“You like my sass.”
His hand shifted to grope my butt. “I think you’re mistaken. I said I like your ass.”
“Oh, I definitely know you like my ass. You stare at it like a perv and fuck it like a fiend.”
He set me down in front of the door to the studio, pressing me against it. “And how is your ass feeling, pretty girl?”
I let my head fall back against the door and rocked my hips against his. “Utterly ravaged. You’re a monster.”
It had been awkward to go back to the office after he’d worked me over at the Davenport, but so very worth it. No one handled my body as well as Luca did. He’d gotten me hooked. The one frustrating part was we only had an hour a day we were allowed to indulge.
He trailed his knuckles along my jaw. “Don’t you forget it.”
We took our spots, me on the couch with my ice cream, Luca sketching. He’d shifted to his easel this time, working with charcoal.
“Can I see?” I asked.
“Nope.”
My spoon paused midair. “You won’t let me see?”
He looked at me over the easel, his mouth twitching. “Nope.”
“Are you being mean on purpose?”
“I’m not being mean. I’m at the point where I don’t want you to see until it’s finished. Can’t you be patient? You’ll be rewarded for it.”
“Fine, if you insist. I’ll just sit here eating my ice cream while you keep secrets.”
He snorted. “Don’t be a brat. You’ll be in for it tomorrow if you choose to continue.”
I kicked my leg out, swinging it over the arm of the love seat. “I’ll take my chances. By the time you let yourself put your hands on me tomorrow, your annoyance will have waned.”
“Don’t bet on it, pretty girl. When it comes to my hand and your ass, my desire for them to connect never lessens.”
“Hmm.” I twirled a finger in my hair. “It’s just really unfortunate you have to wait until tomorrow. But you’re the boss…”
He shot me a narrow-eyed glare over the easel. “I’m actually not that easily manipulated.”
“Then I suppose I’ll just continue driving you crazy since I already know what’s in store for me.”
He tore his eyes from me to concentrate on his drawing. I could see his free hand twitching on his knee, and it made me giddy. It wasn’t that I wanted Luca to cross the lines he’d drawn. They were important to him, and in the end, I had to respect that. However, I was perfectly willing to frustrate him as much as I could.
Luca interrupted the quiet a little while later. “I’ve been wondering.”
“What’s that?” I swung my legs around to sit up, crossing them beneath me.
“Why haven’t you gotten your cat?”
“Simple.” I tapped my fingertips on my chin. “I want you to go with me to choose it.”
“You do?”
“Of course. I can’t choose a cat who hates you since it will be living in your house.”
“Your house,” Luca murmured.
“Our shared house. Right. We’ve been busy, and I’m not in a rush. So, when we both have time to spare, we’ll go to a shelter.”
“What if I hate all the cats?” Luca flicked his eyes to me, a smile playing on his lips.
“I’d be more worried about all the cats hating you.”
“What?” He rose from his stool, his hands on his hips. “I’m insulted.”
“You are not.”
He flung himself onto the couch beside me. “I could make a joke about pussy loving me.”
I scrunched my nose. “But you wouldn’t because that would be gross.”
He kicked his legs out straight, his hands joined behind his head. “It would be beneath me. I’d never do such a thing.” Then he turned his head toward me. “I’d be glad to go with you, pretty girl. Name the time, and I’ll make room in my schedule for you.”
“Okay.”
A sudden wave of emotion clogged my throat, preventing me from saying anything more. I couldn’t really pinpoint if it was due to the prospect of finally having a cat of my own or that Luca wanted to come with me.
What I did know was there was something big blooming inside me. Something new and unexpected I never would have had without Luca Rossi.
Chapter Thirtyone
Saoirse
“Hey, Niddhi.”
Niddhi looked up from her computer and smiled. “Hey, Sersh.”
I swirled the iced latte I’d picked up on the way back from the Davenport. “I feel like we haven’t caught up in forever. Are you doing anything fun this weekend?”
She lifted a shoulder, her eyes darting to the side. “I have a date with a guy I met on Hinge. It’s a second date, actually.”
Despite the piles of work waiting for me, I sat down in the chair beside Niddhi’s desk to get the scoop on this guy. Ever since Luca and I had started our lunch dates, I hadn’t been as in touch with my coworkers as I had in the beginning.
It didn’t help that there hadn’t been a happy hour for a few weeks. Every time I asked about them, Niddhi explained too many people hadn’t been able to make it, so they hadn’t been happening.
Disappointing but understandable.
I’d been asked to temp for another month, so hopefully, happy hours would start up again because I missed the combination of camaraderie mixed with alcohol.
After work, I settled in the den at home. With my laptop on my legs, I absently scrolled through Insta, and that was when I figured out what happened to happy hour.
I’d clicked from Niddhi’s account to Charlie’s, then Amelia’s.
My heart sputtered when I viewed Amelia’s story.
Happy hour hadn’t stopped.
I hadn’t been invited.
The proof was on my screen. Amelia, surrounded by most of my coworkers, all holding their glasses up and smiling. I could picture their waitress telling them to say “TGIF.” before snapping the picture.
I’d been stupid to think happy hours had simply stopped. Of course they were having them. They just didn’t want me there.
Tears welled in my eyes, which was ridiculous. They weren’t my friends. Only my temporary coworkers. But I couldn’t help my feelings being hurt. I couldn’t remember a time I’d felt so excluded.
“Good evening, pretty girl. I was able to break away early, and I thought we could grab dinn—” Luca broke off when I looked up at him, his brow immediately dropping. “Why are you crying?”
I swiped my eyes with the backs of my hands. “I’m not. It’s nothing.”
He sat down next to me, glaring at my computer as if he could find the source of my sadness and destroy it.
“It can’t be nothing if you’re crying. Tell me what it is, Saoirse.”
“Please, Luca. I’m overreacting over something silly.”
He took my hand in his. “Tell me anyway. I won’t think it’s silly.”
I sniffled and clicked on Amelia’s story again, turning the screen so Luca could see. “They had happy hour without me.”
His eyes darted over the picture, taking it in. “These are the people who work in your department?”