Page 36 of Amore
My phone lit up with a text from Emily:Are you watching The Daily Gossip?
Before texting Emily back, I turned on my TV and went to the channel the tabloid program was on. It didn’t take me long to figure out why she was asking.
“Nick Jennings was seen yesterday in Venice locking lips with his ex, supermodel Tia Fanning. Looks like they’re trying to work things out,” the commentator stated.
I sent Emily a reply:Guess I know why he ghosted me. Whatever.
Emily:But now you can focus on the hot cop.
All right, so I had mentioned Luke to Emily too. I had to, given he did the security around my house and I’d spent two days with him. Plus, she knew we met for coffee and had seen us holding hands. I had to explain all of it to her.
Me:The hot cop has a girlfriend, remember?
Everyone except me kept forgetting about Candace.
Emily:Anything can happen.
I didn’t reply. Instead, I went back to searching for homes. Sometime later, my phone pinged again with a text.
Luke:How’s it going?
I smiled as I texted back:Good. Just searching for new places to live because I’m putting my house on the market while I’m in Canada.
Luke:Really?
I didn’t want Luke to freak out, so I texted:Just doesn’t feel like home anymore.
Luke:I get that. Want to grab dinner? Maybe take Amore to the beach?
My belly fluttered because my brain thought Luke was asking me out on a date. Was he? There was no way it was a date, but what if it was? I felt like a teenager again, but this time it was just him and me—no Lucy hanging with us.
Me:I would love to ?
Luke:I’ll pick you up in an hour.
I threw my phone on the couch and jumped up, running to my bedroom to shower in the en suite bathroom. Amore raced after me, barking. I turned to him. “It’s okay, buddy. I’m just in a hurry. But we’re going to the beach.”
“Woof!”
I showered the fastest I’d ever showered before, then did my makeup. Luke had seen me without it, but I had no idea where we were going to dinner, and I didn’t want the trolls to mock my appearance if I were to show up in the tabloids, which probably would happen.
True to his word, Luke arrived an hour later. He let himself in my gate, and I opened my front door with a huge smile. It felt like I hadn’t seen him in years again, even though it had only been days.
I had it bad.
Fuck, did I? But I had to keep reminding myself he had a girlfriend. A girlfriend he worked with. And if they broke up, I could only imagine how weird it would be to remain partners.
“Hi!” I beamed as he stepped out of his Mustang. He was dressed in a white tank top that showed off his muscled arms and gray, linen shorts. He was as handsome as ever.
Amore ran past me and straight to him.
“Hey, buddy. I missed you.” Luke rubbed Amore’s belly as Amore rolled onto his back. My dog had really taken a liking to Luke, and it warmed my heart.
“Wow, I don’t even get a greeting like that?” I teased.
“I’ll rub your belly if you want.” He winked.
“I’d rather get a back rub.”
