“You too.”
Priscilla comes down the stairs fastening an earring. “Hi!”
“Hi. You look nice.”
“Thank you. You said you were taking us somewhere?”
“I am. Are you ready?”
“Yes,” she says. “We just need to crate the pooches and we’ll be ready.”
I watch as they corral their dogs into the safety of the kennels sitting in the dining room. They continue to bark until I am out of sight.
“Those dogs have seen me before,” I say. “Still they bark.”
“Yeah,” Jake says laughing. “It takes them awhile.”
We walk outside and get in my car, Priscilla in the back and Jake beside me.
“So, where are we going?” Priscilla asks. “This is exciting.”
“I need your help with something very important.”
“Okay,” she says. “Are you going to tell us what?”
“You’ll see.”
I drive on, smiling because I know the suspense is killing her. Jake, on the other hand, is just fine to go with the flow. Driving over to Newberry Street, I find parking near my intended destination. We get out and bundle up as we take the short walk to the shop.
Stopping in front, I announce, “Well, here we are.”
Looking up, Priscilla says, “This is a jewelry store.”
“I know. I need to find a ring.”
“A ring for what?” she asks.
“For Londyn. I’m going to ask her to marry me.”
Priscilla squeals while Jake looks dumbfounded.
“Are you kidding?” he asks.
“Not at all.”
“I think you might need to fill us in on a few things. Last we heard you hadn’t even kissed her. Now you’re going to propose?”
“Yes.” I grin. “Come on,” I say taking his arm. “We’ll shop and then I’ll take you to lunch and catch you up. It’s pretty incredible.”
“It’s beautiful, Luca,” Priscilla says. “She’ll love it.”
“I think so, too. Thank you for your help.”
We sit in one of my favorite pubs watching people walk by as we wait for our meal to be delivered.
“Okay, so how did we get to this point?” Jake asks.
“You guys were right. She shared my affection all along. Right after Thanksgiving we had an argument and it came out that we both had feelings for each other. It’s been incredible ever since. I feel like I’ve waited my entire life for her.”
“That’s so romantic,” Priscilla says.
“It is. She is amazing. She just understands me so well. I came with so much baggage and when I told her about it she…” I stop and let it sink in for a second.
“She what?” Jake asks.
“She helped me heal.”
“What happened to you?” Priscilla asks. “I could always tell it was bad, but you never talk about it.”
I glance at her and then back at Jake. Thinking back on Londyn’s encouraging words to me, I know it’s time to tell them. They stood by me all these years. I know they will continue to.
“I think I’m finally ready to tell you.” I take a big swig of my wine. “Ten years ago, someone I loved dearly died. Her name was Sara.”
I tell them about the accident and how guilty I felt. I don’t tell them the details. I feel like I need to tell my parents that before anyone else. I tell them about how lonely and dark my life was and how they provided some much needed light and companionship. I tell them about how I thought I would never fall in love again, that I was incapable of it, and that I was so afraid to let Londyn in. Then I tell them about how she loves me, how she nurtures me, how my soul is filled and my heart is healed in her presence. I tell them how deeply I love her and that I know we are meant to be. Priscilla hangs on every word and Jake offers a back pat occasionally as I tell my sad to happy tale. Finally, I tell them how I plan to ask Londyn to marry me very soon and I am hopeful she will say yes.
“That’s an amazing story,” Priscilla says. “Thanks for finally telling us. I wish I had known. I would’ve dropped the matchmaking business a long time ago.”
I laugh. “Your intentions were good. It’s me who wasn’t ready.”
“Luca?”
I swing around as I hear my angel’s sweet voice behind me. “Londyn!” I stand and pull her into my arms, kissing her sweetly on the mouth. “What are you doing here?”
“Shopping. What are you doing here?”
“Having lunch with my friends. Guys, this is Londyn. Londyn, Jake and Priscilla.”
Priscilla stands and throws her arms around a surprised Londyn. “I’m so happy to meet you!”
“Thank you,” she says softly.
Jake hugs her too, although less enthusiastically than his wife. “Pleasure. Luca was just catching us up.”
“Oh?” Her cheeks blush and I smile.
“It’s nice to meet the woman who changed Luca’s life.”
“He changed mine too.”
Glancing at her, I can’t keep the grin off my face. If she only knew what was in my coat pocket. “Where’s Madeleine?”
“In the loo. We just came in for a bite and I saw you here.”
“How did shopping go?”
“Successful. I can’t wait to show you the dress.”
“It is I who cannot wait.” I haven’t taken my arm from around her waist and I don’t want to. “Why don’t you and Maddie join us? We’re just getting started.”
“I don’t want to impose.”
“Please do,” Priscilla says. “We’d liked it.”
Londyn smiles. “Alright then. I’ll go get her.”
She walks away and Jake slaps my shoulder. “She’s beautiful. She looks like a porcelain doll.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Priscilla adds. “Gorgeous.”
“I think so, too. She’s very modest and easily embarrassed, but I would be delighted if you would share your compliment with her. She needs to hear it more. I tell her as often as possible, but it would be nice to hear it from someone who’s not madly in love with her.”
“Ah, that is so sweet. You are too much, Luca. I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“I didn’t either.” I grin and wait for Londyn to return. Moments later, she reappears with Madeleine and a ton of bags. “You meant what you said about a successful shopping trip!”
Londyn blushes again and shrugs. I introduce Madeleine to everyone and then surprisingly she throws her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek.
“Good to see you, Professor,” she says.
“Please call me Luca. Have a seat.” I stand and offer a chair first to Londyn and then Madeleine. “Would you like a drink?”
“Yes, please,” Madeleine says.
“I’ll have what you’re having,” Londyn says.
I motion for the waiter and order a glass of red wine for Londyn. Madeleine orders a draft beer.
“I’m starving,” she says. “We’ve been going nonstop. Wait till you see what Londyn picked, Luca. It’s gorgeous.”
“Everything she wears is.” I watch as Londyn’s cheeks begin to turn pink as if on cue.
“I was telling Luca when you walked away,” Priscilla starts. “You are absolutely stunning, Londyn. Your skin is incredible.”
Londyn looks downright shocked as her cheeks now glow red from embarrassment.
“Yes, I remarked that you looked like a porcelain doll,” Jake adds. “Luca is a lucky man.”
Before Londyn can speak, Madeleine chimes in. “I’m so glad you told her that. I’ve tried to convince her for ages that she is lovely.” She turns and nudges Londyn with her arm. “See now. I’m not the only one who thinks so.”
“She’s breathtaking, actually,” I say and lean over to kiss her cheek.
“Thank you,” she says softly. “I don’t know what else to say.”
“That’s enough,” Priscilla says, smiling.
We order our meals and settle into pleasant c
onversation. Under the table, I hold Londyn’s hand in mine. It hits me that I’m happier than I’ve ever been. For so long, I’ve only known what misery and pain feel like. Now I can truly appreciate how different joy feels. I catch her eye and she smiles at me, the way she does, melting my heart even more than before. I can’t wait to propose. Soon, very soon.
“CAN YOU COME BACK with me?” Luca asks.
“I was planning to spend a little more time with Maddie.”
“No, go on,” Madeleine interjects. “I don’t mind. Besides, I have a date to prepare for.” She wiggles her eyebrows, causing me to laugh.
“Are you still nervous?” I ask.
“Yes. Like it’s the first date I’ve ever been on.”
“Someone you really like?” Priscilla asks.
“Oh, yes. I’ve liked him since I was a child.”
Priscilla looks confused so I explain. “Her date is my brother. This is a long time coming.”
“Oh!” Priscilla exclaims. “Well, good luck then.”
“Thank you. I mean, he knows me, but he doesn’t, if that makes sense. I think all this time he just saw me as a little sister.”
“Recently, it seems, his eyes have been opened,” I add.
“Yes. I think it was Thanksgiving. We made a pie together.”
“That sounds naughty,” I add, laughing.
Madeleine laughs. “It wasn’t, but I do think it gave him a chance to see me in a different light.”
“I noticed a certain closeness,” Luca chimes in.
“You did?” Madeleine asks.
“Definitely. When Londyn and I came into the kitchen it felt like we were breaking up something.”
Now it’s Maddie’s turn to blush. “No. I was just showing him how to knead the dough.”
“That sounds naughty, too!” I say, laughing.
“You must have sexy thoughts on your mind,” Madeleine teases.
I bury my face in my hands from embarrassment, although I’m laughing too. “I may.”
Luca pulls me closer and kisses my cheek. “Perhaps you’ll share those thoughts with me later.”
“Perhaps,” I say, brushing my hair from my face. I look at Luca’s friends and they smile back at me. They seem nice and I’m happy to meet people important to him.
Luca gestures for the server to return and takes the check. Jake argues with him, but Luca insists. Jake and Luca step away from the table. “Be right back,” Luca says before kissing my cheek.
Priscilla reaches across the table and rubs my hand. “I’m really glad I got to meet you. Luca is a changed man because of you. It’s so refreshing to see him smiling and laughing. Did he tell you I tried to set him up with someone?”
“No.”
“Oh, it was awful. She was acting like a gold digger and she ended up throwing a drink in his face. She ruined his shirt.”
“Oh my.” I remember that phone conversation I overheard so many months ago. “That must have been embarrassing.”
“Luca handled it well, leaving before things got even worse. After he left, my friend told me that I had bad taste in men and we haven’t spoken since.”
“Wow.”
“She threw a drink at him?” Madeleine asks. “In public?”
“At Strega. I could’ve died. We love that place.”
“That’s our favorite restaurant too,” I add.
“We haven’t been back since. I apologized to the maître d, but he looked pissed at us.”
“Luca mentioned he had a bad blind date. I guess that was it.”
“Yes. I felt awful, but all I wanted was for him to find someone who made him happy. Now he has that and I’m so excited for him.”
“Thank you. I’m glad to meet his friends. I’m going to meet his family soon and I’m so nervous. They’ve never met anyone in his life since…” I trail off to avoid revealing more than I should.
“Since Sara?” Priscilla asks. “He told us. Just today. It’s terribly sad and he shouldn’t have felt so bad about it.”
“He told you about Sara?”
“He did. He said it was time.”
It warms my heart that he opened up to someone else about this.
“Who is Sara?” Madeleine asks.
“I’ll tell you later,” I say. “It’s a big deal that he told his friends about it. A really big deal. It makes me happy for him that he was brave enough to do so.”
“Like I said,” Priscilla squeezes my hand. “He’s a changed man.”
Luca and Jake come back and stand near the table.
“Shall we go?” Luca asks.
“Yes.” I stand and Luca puts his arm around my waist. I love it.
“I’ll drop you off first, Madeleine, and then I’ll take Jake and Priscilla home.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jake says.
We walk out and as Luca holds the door, I pass him and walk next to Jake. He leans over and whispers ‘thank you’ to me. I look up, surprised, but I don’t have to ask for what. I know.
We ride quietly as Madeleine shows Priscilla some of her purchases. Based on her reaction, I think my friend just found a new shopping buddy. Arriving at my flat, Madeleine steps out and leans through my window to kiss my cheek.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Yes, please,” I say. “I must know how it went, but save the gory details, please.”
“Got it!” She waves and rushes up the stairs.
A bit later, we arrive at Jake and Priscilla’s house. After saying goodbye, we sit in the car for a just a moment before Luca begins to drive again.
“You told them about Sara?”
“I did. An abridged version. I didn’t tell them about Nico’s part, just that she died in a car accident on a trip I planned.”
“How did it feel to tell someone else about it?”
He rubs my hand. “It’s something I always wanted to do. They’ve been good friends to me and on some level, I felt like I owed it to them. It was a relief.”
“I’m so proud of you.”
“Proud?”
“Yes, it was brave and wonderful.”
“Thank you.” He gazes out the window for a moment. “Are you happy?”
“Yes. You?”
“More than I thought possible. What shall we do tonight?”
“I have an idea.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I’d like you to read to me. In Italian.”
“Would you?”
“I think it would be lovely.”
“I can do that.”
Twenty minutes later, we pull into the garage. Luca opens my door and we walk inside. He takes my bags and walks them to the bedroom. I follow him and watch as he hangs the dress and sets my bags in the closet.
“Can I see the dress?”
“Not yet. You’ll see it when I’m wearing it.”
“Oh, like on our wedding day.”
I grin. “Something like that.”
“Let’s go to the study.”
“I’d love to.”
We walk down the hall and I climb into my favorite chair. Luca sits at my feet and removes my boots, gently rubbing my feet as he does.
“What kind of wedding do you want?” he asks.
“I don’t know. I’ve never given it any thought.”
“No?”
“Not at all.”
“Well, I suggest you do.”
I smile. “I will.”
“I think you should have a wedding fitting of a princess. In a castle, perhaps. In Italy.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“We’ll keep that in mind when the time comes.”
“Okay.”
“So, you’d like me to read to you?”
“Yes, please.”
“Alright. You pick the book. I’ll go make some tea.”
I stand and walk to the massive bookcase. Searching his collection, I choose a book that looks interesting. Reading the back, I grin. It’s about two people in Renaissan
ce Florence, from different classes, falling in love and hiding it. They carry on hoping never to be discovered. It’s perfect.
Luca returns with our tea and hands a saucer to me. I hand him the book and he looks down at the title, then smiles.
“This is your selection?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. Would you like to change first?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Alright then.” Luca puts his glasses on and then sits on the ottoman, laying my legs across his lap. He opens the book and turns to the first page. I love how he licks his thumb and index finger to turn the pages. His forehead creases as he begins reading, softly and deeply, with his beautifully accented voice. Everything about this man is stunning.
Periodically, he glances up at me and I smile to encourage him to keep reading. We sit like this for at least an hour as he reads to me and I’ve honestly never enjoyed myself more than this. He finishes a chapter then sips his water and shuts the book.
“I think that’s enough for this evening.”
“I agree. I enjoyed it immensely and I hope you will read for me again.”
“If it pleases you then of course I will.”
“It pleases me.”
“What else pleases you?” he asks as his fingers crawl up my leg.
“That does.”
“Anything else?” He moves closer and plants tender kisses across my arm.
“That also.”
Taking my wrist, he pulls me upright. I put my arms around his neck and he lifts me, twisting me around until I’m sitting on the edge of his massive wood desk. Laying me back, he kisses and sucks gently at the delicate skin of my neck. I moan softly and run my fingers through his hair as he continues to kiss anywhere my skin is revealed.
Wrapping my legs around his waist, his hands move under my skirt, tugging at my tights. Our kissing intensity increases as we grope at each other’s clothing. I help get my tights down and reach forward to unbutton his jeans. He pushes my sweater up and squeezes my breasts before unhooking my bra. I arch my back as I feel his erection pressing against me. He pushes into me and I inhale, holding my breath for several moments before exhaling slowly. It’s such a divine feeling, the way he fills me, takes over me, pleasures me.
Luca loops his fingers with mine and gazes intently in my eyes as he glides in and out of me. He never looks away and neither do I. I can’t. I am spellbound by the color of his eyes, by the sensual shape of his lips, by the wavy hair that falls into his eyes, by the look of pure love on his face. He is beautiful.
Londyn Falls Page 39
