by Piper Rayne
“He is,” she insists and I raise my eyebrows.
Another key in the door sounds from the lock, freezing Maddie in her steps before she reaches the bedroom.
Vanessa blows out an exasperated breath and looks up at the ceiling.
“We’re closed, asshole!” I yell because there’s only one other person it could be at this time of night.
“Funny, jackass,” Luca walks in like he owns the place and the only good thing about it is that he’s alone. “What’s going on here?” He takes in the scene, breaks the distance across the family room floor, ignoring myself and Maddie. “I’m Luca,” he says, holding out his hand to Vanessa.
“Vanessa,” she smiles, a little too wide for my liking.
“Luca’s my little brother,” I fill in, putting a heavy enunciation on little.
“Younger actually,” he says.
“No, little.”
“Fuck you. You’re a quarter inch taller.” Luca shifts his gaze away from Vanessa and heads to the fridge.
“I’m the tallest in case anyone was wondering,” Mauro calls out. “Mad, the big guy is getting sleepy.”
Luca cracks open a soda that was left over from Mauro, for which I’m thankful. The soda’s been teasing me in there all week.
“Luca’s here,” Maddie says.
A long drawn out groan sounds from down the hall.
“He’s getting restless in there.” I point to Mauro’s old bedroom.
Maddie shrugs.
“I thought you two were cohabitating in your love nest?” Luca props himself up on the breakfast bar, showing no sign of leaving.
“Don’t you have your own place?” Maddie asks with a sweet smile.
Luca winks and tips his soda can at her. “The bar was a bust. Figured I’d take my chances of Cristian being up and not jerking off.”
Vanessa’s gaze searches mine out and I try to fight back a smile.
“Oh no worries there, we walked in on him and Vanessa banging,” Mauro shouts from the bedroom.
A huge grin overtakes Luca’s face and he looks between Vanessa and me.
“Why don’t you just come out here and join the conversation?” Maddie calls out to Mauro.
“Because I’m waiting to fuck my girlfriend!”
Maddie giggles.
“I thought when you settled down you made love, not fuck?” Luca asks her and the commitment-phobe actually looks like his question is serious.
Maddie narrows her eyes and shakes her head at him.
“You need to leave,” I say. “Maddie and Mauro are going to bed and I’m taking Vanessa home.”
Luca doesn’t move. “Is Uber shut down?”
All three of us stare at him in confusion.
He shrugs. “Why do you need to drive her home? Isn’t that why Uber was invented?”
“You’re such an idiot.” I shake my head at him.
“No wonder Lauren won’t go out with you.” Vanessa gives Maddie a hug before meeting me by the door where I grab my keys.
“That’s not why she won’t go out with me,” Luca says.
All three of us rest our eyes on him questioning his comment.
He hops down like he didn’t leave us hanging. “I’ll take Vanessa home.”
“No.” My response is instant.
“Great, it will save Cristian a trip.” Vanessa leaves my side for my brother’s.
Not gonna lie. That was like a sucker punch to my ego.
“Why would you take Vanessa home?” Maddie asks, the skepticism in her tone matching my thinking.
“I’ll fucking take her home if it gets you in my bed faster,” Mauro chimes in.
I’m surprised he’s still awake.
“No need, Mauro. Go in there and screw your boyfriend before he has to rely on his hand.” Vanessa points to Maddie. “Luca can take me home and try to have a run-in with Lauren.”
“What?” Luca looks back at her like she’s got five heads. “I’ll be dropping you off at the curb so I don’t have to see Hunt.”
We all know different, but no one says anything about the love/hate thing they have going on.
“Cristian you take her,” Maddie urges.
I step forward but Vanessa places her hand on my chest and it’s with a very different feeling to it than half an hour ago.
“I’m a big girl, Maddie.”
“Maybe I should go with you.” Maddie moves to the door, sliding on her shoes.
“No, you shouldn’t babe.”
Maddie holds up her finger. “Hold on one second.”
She only gets halfway down the hall when Mauro walks out of his bedroom in his boxer briefs, wrapping his arms around Maddie and dragging her into his room. She giggles and then says something to him I can’t hear.
“Let’s go.” I swing the keys around my finger.
“Cristian, you stay here. It’s fine,” Vanessa says. “If you want I’ll text you when I get inside my place.”
“How am I the one getting screwed in this situation?” Mauro asks as he re-enters the hall, throwing up his arms as Maddie kisses him bye and heads in the opposite direction of his bed.
“Mad, no,” Vanessa groans.
“It’s fine. He’s got an early shift tomorrow and needs his sleep. And I get a little alone time with you.” She swings her arm through Vanessa’s.
At least Vanessa won’t be alone with Luca.
“I can’t sleep without you,” Mauro whines.
“You do it every third day,” Maddie blows him a kiss.
“I hate both you fuckers. I was a happy kid until Ma said she had a baby in her belly.” He flips them off and disappears into his room. “Love you, babe. I’ll send a guy over to the house tomorrow for the heater,” he calls out before shutting his door.
“Come on Luca, we’ll wait for Vanessa outside,” Maddie says. “But keep your voice down. Mrs. Johnson’s already complained tonight.”
Luca opens the door.
“You better guard my girl with your life, Luca,” Mauro yells through his bedroom door.
Luca shakes his head not even entertaining a response to our brother.
When Maddie and Luca are out the door, Vanessa doesn’t let the door shut all the way. She glances at Mauro’s bedroom door.
“Thanks for dinner, Cristian. This was nice.” She smiles.
“You’re welcome.”
Before I can say anything else, she’s out the door with no goodnight kiss, no discussion of a second date, nothing. I guess this is how adults do a one and done.
I’ll be honest—I’m not a fan.
Chapter Nine
Vanessa
“So you’re doing the nasty with my brother?” Luca asks as we settle into his car—a lime green Dodge Charger that screams ‘look at me.’
I let Maddie have the front because I need to process everything that happened tonight and sitting next to another Bianco isn’t going to make that any easier.
“Yes, for some time now.” Maddie laughs.
“Yeah, nope. Not talking about you.” His eyes find mine through the rearview mirror. “I was talking to the one with just fucked hair.”
I squint my eyes in displeasure. Luca’s a show off right down to this ridiculous car. I mean we live in Chicago. He’s probably one of those guys who has their winter car and their summer car.
“That’s none of your business,” Maddie whispers to him as if I can’t hear her.
She’s known Luca since they went to high school together. Hence the whole Lauren and Luca love/hate relationship. After tonight I see exactly why she doesn’t want to date him. I wouldn’t either.
“He’s my brother,” Luca says as he pulls out onto the street. “I think it’s only fair that I ask what her intentions are.” He chuckles to himself.
Maddie shoots me apologetic look over her shoulder. Maybe it’s a good thing she came tonight.
“We had a date. Now it’s over,” I say.
“Shit. No way my brother is that douchey i
n bed. Is he selfish? Didn’t he muff dive first?”
“LUCA!” Maddie punches him in the shoulder.
Luca only laughs and turns onto another street. “What? It’s a legit question. Trust me, Mauro would want to know if Cristian’s giving us a bad name out there.”
“First of all, all Mauro should be concerning himself with is if I” —she points to herself— “am feeling neglected which is none of your business, but for the record, I’m pretty sure your brother is a much more giving lover than yourself.”
Luca tries to interject, but Maddie cuts him off.
“Second, nothing about Cristian screams selfish. I’m sure he performed oral sex before doing the deed.”
I definitely would have remembered if his face had been between my thighs. A girl doesn’t forget something like that. Truth is that we were both so desperate for each other that there wasn’t any time for that. As I sink into the memories of tonight, I’m focused on the feel of his callused palms running the length of my body. His lips and tongue and how they felt on my skin. How I struggled to keep my eyes open because I’ve never felt so worshiped. The memory of the way he drove into me with my back pressed against the wall, has me clenching my thighs.
Damn, maybe I should’ve stayed the night. What would have been the big deal? One time versus one night.
“You make it sound like a science experiment. Come on Maddie, I’d put money on the fact that you’re a dirty talker. Just say the word cock for me.”
“You should be happy your brother isn’t in this car with us.” Maddie shakes her head.
“I’m not scared of Mauro.”
“Why don’t we talk about the sky?” I interject, wanting to talk about anything other than sex with these two. “Look at the clouds up there.” I look up out of the sunroof.
“Maybe you are right for Cris if you’d rather talk about the stars and moon instead of fucking.”
Luca turns down our street. Thank God the town car isn’t there. I haven’t even listened to the messages yet.
“As enlightening as this drive has been, I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we’re happy it’s over. Enjoy the rest of your night, Luca.” Maddie opens up the car door and I eagerly wait for her to climb out and fold the seat forward for me.
Maddie’s shuts the door. “Oh shit. Kill the lights, Luca.”
“I know I said I wasn’t scared of Mauro, but I’m pretty sure if I stole his girl away from him he’d rip me apart limb by limb.”
Maddie gives him her classic ‘what the fuck is wrong with you’ look.
“No. Look.” She points out the window to our place a couple houses down, where Lauren and some guy are standing by the door, talking awfully close. “She must have had a date.”
“She told me she was going out with friends,” I whisper, inching up from the backseat to get a better view to shamelessly spy on my best friend.
“Who’s that douche canoe?” Luca kills the lights and for the first time since we got in the car, he’s quiet.
“I don’t know. Do you know him, Vanessa?” Maddie asks.
“No, but he’s hot. Good catch.”
“I’m a good catch,” Luca snips. “Look at his fucking outfit. Could his pants be any tighter?”
“Sounds like someone might be jealous,” I sing-song which earns me Luca’s annoyed glare over his shoulder.
“Why would I be jealous? I hate Hunt.”
“The fact you can’t even say her first name says you don’t,” I say.
Maddie snickers in the front seat.
“Hey, you’re practically my sister-in-law, you should have my back. Family always comes first.” He nudges her with his shoulder.
“No ring on this finger.” She holds up her left hand. “Not to mention, real friends are family.” She puts her palm up and I smack it because she’s right.
“Hate to break it to you, but friends ends with end and family ends with i.l.y.,” Luca says.
Maddie takes her eyes off our front door and we both stare at him with an expression I’m thinking will always be reserved for him. One that suggests he’s really not saying that.
“I.l.y. stands for I love you. So, you’re family and therefore have to be on my side,” he says matter-of-factly.
Maddie laughs, buckling over in the seat, slapping the interior of the car. “I swear you’re still able to surprise me.”
“Look!” I point to the window.
The guy is bending forward, Lauren gradually inching toward him. They’re going to kiss. I haven’t seen her with a guy in months so either she’s been hiding this one or this is their first date. His hand reaches up and cups her cheek, the shine of the porch light glinting off his blond hair.
“Aw.” Maddie, the girl who can’t get enough romance in her life, rests her head on the back of her seat. I’m sure she’s got those love-sick eyes going like she does when Mauro enters a room.
“It’s sweet and I feel horrible watching this, but it’s perfection. It’s nighttime with a slight chill, the darkened street with one light above them. It’s like a movie where the guy drops the girl off at the door. So romantic.” Even I’m eating up Maddie’s words as she sets the scene that’s right in front of us.
“Here it comes.” I sit up straighter in my seat. The guy’s hand slides into her hair and he tilts his head down.
HONK!
I jump.
Maddie jumps.
“What the?” I ask.
“My hand slipped.” Luca’s cheeks are flushed. He shrugs.
All six of our eyes shift to the couple we were just admiring. They’ve backed away from each other now. Lauren spots us or at least the car. Does she know what car Luca drives?
“I think we should get out so she knows it’s us,” I say.
Maddie fumbles for the door handle. “Yeah.” She opens the door. “Thanks for the ride, Luca.” She kisses his cheek and climbs out.
“Tell Hunt I’m sorry for fucking up her goodnight kiss,” he says.
“Are you really sorry?” I raise both my eyebrows and climb out of the car.
Luca says nothing. Maddie’s already halfway up the sidewalk where a relieved Lauren turns her attention away from her date to her.
“Don’t worry big guy, your secret is safe with me,” I whisper.
“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong.”
I wink. “Am I though?”
I shut the door but Luca’s springs open. His gaze isn’t on me though, but rather on Lauren. The energy in the dark night intensifies as the two of them stare at one another.
Oh, I am so right on this.
“You’re the moron who honked his horn?” Lauren puts both hands on her hips.
“Sorry Hunt, hand slipped.”
Luca’s usual cocky smirk appears and he’s transformed into a different man than who I saw just minutes ago—the man who realized I might’ve figured out his biggest secret and told the world. But I don’t roll like that. One day he’ll have to man up and fight for what he wants.
Maddie might be about hearts and flowers—and M&Ms—but fighting for the other person, that’s romance to me.
“Yeah right.” Lauren turns to her date and soon he’s walking away from the house while Maddie is headed inside.
I file up the stairs, passing Lauren’s now confused date. “You should go give Luca a piece of your mind,” I murmur to Lauren as I pass and join Maddie in the house.
“I can do it from right here.” Her gaze is glued to the youngest Bianco brother who’s still standing in the opening of his car door.
“Night, Hunt,” he calls out.
We all get inside and either everyone is too worked up to talk, or we’re all figuring out what to do now. Maddie ends up sleeping with Lauren since her bed is at their new house. I end up sleeping alone, tossing and turning the entire night trying to push away the memories of Cristian’s heated gaze while he slammed into me.
He’s not at all what I expected. I knew he’d
be able to get me off, but I never thought he’d make me want him again.
As long as I stay away from him, I should be in the clear.
Chapter Ten
Vanessa
Lauren jumps on my bed. “It’s Cheapster Day. Get up lazy!” She continues to hop up and down, her legs weaving around my body. Thank goodness she’s athletic.
Cheapster Challenge is something we made up back in our college days. We all head out to Nordstrom Rack and find the lowest priced item we can that’s the most fashionable and whoever wins gets a frozen yogurt. We haven’t had a challenge in forever since Maddie had the house and I was busy trying to earn some cash. I couldn’t really spare twenty or fifty dollars on this challenge. But with all that behind me now, I can’t wait to spend a little time with my girls.
I can tell by Lauren’s excitement that she missed me as much as I missed them. It sucked lying to them but now it’s over and I can actually enjoy starting my life after college.
“Get off my bed please,” I whine because although I’m excited, ten more minutes of sleep would be nice.
“Come on. Mauro’s on shift and Maddie promised to bring him some lunch after.”
I sit up in my bed. “Why is Mauro interrupting our day?” I wipe the sleep from my eyes, fixing my ponytail.
“Because she’s in love. Can we really complain though? She’s taking us to a firehouse.” Lauren collapses on the bed and her eyes do a flutter.
“Then I guess I need to look extra good,” I joke because honestly, I don’t need a boyfriend, just someone to fill my nights every now and again. With the new line I need to get ready, I won’t have time for anything else.
She propels herself off the bed, leaving my room, and I hear her bothering Maddie a second later, quizzing her on Mauro’s fireman friends. I guess the guy who was dropping her off last night was worth a kiss but not a second date.
I grab my phone from my nightstand, pressing the button to see that my dad sent me a message last night at one in the morning.
Dad: Hey, sweetie. How about dinner tonight? Meet me at the station at five?
Me: Sure, Daddy.
