Stealing Luca's Heart (23 page)

Ally stopped in her tracks when they rounded the corner. “You really need to stop doing this. A girl could begin to expect such surprises.” The sliding doors on the back of the house were wide open, exposing a charming living area, modern kitchen, and one bedroom. There were fresh flowers on tables both inside and out. She could see her luggage on the bed. She slowly walked into the kitchen, noticing a large picnic basket on the counter.

“We’re having a picnic?” She could feel a sudden rush of emotions. What had she done to deserve all this?

Luca came up behind her and gently kissed her shoulder. “You’re so easy to please. Why don’t you put on your swimsuit, and I’ll take the hamper down to the beach and get lunch sorted.”

“Sounds great,” she managed, her excitement building.

Having put on her trusty one-piece swimsuit, she set out to find Luca. For once she wished she had packed something a bit more daring. Stepping off the deck onto the yard, she enjoyed how the stiff island grass felt like a welcome massage on her feet. The beach was only a stone’s throw from the back patio, and it couldn’t be more private. Making her way down the sandy path, she noticed the cliffs on both sides of the beach with dozens of pōhutukawa trees draping over the steep edges. The dome-shaped treetops were filled with the vibrant red blossoms that appeared this time of year. She’d seen plenty of those trees when visiting Tara. Looking around the property, it was clear that a car certainly wouldn’t make it down to the house the way they had come. Most people must come by boat or bike.

She stepped onto the warm sand, scanning the beach for Luca. The picnic area he set up was a short distance down the beach to her right, under the shade of a low-hanging pōhutukawa tree, but he was nowhere to be seen. There wasn’t anywhere for him to disappear to, so she considered going back up to the house to see if she’d missed him.

The sound of the gentle waves behind her caused her to turn and admire the view. She looked out into the bay to see if maybe he was out swimming. There were a few sailboats that had rafted up together off the cliffs to her left, but they were a good distance away. There was a sailboat anchored in their harbor straight ahead, and that was it. The hum of a motor sounded in the distance. Ally turned to see a dingy motoring around the sailboat, coming toward shore. Luca waved.

He brought the rubber dingy in as far as he could, cut the engine, and hopped out to pull it onto the beach. Ally noticed he had changed into red swim trunks.

“Does the sailboat come with the house?”

“No, that one is mine.”

“Really?”

“Really. I was just on the boat to check it out. That’s going to be our transportation over to Mudbrick later.”

“How did it get here?” she asked, following him over to their picnic.

“We keep it over in Auckland at Westhaven Marina. Lunch?” He left it at that.

She studied him as he pulled out the plastic containers from the basket. How did he pull all of this off in so little time? It all seemed too perfect to have been thrown together. Could all of this be a polished routine of his? She pushed the thought from her mind as she sat down next to him.

She would have been satisfied with simple sandwiches, but the spread that was spilling out from the basket looked amazing and must have been catered by Mudbrick. She could taste the drool.

Luca opened up a small cooler and handed her a bottle of water. Next he brought out a bottle of Mudbrick chardonnay and held it out for her approval. She nodded eagerly. He twisted the top and poured two glasses. Handing over hers, he said, “A toast. Here’s to unexpected surprises.” They clinked glasses and enjoyed the chilled wine.

Ally couldn’t remember a time when she was happier. Lunch was leisurely while the two of them polished off just about everything, including the first bottle of wine. There was a bucket of lemon-pepper squid with smoked paprika aioli starting them off, followed by lamb kabobs, a fruit platter that included locally grown feijoa fruit, and petits fours for desert.

Standing up, Luca offered his hand, “Let’s go for a swim.”

“Oh, really? I don’t think I can move. I’m so full and just content to lay here and listen to the waves.”

“C’mon. Let’s get some sun and swim off our lunch.”

Letting out a breath, she gave in and took his hand. It would be good to show off a tan when she went home.

The New Zealand water was usually cool, but today it was a welcome relief from the summer sun. They held hands, cautiously wading out to their hips when Luca shot her a devilish grin and suddenly went under. Ally had a split second to wonder what he was doing before her legs were taken out from under her, and she was dragged under.

When she stood back up, he was laughing next to her. “Underwater rugby moves, not funny!” She placed her hands on her hips. “Tell you what, ace. Let’s race to your boat and back.”

“That’s pretty far, and you’ve had a little wine. Not a good idea.”

She smiled and quietly said, “Go,” and took off for the boat. She knew he was too competitive, too protective, not to follow. He didn’t know that she was on the high school swim team. She wished she had her goggles to protect her eyes from the salt water, but when she lifted her head for a breath, she saw she was still on target.

The water felt too smooth next to her for him to be close. On the next peek, she saw she was almost at the boat. She decided to stop on the back ladder just to see where he was. When she was about to reach it, she felt something grab her ankle and pull her back. Treading water, she narrowed her eyes, watching Luca reach the boat first. Without wasting time, he dove under and pushed off again, heading back to shore. Bastard.

She turned to hunt him down.
He thinks he’s so clever, so charming, and so smug.
She chose to breathe every third stroke of the crawl for maximum speed. When she rose her head slightly to check her position in front of her, she was pleased to see that he had drifted off course just enough to her advantage.

By the time he’d corrected his course, they were now slicing through the water side-by-side, one hundred meters from shore. Ally felt him pounding the water close to her and clouding the water with bubbles. She knew better than to get close enough for him to pull off another dirty move. He wasn’t going to beat her. She wasn’t used to the added buoyancy of the salt water that was giving her a bit more speed. The sandy bottom was finally rising up to meet her as her body skimmed up to the beach. She lowered her legs, and her feet touched the sand. She stepped out of the water and lay down on the sand, still wet from the tide. She cursed under her breath when Luca plopped down beside her. It had been a draw.

“Now that was impressive.” He rolled onto his back.

She laid her head back onto the warm beach, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply to catch her breath. “Cheaters get points deducted, so in my book, that’s a win for me,” she said, keeping her eyes closed. She was enjoying the cool waves washing over her knees. She formed a thin smile on her lips, soaking up every ray shining down on her body.

“I didn’t see that in the rule book.”

She could still feel her heart pounding but knew it wasn’t from the exhilarating swim anymore. The blood racing around her body was from the man next to her. She opened her eyes to find him casually leaning on his elbow just watching her with those shimmering green eyes shrouded by dark lashes, playing with her hair. His eyes focused on hers.

“It’s nice to know you can kick my ass when needed.” His fingers trailed from her hair, down her arm. He lowered his head and murmured, “I want to know everything about you.”

She reached over and let her fingers dance over the swirling black markings slowly, starting at his shoulder, and then tracing down his arm. It made her feel powerful as she watched his eyes cloud.

*

When she touched his skin, he wasn’t prepared for the intense reaction he felt. When he first met her in Auckland, he felt a spark of energy surge through him. He couldn’t explain it, so he pushed it aside, figuring it was just a little lust for this beautiful Yank. Besides, a fling with this lady would be in the too-complicated basket with Cal in the mix, never mind that she lived a hell of a long way away. But the more time he spent with her that first afternoon, the more certain he was that she was special. It only took one plane flight to Queenstown to know that.

Now, here she was, stirring up feelings and thoughts that he had no intention of controlling today. No woman had completely consumed all his waking thoughts before. Although, right now he was struggling with any thoughts at all as her fingers continued their teasing of his senses. He told himself he’d be tender and slow, showing her how special she was to him. Leaning down, he pressed his lips softly to hers.

*

Ally closed her eyes, melting into his kiss. His mouth came to hers, tasting of salt and summer. The water licked their bodies as unexpected waves of desire tore through her core. She sent her fingers digging into his wet hair, down over his strong jaw, running her nails over the length of his back. If only she could freeze this moment, savoring the feeling of him against her. She felt him shudder, hesitate, and pull back, searching her face, his eyes asking the question. She simply nodded.

He leaned down again, and this time he was done asking. He took, kissing deeply and demanding, giving in to the heat that was consuming him. Her warm lips parted, her tongue answering in its urgency.

“I want you so badly.” His voice was strained in her ear. He pulled the swimsuit straps over her shoulders, and his lips began to dance down the curve of her neck.

She let out small gasps. Spikes of desire were consuming her as her back arched in response.

Luca’s hands skillfully skimmed and caressed the curves and lines of her swimsuit, her body writhing from anticipation and yearning. “God, I love your hands on me,” she managed. She hadn’t realized just how much she needed this, needed him, loved being with him. How could all this be happening so quickly?

She let her hands explore the angles of his face, his hair, and down the stretch of muscles in his back.

They both took little time disposing of the swimsuits, quickly becoming a tangled mess of sand and sea. Their hands were lost in exploring, discovering secrets; their mouths absorbed in the taste and touch of the other. Luca’s fingers were clever and quickly brought her to a place that was ripping her senses apart. She knew she begged for release but didn’t care. The continuous waves of pleasure he gave her sent her into ecstasy, clinging to Luca for support.

She wrapped her legs around him, their eyes locked, as they finally melted together. They held each other, both too content to move away. In this moment they were one, both emotionally and mentally.

Ally could hear Luca’s breath even out as he held her. This was where she was meant to be, right here right now. It was perfect until a wave washed over her face, sending her into convulsions from the salt water going up her nose. Her reflexes sent her straight up, almost hitting Luca’s head before she pushed him over.

“Sorry!” she gasped, spitting out the water. She looked around and noticed they had managed to roll themselves blindly out deeper into the water.

He sat up and grinned. “We should have put some SPF on all your bits and pieces,” he mused, looking her over.

Ally was feeling more alive than she could remember. “I’d say the same for you.” She wasn’t ready for the fun to end just yet. She stood up and walked backward into the water, motioning for him to follow. “We should really wash all this sand off us, don’t you think?” She knew there was some truth to that. When he sprang to his feet in pursuit, she turned, shrieking, out into the waves.

* * * *

Graham McMann stretched his arms leisurely along the steel railing of his Hilton balcony. His suite afforded him a stunning view of Auckland’s busy Waitamata harbor. The sun had lowered to a seductive glow, warming his back as he enjoyed the activity around him. Off in the distance to his right, he noted Rangitoto keeping a quiet, ominous watch of the container ships and yachts passing by.

He shifted his gaze down below him to a ferry that was pulling out of downtown Auckland on its way over to the other side to Devonport, the harborside suburb. On his left, there was the popular viaduct with its sophisticated restaurants and visiting yachts from all over the world. Past the viaduct he could see hundreds of masts poking up from Westhaven Marina. The kiwis loved their boats.

His thoughts drifted back to his text from Sean yesterday. It was the same answer his lawyer had passed along minus the colorful language. In short, the answer to leasing the Tetari land was no fucking way in hell. Of course, he expected nothing less, but it was worth a try. It also signaled to them that someone was circling the waters, checking things out. He was sure they were wondering why, and most importantly, why now.

Tomorrow at this time, that family will know exactly who they’re dealing with.
He’d enjoy watching those Tetaris scrambling, clawing for answers, trying to regain their footing.
That kid, Luca, won’t have a clue as to how he could have been so publicly blindsided.
So far, Luca’s brother had been predictable and useful. The intelligence he provided on Cal’s daughters could provide useful leverage, especially now that Ally seemed to be a weakness for Luca.

Graham watched the ferry park at the dock at the other side of the harbor, the rush-hour riders spilling out. He silently hoped Sean had the balls to see this through to the end, no matter the cost. He’d grown to like him during their dealings over the past couple of years. It would be a waste if Sean proved a disappointment in the closing minutes of this game. Especially when the deal hinged on him.

There were no obstacles when you played at the high-stakes table. Unfortunately, Sean would quickly learn this rule if needed. Graham turned to get changed for dinner.

Chapter 18

Luca eased back against the railing of the nine-meter Elliott, steering the racing yacht with his right foot on the wheel. He spread his arms out along the steel, admiring the sun’s golden glow spreading across the water. Luca opted to just keep the mainsail up and motor to Matiatia Bay instead of sailing over like he had originally planned. They had plenty of other distractions this afternoon, and the time had slipped away. Neither one of them had been in a hurry to leave their afternoon hideaway. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt more relaxed and…happy. His instincts about Ally had been right. The sound of Coldplay suddenly came blasting out of the speakers in the cockpit and cabin. Perfect.