make excuses when Gia curled her arms across her chest.
“G…it’s just that you’re… off limits. That’s been established.” Luka grabbed Gia’s finger, pulling her hand down. “It’s known and I don’t really like breaking the rules my coaches set.”
“So why are you here?” She wasn’t angry. Gia wasn’t a kid. She understood who Luka was and what kind of life most players had while they were in college. This wasn’t a time for long-term commitments to anyone other than your team and your sport. Relationships usually weren’t ever considerations. Gia respected the game and the team enough to know that.
But that didn’t mean her pride wasn’t hurt a little bit.
“If I’m so off limits and you’re worried about pissing off my uncle then why did you try to take out Drew today?”
Luka didn’t bother to hide his laugh. He leaned back, covering his face before he shrugged, head shaking. “I got no answer for that…except maybe…maybe I guess I don’t like you being entangled with anyone else.”
This time, Gia laughed, shoving Luka when he reached for her. “That’s not fair, you bastard!”
“I’m a complicated guy,” he said, moving closer, ignoring her half-hearted smack against his arm before he pulled Gia onto his lap. “Does that make me an asshole?”
“Yeah. Little bit.”
“Well, I’m sorry. I…don’t mean to be.” He kissed her forehead, breath coming out in a sigh. When he spoke again, it was through an exhale. “You want me to get out of here?”
There was so much to say to him, Gia knew. So many voices clouding in her mind telling her that she should demand something permanent, that she was owed more. It was probably why she felt and acted so indecisive all the time. But Gia didn’t know what she wanted herself. She only knew she liked Luka. She only knew he made her feel good. He made her smile. She knew she wanted him, and she wanted to make him good too.
Life experiences, she told herself, blocking out the good girl mandates her mother had always told her were so important. Gia just wanted to live in this moment. She decided just then she’d figure out what came next later.
“No…” Gia said, curling an arm around Luka’s neck before she stole a kiss. “I don’t think I want you to go anywhere.”
“Good.” He gripped Gia to pull her closer. Luka’s movements were quick, working her hips to his as he pulled her face near enough to take her lips.
“Umm…” Gia said, responding to Luka’s touch, fingers against his face, leaning into the sensation of his mouth against her chin and along her neck. She held her breath, heart hammering hard when he kissed her collarbone, teasing the skin there with his lips and tongue before Gia’s grip on Luka’s hair and soft, anxious hum of pleasure had Luka stopping.
He watched her, arms still around her, mouth still inches from her skin, gaze on her face before he spoke. “Gia…I don’t do…” Luka went quiet when she shook her head.
“I heard you the first time.”
“You know that means… If I stay…”
She shrugged, brushing the hair from his face before she kissed Luka’s cheek, then once against his mouth. “No entanglements?”
He returned the kiss, thumb against her bottom lip, his tongue wetting his mouth as though he had to keep from devouring her. “This…right here, I want this. I want more than this…I…I wanted you in the shower but anyone could have seen us. It wouldn’t have been safe. But no matter how much I want you… I’m not expecting anything.”
Gia got his meaning. She’d offered everything she had to Luka. Inside of twenty minutes they were on Claire’s bed making out, not promising each other a thing. At the moment, Gia wasn’t sure if that mattered to her, but then, she was never sure of anything at all. She only knew that Luka was a good person and a beautiful man and she had no intention of spending the rest of the night thinking about what might or might not happen in the future.
“Good. Then, we’ll just see where we end up.”
5.
LUKA
In the dark, there were no shadows.
He was no one’s brother. No one’s son. No one’s mistake.
There was only the curve of her hip and the arch of her spine. There was only the spread of her breasts and the hollow of her throat. There was only the dark, secret spaces—honey and sweetness that only Luka could taste for that night. For those long, stolen days that