to eat, smile, and laugh at the appropriate times, even with thoughts of what was to come later that evening bouncing around my brain like a ball in a pinball machine.

  Throughout dinner, his hand placement, his whispered promises, and his casual lip licking turned the blood in my veins into molten lava.

  So, as we got into his hot car, and he asked if I was up to hanging out with his friends at Dispatch for a few drinks, it took every fiber of my being not to hiss, “Are you freakin’ kidding me?”

  He immediately picked up on my scowl. “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  He gave me a smirk I wanted to wipe off his face with my lips, grabbed my hand, and kissed my knuckles. “Sure looks like something is on your mind, Ms. Ricci.” The deep throated chuckle he then released meant he was so on to me. “We can skip drinks, if you’re cranky.”

  “I’m not cranky,” I lied. I was very cranky.

  “Just say the word, and we can head home and meet my friends for drinks another time.”

  I narrowed my eyes and bit out, “No, I could use a good stiff one.”

  “Then a stiff one is what you’ll get… later,” he said with a wink.

  I both hated and loved how much he enjoyed torturing me. This man brought out a side of myself that I didn’t know existed.