Taming Her Past - Protecting Her Future: BBW Erotic Romance (Hearts of Heroes Book 2) (10 page)

“Thank you,” she murmurs as I hand her one of the glasses before taking a sip.

I smile in acknowledgement of her thanks and take a drink of my own. Her eyes don’t sit in one place for long as she scans my home.

“Your place is beautiful,” she says with her eyes finally resting on me.

“Not what you were expecting?”

“Honestly no. Not that I don’t think you have good taste, but for a workaholic bachelor? Not what I thought it would look like at all.”

I relax back into the couch and cross my legs.

“If it was up to me it would have probably been exactly like you imagined. Ratty furniture that should be in a dump somewhere and stacks of pizza boxes. But my mother and sisters took over. I actually love what they did, but don’t tell them that.”

“Mums the word, promise,” Harmony says with a laugh before continuing, “So you have a large family? Lots of siblings?”

“Oh yeah. There are six of us. What’s worse, and I don’t know how this happened genetically speaking, is there are four girls and only me and my brother to bring in the testosterone.”

“Oh you poor guys, all those female hormones raging.”

“Now no teasing. That’s not nice. It was pure hell. Vik and I are smack dab in the middle, two girls older two younger.” I try to look exasperated but I can’t help my smile. “They were hell on a growing boy but I wouldn’t trade my sisters for anything.
Familia
.”

“Oh stop your belly aching. You were very fortunate to have a family like that. I didn’t have anything like that until I was fifteen, so I can attest to how wonderful family can be.”

The quick faraway look in her eyes makes my heart clench.

“I was extremely lucky growing up even when I was hating it. Is that why you went into family services?” When I finish asking the question I instantly want to take it back. Her walls were down and I shouldn’t have pushed. Thinking her walls where building back up and a fight’s gearing up, her softly spoken words are a shock to me.

“Yes. Some places were good, some even great, but there are bad ones that you can never forget. I wanted to be someone who helped other lost children find their place in the world, a great place. A forever place like I did with the Marks. Every child deserves to be loved,” she ends softly, an almost whisper.

Her willingness to share with me is indescribable. I can’t stay away from her any longer. The inches separating us are too much. Wanting to keep it light but show her what I am feeling, I graze her lips with mine in a sweet not lustful gesture. Her soft lips tease mine and vanilla fills my lungs. I pull away before it can go any farther. Her eyes shimmer in the low light with unshed tears and I feel myself falling faster.

Harmony…

The light brush of Luc’s mouth on mine was the sweetest thing I have ever felt. The nerves that were raw from opening up to him like that was soothed by his kiss. In this relaxed setting with him, it is easy to open up a little and talk about things I wouldn’t normally say. Looking up into his eyes, I know I can trust him not to judge me for my past. I’m not ready to divulge everything just yet, but when I am, I know he will listen. Maybe I can start to let go of the past a little. Maybe.

Beeping from the kitchen pulls us apart. His body heat disappears and I feel so disappointed. I want nothing more than to be held right now. Which is odd. I am not a lean on someone kind of person…I am the strong one to be leaned upon.

“Dinner is done, I will be back in a moment,” he says softly before leaving the room.

Blinking back the stupid water in my eyes I pull myself back together, now thankful for his departure. Definitely not the direction I wanted the evening to go. Light chitchat and sex. That is what I want. Right? How did he pull all these emotions out? I have to get this back on track. Keep it light.

Standing up, I move away from the couch, I smooth out my clothes and check my hair. Fixing everything internally and outwardly, I make my own way into the kitchen.

The spiced aroma that hits me when I enter is delicious. My curiosity is definitely peeked. What did he cook?

“Would you like some help, Luc?” my brisk tone is back into place.

He raises a brow at my voice but doesn’t call me on it, thank God.

“Will you set the table for us? Then I will bring out the food.”

“Of course,” I answer, pasting on a smile.

I reach up into the cabinet he just gestured to and pull down two plates. Placing them on the counter top, I turn for the silverware but end up in Luc’s strong arms. Damn he moves quietly!

“Hey.”

I move my eyes from his pulsing neck to his warm eyes. “Hi,” I whisper back to him.

“Don’t go hiding on me again, baby.”

Oh Luc.

“I’m—”

“No,” he interrupts. “You need to protect yourself, I get that. But don’t close yourself off from me completely again, okay?”

“I’ll try,” I answer his question the best I can.

“Thank you.”

His arms tighten around me and he leans in closer. Yes, please. I very much want his kisses right now.

“Oh my! I am terribly sorry, I didn’t know Luccas had company.”

A woman’s slightly accented voice has us jumping apart. We look over to the doorway and Luc starts laughing.

“What is so funny?” the woman asks Luc.

She cracks a smile giving up on her scowl in seconds. Her pretty red flowery dress swirls around her legs as she walks up and wraps Luc in a hug before kissing his cheek loudly. Her brown eyes are twinkling suspiciously when she pulls away from him. She pats her black hair back into perfection and turns to face me full on.

“Harmony, this is my mother, Cecila Ariea.
Madre
, this is Harmony,” Luc introduces us.

Mother!? Oh holy crap.

Putting my nerves aside, I stick out my hand in a professional manner.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Ariea.”

She just smiles at my hand and looks back to Luc. Rapid fire Italian flows from her mouth before she wraps me in her plump arms. Pulling away from me, she looks me over again. My normally fast brain is so fogged by this woman’s actions that I have nothing to say. I was
not
prepared for this.

“It’s wonderful to meet you,
bella
Armonia
. Please call me Cecila or Momma works well too,” she says to me, all smiles with a little wink.

“Umm,” I sputter out, trying to refocus my thoughts, but thankfully Luc saves me.

“
Madre
?”

Moving her eyes away from me to him, thankfully, she answers.

“Yes?”

“What are you doing here?” he asks. Leaning back against the counter behind him, he crosses his arms over his chest looking completely relaxed.

I have to look away before his mother catches me oogling her son’s muscular body. I don’t think that would go down well. Hopefully nobody catches my blush either. I feel the heat in my cheeks and can only imagine how red they are right now.

“You don’t like to see your momma?” Cecila asks in an almost believably hurt voice.

“No, I love seeing you and you know that. But why right now? What did you need to come to my house for that a phone call could not get you, I wonder?” he asks with a smirk creeping up on his face.

“Oh do not be so suspicious,
angelo mio
. When you called this morning about recipes my interest was piqued, but did I ask questions or nose around for answers? No, I did not. I am simply here because I did not think you had certain ingredients you needed, so I bring them over for you.”

He called his mom so he could cook for me? Okay, that is sweet. My head bounces between the two, I am completely entranced with their conversation.

“I wouldn’t have the ingredients? That’s why I called you, so I could go shopping. Have you seen what you came for?” he asks in a quite mock serious tone, which was tamed by the soft smile on his face. You take one look and know how deeply he loves her. His family ties run so deep it’s beautiful to see.

“Always so clever, my young one, yes I have seen what I needed. See you Sunday for dinner,
angelo mio
.” With a large sigh, she gives in to being caught. She wraps Luc up in another hug and two quick cheek kisses, her attention was back on me. Her intense brown eyes have me thinking maybe her attention never left me at all.

Before I can think, I am wrapped into her warm embrace. She smells like frosting. Warm vanilla frosting. I think I like that. I smile back at her when she pulls slightly away to look into my eyes.

“We will see you Sunday as well. Have to get to know your future
suocera
.”

“Madre!”

“I’m going, I’m going.
Ciao, bella
.” She laughs out and as quick as she appeared she is gone.

When the slam of the door signals her exit, I burst out laughing.

“Okay, she’s amazing,” I tell him once my chuckling subsides.

“She is at that, along with many other adjectives,” Luc snickers back before turning once again to the stove.

“Now I caught a lot of that but there are some words I was confused on.”

“Oh yeah? I’m sure you don’t want to know. My mother rambles, a lot.”

“Hmm…she seemed very focused to me,” I say back before leaving the kitchen to set the table.

Once set and food is displayed, we both sit at the small intimate dinner table and start to fil our plates.

“God this looks so good, Luc, I can’t believe you cooked this.” If this tastes as good as it smells, I am about to be in food heaven.

“This,” he points to a large round cake looking item, “this is called
Torta Rustica
. Here we have the dinner soup,
Zuppa Toscana
, one of my favorites growing up,” he explains.

“It all looks very yummy. You sure outdid yourself, huh? Couldn’t like order a pizza or hired someone else to cook. Had to show off, didn’t you,” I say with a smile on my face, letting him know I am just teasing.

“Yup,” he answers simply, wearing his own smile.

“So? You going to explain what some of what your mother said?” I ask, forking in another scrumptious bite of the
Torta
. It practically melts on my tongue it’s so good.

“What ones?”

Swallowing my mouthful, I think of one of the first ones.

“Well, I figured out my angel. That was really sweet. I’m stuck on bella arm…armo.”

“
Bella Armonia
, it means beautiful Harmony.”

“Oh. That’s pretty. I think I like my name in Italian better than English,” I laugh.

“It’s beautiful in any language,” he almost whispers. I can feel his eyes rove all over my shown body and goose bumps prickle against my skin.

Holy shit. Five words and I turn into a fucking marshmallow for this guy! We’re getting off track. Don’t go there.

“The other was what she said before she left, sorcea?”

“Close, it’s
suocera
. And I’m not telling you what that means because she was being trouble with that one.”

I gape at his answer. He sips from his wine, not even caring about what he just did.

“You can’t do that to me! Now all I am going to think about is what that word means!” I gripe at him. Shit…well I will be hittin’ up Google in the very near future. If he won’t tell me then I will figure it out myself.

“I’m sorry, but you don’t really want to know, I promise.”

“Hateful,” I mumble under my breath and take another bite of dinner. I am almost full, but it’s so good I don’t want to stop.

“That’s not hateful, this is hateful.
Vieni qui e baciami, amore mio
.”

His smooth deep voiced words make me goo. Brain function gone. Moving? Nope, not an option. He could have just called me the worst thing in the book, but the hell if I care. That was hot, like holy shit hot.

I try to clear my throat before speaking. Twice.

“Um…what, what did that mean?” My voice comes out husky and deep in its own way. His eyes darken to almost black before answering my question.

“That’s the hateful part, I’m not telling you.”

He knows what he is doing to me. His ‘I got you’ smile is out in full smirking glory and I don’t know whether to smack it or kiss it off his too handsome face.

Fine. We will play.

“Alright. Don’t tell me now, but you will eventually.”

Luc’s eyebrow raises at the blatant challenge in my voice. He knows I don’t like to back down.

“Thank you for making dinner, Luc. This is really very good,” I change the subject.

I cut off a piece of
Torta
and slowly slide it off my fork, moaning at my taste bud’s pleasure. Maybe a little louder than I normally would, but it
is
game on after all.