Over the music and chatter of the reception, Luca teased his brothers.
“Do you, Dante?”
“I do.”
“Do you, Mallory?”
“I do.”
“Do you, Noah?”
“I do too.”
“Do you, Kizzy?”
“I do too.”
Dawn didn’t feel enough a part of the family yet to chime in. Fortunately, his sister-in-law did.
“It was cute!” Sandra insisted.
“I thought so too,” Kristine said.
At least Dawn was beginning to put the correct names with all the faces. Sandra was a willowy blonde nurse married to Miguel. Jayce’s wife, Kristine, was tall and had golden-red hair. Not exactly strawberry blonde…more like bronze. She was a Boston fire captain. Misty was Gabe’s wife and a stay-at-home mom. She was on the shorter side and had long brunette hair and big blue eyes. Now adding Mallory, a stunning blonde artist of medium height, and Kizzy, a shorter brunette—and a doctor! What an amazing, eclectic group of women!
Is that all of them? I must have missed a couple. She remembered Chloe and Ryan were in Ireland and couldn’t attend. So yes, she must have met almost everyone.
“How did you manage to join the wedding with only a couple of weeks to plan?” Kristine asked Kizzy. “Jayce and I needed every minute of those four months to get our wedding together.”
“I already had my mother’s wedding gown,” Kizzy said and stepped back to show off the full-length satin and lace white dress.
“It’s gorgeous,” Sandra said. “So that must have been all you needed?”
“Since Noah and Dante were best friends as well as brothers, Mallory’s guest list was pretty much the same as ours, so that was already taken care of. We added my bouquet and contributed another bride and groom to the top of the cake.”
“Pretty much everything was all set,” Noah added. “Dante had to get a new best man though. I suddenly had other plans.” Everyone laughed.
Dawn remembered Dante and Noah had been roommates and firefighters in adjacent houses when they began dating their brides, and the two women seemed close too. The newly married couples gazed at each other, smiling. Anyone could tell they were in love and happy.
“I had to add a few people to the guest list,” Kizzy said. “Especially my sister, Ruth, who was my maid of honor.”
“And your father,” Noah added.
“Yes. And my overprotective father, who learned to love you when you saved my life.”
Gabriella Fierro wandered over and slipped her arm around Dawn’s waist.
“Are you all being inclusive to Luca’s date, Dawn?”
“Yes, Mom. Why wouldn’t they be?” Luca asked.
“Good. I just noticed she seemed kind of quiet. I didn’t know if you were all talking about people she didn’t know. Of course, even if that wasn’t the case, it can be hard to get a word in edgewise with such a large group. Right, Gabe?”
Gabe coughed. “Right, Ma. Somebody has to be the quiet one.”
“Well, I hope you’re all making Dawn feel welcome. I’d like to keep her around.” She smiled, gave Dawn a side squeeze, and returned to her husband, Antonio.
“Ha! You’re next, Luca. And it looks like Ma’s already picturing Dawn in a white dress,” Dante said.
Dawn groaned before she realized how it could be taken. She was actually thinking that white was the last color she should be wearing. Her appropriate color would be more like gray.
Luca rubbed her back. “We’ve only been officially dating for a couple of days.”
“Oh, so not long enough for her to realize you’re a dweeb and run for the hills,” Gabe said.
Luca narrowed his eyes. “Maybe there’s another reason you’re the quiet one…”
Everyone laughed.
“I was only joking. He’s a good kid, Dawn. Don’t run off yet.”
She smiled at Luca, but she was nervous and hoped her voice remained steady. “I wasn’t planning on it.”
“I think I’ll go where I’m welcome,” Gabe said. He wandered off toward Misty, at which point his son began wiggling out of her arms. When she set him down, he ran right to his daddy. Gabe swept him up and held him above his head. The toddler’s laugh was adorable.
“He seems like a good dad,” Dawn observed.
Luca snickered. “Yeah. You’d never know he didn’t want kids at all.”
“A lot can change in a short time around here,” Noah said.
Kizzy chuckled. “You can say that again.”
“Um, I need to excuse myself for a moment,” Dawn said.
“Me too.” Luca walked with her toward the restrooms. “I hope my family didn’t scare you.”
“Oh, not at all. They’re wonderful! I just…”
There was a line for the ladies’ room, and he drew her aside.
“What is it, Dawn? I know you well enough to see that something’s bothering you.”
She sighed. “Yes. But this isn’t the time or place to talk about it.”
His brows shot up. “Are you dumping me?”
“No! Oh my God, no. I—it’s about the case. But I don’t want to ruin your brothers’ wedding reception by pulling you away from it.”
“Is it something that can wait?”
She worried her lip.
“Okay. I can see it’s important. As soon as you’re out of the ladies’ room, I want you to tell me.”
She hesitated.
“Please. I have something to tell you too. I’ll wait for you right here.”
She sighed. “Okay, we’ll talk. But go back to your family and socialize. I’ll find you.”
He nodded and returned to the festivities.
When she returned from the restroom, Luca was dancing with his mother. She hung back and watched. It was obvious from their smiles that mother and son were comfortable together.
As soon as the dance was over, he glanced around, probably looking for her, so she went right to him.
He gave her a quick kiss and swept her into the next dance.
“So, what did you need to tell me?” he asked.
“I’d rather you go first.”
He tipped his head and gazed at her with curiosity. “Okaaaay. I’m glad we’re here with my family, because you may not believe me at first. They can confirm my story. No one else can know, though. Can you promise to keep a secret? I’m about to share something you must keep to yourself, no matter what. You may be in for a shock.”
She leaned back and studied his face. She saw and sensed his expectant anxiety. “Not much shocks me anymore. Go ahead.”
“Promise you won’t tell anyone first.”
“I promise.”
He took a deep breath and glanced around. She followed his eyes, and when he was apparently assured nobody was listening, he leaned next to her ear and whispered, “I’m a shape-shifting phoenix.”
He leaned back for a moment to check her reaction. She was careful not to react at all.
“Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes. I’m not sure what it means, though.”
“It means…I have a special ability. I can shift into my other form, which is a bird about the size of a hawk but with long, colorful tail feathers.”
Again, she was trying not to react, even though she was silently wondering if he was completely crazy. But if so, why would he say she could check with his family? Did they humor him? Then Annette’s words returned to her mind. A few questions were in order.
“Can you fly?”
“Yes. My dad discourages it, because we age faster in bird form than human form. There are advantages, though. Even if we get old or if anything happens to us, we can reincarnate in fire.”
Her brows shot up. “Have you ever witnessed this?”
“Yes. It happened to Gabe…right in front of my face.”
She paused, mulling that over. “I see. So this ability includes everyone in the family?”
“Just my dad and brothers. My mom is human.”
Her eyebrows shot up. She couldn’t help it. “So, you’re telling me you’re not human. Are you from some alien world?”
He laughed. “No. Of course not. You’ve heard the legend of the phoenix, haven’t you?”
“Yeah. I think it’s a Southwestern Indian thing, right?”
“Not just there. Ancient Romans and Greeks had stories about firebirds. That’s another name for us.”
“Firebirds.”
“Yes.”
Dawn glanced around the dance floor, picking out Luca’s brothers and their dad. They were all somewhat similar in looks. Dark hair, olive skin, and except for Luca, they all had brown eyes. She’d learned that the name Fierro meant “fire” in Italian. She’d wondered about so many of them working for the fire department. If the legend was true, that would be a pretty obvious job. If it weren’t true, a job with the fire department could be something that supported a delusion.
Then she remembered. Shoot. I’ve been accused of being delusional too. That’s why she didn’t share her psychic abilities and photographic memory with many people. Luca just happened to catch her in the middle of a vision—literally.
With an expectant look on his face, he said, “Are you okay?”
“Um, I think so. You certainly surprised me, but I’m okay…not in shock or anything. I’m just processing.”
He let out a deep breath. “Good. You’ll need a little while to process, I’m sure. But like I said, if you want to talk to any of my family members, please do. They’ve all been through this. They don’t usually tell anyone they’re dating until they’re sure they can trust them, and I don’t know why I feel that way with you so quickly, but I do.”
“You’re a cop with good instincts about people. And don’t worry. I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone, and I won’t.”
He smiled and leaned in for a kiss. She imagined he was greatly relieved she didn’t run screaming from the reception hall. A part of her wanted to hold back her kisses until she’d had a chance to check out his information, but a bigger part of her knew he wasn’t lying.
She leaned in and met his kiss with her own. Suddenly, it was as if everyone melted away. It was just the two of them, sharing a warm, tender kiss—right on the dance floor.
A few whoops and hollers brought her back to the moment. She leaned away to see the two grooms surrounding them, smiling and applauding. Their wives were smiling too.
She gazed farther and saw Gabriella with her hand over her heart and tears in her eyes. But she was smiling too. Antonio put his arm around her and kissed her on top of her short, dyed red hair.
When Dawn turned back to Luca, he was grinning. “Maybe we should take a short walk, so you can tell me whatever you wanted to get off your chest.”
“Yeah.” She giggled. “Yeah, that would probably be a good idea.”
Out on the sidewalk, she began her story. “So there’s something I haven’t told you.”
“You’re a shape-shifting bunny rabbit?”
Dawn smirked. Now that she knew he was a shape-shifting phoenix, as were his father and all his brothers, she felt strangely elated. Her boyfriend was like some kind of superhero.
Boyfriend. That made her feel all warm inside. Was that what it felt like to have good karma? She’d have to talk to Lynda about it at her next session. Could you tell when your karma was shifting? Did you feel differently inside? Did good things start to happen? So many questions whirled through her mind. She wished she could ask Lynda about shape-shifting, but she had promised not to.
First things first. “I had a vision about Mandy. I know where she is, and I went there but wasn’t able to rescue her.”
“You what?”
“I had a vision about Mandy.”
“I heard that part. That’s not the part I’m worried about. You tried to rescue her by yourself? Hang on. I need to sit so we can talk.” Luca pulled her over to a nearby bench, and they sat. Then he turned to her, his eyebrows raised. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’m telling you now.”
“Yeah, after the fact.”
“Look, I knew you’d get in trouble if you were involved.”
“Fuck that. A little girl’s life could be hanging in the balance. And holy shit, Dawn, your life may have been endangered too! You should have told me.”
“Well, excuse me, but I was a little busy earlier, trying to process that big news that you dumped in my lap about being a shape-shifting bird.”
“Phoenix.”
“Yeah, and I find this out at your brothers’ double wedding, and now, I’m sure everyone thinks we’re next, because I kissed you at the reception.” She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
“You didn’t change anything. My mom already loves you, and if you hang in there, everyone else will too.” He grinned.
“So you don’t think your parents will be pissed off at me if we break up?”
“They’ll be pissed off at me, not you. Are we breaking up?”
“No. Of course not. I still need time to talk about your abilities with your parents, but not today.”
“I should have told you at some later time, but we were coming clean…”
“I’m glad you did tell me.”
“Good. Now it’s your turn. Tell me everything that happened from your vision to going to her rescue. And don’t leave anything out.”
Dawn filled him in on her vision and her trip to Keene Street Convenience and how she’d almost been able to rescue Mandy but was stopped by Ice and Carla.
“Shit.” Luca shook his head, his eyes laced with concern. “You could have been hurt or worse. They could have just thrown you in that storage room with Mandy and then hauled you out to a dump in the middle of nowhere and offed you.”
Dawn swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat. She’d never had someone care so much about her, other than Annette. Even her mother had cared more about getting a fix than her own daughter. On the other hand, she wasn’t used to having to answer to anyone. That kind of rankled her.
“Look, thank you for caring, but as you can see, I’m fine.” She didn’t tell him about the part when Ice leaned in for a kiss nor about the gun he had tucked into his pants.
“Thank you for caring?” Luca shook his head. “You could have been killed.”
“But I wasn’t. I got away. So it’s fine. At least I’m fine. Mandy is still stuck there. And we need to rescue her before it’s too late.”
“We will rescue her, but we’ll do it the right way. Not like some half-cocked crazy action movie or waltzing in there like Robin Hood.”
“I couldn’t let Mandy just stay there when I knew where she was.”
“You going over there only made them suspicious,” Luca countered. “For all we know, they could have moved her to another location by now.”
Dawn blew out a breath. She hadn’t thought of that. She may have jeopardized Mandy’s life. Tears sprang to her eyes. “I fucked up, didn’t I?”
“No, I understand,” Luca said, placing his hands on either side of her face. “You’re a brave woman. But I could have lost you. You mean too much to me. I don’t want you putting yourself in danger like that again.”
Luca leaned in and kissed her, underscoring what he’d just told her. When his tongue slipped along her lips, she soon forgot about their argument. His breath mingling with hers, the heat of their bodies, made her wish one of them had an apartment. She’d never felt so attracted to a guy like she did Luca. He did things to her insides that no other guy ever had. Luca pulled away from her, his blue eyes hooded, like he wanted the exact same thing she did.
“Please don’t keep things like that to yourself, babe,” he whispered. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
Dawn wanted to kiss him again just for that, but instead, she reached up to the side of his face and whispered back, “Yeah. So you’ve said. You mean a lot to me too.”
* * *
Dawn stretched and yawned. She glanced at her iPhone and saw it was just past 9:00 a.m. She rarely ever slept in this late, even on weekends, but by the time Luca had dropped her off, it was almost 1:00 a.m. Her phone beeping alerted her to a text message. No doubt that’s what had woken her.
Hey babe, just wanted to check in to see how you’re doing. I’m glad we talked last night.
She sighed at Luca’s endearment. It felt good. Texting back, she said she was just waking up and then paused before she hit send. Should I use the emoji heart? Or XO? Or…love? Or what? Hmm…would that make her seem too pushy or needy? On the other hand, he’d called her babe.
She groaned in frustration. XO meant a hug and a kiss. Yup. They’d already been there. She hit send and waited. Her breath caught when he texted back with a heart and asked her out for brunch. They could also plan what they would do about Mandy. She texted back: Sure, I’ll reach out when I’ve had a shower.
Heading downstairs, the aroma of cinnamon wafted up to her. She breathed in deeply of the sweet and spicy scent. Walking into the kitchen, she spied the muffins cooling on a rack. Annette was dressed and packing a thermos and some sandwiches along with a container of six of the muffins. “Morning, Grandma. Those muffins smell and look delish.” She kissed Annette on the cheek.
“Morning, sweetie.” Annette gave her a sideways hug. “Freshly baked cinnamon-apple coffee cake muffins. Help yourself.”
“Oh, I will.” Dawn picked up one of the warm muffins and laid it on a plate, inhaling the incredible scent. She picked off a chunk from the still steaming top and popped it into her mouth. “Mmm. So good! No one can bake like you do.”
“Thanks, dear. Now grab a glass of milk, sit yourself down, and tell me about last night.”
“Okay, but where are you heading today?”
“I’m heading over to Sheree’s place. She’s been feeling low since her husband died six months ago, so I’m bringing her a little care package. Thought I’d spend the day with her, playing cards.”
“You’re such a good friend.” Dawn took a sip of her milk to wash down another bite of muffin.
“Well, Sheree was there for me when Lissie was sent to prison, and I’ll never forget that.” Annette finished packing the food, then pulled out a chair and joined Dawn at the small kitchen table. “Now, spill it. Tell me everything.”
Dawn told her grandmother about the wedding, leaving out the part about Luca and his family being shape-shifters. She didn’t want to worry Annette, but at some point, if it turned out to be true, she’d have to tell her. She also left out the part about her vision of Mandy and her failed rescue attempt at the convenience store. She hated lying to Annette, even by omission, but she didn’t want to put her in danger. The less she knew, the better.
“Well, it sounds like you had a great time. The Fierros seem like a wonderful family.” Annette patted Dawn’s hand.
“They are,” Dawn agreed.
“I just want you to be careful. The women in this family seem to have bad luck when it comes to men.”
“Hopefully, our luck is about to change.”
“If anyone is going to change it, it’s you, sweetie.”
“Aw, thanks, Gran.” Dawn stood up and wrapped her arms around Annette. “Speaking of luck.” She remembered the scratch tickets she had bought at Keene Street Convenience. Grabbing her purse off the hook by the front door, she went back to the kitchen and pulled out the scratch tickets and handed two to Annette.
Annette shook her head. “Oh, now you’ve gone and done it. You have labelled me a typical old lady who sits in her kitchen and scratches lottery tickets.”
Dawn chuckled. “Well, at least you don’t play bingo on Saturday nights.”
“No indeed. Okay, hand me a quarter and let’s get to work.”
The two women scratched off all four cards. Dawn didn’t expect to win, but then Annette let out a squeal of delight.
“Did you win?”
“Well, wonder of wonders, I actually won.”
“What did you win?”
“Here, look.”
Dawn saw the amount: $20.
“Cash it in, honey. We can move to Hawaii.” Annette chuckled.
“I will cash it in, and I know just what to get with it.”
“What?”
Dawn smiled to herself. She’d seen a beautiful old cane at Goddess Fashions on sale for $19.99. It was black with an ivory handle and an ornate bird design down the length.
“I’m going to surprise you.”
Annette smiled. “Okay, you do that, but promise me one thing.”
“Yes, anything.”
“That’s the first and last time you buy me lottery tickets.”
“Deal. Now, you promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Let me walk you to Sheree’s place, okay? We’re supposed to get rain later today, and they say after dark, it could freeze.”
“Oh, I’ll be fine. You enjoy your day off.” Annette patted Dawn’s hand, still around her shoulder.
“I intend to, after I walk you to Sheree’s. And when you’re done visiting, text me and I’ll come get you.”
“Never mind about that. I’ll be fine.”
“Oh, all right. I have no idea where you get your stubbornness from.”
“Really? And where does your stubbornness come from?”
Dawn grinned as she was about to take her last bite. “I’m looking right at her.”
Annette chuckled.
* * *
“Are you going to finish that bacon?”
“You bet I am.” Dawn picked up her last piece of bacon and waved it in front of Luca’s face.
“Damn, I thought women didn’t eat bacon. My sisters-in-law say it’s too fatty and high in calories.”
“Really.” She grinned. “Well, this woman loves it.” Luca made a puppy-dog face, and Dawn burst out laughing. “Okay, okay! But you have to come get it.”
“Ah…challenge accepted.”
She put one end of the slice in her mouth, and Luca leaned in and, with a little growl, opened his mouth and took a big bite. Dawn giggled, loving his playful face. He lifted one eyebrow like a villain in a silent movie. “Why don’t we order more bacon to satisfy your appetite?” she said.
He waggled both his brows. “I have many appetites that need satisfying. Bacon is only one of them.”
Dawn was about to reply when her phone rang. Lifting it off the table, she recognized Sheree’s number. She swiped to answer. “Hi, Sheree. Is everything okay?”
“Honey, it’s your gran. She slipped and fell just outside my door. I called 911, and some nice paramedics just took her to Boston General Hospital. I’m sorry, honey. I feel terrible.”
“Oh my God! I didn’t think it was going to ice up until tonight.”
“It wasn’t ice. Wet leaves were covering one of my grandkid’s marbles that he left on the steps.”
“Shoot. Thanks for calling.”
“I’m so, so sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I’ll head over now.”
Dawn hung up and looked at Luca. “My gran fell, and they took her to Boston General. Can you drive me there?”
“Absolutely. Let’s go.”
As they made their way to the car, Dawn felt terrible that she wasn’t there when it happened. “I told her not to leave Sheree’s on her own. I told her to text me. I was going to stop off at Goddess Fashions and pick up a really cool old-fashioned cane for her that I saw there. It would help her get around and keep her from slipping. And here she went and slipped.”
“Everything will be okay, I promise.”
Luca drove like a speed demon to the hospital and dropped Dawn out front, telling her he’d meet her inside. Dawn ran in to the ER and spoke with someone at the nurse’s station. “Can you tell me about my grandmother, Annette Forest?”
The nurse glanced at her computer monitor and a few moments later said, “She’s been taken to the OR.”
“They’re operating? On what?”
“I need to see if you’re on the list before I release personal information.”
“I’m definitely on her list. Dawn Forest.”
The secretary flipped to the next page and nodded. “Yup. You appear to be the only one we can talk to. Do you want the nurse or doctor to talk with you?”
“Maybe later. Can you just tell me what they’re operating on?”
“A broken hip.”
“Damn,” she breathed. “Oh, sorry. Where can I wait for her?”
The nurse told Dawn where to check in, and Dawn texted Luca to meet her on the fifth floor in the waiting area.
Three hours later, Dawn and Luca were standing by Annette’s bedside in a hospital room. Another lady was in the room. Dawn had pulled the privacy curtain around them, not liking the fact that her grandmother was not in a private room, but they couldn’t afford it.
Annette was groggy but waking up. Dawn held her hand and glanced at Luca. He smiled reassuringly at her.
“Gran, how are you feeling?”
“Like a silly old woman.” She asked Dawn to give her some water. Dawn held the cup with the straw to her grandmother’s lips so she could take a sip.
“You’re not a silly old woman. But please, next time when you want to try a cartwheel, text me first?”
Annette chuckled. A good sign. “Oh, I’m so sorry to put you kids through this. I ruined your date.”
Luca crouched by the side of the bed. “Mrs. Forest, you have nothing to apologize for. We’re just glad that you’re okay.”
“You’re such a nice boy, Luca.” Annette reached out for Luca’s hand, then her eyes widened.
“Gran, what is it?”
Annette glanced at both Dawn and Luca. “Is there something you need to tell my granddaughter?”
“Are you psychic too?” Luca asked.
“Li’l bit.”
Luca must have realized what Annette sensed. “She knows, Mrs. Forest. I told her last night at my brothers’ wedding.”
Annette visibly relaxed. “I could feel something about you when you reached for my hand. But I can’t explain what it is.”
Dawn looked at Luca, a worried expression on her face.
“It’s okay, Dawn.” Luca glanced behind the curtain to make sure the other woman was sleeping. With a lowered voice, he explained his abilities to Annette, who listened patiently.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Annette eyed her granddaughter.
“I promised not to, and even if I could, I didn’t know how. I figured I’d know when the time was right, and then you fell. Please forgive me.”
Annette sighed and nodded. “I understand.” Annette reached for Dawn’s hand and Luca’s. “Luca, you need to watch over my Dawn. She’s got a big heart and has a notion she can change the world we live in.”
“I promise to look out for her, Mrs. Forest.”
“And promise me you’ll call me Gran from now on.”
“I promise, Gran.” Luca grinned.
“I can see why my granddaughter is so taken with you.”
The nurse interrupted them and told them visiting hours would soon be over.
“Honey, tomorrow morning, bring me my nightgown and robe. I can’t abide these hospital gowns. And my knitting. I need it to pass the time here or I’ll go batty.”
Dawn nodded, saying she’d be in first thing in the morning before work. She placed a gentle kiss on Annette’s forehead, but she was already falling asleep.
“Good night. Sleep well.”
Dawn sighed and leaned her head on Luca’s shoulder as they made their way out of the hospital.
So much for the Forest women’s luck turning. The nurse said her grandmother would have to stay in the hospital for at least a week and then go into a rehab facility for two weeks after that. She would be safer in the hospital than at home. Dawn would be able to focus on finding Mandy, knowing her grandmother wasn’t in harm’s way.
“Are you okay?” Luca asked in a soft voice as he pulled up to her house.
“I’m okay.” She turned to him. “I don’t want to be alone. Will you come inside?”
Luca nodded.
Dawn felt overwhelmed by what had happened to Annette. She blamed herself. She wasn’t able to rescue Mandy, and she wasn’t able to stop her grandmother from breaking her hip. Somehow, she had to make it right. But for now, all she wanted was Luca’s arms around her. She wanted his heat. His kisses, his body close to hers. She turned to him. And leaning in, she whispered in his ear, “Stay with me tonight. Please.”
* * *
Luca followed Dawn inside her house. He had been here before, but it seemed strangely quiet without Annette bustling around. Without saying a word, Dawn opened the hall closet, then reached toward him for his jacket.
After handing it over, he ambled around the living room, taking in features he had missed before. A bookshelf against the far wall was crammed with books of different sizes and no knickknacks. It looked as if Annette and Dawn were serious readers. The sofa appeared to be one that could be opened and made into a bed, not that that meant much. Somehow, he doubted Dawn would make him sleep on the couch tonight.
After hanging up her own leather jacket, Dawn walked over to him and slipped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you for staying with me tonight. I’m really upset about what happened to my grandma, but I put on a brave face for her.”
His arms automatically pulled her closer. “I know. It’s okay. She’s going to be fine. In the meantime, you have me.” He stroked her back and placed a gentle kiss against her neck.
She leaned back slightly and looked up into his eyes. “You have the most beautiful blue eyes. But you’re the only one with blue and the rest of the family has brown eyes. Right?”
Luca smiled. “I know. I must’ve had an ancestor on both my parents’ sides who had blue eyes, and I got the recessive gene.”
“Yeah. I know how it works.” She brushed his hair away from his eyes and just stared into them for a moment.
He felt like an idiot. Of course she knew how it worked. She was a smart woman, and that was basic high school biology stuff. About the only way he could think of to recover was to use his own knowledge of chemistry. Either way, she met his lips halfway, and they shared a deep, warm, comforting kiss.
Her mouth opened, and he gained access to her tongue easily. They stood close, tasting and touching each other for several moments. At last, they broke the kiss and just hugged. He found himself wanting to comfort her, but how? She seemed so tough, it was unusual to see her so vulnerable.
“Would you like anything to eat?” she asked.
“Not unless you want something. I’m not really hungry for food.” He realized how that sounded as soon as it left his lips. But hey, when the truth comes out…
She smiled shyly, then simply stepped away, took his hand, and led him upstairs. Her room was utilitarian. A full-size bed, handmade quilt, two pillows, a nightstand with a decorative lamp on top and books piled on the shelf beneath. There was a desk under the window, and that was about it. The only artwork on the walls was a couple of posters of the Arizona desert. At least, one of them said “Arizona,” as if it were a travel poster. The others were just desert landscapes.
“Do you like the desert?”
“I like warm weather.”
“But Arizona gets hot. Like, a hundred and twenty degrees hot. Is that what you like?”
She smiled. “Not really. I’m just not a fan of Boston winters. If I could spend summers here and winters in Arizona or New Mexico, I’d be a happy camper.” Then she laughed. “Camping is the only way I could afford to do it.”
They stood beside the bed, and she began unbuttoning his shirt. He wasn’t quite sure what to do. Should he help? Should he start pulling layers off her?
It didn’t much matter as it turned out. He undid his belt and let it drop to the floor, and as soon as he did, she pulled her own sweater over her head and dropped it behind her.
She had a toned body, perfectly proportional and a little on the petite side. How she managed to eat so many calories and not show it was beyond him. Most of his female friends and family members were concerned about the calorie count of everything they put in their mouths. Apparently, Dawn didn’t need to worry. Her metabolism must just take care of it all.
She slipped off her bra, and his breath caught. She was lovely. Her skin was a natural creamy tan. The freckles on her face didn’t extend to her chest, just her arms. Places the sun hit, so he’d guess she didn’t do a lot of nude sunbathing.
As he peeled off his own pants and she her jeans, all their clothes turned into a messy pile on the floor. He stepped into her space and pulled her against him, letting his hands mold to her body over her buttocks and back up to her shoulders.
Their mouths found each other automatically. He didn’t know how long they stood there kissing and fondling each other before she moved a couple of feet, leading him toward the bed. Eventually, she sat down on it and he followed her. Soon, he resumed kissing and nipping his way along her neck and shoulder.
Dawn pulled back the covers, and they scooted underneath. He loved the feel of her. She was soft and satiny. His hands couldn’t stop traveling over her every curve, every dip. He wanted to memorize all of her, as if he were blind. They kissed and nipped and licked until he couldn’t wait any longer, and then he had to find her center and taste her there.
Luca kissed his way down her torso and then pushed her legs apart, positioning himself between her knees, and when he licked her folds, she arched and gasped.
“Are you okay with this?” he asked.
“More than okay,” she said breathlessly.
He parted her folds and laved the small bundle of nerves, which sent her arching and moaning in reaction.
She was so responsive…so easy to make love to. She didn’t demand or try to call all the shots, as Lisa used to. In fact, no directions needed to be given at all. She writhed beneath him, occasionally gasping or cooing. It seemed as if he was doing just fine without any help.
When he knew she was sensitive to the slightest touch, he concentrated on the center of her pleasure and flicked his tongue back and forth as fast as a hummingbird’s wings could go. In seconds, she came apart. She screamed and gurgled and screamed and gasped and screamed and writhed. Her head thrashed from side to side as she climaxed over and over. He was not sure if she would ever stop, until at last, she pushed on his forehead and gasped out, “Enough…enough!”
Her chest was heaving with deep huffs and puffs. He wiped his mouth on the back of his forearm and scooted up beside her.
She gazed into his eyes, looking awestruck. “That was amazing… I’ve never…like that…before.”
“Stick with me, kid,” he said. “There’s lots more where that came from.”
She grinned. “Lie back. It’s your turn now.”
She scooted down until she was eye level with his sex and took his engorged cock in her hand. He almost jumped with his own sensitivity.
She spent a few seconds admiring him before she took him into her mouth. The warmth and suction drove him crazy. He knew it wouldn’t take much, he was already so turned on.
He let her torture him a little longer though. Knowing the kind of joy he got from watching her reaction, he wanted to let her have some of that enjoyment as well…to feel her feminine power.
Letting out his own moans of pleasure and trying not to spill his seed prematurely was a bit of a balancing act. He wanted to come so badly, but he would give her every ounce of pleasure he could before taking his own.
When at last he couldn’t take any more, he scooped under her arms, lifting her right off of him and yanking her up to his face, then he rolled her onto her back and stared into her bright-green eyes.
Without having to say a word, she opened her legs for him. He positioned himself between her bent knees and entered her slowly, inch after luscious inch. Her warm, wet channel engulfed him completely. The glorious friction of withdrawing and plunging again and again was incredible. As if this ancient dance had been choreographed specifically for them, they followed each other’s lead, meeting each other thrust for thrust.
The pressure built at the base of his spine like a hot ball of fire. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer. He hadn’t brought a condom to bed with him. They hadn’t had the talk. And it seemed like a terrible time to stop. Damn. But he had to.
“I’m sorry. I forgot all about having a condom available. There’s one in my wallet in my pants pocket.”
She nodded. “Sure, go get it. I’ll just wait right here,” she said with a smile.
He chuckled but withdrew quickly and grabbed what he needed. When he returned to her, she parted her thighs and welcomed him back with her arms opened wide.
“You know, maybe it’s a good thing we had to pause. I almost forgot something else,” he said.
“What’s that?”
He looked deeply into her eyes and, seeing no guile at all, decided to risk it. “I love you.”
She smiled up at him. “I love you back.”
He kissed her soundly, and without another word, he reentered her and resumed his rhythm. She picked right up where they’d left off. Their movements soon intensified, becoming harder and faster, more urgent and passionate.
He kissed her ear, her cheek, whatever he could reach of her, as he thrust into her warm, willing center. The sensation grew so quickly and so desperately that he found himself pounding deep into her without even realizing it. However, she was not complaining.
She appeared to be in the throes of her own passion. With eyes closed and unsteady breaths, she began to shiver. Her voice became a crescendo of moans, climaxing into a scream. Her sex clenched his as she orgasmed around him.
He couldn’t have held back any longer if he’d wanted to. But coming together seemed so perfect, he just let go and rode the wave of his own deeply satisfying climax. He let her milk every drop from him before he stilled and then continued with aftershocks from a few more surprise spasms.
At last, he collapsed beside her and rolled to the side. They were both breathing heavily, staring into each other’s eyes, and grinning.
“That was…” He had no words to describe the best orgasm of his life.
“Yeah. It was.”
She smiled, and he knew she understood. He tucked her head under his chin and held her close. This wonderful woman, someone he never would have seen himself with, was now someone he couldn’t see himself without.