Page 22 of Shiver

That’s when I realize I’ve been staring at her, unblinking, unmoving, and unspeaking.This was a horrendous idea.

“Oh, sorry, I’m Samara. I’m Luca’s attorney. I wanted to stop by and check in on him and Gia,” I stammer, trying to explain my presence, but as the words leave my mouth, I’m nearly certain they do nothing to make her believe this would be considered typical behavior for an attorney.

One light brow quirks as she appraises me. The breath finally leaves my lungs as she wheels herself backward, opening the door wide for me to enter.

“Come on in, Samara. Luca should be out of the shower soon.”

I nod, following after her and closing the door behind me. It takes some time to get my bearings because, like every other time I’ve been near him,Luca De Laurentiis surprises me at every turn.

I expected a bachelor pad with a few children’s items lying around, but that’s not what I see inside the single-story home I’m currently standing in.

His home has a very masculine quality, but it’s tastefully decorated andcozy.

There’s a mix of light and dark-blue accents that bring a certain calm to the space, and it’s exceptionally clean. Like, impeccably so.

The smell of freshly baked cookies wafts up my nose, and damn, I could go for a chocolate chip cookie right now.

The kitchen counter is lined with baby bottles, and there’s a myriad of toys, blankets, and other children’s items, but everything seems to have its place.

“I’m Gloria, by the way. Go ahead and take a seat.” She waves at the large gray sectional couch positioned in the living room.

“Thank you. I didn’t mean to intrude,” I say, now that some of my nerves have settled. “Things hadn’t gone according to plan, so I figured I should make sure my client is doing well.” I pray she doesn’t hear the lie.

She chuckles, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth in an effort to muffle the sound as she peers up at me. “Mhmm, I’m sure you make house calls like this forallof your clients,“ she says suggestively. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”

I don’t bother responding to her because it’s clear that she’s aware thisisn’ttypical, and saying anything else is likely to dig the hole deeper.

So, instead, I take a seat, positioning myself toward the television. She turns it on, and of course, a pre-recorded hockey game is playing.

But it’s not just any game; it’s an old Philly Scarlets game.

Luca’s face comes into view, and the camera zooms in on it. Even with his headgear and mouthguard, you can tell he’s gorgeous.

His eyes glimmer as he waves to his fans from the ice, and it takes everything in me to peel my gaze away from the screen and turn my attention to Gloria.

She smirks at me and asks, “Do you read?”

My cheeks heat at that, and not for the first time, I’m glad my brown skin doesn’t give away my blush as easily as it would for someone more fair-skinned.

“I do,” I tell her, not wanting to provide any additional detail.

“What kind of books do you read?” she asks, and I shift in my seat as nerves dance in my belly.

I clear my throat. “Oh, you know, romance.”

Her smirk grows wider. “Any chance you read smut?”

My eyes widen as I choke on my own saliva, sputtering as she claps me firmly on the back from her seat beside the couch, making the coughing even worse as she does.

“You okay, dear? I didn’t mean to choke you,” she chortles.

“I’m fine,” I say with a half-hearted laugh.

“I take it youdoread smut,“ she says with glee. “I have a book club I’ve lovingly named ‘Always Smutty In Philadelphia.’ We even have our own T-shirts, personalized wine glasses, and a whole line of merch!” Her tone becomes higher with every word as excitement flows through her.

My brows pinch in confusion for a moment as I take that in. “That’s”—I pause—“well, hell.” I chuckle. “That’s actually pretty cool.” A smile tugs at the corners of my lips.

It appears Luca isn’t the only one in this family whose personality holds more than meets the eye.

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