Page 150 of All at Once

“Yeah. I think yellow is your color,” he says.

My brows furrow amusedly. “Literally no one hasevertold me that. I know it’s generalizing it a bit, but it’s also not even anybody’s favorite color.”

“I know what you mean,” Luca says, “but I couldn’t disagree with it more. Yellow is actually one of my favorite tones to paint with. It can be one of the most subtle ways to incorporate color into a piece since it blends nicely with neutrals but also works well as a standalone too.”

I bite down on my lip, finding him even more attractive when he talks about his interests. “I love when you talk art to me.”

“So you want to go now.” He scoffs knowingly.

“I mean, we can stay here and keep talking about flowers if you want?” I glance around the garden facetiously.

He pulls me in slightly. “I don’t know. My mind is fixated on a morecomplexflower at the moment.”

I could be wrong, but I don’t think he’s referring toactualflowers anymore.

CHAPTER 25

“Dress” – Taylor Swift

“YOU KNOW IT’S FUNNY HOW we met,” I say as Luca and I sit on a blanket on the floor once we’re back at his apartment.

He takes a bite of broccoli before asking, “How so?”

“I’ve always had the fantasy of meeting my dream guy on a summer vacation. I never thought it wouldactuallyhappen.”

“So I’m your dream guy?” Of course that’s the first thing he points out. I roll my eyes as he gives me a side smirk. “Is that what you thought when you first saw me?”

“Not even close. I couldn’tstandyou that day. So you can imagine my frustration when I also found you to be obnoxiously attractive.”

Luca bites down on his lip in amusement. “If I saw you that day before you spilled the drinks like that,” he begins sarcastically, “I would have definitely checked you out.”

“Like how you checked me out before you taught me how to surf?”

“Yeah, and how you did the same,” he says arrogantly as he bites down on another vegetable.

His words remind me how many times I must have glanced over at him these past few weeks. And now I realize that he’s probably picked up on every single one of these moments.

I point the attention back to the food that he prepared for us just to distract from the heat that’s started to disperse at my core. “What did you put in this salmon? I usually don’t like it that much, but this is amazing.”

Luca stares at the dish cluelessly as if he didn’t just make it. “I honestly don’t know. I just threw in some spices that were in my cabinet into the pan, mixed it, and hoped for the best.”

I snort. “How do guys just put random shit together and it somehow tastes good?” He shrugs with a pleased grin. “I can make a pretty good grilled cheese. And an amazing salad.”

“Asalad?That’s hardly cooking.” He chuckles.

“Maybe the way you make yours. I make my dressing from scratch.”

“Woah.” He raises his hands with an exaggerated glare.

I nudge his shoulder. “Shut up. It tastes really good, okay.”

“I’m sure it does.” Luca smirks as I catch him glimpse down at my lips, the visual making my cheeks burn. “Regardless, I’m sure it’s better than anything I can make.”

“Are we eating the same dish?” I tease before slipping a piece of potato into my mouth. “By the way, what are these called again?”

“Patatas bravas,” he explains. “They’re crispy fried potatoes with a brava sauce that’s mainly made up of olive oil, tomato purée, and pimentón, which is essentially a sweet and smoky Spanish paprika.”

“I think I have to learn the recipe. They’re so good.”

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