All I Believe (Firsts and Forever, #10)(56)
I nodded. “Why do you ask?”
“I’m wondering how I fit with your plans.”
“Couldn’t you make San Francisco your home base instead of Rome? Your job doesn’t tie you to any one location. You could just as easily do it from California, right?”
He said, “I can’t move to San Francisco.”
“Why not?”
Luca hesitated for a long moment before admitting, “I have too many enemies there.”
That startled me, and I asked, “Why would an art dealer have enemies?”
“Because of the family I was born into.”
“Oh.” I could understand that, actually, given my own family’s mafia legacy, but I was surprised to learn Luca shared a similar reality. “I guess I don’t know what our options are, then.”
“Would you consider transferring to a different school?”
“Sure, but it would take time.” It scared me to ask the next question. “If I did that, what were you imagining, us living together?”
“I’d gladly take that leap. I know you were badly burned by your last relationship, coupled with the fact that you’re already a cautious person, so I’d leave it completely up to you. Just know though that if you want to move in together, I’m all for it. If you just want us in the same city while we keep building our relationship, I’ll go along with that, too. I just need you in my life, Nico.”
I shifted around so I was sitting right beside him and kissed him tenderly before saying, “I need you in mine, too.” That was a huge understatement. I wanted Luca with every part of me, and couldn’t imagine my life without him. In a short time, he’d become incredibly important to me. He made me feel safe and cared for and happier than I’d ever been. I couldn’t tell him all of that, but I hoped it wasn’t actually news to him.
“We’re going to figure this out, Nicky. I promise.” I nodded and kissed him again.
*****
The next morning was glorious and sunny. I awoke early and swam for an hour before showering and starting breakfast. Luca definitely wasn’t an early riser, and he looked adorably disheveled when he stumbled into the kitchen sometime later. I handed him a cup of coffee and said, “Good morning, handsome.”
“I can only assume you’re using that term ironically,” he said, taking the cup from me and flashing me a half-smile. “I must look like the walking dead right about now.”
“You make zombies look good,” I told him, kissing his scruffy cheek before going back to the frittata I was assembling. “We should run into town later. I know we’re only here for a few more days, but this is the last of the produce and the eggs.”
“Not a problem. There’s a village half an hour from here with a nice market. It’s where I bought our supplies when I first arrived.”
“It’s going to be tough to transition back to reality,” I said as I put a chopped onion in a pan to sauté. “I’ve loved living in this little bubble with you, where I have nothing to worry about aside from how to beat you at chess.” It happened rarely, but it had happened.
“Shhh,” Luca said, coming up right behind me and sliding his hand over my mouth. “No talking about reality. We have four more blissful days here, maybe a few more if I can talk you into remaining in Malta until the very last minute before classes start.”
I kissed his fingers before he took his hand away and said, “I could easily be persuaded to do that.”
He put his coffee cup down and hugged me while I cooked, resting his head on my shoulder. “Is this my t-shirt?” he asked idly, running a palm down my belly and feeling the soft, black cotton.
“Yup. It’s the one you were wearing yesterday afternoon.”
“It’s so cute when you do that.”
“Raiding your wardrobe?”
“Wrapping yourself in my scent. You never go for the clean stuff in the closet, only the things I’ve worn. It makes me absurdly happy,” he said, and kissed my shoulder.
I chuckled self-consciously and said, “It sounds weird when you put it that way.”
“Now that I’ve pointed it out, don’t stop doing it.”
“No worries there.” I shut off the stove and placed the pan on another burner to cool a bit, then turned and took Luca in my arms. I knew as soon as I kissed him and his hands slid to my ass that breakfast was going to be delayed. I smiled against his lips and pulled him closer.
*****
We made it into town a little before noon and I treated us to cappuccinos at a quaint café, then insisted on buying the next round of groceries. Luca tried to talk me into letting him pay, but I told him as I handed my credit card to the checker, “You’ve already done so much. This is a drop in the bucket compared to what you’ve shelled out over the last week and a half, but at least it lets me feel like I’m contributing in some small way.”
He frowned and said, “But you’re getting into debt for me. You shouldn’t have to do that.”
“Oh believe me, this won’t make a bit of difference, considering how far in debt I already am.” The little frown line between his brows deepened, but he let it go.
When we got back to the house and were putting groceries away, I glanced at Luca and found him staring out the kitchen window, a forgotten bag of apples in his hands. Since he was clearly lost in thought, I didn’t interrupt him and continued loading the refrigerator. A couple minutes later he said quietly, “I wish I could buy this house and stay here forever with you. It’s perfect. There’s just you and me, and yet my life’s never felt fuller. If the rest of the world fell away, I wouldn’t mind one bit. I have everything I need right here.”