Rural Romance by Alexa Riley
Chapter Two
Luca
“Hey, where are you headed in such a hurry?” Cooper puts his hand on my chest and I stop my pursuit of Selma.
“Just getting another drink.” I hold up my empty glass and shake the ice at him, but his eyes narrow. He looks over his shoulder to where Selma has already disappeared and then back at me.
“Glad you could make the wedding.” His comment makes me want to roll my eyes, but I hold back.
“I told you I’d be cutting it close but that I wouldn’t miss our baby sister’s big day.” I glance over to Lux and her husband on the dance floor holding each other close and swaying slowly, even as the dance music blasts and everyone around them is moving like they’re in a club.
“All right, I’ll lighten up.”
“Liar.” I smirk at my older brother, and he shrugs like he’s not about to apologize.
“So where were you this time?”
I glance back to the empty space Selma occupied and realize I might have missed my chance. Maybe if I can get rid of Cooper, I can still catch up with her.
“I had a deal close in Miami, and then I went to the Keys to look at a building. I’m still not sure if I’m going to buy it, but I’ve got to be in Houston tomorrow to close a listing I’ve been working on for over a year.”
“You really surprised us all with your knack for selling land.”
“They're not making any more of it,” I agree and clap my hand on his shoulder. As if he can sense I’m trying to leave, he grabs my wrist.
“When are you going to stow those wings and put down some roots?”
I give him my biggest smile and lean in close. “I think you and Lux have the family all taken care of with weddings and babies.” I wink at him as I walk away, and he calls out my name.
I turn around one last time to see him put his arm around Juno. “You can’t fight it forever.”
Without a response, I give him a little salute and go in search of the woman I can’t stop watching.
My life might look like an adventure to everyone on the outside. Yes, I travel a ton, and I get to go to really cool cities, but most of the time I’m either in meetings or alone in a hotel. Truth be told, I hate flying, but it’s the quickest way to get somewhere. Whenever I’m home in Pink Springs, I love my time with my family, but I always know it’s going to be short-lived before I’m on to the next business deal.
I sort of stumbled into selling property and traveling for it. I had a friend that needed some help selling a distant family member's piece of land after they died, and it kind of snowballed after that. People always seem to like dealing with me, because I’m laid back and make them feel comfortable. I’m really good at what I do, and most of the time every party walks away happy, and I get to add another zero to my bank account.
Hell, sometimes I wonder what the fuck I’m going to do with all the money I have saved. Even with as many properties as I’ve bought and sold over the years, I still technically live at home with my brother and his wife. I’ve got a room there, and although I’m hardly ever in it, I don’t have another place to call mine.
I’ve been looking at property and thinking more long term, but I can’t decide if my place is in the city and close to all the places I need to be, or if it’s in the country with my family, learning to slow down a little.
I meant what I said when I told Cooper that he and Lux have it all taken care of with weddings and kids, but what if one day I change my mind? Where do I want those kids and family to be, and is it time I start taking steps towards that? It’s part of my life I never considered before and didn’t really have a desire to. Is being at this wedding making me rethink my path? Or is it the curly-haired brunette that’s got me asking questions?
And just as I picture her in my mind, there she is in a crowd of people by the cake. She looks like she’s trying to blend in, but I doubt she’s ever managed to do that a day in her life.
Without thinking about exactly what I’m doing, I grab a plate and a fork from the table nearby and walk over next to her. She stiffens as I lean in close and whisper in her ear.
“What if it’s carrot cake? And if so, do you think there’s still time for an annulment?” I see the corner of her lips twitch, but she doesn’t allow herself to smile. “I think the wedding cake says a lot about a couple.”
“Like what?” She turns, and it puts her face close to mine as the crowd moves around us.
“Like whether or not their love will stand the test of time.” I let my lazy smile stretch slowly as I place my free hand on the small of her back.
“And what flavor would accomplish that?”
“Number one, buttercream.” My fingers brush slightly over the swell of her hip, and I feel her body lean ever so slightly into mine.
“I can’t argue with you on that.”
Is it just my imagination or is Selma a little out of breath? A few people in the crowd move around us to step forward and get their cake.
“Number two, chocolate, and strawberry, but not together.”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought.” They way her eyes roam over my face and then to my neck has my cock swelling.
“When it comes to sweets…” I lick my lips, and she doesn’t miss the slide of my tongue. “The only thing I can think about is getting a taste.”
“Cake?” an older lady nearby barks at us and interrupts the moment.
Selma clears her throat and takes a step away from me, and my hand falls from her hip. Instantly I miss the warmth of her curves so close, and although I want to close the space between us, she’s moving forward in line.
I hand the lady serving the dessert my plate, and she gives me a huge slice. Then she winks at me, and I realize she’s hooked me up.
“Thank you,” I tell her and then grab Selma’s hand before she can get her own. “We’ll share.”
“What?” Selma says in confusion as I pull her away from the crowd and onto the patio outside.
It’s lit up with candles, and the music from the band is trickling out here.
“She put both of ours on one.” I shrug like it’s not a big deal, but as I sit down on the bench and pull her down next to me, I realize it’s a very big deal.
“I need to get back inside. I have to dance with my brother.” Selma points to the door and tries to get up, but I shake my head.
“There’s always time for cake.” I place my hand on top of her thigh, and she stills.
“Okay, I guess we need to inspect it.” The corner of her lips tugs again, but once more she doesn’t give me a smile. What would it take to make her laugh?
“Here.” I take the fork and scoop up a bite, then hold it out for her to take. “Tell me what it is.”
She hesitates for only a second before she wraps her full lips around the soft, fluffy cake and then closes her eyes. I picture her on her back with me on top of her. What would she look like with her mouth full of me?
“Fuck,” I whisper to myself so quietly she doesn’t hear it.
“Oh, it’s something completely different,” she says as her eyes pop open in surprise. “Try it.”
She takes the fork from me and without thinking feeds me a bite because she’s so excited for me to taste it. Why am I so hung up on everything about this woman whom I know nothing about? How has she captivated every inch of me with just her presence?
I take a bite and realize she’s right. “Wow, it’s passion fruit and something else. Is that pineapple?”
“So, what does this mean? Are they in trouble?” Before I can answer, she’s cutting off another bite for herself and eating it.
“I don’t know, most of the time I’m full of shit.”
She has to cover her mouth to keep from spitting cake on me as she laughs. The sight of her genuine pleasure makes me so damn happy that I start to laugh.
“So you’re Selma,” I finally say and then take a bite of cake.
“And you’re Luca, the brother who almost missed his sister's wedding.” She raises a brow at me, and I have a feeling she does that a lot.
“And yet I made it right on time.”
“I hear you travel a lot.”
“I do, but I’d never miss this. It’s Lux’s big day, and I’d never miss out on cake.”
“She said you were the fun one.”
“Have you met Cooper? It’s not really hard to outshine that surly bear.”
She laughs, and this time I get to see her smile. Fuck, she’s gorgeous.
“Hey Selma, they’re ready for you,” Juno says from the doorway, interrupting our moment.
“Be right there,” Selma says and then turns to look at me as she stands up. “Thanks for the cake.”
I want to pull her back down on the bench or even into my lap. But all I can do is sit there while she walks away and plan how to get her alone once more.
