Luca's Bad Girl - By Amy Andrews Page 0,15

fine exterior.’

‘And she’s not?’

Pete shook his head. ‘Of course she’s not. She just doesn’t know it yet.’

They watched her again for a moment or two. ‘But don’t tell her I told you that,’ Pete added.

Luca laughed, picking up the tray. ‘Deal.’

‘So, Luca.’ Susie, desperate for a topic change, watched Luca slip back in beside Mia. ‘Sicily, huh?’

Luca nodded as the familiar feeling of dread and loss and yearning threatened to swamp him. He pushed them back. ‘That’s right.’

Mia glanced at Luca as she felt his thigh, jammed against hers, tense. This close to his delectable profile she could see the clench of his jaw.

‘Where exactly?’ Susie continued, unaware of Luca’s reluctance to talk about his past. Especially his home.

Luca forced himself to breathe out, to loosen the suddenly tense muscles of his neck. ‘Marsala.’

‘Like the wine?’ she asked.

Luca nodded. ‘Yes. Like the wine.’

‘We never got to Sicily,’ Susie said. ‘But we adored Italy, didn’t we, John?’

John nodded. ‘Europe as a whole. We’re actually going skiing in France at the end of the year.’

Luca slowly relaxed each muscle group as conversation moved to travel but a pall had been cast over the evening. If it wasn’t for the alluring press of Mia against his side, he’d have excused himself almost immediately.

But her nearness held him in check. He’d been aware of her since she’d first entered the bar and he could tell she was more than aware of him. There was a crackle between them that had nothing to do with the delicious rub of their thighs.

And after the way the conversation had turned tonight he couldn’t think of a better way of keeping the memories of Marsala at bay than getting lost in Mia for a while.

To hell with their one-off pact.

Teo drained his cola and stood. ‘I have to go back to The Harbour and check on a patient then I’d better head home. Emma’s teething and keeping Zoe and me up most of the night.’

‘Teething already?’ Susie marvelled. ‘Isn’t six months a little early?’

Teo shook his head. ‘Every baby is different.’ And he grinned at them because even with the sleepless nights, Zoe and Emma had made him happier than he’d ever thought possible.

‘Aw,’ Rupert, also happily married, teased. ‘Ain’t love grand?’

Mia, barely able to suppress an eye roll at Teo’s goofy expression, saw her second chance at escape. ‘Yep, me too. Early start.’

‘Same here,’ Luca said, letting her out. ‘I’ll walk you to your car.’

Mia felt a thickening in the air between them as their gazes skittered past each other. Yep, like that’s what she needed right now. Sex-on-legs escorting her anywhere.

But, sensing he was as desperate to get away as she was, she nodded her head graciously. They said their goodbyes and made their way through the throng to the coat stands by the front door.

‘I’m not driving,’ Mia said as she shrugged into her coat. ‘I live just down at Kirribilli Views. I walk to work. I don’t need an escort.’

Luca smiled as he adjusted the collar on his suit jacket. ‘What a coincidence. So do I.’

Mia’s fingers fumbled with the tie of her coat. Of course he did. ‘Of course you do,’ she said faintly. She hadn’t seen him around but it was a big place populated with shift workers.

Luca chuckled as he opened the heavy wooden door and gestured for her to precede him. He looked back over his shoulder as he departed. Pete grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.

CHAPTER FOUR

MIA buried her hands in her coat pockets as her warm breath fogged into the night air. She glanced at Luca, who had only his suit jacket to fend off cold winter fingers. But he looked warm and vital—like a walking hot-water bottle. She shook the tempting image of her wrapped around him in bed from her head. It was disconcerting to say the least when the streets were dark and practically deserted and they kept passing interesting alcoves and alleyways where two people could warm up really quickly.

Mia clamped down on the direction of her thoughts and the strange undulation of her pelvic floor muscles. ‘Aren’t you cold in that?’ she groused.

Luca shrugged. ‘Two beers help.’

Mia nodded. ‘I don’t drink much,’ she replied.

Why she felt the need to share that she had no idea, but she could feel his pull and knew she was on a slow march towards an inevitable ending. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be between them and she felt suddenly nervous.

‘You don’t like it?’ Luca enquired.

Mia