“The dog.” I look up at him. “What, is it a bad name? I told you I don’t know anything about dogs! See, this is just stupid. Forget I said anything, clearly I’m out of my depthhereand—”
“Babe.” Luca’s voice is as soft ashiseyes.
My heartpounds. “Yeah?”
“It’s agoodname.”
“Oh.” An uncomfortably warm sensation shoots through my veins. “Right. Fine.Whatever.”
He chuckles as I cross the kitchen to sit with my newly-christened pet, as though he finds me vastly entertaining, despite the fact that I wasn’t trying to befunny.
Rude.
“If you need someone to take you to the pet store, I’d be happy to drive you. Know your car is…indisposed.”
“Don’t you have a fight you’re supposed to betrainingfor?”
“You want a rideornot?”
“Not. There’s a place right around the corner, I’ll walk over first thing in the morning. Thanks anyway, though.” I glance up at him from the floor. He looks absurdly tall, from down here. “And… thanks for helping me with the kids today. They had way more fun with youthere.”
“I had fun with them, too. They’regoodkids.”
I nod and stare at my hands as they stroke Fenway’s fur, because I’m way too chickenshit to look at Luca when I say the next part. “I’ve had a lot of bad days, recently, but this one was definitely an improvement. It was almost…fun.” I pause and pull in a breath. “You madeitfun.”
I don’t hear him move, but I know he’s there — crouching beside me, so close I could reach out and touch him with ease. We’re sitting on a cold hardwood floor, but everything in my body feels superheated with Luca invading myspace.
“I had fun too,” he says softly. Just the timbre of his voice is enough to make metremble.
The sound of his phone buzzing in his pocket cuts through the tension between us like a gunshot. He glances briefly at the screen, grimaces, and promptly hits a button to send the caller straight tovoicemail.
My brows go up. “Everythingokay?”
“It’s just Colton. I’ll call him backlater.”
“Oh.” I pause. “I thought you two werefriends.”
“We are. Just having a slight difference of opinion, these pastfewdays.”
“Over me,” I guess, guiltswampingme.
“Not just you.” Luca’s mouth flattens into a frown. “He wants me in the gym twenty-four-seven. Not a fan of any deviations from his trainingschedule.”
“You don’t have to stay here, Luca. The kids are asleep, and Joyce and Ted should be home soon. I don’t want to hold you up.” My eyes flicker over to him. “I’ve already monopolized most of your day. I’d hate to mess up your night as well. I know how important this championship isforyou.”
There’s a heavy beat of silence. We stare at each other, wordlessly communicating a thousand things we’re both unwilling to voicealoud.
Go, please go, because if you stay another moment I might kiss you again, I don’t say, trapped in the tractor beam of his light blueirises.
If that was supposed to be a threat, you need to rethink your strategies,Luca doesn’t volley back, mouth twisting in asmirk.
Shit.
After a long moment, he settles in on the other side of Fenway — his back to the kitchen island, his legs extended out across thehardwood.
“I’m good right here,Delilah.”
My stomachsomersaults.