Fallon & Luca Read online

  “I’ll get you a cab,” he comments, giving me no room to argue as he assists Teagan when she staggers to her feet, and I follow as he guides her outside.

  He puts Teagan into the back seat of a cab and keeps the door open, motioning for me to get inside.

  “Thanks for your help...” I prompt him for his name.

  “Luca.”

  “Thank you for your help, Luca.”

  “You’re welcome...?” Now he wants to know my name.

  “Fallon.”

  “Fallon,” he murmurs and encloses my cold hand within his two warm ones, rubbing it gently. “Where do you need to go, Fallon?”

  “I can take it from here.” I don’t want to give a stranger my address.

  He grins and his brows furrow for a second before I slip into the cab next to an already snoring Teagan.

  Luca closes the door and hands the driver a fifty. “Take the ladies home and wait until they’re inside their house to leave.”

  He gives too much money for the short, ten-minute drive from the bar to our condo on West Jackson Boulevard. While I find it endearing that he doesn’t press for my address and makes sure he gives enough money to the cab driver, I start to object, “No, Luca, that’s too much—”

  “Fallon.” He opens my door again, bending down so that we’re face-to-face, and he appealingly brushes back his hair with one hand. “Don’t worry. I only want to make sure you get home safely.” His stare is focused on my mouth.

  I want to glide my fingers through his thick hair. His sculpted lips and deep green irises with tiny flecks of gold make me gravitate toward him. The world around me dwindles away as he inches closer. I hear nothing but our intensified breathing while his tantalizing cologne breezes around me. Lowering my gaze, I clutch my purse on my lap to stop myself from pushing my hands into the small V of his dress shirt.

  With his hot breath on my ear, Luca whispers, “While I truly enjoyed your seduction skills, I prefer my women more natural. Your luscious lips don’t need red lipstick, Fallon.”

  I shut my eyes tightly for a moment, but I can’t refrain from smiling – even though I feel somewhat embarrassed.

  When I finally do look at Luca, he’s already stepped back. After closing the door, he throws me a wink as the cab drives away.

  CHAPTER 2

  Luca

  I text Adriano to come outside the club as I round the corner and transfer my handgun from the front to the back of my pants. That was a close call when Fallon crashed right into me, and for the first time in years, I was thrown off guard. Unable to move, I kept her still in front of me so that she wouldn’t discover or reveal my gun. When I caught her sparkling eyes and lush mouth, the ability to look away failed me. In addition, her smooth legs and curvaceous silhouette made my curiosity prevail – I needed to touch the flare of her hip.

  Fallon.

  Her picture doesn’t do her justice. In the flesh, she’s quite the vixen, yet not. Observing her every move since we spotted her in the club, I saw a calmness in her attitude, an air of innocent mischief in the graceful way she carried herself. A woman intriguing enough to simply watch dancing with her loud friend.

  However, Fallon doesn’t give her address to strangers, and she’s careful in her interactions. This could pose a problem for me since I need to gain her trust.

  Adriano comes barging out of the club, and I lift my hand to signal him over.

  “What the fuck was that?” he practically yells.

  “Tone it down.”

  He steps closer to me. “What the hell was that for?”

  I shrug. “I made contact, didn’t I?”

  Adriano perks a brow. “That was my job. Guess she wasn’t interested in my ugly mug.”

  “Apparently not. She’ll take some work though. But she has made tonight a lot more fun.”

  His expression shifts into one of comical disapproval. “Be careful with that one. You guys were eye fucking the shit out of each other.”

  “Maybe I’d like to do more than that,” I say with a deep groan, surprising even myself.

  “Do someone tonight at the house. We have enough hot brunettes available for you.”

  “Not tonight. We have more work. Come on.”

  Adriano and I travel down the sidewalk toward our second assignment of the night.

  “She didn’t want to give me her address, so I have to tread carefully. I’m going to the coffee shop where she hangs out tomorrow. I need some intel, quick.” And I’m also looking forward to eye fucking Ms. Michaels some more.

  A few streets down from the club, we see our target exiting a café after we’ve staked it out for half an hour. The idiot stumbles right into the dimly lit alley to snort some coke.

  Adriano stays put at the entrance to the alley to cover me as I approach him and I pull my gun out. “Mr. Brandon.”

  A startled Brandon spins around to me with wide eyes when he hears my voice, white powder smeared all over his nose. “DeMiliano,” he spits. The drugs have given him some attitude.

  When I slowly crowd him, he retreats until his back hits the wall. “It’s Mr. DeMiliano to you.” I hold my gun up between us, uninterestedly eyeing my piece. “I thought we told you – two days ago – to bring in the payment from your boss to my soldier? James and I have been waiting patiently for you.”

  “I-I didn’t know anything about a payment,” he stutters.

  “Really? And that is”—I point my gun to the coke that’s fallen on the pavement—“not our money you’re generously snorting?” This guy is pathetic, trembling and sweating excessively, giving away all his answers with simply his body language. “Let’s call Giacomo Leggia together then. Maybe your boss can explain what happened?”

  “No,” he implores. “I’ll get you the money.”

  I tap the barrel of my gun against his temple twice. “It’s too late now. You should’ve used your head before you decided to keep my money.”

  “I can have it for you by tomorrow.”

  How stupid does he think I am? I’m going to let Leggia finish his idiot soldier, so I lie to Brandon, “I’m in a good mood today. You have until tomorrow.”

  I tuck my gun back into my pants and meet Adriano at the alley entrance. “Did you call Leggia and tell him that Brandon is here?”

  “Yes, he’s on his way. His Capo will be here within minutes.” Adriano smokes a cigarette as we stand watch until Leggia’s Capo arrives.

  The lights of a car round the corner, heading toward us. I greet the Capo with a chin dip as he steps out of his vehicle, and Adriano and I leave, content to allow Leggia to take care of his own dirty work.

  CHAPTER 3

  Fallon

  I wake up feeling unexpectedly well when my bedroom door opens and Teagan places a cup of tea on my nightstand.

  “Morning,” she says cheerily. Her dirty blonde hair looks wildly disheveled, like it’s been electrocuted.

  “Morning. I see someone hasn’t been affected by the amount of alcohol she consumed last night, except for your hair,” I tease.

  A fond smile crosses her face. I bet she doesn’t remember how we got home and she wants to know what happened last night.

  “I’m feeling surprisingly good considering I have no memory of how I ended up in my bed. And since it’s only ten, I’m thinking it wasn’t a late night for us...” She looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to fill in the blanks.

  Sitting up, I sip my tea. “Those last shots killed you. We were home at three. You were snoring in the cab.”

  “That sounds like me.” She combs her fingers through the knots in her hair. “Want to go out for breakfast?”

  “Sure. Let’s leave in an hour.”

  “Excellent. And I must warn you, I do remember a guy putting my coat on me. I’ll be drilling you about who that was.” Teagan laughs as she struts into the bathroom.

  I shower after Teagan’s done with her morning routine and barely have any time to put on light make-up and blow dry my long hair
. I rapidly brush on some black mascara, accentuating my already long eyelashes, and because I never leave home without mascara and earrings, I open one of my four jewelry cases and peruse the contents, deciding on my silver triangle-cutout drop earrings for today.

  “Fallon, come on. I’m going to die. I’m hungry!” Teagan yells from the kitchen.

  “Okay, okay, I’m done.” As I run into the living room while fastening the second earring, she’s already at the door putting on her coat. I grab my purse and jacket before we start toward the coffee and pastry shop around the corner.

  Inside the shop, we take a seat at our usual spot by the window, and I scan the menu. “I’m going to order those English muffins with butter and strawberry jam. It’s the weekend, so I can have carbs.” During the week, I deny myself carbs because I have such a sweet tooth that I need to control my eating habits a little, but this morning, I long for a sweet and filling breakfast.

  “Good choice. I’m getting them too,” Teagan decides.

  We order the muffins with tea, and as both of us are silently enjoying our meal, a feeling of serenity settles in my soul. I feel at home here in the Loop in downtown Chicago. And while I had a wonderful time growing up in Lake Forest, I always wanted to live in the Loop.

  Teagan and I grew up together, and when we came to study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, we first lived in one of The Institute’s residence halls. After I earned my master’s degree in Studio and Writing and Teagan her photography degree, we moved to our condo.

  Not long after we moved in, Teagan found her job as a photographer at a studio close by. Teagan realized she wanted to be a photographer when we were in middle school. I, on the other hand, wanted to study something different every month. However, when Roald Dahl introduced me to the world of witches disguised as elegant ladies and the chocolate factory that’s every kid’s dream, books became an integral part of me. Reading is the one hobby that stuck with me. And it not only stuck, it’s become a full-blown obsession where I’ll cancel appointments to stay home, cooped up with a book. My book obsession convinced me to find a path in life that somehow involved the written word, and this, thankfully, narrowed down my choices regarding my education. I attended the broadest writing program I could find – Studio and Writing – and that’s how I ended up as a copywriter for Charity Events where we organize events to raise money for various non-profit organizations.

  “How’s everything going with the yearly orphan event? Are you already working on that project or haven’t you started yet?” Teagan has a habit of firing questions at me.

  “We’re just in the beginning stages of that event. It’s in August, and since it’s only February now, we have almost seven months to organize everything. We’re already selling the tables for impressive amounts, so I’m positive we’ll raise a huge amount of money. So many sponsors have been attracted to it that we have a surprisingly high budget to work with. Well, in relation to the tight budgets I’m used to anyway.”

  “I think your boss is one of the biggest sponsors of most of the projects,” Teagan utters with a full mouth.

  “I think Alex sponsors most of the projects too. I always thought he was a rich kid, but he doesn’t come from a wealthy family. I actually couldn’t find any information on him online. I want to know where his fortune comes from.”

  “Not everything can be found on the internet,” she mockingly declares and finishes her muffin with a few huge bites.

  Having no retort, I stick my tongue out.

  “Good one. I think there’s still some vodka in your system which negatively affects your argumentative side,” she jokes softly with a faraway look in her eyes.

  “Probably. It does make me feel better when we blame the vodka.” Tasting my tea, I notice Teagan starting to slouch forward in her seat slightly.

  All of a sudden, a sad expression takes over her face. “Fall, I’ve received an offer to work abroad for a year.”

  What?

  “The studio wants me to work in the European office for a year. One photographer with a long-term contract has left unexpectedly, and they don’t want to train a newbie. The Europe office contacted the Chicago studio, and my boss offered me the position. It only came up last Wednesday, and I wanted a few days to consider before I told you. I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But because the photographer left so abruptly, they need a new photographer to start as soon as possible. The current project has been on hold for days, and the delay is costing the studio a fortune.”

  I’m simply shocked that she’s leaving.

  Wrinkles crease her forehead. “Please say something.”

  “I’m surprised...” I quickly add, “I’m happy for you, of course, but I’m going to miss you. Where in Europe?”

  “London. It’s for a year, and then they’ll review my contract. The studio arranges everything for me, including housing. You can visit me.” Teagan reaches for my hand.

  I look at our hands clasped together on the table, and instantly, my eyes water. “I’m honestly happy for you, but I’m going to miss you. We’ve done everything together for years. When do you leave?” Still in a minor state of shock, I stare at my muffin, appetite gone.

  “I have to leave in two weeks. But Fallon, I’ll take care of everything. You don’t have to get another roommate.”

  I dismiss her comment. “I’m not worried about that. I’m going to be lonely without you at first,” I confess my feelings without holding back.

  “We’ll talk often. I’ll come back here. And you have to visit me in London. It’s not like we won’t see each other for a year.”

  I feel selfish talking about my feelings right now. “We should celebrate. I’m so proud of you. How do you feel?”

  “I’m scared, but the good kind of scared. You’re the first person I’ve told the news. It’s beginning to dawn on me that it’s really happening. I’m moving to London, baby!”

  “You’re moving up in the world. I want to hear all about it, but first, I need another tea; Earl Grey for you too?” I stand up but then hurriedly sit again.

  Teagan looks confused and cranes her neck to see what or who caused me to sink back down.

  I motion my hands up and down frantically. “No! Don’t look yet,” I whisper-shout.

  Her brows draw together. “Okay...What’s going on?”

  “The guy who put your coat on you last night – the guy I was going to tell you about after the shock of your leaving wore off – is standing at the counter.”

  “So?” Clearly, she’s still confused.

  “Well, coat guy is mystery man is Luca who flirted with me when he put us in the cab home.”

  Her eyes widen in intrigue. “Now it’s becoming interesting. Luca flirted with the clown?” she teases, unceremoniously loudly.

  Luca – and everyone else in the coffee shop – turns when he hears the commotion that is Teagan. A lazy grin is directed at me, and I dip my chin slightly in greeting before his attention drifts back to the counter.

  “Okay, you can look now,” I mumble to Teagan.

  Her head spins around and then back to me. “I can’t see him very well. Let me get some sugar from the other table.” She stands up and discreetly checks out Luca and comes back immediately. “You definitely had a wet dream about him.” She leans in closer. “He’s your type; the dark hair and green eyes.”

  I can’t deny that. I give her the down and dirty version of our flirting. “First, I bumped into him and accidentally copped a feel – dear god, he’s well-endowed – then he helped me evade Nick and saw to us when we left. He paid the driver and told me that he liked his women natural. That I didn’t need red lipstick.” I smile because I think that was an excellent move.

  Teagan claps her hands softly while beaming. “Seems like Luca has a way with the words,” she chants. Then abruptly, she frowns. “Where was I when this happened?”

  “You were snoring next to me.” I touch her nose affectionately.

&nb
sp; “How sexy of me. To make it up to you, I’m going to leave you two alone now.” She throws a ten on the table and gets up to leave.

  “It’s very coincidental that he’s here now. I practically live in this shop, and this is the first time I’ve seen him here.”

  She lifts a brow, giving me a woman, please look of disdain. “Don’t overthink it; maybe you just never noticed him before? He’ll come to you. I have to leave now, or it’ll look suspicious. Make me proud.”

  “Okay, Sherlock. We’ll talk more when I get home, right?”

  “Of course. I’ll see you in a few.” Teagan hurries out the door.

  I continue sipping my tea and watch Luca, who walks over to my table with a coffee in hand. In the daylight, he’s even more irresistibly handsome. He has a commanding posture that isn’t intimidating, yet it strangely is, adding to his already ridiculous sex appeal. He obviously works out but isn’t too bulked. Nevertheless, his strength is evident in every move he makes. I’m not usually the type to ogle a man, but even I am not immune to him and kind of like the fact that he singles me out while several women in the shop are gawking at him as he and I only look at one another.

  “Good morning, Fallon,” Luca greets, his tone husky.

  “Morning, Luca. Isn’t this a nice coincidence?” I tilt my head slightly, giving away my doubt about how non-coincidental this might actually be.

  “It is.” He ignores my inferred suspicion and points to the chair Teagan’s just vacated. “Can I join you?”

  “Please do.”

  Luca sets the coffee on the table, removes his coat to hang over the back of the chair, and takes his seat. He’s immaculately dressed for a Sunday morning in his black dress pants and light blue button-up. And he also doesn’t look like someone who went clubbing the night before. His wavy dark hair is neatly combed back and a light beard covers his jaw. His unshaven look doesn’t make him look scruffy, but rather dashing.

  “I hope I didn’t scare your friend away.” A smirk crosses his face, and he drinks his coffee while holding my gaze over the rim of his cup. But he doesn’t wait for me to answer before continuing. “Did you have a good night’s sleep? You and your friend were intoxicated.”