The Heart Chaser by Gina Azzi

11

Abbi

Chloe’s face lights up like I announced we’re celebrating Christmas twice.

“Seriously? Panda is your boyfriend?” She nearly squeaks.

I roll my eyes, downplaying it because that’s what I do. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

She scoffs. “Not that big of a deal? Abigail Walsh—”

I groan. Only Gran ever called me by my full, antiquated name.

“You haven’t referred to a man as your boyfriend since college.”

“Don’t remind me of Kent,” I say, wrinkling my nose.

Chloe’s expression mirrors mine. “Don’t even think about Kent when we’re talking about Panda.”

“Right,” I agree.

“So”—Chloe waggles her eyebrows—“boyfriend. Damn. I didn’t think Panda had it in him.”

I laugh lightly. “He’s different than I expected.”

“In what way?” Chloe leans forward.

“This isn’t that juicy.”

She shrugs. “Austin is so into hockey that it’s pretty much the only thing we talk about. If I didn’t visit Mimi weekly, I’d have nothing interesting in my life to discuss.”

I chuckle. Chloe’s mimi is a lot like Gran. The reminder makes a strange pang shoot through my chest. Oh, Gran. What would you say if you could see me now? “It’s just, Luca’s a family man.”

Chole’s eyebrows shoot up. “A family man?”

I nod. “I met his nieces and nephews on FaceTime this weekend and—”

“You’re meeting the family?”

“It was FaceTime. Although, his sister did make an appearance in a towel.”

“Wait, what?” Chloe laughs.

I back up and tell her the full story, enjoying the expressions that cross her face. When I’m done, she’s beaming at me. “Damn, Abs. Luca Pandatelli is, I don’t know, heart eyes, for you. He told his sister he was bringing you home? To meet everyone?”

I nod, biting the corner of my mouth to temper my crazy-girl smile. It’s impossible and I give in, grinning at my friend. “It’s crazy, right? I mean, for six months, nothing, and now, this.”

Chloe nods and a bit of the excitement in her eyes dims. “Yes. Just, be careful, Abbi.”

“I’m always careful.”

“No, you’re not.” She laughs. “Look, I adore Panda. I think he’s funny and charming and he’s always reminded me of Drew.”

“I miss Drew,” I say, referring to Chloe’s brother who always looks out for us.

“Me too. But I don’t know if Panda’s ever been in a real relationship. Like, ever. And you haven’t been in one in years—”

“We’re not talking about Kent.”

“Hell no,” she agrees. “Just, make sure you guys are communicating, okay? I definitely missed the boat on that important relationship builder when things started up with me and Austin.”

“I know. This isn’t like Kent, who we are not talking about. Or Phil. Luca is…different. Being with him makes me happy.”

“Then I’m happy for you.” Chloe holds up her coffee mug and I clink mine against it in cheers. “Are things between the sheets still as smoking as summer?”

I blush and wrinkle my nose.

Chloe groans. “Oh, man. Don’t tell me that now you’re going to clam up. After I’ve spent the past five years of my life listening to your sexcapades in great detail, now—”

“We haven’t slept together again,” I admit.

Chloe’s mouth drops open. “Seriously?” she sputters.

I nod.

Then, laughter. Not a sweet chuckle or a light laugh. But a bark of loud, uninhibited snorting through the nose laughter. We draw the attention of nearby patrons, even the couple two tables over who are looking at each other with such googly eyes, I’d expect they wouldn’t notice a meteor landing in the cafe. But even they narrow their eyes at us in disgust.

“Shh,” I tell Chloe.

“Oh my God.” She clutches her stomach. “He loves you!”

Jesus. “Chloe.” I grip her hand and pull her closer over the table. “Take that back.” Just the word love, while slightly warming parts of my heart I’m ignoring, could also make me break out in hives.

“Sorry.” She clears her throat, trying to school her expression. But her eyes are too damn bright and I roll mine in warning. “It’s just, wow. I’m…surprised. All I’ve heard about Panda since meeting him is that he’s always got a flavor of the week. That he wastes no time and is a great—sorry,” she cuts herself off.

“No, please continue,” I say sarcastically.

She bites back her smile. “The fact that he didn’t tap that the second he could”—she points at me—“means he’s really into you. Like, he might put a ring on it and beg you for little baby Pandas that—”

“All right,” I cut her off, glaring at her.

She smirks.

“We’re…taking things slow.”

“You’re in a real relationship.” Her tone holds a note of awe that makes me smile.

“I have a boyfriend,” I confirm.

Then we both do this weird squee-ing accompanied with jazz fingers. The guy two tables down narrows his eyes further.

“Jeez, with the way he’s memorizing his girl’s lips, you’d think he’d be happy someone else found love,” Chloe mutters and I snort. “So, you’re happy?”

“I am.”

“Me too. I love that you’re in Boston. I love that we’re back.”

I tap my coffee mug against hers again. “We are most definitely back.”

* * *

“Honey, I’m home,”Luca bellows when he steps into my apartment later that evening.

I quickly blank the screen of my phone where a new, threatening image from Phil appeared an hour ago. Why does he keep sending these to me? What does he want from me?

I toss my phone down and try to forget Phil. The last thing I want to do is ruin things with Luca by talking about Phil and the images he keeps hanging over my head. I close my laptop and look up as he lopes into the living room.

“You should always keep your door locked,” he says seriously.

I smile at the protective edge in his tone. “I knew you were coming.”

He plops down next to me and takes the laptop from my hands, placing it on the coffee table. “Working?”

“Doing stuff for my gran’s estate. How was practice?”

He frowns for a second, his eyes searching mine. “Good,” he says finally. “We have a game tomorrow night.”

“Tampa.”

“Look at you.” He grins for real, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side.

I snuggle closer, rolling the back of my head over his arm. When I meet his gaze, his eyes are dark and serious.

I freeze for one moment, wondering if he knows about Phil’s message, which is impossible. But then his gaze drops to my lips, and I lean forward, meeting him for a kiss.

Our lips touch and my body heats, need coursing through me. My hands grip at his hoodie and he repositions me so I’m propped in his lap, straddling him. My palms slide up his chest and over his shoulders, wrapping around the back of his neck.

He lets out a sigh that encourages me to lean forward, to press down on him, to melt into him. His hands palm my ass, one slipping under the fabric of my shirt to glide over my back. I feel his lips curve into a smile when he realizes I’m not wearing a bra. But then his smile hardens and he kisses me with a new ferocity, an intensity that I revel in.

Turning us, Luca lays me down on my couch and hovers over me. He pauses for a moment, pulling his hoodie and shirt clear off his head. I gasp as I take in the lines of his body. Hard chest, abs for days, all muscle and brawn and God—“You’re so fucking sexy,” I blurt out.

He smiles, his tongue darting out to swipe across his bottom lip. “I’m crazy for you, Abbi.” His tone is so heartfelt that my breath lodges in my throat.

Luca stares into my eyes and I drown in his and suddenly, every shitty non-relationship I’ve ever been in makes sense. I was just waiting for him. His fingers curl around the waistband of my leggings, his nails tickling me. In one hard tug, he pulls them down to my knees along with my underwear. In the next moment, they’re gone completely and I’m sprawled out beneath him in a TheBurnt Clovers band T-shirt.

Luca wastes no time pushing it up to my collarbone, my breasts spilling out. His eyes widen as he takes me in and he shakes his head. “Christ, you’re fucking beautiful. What the hell did I do right to deserve you?” His tone holds a note of awe.

So slowly my breathing ticks up, Luca lowers his head. He licks my nipple like it’s a damn ice cream cone before fastening his mouth over my right breast. I arch into him, gasping at the sensation.

Everything about this moment is different than anything I’ve ever experienced. We’re not in the heat of it, drunk and sloppy, in a dark bedroom. Nope. Right now, Luca Pandatelli is studying my body, worshipping it, with the lights on, on a Thursday evening. He’s taking his time, testing the weight of my breast on the edge of his fingertips.

He kisses the beauty mark shaped like a strawberry on the side of my ribs. His fingers stroke down my stomach and my knees fall open for him of their own volition.

But he doesn’t claim the prize. Not yet.

While I know I should get into this and do something, I’m utterly useless. Instead, I watch Luca’s face, commit each emotion that flits over his expression—want, awe, desire, need—to memory. When his fingers drag down my center, I whimper.

“So wet, baby,” he murmurs, his eyes holding mine. They’re midnight blue, ringed in slate. He pushes two fingers inside and my eyes close. “Look at me, Abbi,” he says, his fingers moving deeper as he settles himself beside me on the couch.

I turn into him, wishing our bodies could just merge in this moment. My hands squeeze his hips before I can slip my hand under his pants, my fingers wrapping around his hard, impressive as fuck length. “No boxers,” I comment.

“Was coming home to you,” he states. And that word, home, does almost as much to my insides as Luca’s skilled fingers. His mouth captures mine again and he kisses me like he’ll never get enough.

Our movements increase in tempo, our breathing turning into panting as we touch each other like teenagers but with the awareness of adults. Luca’s thumb presses against my clit, hard, before softening into a gentle, featherlight touch that keeps me just on the brink.

He manages to tug down his joggers, kicking them off as he repositions over me. His eyes find mine and his Adam’s apple bobs, his jawline strained. “Need to grab a condom.”

“I’m on the pill.”

His eyes widen. “Shit, Abbi. I’m clean.”

“Me too.”

“You sure about this?”

I nod. I’ve never been more sure in my life. I always use protection. Double, back-up, can-never-be-safe-enough protection. But with Luca, I trust him. It isn’t even something I’ve thought about. It’s implicit, a natural extension of all my other feelings.

He positions himself over me and slides inside, moving slowly as my eyes nearly roll back in my head. The sound of my arousal reaches my eardrums and the scent of our combined want scents the air.

Luca swears as he braces his weight over mine, his forearms holding him up as his left hand cups my cheek. He stares straight into my soul as he murmurs, “I’m falling for you, Abbi. Been falling for six goddamn months.” Then he slides all the way in and I groan.

He begins to move and I meet his pace, the two of us falling into a rhythm that feels more natural than breathing.

Nothing about our joining is normal for me. Every sensation is heightened, every moment is infused with more. Luca Pandatelli and I make love on my couch on a random evening and my entire world straightens. As I take in his parted lips, steel jawline, and wide eyes brimming with emotions, I know I’ll never be the same again. And I don’t want to be.

“You’re mine, Abbi Walsh. And I take care of what’s mine.”

His words put me over the edge and I shatter, a thousand insecurities and doubts dissipating in thin air as I come harder than I ever have before. Luca’s strangled groan follows close behind and we clutch at each other, steady hands and knowing glances.

When I smile at Luca, it’s with the innocence of uncharted territory. I’ve never felt so certain in my life as I say, “You changed the game for me, Luca.”

He drops a sweet kiss to my lips. Then he rolls us sideways, so we’re staring at each other, breathing in each other’s exhales. “I’ve fucked up so many things, Abbi. But I swear to you, I won’t fuck this up. I’m in love with you, babe.”

I press my palm over his heart as I admit, “Me too, Luca. I’ve been falling for you since the first night we met.”

He smiles back, looking more innocent than the hulking hockey god I met in July. “Don’t stop, okay? I’ll catch you, Abbi. I promise.”

I tip my chin up and we kiss, our hands linked together, our hearts finally in sync.