Page 166 of All at Once

Luca looks so shocked that it makes me giggle. “What wasthat?” he asks, eyes wide.

I fake obliviousness. “What?”

“All of that.”

I lick my lips. “You’re going to have to be more specific…”

He swallows. “How did you know to keep going?” He blinks in disbelief. “Fuck. What made you put my hands in your hair?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I just winged it.” And put things together that I thought he’d like.

He shakes his head. “It’s always the innocent ones…”

I snort, and when I remember my baking comment to him earlier that he made into a suggestive remark, I turn it around now. “You know, it actually tasted as good as it looked.”

Luca’s laughter ricochets off the shower walls as he playfully shoves my shoulders. “Okay. That’s enough,” he says, noticeably more flustered than me for once.

It actually didn’t taste like what I thought it would. And I don’t know if it’s the actual taste or the fact that I’m the one who built up to what made him feelthat good.

Then it occurs to me that only Luca made me feel this safe, to do something I couldn’t have thought about doing up until a few weeks ago but now needing it, no,wantingit as much as he does.

CHAPTER 28

“Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” – Taylor Swift

I’M AFRAID NOTHING’S DISTRACTING ENOUGH to make me forget that my flight’s tomorrow.

Not even the two grilled cheeses that I just made for Luca and myself after that memorable shower.

“So,” I say eagerly, “what do you think?”

“That this is thebestgrilled cheese I’ve ever had,” he replies facetiously, making me chuckle at his mockery of my own description. “No, really. I agree. And the kitchen is surprisingly pretty intact.”

I roll my eyes, already noting how much I’ll miss his sarcasm as soon as I board my plane. “Hey, you’re going to miss my advanced cooking skills when I leave tomorrow.”

Leaning against the kitchen counter, he effortlessly pulls me in for a kiss that takes me so by surprise that it might as well have been ourfirstkiss.

With his arms still wrapped around my waist, he lowers his lips barely an inch away from mine and confesses, “I’m going to misseverythingabout you.”

There goes my heartbeat thudding again…

Except now there’s another reason. I swallow the lump in my throat at the reminder of what’s been weighing on me since we first hooked up. “I don’t know how best to say this so I’m just going to come right out and say it. I’d like to keep seeing you after I leave if that’s something you also want. Just so you know how I feel.”

He looks puzzled. But he also looks amused. “Jasmine,of coursethat’s something I want.”

“I don’t know how these things work, and I didn’t want to assume. Like if you just wanted to keep it casual and temporary, I would understand.”

In reality, I’d be devastated, but I would learn to accept it. Eventually.I hope.

His brows furrow. “Casual?How do you expect me to be casual with the woman I’mfoolishlyin love with?”

My entire chest lights up. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing you say that.”

Luca’s smile fades as his eyes soften. “I wouldn’t have done the things we did together if I wasn’t serious about you.”

It’s not just his words. It’s that I know hemeansit.

Tracing along his neck, I wonder, “How will it work though? Have you ever done long distance?” I say this as if I’ve done it before when I clearly haven’t even done short distance.

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