Chapter 1
Luca
Construction paper cutouts of letters and numbers lined the hallway. An array of children’s artwork fluttered from all the activity. I couldn’t remember the last time I was in a grammar school, nor could I recall it being that loud. The noise level finally lowered to a respectable lull, or I’d lost partial hearing.
Kids scurried through the halls to catch their rides home. Some that were covered in paint bobbed and weaved around me as I made my way to Cassie’s classroom. The kindergarten teacher, who became one of my best friends, didn’t know I’d be showing up.
Tonight we were going out for drinks and dinner. Our original plan was to meet at the bar, but since my afternoon meetings were canceled, I thought I’d surprise her. Little did I know the surprise would be on me.
A woman’s voice shouted, “Michael Dillon!”
Not sure where it came from, I focused behind me when a little person and I collided. I let out an “oof,” looked down and saw a dark-haired, wide-eyed little boy with paint on his hands staring up at me. Behind him stood a stunning blonde holding a wad of paper towels in one hand while the other covered her gaping mouth.
“Oh my God!” Her shocked gaze focused on my groin. “I’m so sorry.” She stretched the arm holding the paper towels toward me, and it took a few seconds to realize she was going right for my dick.
Taken aback by her beauty, it didn’t click why she appeared so mortified. At that exact moment, Cassie came out of her classroom, noticed my crotch, and burst into hysterics. Following her line of sight, I saw one green and one blue handprint on the top of my thighs.
Son of a bitch.
Before I could stop the woman, she began rubbing the fabric of my slacks with vigor and determination. Each pass of her hand caused the fucker between my legs to get a bit more excited. Stunned, I took a step back before she could feel my growing hard-on. Having her hand on me, so close to me, while standing in a grammar school was wrong on so many levels.
The two perfect handprints became a big blob of green and blue, framing each side of my zipper. “It’s fine,” I said, trying to sound convincing.
Her eyes cut to the little boy’s. To ensure his hands weren’t anywhere near her, she took his wrists and raised them in the air. “Honey, tell him you’re sorry.” The child’s penitent expression ebbed my irritation.
“Really, no worries.” I glared at Cassie who now had her hand clamped over her mouth. I was sure laughing wasn’t in the “Adulting 101” handbook.
The blonde studied the exchange between me and Cassie. “I’m so very sorry. Please send me the dry cleaning bill. Miss Brooks has my address.” Her tone indicated this was the last thing she needed today.
“I’m sorry. Are you mad, mister?” Big brown eyes met mine.
I squatted to get eye level with the little boy. “No, I’m not mad. Just be careful and be sure to listen to your mom. Okay, buddy?” He nodded, and I ruffled his hair before standing.
“I’m mortified.” His mom peered back at Cassie with pure humiliation. “Excuse us, I better go clean him up before he takes another casualty.” She walked away, steering him by his shoulders as not to get paint on her. Michael twisted his head, smiled, and waved his green hand at us.
I continued to watch them walk down the hall until they turned the corner. The woman’s ass was perfect. Granted, she was the little boy’s mother and most likely another man’s wife, but there was no denying she was one of the most gorgeous women I’d ever seen. Compared to the other females who have been in and out of my life, she had more of a girl next door kind of vibe. Cassie rolled her lips between her teeth, her eyes drifted to my crotch, and the giggles escaped.
I checked the damage done and sighed. “I guess I need to make a pit stop and change.”
“Oh, I don’t know. You could be starting a new trend.” The persistent laughing caused her eyes to water. She dabbed at them with her fingertips, her gaze lingering on my lower region. “Sorry, that’s so funny.”
“Okay, okay. Enough. Stop staring.” Drawing attention to it made the situation worse for me.
“Why are you here, anyway?”
“I thought I’d pick you up. Bad idea.” My eyes swept the hall where some minions still loitered with adults trying to corral them all. Most of the kids held their multi-colored hands up in the air on their way to the bathroom. “This place is a clothing hazard.”
“It’s finger painting day. I can’t leave yet.” She motioned toward the little artists. “As you can see, I need to help clean up.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you at the bar then.” I gestured down and asked, “Do you have an apron or something I can use to cover this up?”
At my question, the hysterics began all over again, and all I could do was release another sigh.
Collagen-infused lips, bleached blonde hair, and tits the size of cantaloupes about to spring free from her low-cut blouse were inching closer and closer to me. A pointy, red-polished fingernail dragged over my left shoulder, to my wrist and back up before resting on my muscle that she seemed to be enamored with.
“My name’s Izzy, what’s yours?” She batted her eyelashes that no doubt were as fake as the rest of her.
“Luca.” I turned to the bartender and asked him to close out my tab. Granted, I only had one drink while waiting for Cassie, but now I just wanted out of there.
“Mmm…” she groaned and licked her lips. “You have an accent. It’s so sexy. Spanish?”
“Italian.”
“Even better.” Her voice sounded like a combination of Minnie Mouse and a porn star. “Are you here alone, Luca the Italian?”
Before I could answer I felt a petite hand replace Izzy’s and tighten around the underside of my arm. “Hi, sweetie.”
Ever since cupid shot his arrow into my friends’ asses, I’d been flying solo. Well, sort of solo. My wingman had turned into a wingwoman and the position was held by Cassie. It was when our mutual best friends fell in love with each other that our bond grew stronger.
Cassie was cool, and I loved hanging out with her. In all honesty, she was a much better wingperson than Kyle or Jude had been. Those two would constantly try to one-up each other, leaving me to pick up the pieces. Sometimes, that would work in my favor and I’d end up with a sexy woman for the night. Other times, I’d just end up with mascara stains on my shirt.
Cassie and I were the only single ones left in our group, aside from Desiree, but she was married to her job. Being an attorney seemed to be a twenty-four-hour gig. Whereas, Cassie had the best hours on the planet.
The one part she could play that Jude and Kyle couldn’t was my girlfriend. She was the best at it, too. Since we had been spending so much time together, she knew when I needed an assist, so to speak. Of course, I provided the same courtesy to her. Although on occasion, I had sent a few guys away that she actually liked. That didn’t mean they were right for her. It was an ongoing argument, but I didn’t give a rat’s ass. She was my friend, and I knew a snake when I saw one. Just as she knew a gold-digger or user when she laid eyes on one.
“Hi, hon.” I leaned over and gave Cassie a quick peck on the lips before grabbing my jacket.
As always, she smiled wide and then introduced herself to whomever she didn’t feel was appropriate for me. “I’m Cassie, Luca’s girlfriend. And you are?”
“Izzy.” The bottle blonde raked her eyes over Cassie’s body before raising the corner of her lip into a half snarl that rivaled Elvis’s. “Luca, if you ever get bored, here’s my number.”
“Excuse me, Dizzy was it? He’s taken.” Cassie was sweet, but she could be fierce when the situation called for it—apparently, this was one of those times.
“It’s Izzy, and I don’t see a ring on his finger.”
Cassie’s jovial expression turned livid, and I knew I needed to deflect… and quick. Before she could respond, I said, “Let’s go babe, we’re late for our reservation.” I placed my hand on the small of her back, all the while she visibly fumed. “Nice to meet you, Izzy.”
Our original plan was to have a few drinks before dinner. Thanks to Izzy, dinner would happen sooner rather than later. We left the bar and headed down the block to Gemma’s restaurant. The cool spring air did nothing to calm my spunky friend.
Cassie mumbled for most of the short walk, until she spit out, “Seriously? The nerve!”
“I love you Cass, but she could have kicked your ass.”
“Bite your tongue, Benedetto. Just because I’m small doesn’t mean I can’t go toe to toe with someone like that. Plus, she’d probably deflate with one good smack.”
“Okay, Rocky, calm down.” I pulled open the wooden door and prayed there was an old man hosting tonight. My date’s gloves were still on, and I didn’t need a gorgeous woman provoking her.
“By the way, I saw Sabrina on the way out of school. She feels awful and insisted she pay for your dry cleaning.”
“Sabrina?”
“Mikey’s mom. The Picasso who marked you.” When she lifted her hand to cover her mouth at the memory, I glared at her. “Sorry.”
“Tell her that’s not necessary.” Sabrina. Gorgeous name and it suited her.
The scents of tomato, garlic, and basil wafted through the air as we walked to our table. Sounds of flatware tapping on the plates caused those dining to amplify their voices.
“Anyway, sorry I was late. It took longer to clean up all the paint.” I helped Cassie off with her jacket and hung it on the back of her chair before pulling it out for her. “Thank you.”
“Actually, you showed up right on time,” I teased. “One more minute and who knows what part of me she would’ve dug those talons into.” Taking the seat across from her, I lifted my hand in the air summoning the waitress. “Would you like a drink? You look like you could use one.”
“One? I could use a couple.”
When the waitress came over and eyed me up and down, I glimpsed at Cassie who shot daggers at the poor thing. She had no idea she had just poked the hornet’s nest… just what I was afraid of.
“Hi, my name is Cindy. I’ll be serving you tonight.” She never took her eyes off of me. “What can I get you?”
“Honey?” I prodded Cassie to reply. She requested a cosmo, I asked for a glass of wine, and Cindy retreated toward the bar.
“Am I fucking invisible tonight?” Her outburst caused me to laugh. “It’s not funny, Luca. This happens all the time. I’m always the friend and never considered anything more by pushy women.”
“But you are my friend.”
“That’s beside the point. She doesn’t know that. Even you calling me honey didn’t deter her from ogling you.”
“I didn’t notice.”
“Of course, you didn’t. What about Izzy? What type of woman does that in front of someone’s girlfriend? Fake or not. It’s women like her that make me want to stay home.”
“Please don’t say that. You need to get out more.”
Paying no mind to what I said, she continued to rant. “That woman at the bar was appalling. You’re very lucky to have me. God forbid you went to bed with her. She could’ve crushed you with her boobs.”
I chuckled. “If I would’ve been crushed, it would’ve been because of your tardiness. However, I wouldn’t have slept with her. But, thank you for the rescue all the same.”
With pride, she nodded. “You’re welcome.”
The storm must have passed, because she now appeared cool as a cucumber. Cassie perused her menu before placing it down it in front of her. “Everything here looks so good. I’m surprised you like Italian restaurants.” She sipped the glass of water in front of her.
“I’m Italian,” I stated the obvious.
“Exactly. I thought Italians didn’t eat at Italian restaurants because the sauce is never as good as their grandmother’s?” Before I could answer, the waitress returned with her cocktail, my glass of wine, and a wink.
Cassie lifted hers up and muttered, “Bitch,” before downing half of it.
“Hard day at the office, dear?” I winked, and she scowled. “Sorry, but you seem wound up. Was finger painting stressful?”
“Funny.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Parent teacher conferences happened this week. Sometimes I wonder why people chose to procreate when they clearly didn’t want to invest in their child’s education.”
Her passion for teaching was evident in everything she did. Cassie was a genuine person, and that quality was hard to come by.
“Sorry, Cass. Maybe tonight will be your lucky night.” I waggled my brows and she rolled her eyes.
A few minutes later, the waitress was back. Cassie ordered the chicken parmesan, and I the ravioli with pesto sauce. Of course, I gave Cassie a bit of a smirk. She was right, no sauce was better than my nonna’s. The only place I’d trust red sauce was at my uncle’s restaurant.
“So, have you talked to Kyle? He and Vanessa barely come up for air.” She ripped the end off a small loaf of bread the waitress had set down in the center of the table and dipped it into olive oil.
“No, not since Wednesday at the gym. He was going to Los Angeles with Vanessa to do a product launch party at some boutique on Rodeo Drive.”
Cassie let out a whistle. “Nice. She called me, but I was in a meeting and couldn’t answer. It’s still hard to believe she’s in a relationship… with Kyle of all people. Funny, out of three of you I figured you’d be the one to settle down first.”
“Me? Why would you think that?” I took a sip of my wine and waited for her reply. This had to be good. I knew that the women in our group considered me the romantic one, which I was, but that didn’t make me want to put a ring on anyone’s finger anytime soon.
“Because you’re…”
“Perfect?” My laugh caused Cassie to toss her white linen napkin at me.
“You know what? Forget it. Your ego doesn’t need a boost from me. I’ve seen you in action, Benedetto.”
“No really, boost it. I can’t wait to hear this.” I crossed my arms and pressed my back against the wooden slats of the chair.
“Well, you’re handsome, kind, and from what I can tell, don’t treat women poorly. Your dark brown eyes are swoon-worthy, and hair that looks so soft that any female, and I’m sure even some males, would want to run their fingers through it. Not to mention, the scruff that frames your jawline… well, some women would call that lickable.”
“Lickable, huh? So what you’re saying is I’m hot?”
“You know what? Never mind.” She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, before I forget, a few of my students are playing a soccer game in the park not far from my apartment tomorrow and I told them I’d go and watch. Would you like to come?”
“Ahh, my sport. I was born to dribble a ball with my feet. Did you know I was a first-string soccer player? I held the record for most goals in my high school.”
“Of course, you did. So, is that a yes?”
“Yes. Text me the details, and I’ll meet you at your place and we can head over together.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Yes, I do.”
Cassie’s phone chimed. Snatching it out of her coat pocket, she shook her head. “It’s a text from Brae. She wants to know how our dinner is going.” Her brows furrowed in confusion before staring up at me. “How does she know we’re together?”
“I told Jude I was hanging out with you tonight.”
“Ugh. Please don’t do that. It only encourages her. You know she’s on a matchmaking kick and thinks we’re perfect together. Let me just tell her everything is fine.”
Another chime and Cassie flipped her phone in my direction. “See what you did?”
A gif of some couple kissing appeared on her screen. “Who are they?”
“Are you even serious right now? That’s Rachel and Ross from Friends.”
I leaned in closer. “Okay, so?”
“So… because they were friends and became lovers, that’s why.” Her thumbs started flying over her screen. “There, that should settle it.”
Once again she spun her phone toward me. I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw a picture of Ross with someone else. “Ross is one lucky guy!”
“Eww! That’s his sister, Monica. Jeez, do you live under a rock? Anyway, that should calm her tits since we’re more like brother and sister.”
Cassie couldn’t have been more accurate with her statement. We were like family. She understood me and I her. My thoughts immediately conjured up the one night things got out of hand between us.
At yet another one of Brae’s parties, she got everyone together for Valentine’s Day. We saw right through her plan, knowing damn well she wanted to see us as a twosome. In our own rebellion, we never showed up and lied that we each had a hot date.
That night, to avoid all things hearts and flowers, Cassie and I took shelter at my place eating pizza, drinking beer, and watching a Fast and Furious marathon. Our plan to repel romance backfired after the alcohol went to our heads. One thing led to another, and before we knew what happened we were lip-locked and stripping.
It took all of sixty seconds of teeth clanking, noses banging, elbows knocking before we burst out laughing, thus killing the moment along with any chance of us ever being more than friends.
I lifted my wine glass and said, “To Vin Diesel.”
Her eyes lit up the moment she realized what I referred to. Mimicking me, she lifted her glass and said, “To our lack of chemistry.”
“Salute.”