Take Your Time (Boston Love #4)(68)

“Yeah! We should probably call it a night.” I smile manically. “Long day tomorrow.”

I hear a low chuckle from Luca as everyone finds their feet and starts walking toward the door. I paste myself to Shelby’s side like glue, so close she shoots an annoyed look in my direction as we exit the aquarium and approach her car.

“Lila, you’re very pretty, but I just don’t swing that way.”

I snort and take a step out of her space. “Just making sure you don’t leave me behind. You’re my ride home, remember?”

“I already told you I’d take you.” Her eyes narrow. “Why are you being such a spaz?”

“I’m not!”

“She is.” Luca appears beside me suddenly. There’s a grin on his face. “It’s my fault.”

Shelby laughs. “Should’ve known.”

My mouth gapes. “You—”

Luca looks past me to Shelby, as if I’m not even standing there. “I’ll be driving Delilah home, if that’s okay with you.”

“Excuse me?” I snap.

My friend’s eyes flicker to my face for a brief instant. I see her answer before she vocalizes it.

“Don’t you dare abandon me to the wolves,” I mutter menacingly.

“Sorry, sweets. When the wolf looks like that…” Shrugging, her eyes move to Luca. “Sure, you can drive her.”

“Shelby!”

“You’ll thank me later!” she calls back, winking as she walks away. “See you tomorrow!”

I’m still processing the fact that I’ve just been betrayed — by one of my best friends, no less — when she climbs into her car and drives away. Without me.

I pivot to Luca and glare at him. All the goodwill he earned earlier, comforting me after my panic attack, is now null and void.

“You’re infuriating,” I say tiredly.

He shrugs, words laced with humor. “And you’re a walk in the park?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Let’s just go.”

He grins and, before I can stop him, reaches out to tangle his fingers with mine. I heave a heavy sigh as we walk to his truck hand in hand.

It feels too good to pull away.





Chapter Twelve





Is my name Terms and Conditions?

No. So please stop ignoring me.



Delilah Sinclair, wondering why the bartender won’t take her order.





I don’t realize Luca has no intentions of driving me home until we pull to a stop outside Battery Wharf. He turns the engine off and I arch my brows across the dark cab. It’s strangely quiet, for a Friday night. Too late for dinner, too early for the bars. There’s not a soul around.

“What are we doing here?” I ask loftily, hoping he can’t hear my heart pounding from the driver’s seat.

His eyes smolder with heat.

“Don’t give me that look,” I insist, mouth going dry.

“What look?”

I decide it’s probably best not to answer that question.

He leans into my space, across the center console, and his eyes lock on my mouth. “That dress you’re wearing…”

“Mmm?” My tone is reedy. “What about it?”

“So tight it’s been driving me fucking crazy since the moment I saw you in it.” He pauses, getting even closer. “Been wondering if you’re wearing any underwear beneath it all night long. Suppose you could tell me, but…” His eyes turn molten. “Always been a bigger fan of firsthand research.”

I watch his lips form those words and have to bite my tongue to keep myself from doing something extraordinarily stupid. Like telling him the answer to his question is a big, fat no. Or launching myself at him and shoving my tongue in his mouth.

“Babe.”

My eyes flicker up to his.

“Keep looking me like that, we’re not even gonna make it out of my truck,” he murmurs hotly.

Oh boy.

He leans closer, until I’m drowning in his eyes, not sure I ever want to come up for air. I could get lost in this man, oh so easily. Stay in bed with him for days or weeks or years, pretending to have no responsibilities. No one counting on me. Not family or friends or…

“Fenway!” I yell abruptly, sitting back in my seat. “He’s with my neighbors. We have to go get him.”

Luca sighs heavily and murmurs something that sounds like, This woman is going to kill me. His voice is too muffled to know for sure. Nevertheless, he reaches out and starts the engine. Before we pull away from the curb, he looks over at me again, eyes scanning from my face all the way down the contours of my dress, until they’re lingering by the hem… and this time, when he speaks, there’s no doubt about what he says.

“Still waiting on an answer, Delilah. One way or another, I’m finding out tonight.”

Shit.

I totally should’ve worn panties.



The drive is tense. Silent. Saturated by unrelenting sexual tension so thick, I can barely breathe around it. When we pull to a stop in a free space about a half-block down from my building, I’m unbuckled and reaching for the handle before the truck is off.

“Delilah.”