Page 163 of All at Once

“Drive?I thought it was just a few blocks away,” I tease him back for how he made fun of me on our first walk together.

His eyes sparkle even brighter against the sun as I take the opportunity to walk ahead of him. My ability to play it cool lasts a full three seconds when his touch catches me by surprise as I feel his fingers intertwine in mine from behind.

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I don’t know why it’s taking me this long to decide what flavor I want once we reach the ice cream stand. Especially after coming here enough to know exactly what they have. So I take Luca’s recommendation to try a new flavor.

As we find a spot on a bench that’s overlooking the marina, Luca hands me my ice cream. “Thanks,” I say before facing the lavish boats. “Eras botas son hermosas.”

He snorts, tilting his head up at me. “Those boots are beautiful?”

“Shit. I meant thoseboatsare beautiful.”

He gives me a side grin. “Esosbarcosson hermosos.”

“Got it.”

“So it turns out I got the chance to hear you speak Spanish after all,” he teases as he bites down on his bottom lip.

“Hey, I’m trying.” I groan at my two failed attempts so far.

“I know you are. And you’re doing well,really. Your accent’s also pretty adorable,” he adds with a smirk.

Between the warm sun and my rosy cheeks, it’s the perfect moment to finally try the new flavor. “Okay, wow. This is amazing. I’ve never had lemon ice cream before. Just lemon sorbet, but this is incredible.”

“After coffee and pistachio, this is definitely my third favorite,” Luca says.

“I can see why.” I turn toward him, while taking another bite. “I have an important question to ask you.”

“Tell me.”

“Lemon or lime?”

He chuckles. “Lime.”

“Not that there’s a wrong answer, but why does lime just taste better?”

“I know,” he says. “And speaking of lime, the only dessert I actually know how to make is key lime pie. Well, in addition to that impressive chocolate raspberry cake we made.” I snort, and then he gives me a warm smile. “We should make that together sometime.”

Frowning at the realization that this most likely won’t happen for a while, ifever, I somehow still manage to joke, “After baking for the wedding, I think that we shouldn’t beallowedto work in a kitchen at the same time.”

“Now why would you say that?” His lips curve into a smirk when I catch him glimpsing at my cheeks, for a second wondering why before quickly feeling the sticky sensation on my skin. Luca’s smile doesn’t leave his lips as he gently brushes his thumb across my cheek, wiping away the ice cream dripping down my face.

It’s funny. After everything we did last night, you’d think that a delicate movement like this would somehow feelless. Instead, it feelsmoreconsuming.Morepleasing,Moreheartbreakingly beautiful. Like I’ve just landed inside a snow globe after it’s been shook, as the confetti, glitter, and faux snow dance through a magical blizzard. And while my body has pretty much ignited all over again, I express with innocence, “Don’t ask me how that got there. I don’t even know.”

He chuckles, before pressing his lips so softly over the same spot where he removed the sticky dessert a second ago. As if that wasn’t enough to stir subtle waves of arousal across my skin, he lifts my chin and says, “Te quiero.”

Oh I know what that means.

“You want me?”

He smirks. “I saidI love you.”

So I was close…

“But yes.That too,” he adds as his entire face beams into a large grin that for a second makes me forget that this is a vacation that will soon be coming to an end.

I’m so overwhelmed that I realize I forgot to even say it back to him. With the glimmer lighting up my eyes as I look up into his, I’m convinced that he knowsexactlyhow I feel.

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