Page 56 of Tempting Me

The way I thought he was going to last night when he walked me to my door.

I don’t say anything, and neither does he. He simply nods with a smirk on his face. Then he looks at Grace, and my heart sinks.

It shouldn’t do that.

Not when I’m supposed to be annoyed at him over last night.

Gosh, this whole thing is messed up, and I’m tired of it taking all my brain power.

I just don’t know what to think about it.

The Marina should be my focus, not Luca.

Turns out, I don’t have to worry too much about it right now. Luca and his brother disappear into the bar.

“Wow,” Grace says quietly beside me.

“What?” I fall into step with her.

“You and Luca not talking when you saw each other was weird.”

I give her a side-eye.

“Do you like him?”

“What?” I ask and almost trip.

“Do you like Luca?”

“No.”

“It’s okay if you do. I’ve made it clear I’m not into him that way.”

“I don’t, though.”

My immediate answer is all too telling.

“Okay, so then, what’s your plan for tonight?”

“I don’t know. We need to go look at the cabins. My last guy never got to them, and I’d like to get the minor stuff fixedbefore winter so that I can still rent them out. We can do more renovations later, and I?—”

“I meant with Luca.”

“Oh.” I think it over for a moment. “I’m not sure yet.”

“Well” —she bumps my shoulder as we pause at the corner of the street where she will go left and I’ll go right to work—“maybe don’t do anything. See what happens. If he didn’t say anything just now, maybe he won't at all. I know you two have that thing you do, but I don’t think he’d ever say anything to intentionally embarrass you.”

“Luca? Not say anything? That’s wishful thinking.”

But really, she might be right.

“Just be nice. Maybe you two could be friends.”

Friends.

With Luca.

I let out a sigh.

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