Chapter 14

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

LUCA WATCHED IN amazement as Dom moved through the kitchen like he actually knew what he was doing. He’d only ever seen Dom cook something prepackaged or order directly from a restaurant, so the fact that he was putting dinner together without using a cookbook was pretty impressive.

Luca cut into one of the tomato slices on his plate that had been topped with fresh basil and mozzarella and swirled it in the olive oil drizzled on his plate. It was heaven on his tongue. He’d even be tempted to relive all the events of the last few days if it meant he’d get to eat insalata caprese in Italy for the rest of his life.

“You never mentioned you could cook,” Luca said, forcing himself to set his fork down so he’d still have an appetite for whatever Dom was making.

“I don’t.”

“Obviously you do. Or are you just throwing things together and hoping it works?” Luca pointed at his almost empty plate. “This definitely works.”

“Hard to fuck up a salad.” Dom grabbed the bottle of red wine he’d opened earlier and topped off Luca’s glass before refilling his own. He leaned against the counter and took a long drink, and Luca couldn’t help the way his eyes dropped to the tanned skin of Dom’s throat as he swallowed. Damn, why did the guy have to be so good looking?

“You aren’t very good at taking a compliment, you know that?”

“Is that what that was?”

“See, there you go again. Yes, it was a compliment.” When Dom just stood there staring at him, Luca let out a sigh. “This is when you say thank you.”

“I’m sure it is. But again, it’s pretty hard to fuck up a salad.”

Luca rolled his eyes and hopped off the stool, walking to the stove.

“Okay, so I know we’re having fish, right? The ones we got from the market?”

“Nothing gets by you, does it?”

Luca glanced over his shoulder to see Dom watching him over the rim of his glass. His eyes slowly trailed up over his jean-clad legs to his face. When their eyes met, Luca turned to face him and crossed his arms.

“What I mean is, are you frying it? Is that what the pan is for?”

“You and all your questions.” Dom pushed away from the counter and walked over. “I gave you the caprese to keep your mouth shut.”

Luca couldn’t help his grin. “Well, looks like you failed. So unless you have another plan to shut me up…”

When Dom’s eyes dropped to his mouth Luca’s words got stuck somewhere in the back of his throat.

“Such as?”

Luca glanced at the wine in Dom’s hand and wished he’d had several more glasses already. Then maybe he would’ve called the bluff and offered up a few suggestions. As it was, he chickened out and stepped aside, turning back to the oven.

“I was just curious if you plan to fry the fish.”

“I do, but that pan isn’t for the fish.”

“It isn’t?”

“Nope. That comes at the very end. This is for the risotto.”

Luca’s eyes widened. “You know how to make risotto?”

“Don’t look so shocked. You’ll hurt my fucking feelings.”

“I’m just… Isn’t risotto really hard to make? Or at least make right?”

Dom shrugged and placed his glass on the counter. “Wouldn’t know. I’ve been making it most of my life. Risotto con filetti di pesce persico is a staple here in Lake Como. Perch is the most common fish, and if you can’t cook it, your family disowns you.”

Luca’s mouth fell open. “They do not.”

“They might as well. All mothers teach their children this meal. It’s a rite of passage.”

“Is that who taught you?”

As soon as the question left Luca’s mouth, Dom’s face paled. He turned away and opened one of the overhead cupboards.

“Get out of the kitchen, would you, before I trip over you.”

Luca headed back around the counter, wondering about the sudden mood change. Dom never talked about his mom, but it was obviously a sensitive subject, and Luca wondered why. What had happened that it no longer seemed she was part of Dom’s life?

Always with the questions, as Dom would say. But the man was so closed off that it made wanting to get to know him even more intriguing. There were so many sides to him: the cruel mobster Luca met first, the savage sexual partner he wouldn’t mind getting another taste of, and the slightly more relaxed-in-Italy man that was slowly emerging. Not to mention the protective vigilante that had come out to play at the market earlier. Holy shit, that had been unexpected. One minute Luca was being pulled through the many booths by an overeager seller, and the next Dom had a knife up to the man’s throat.

Was the reaction extreme? Yes. But given their unusual circumstances, the guy who’d grabbed Luca should thank his lucky stars Dom hadn’t decided to use his special skills in a more fatal way.

Luca shuddered at the thought before taking a long sip of his wine. Even that tasted better here, though he supposed it could be argued that enjoying food and drinks were more pleasurable without a looming threat hanging overhead.

But it was all so deceptive. Because Luca wasn’t free. Even Dom wasn’t free, or they wouldn’t be hiding halfway across the world. It was easy, in a place as beautiful as this, to forget why they were there or what they’d eventually be going back to. The future was unknown, and while a part of Luca was still worried about what would happen, another part of him knew that as long as Dom was around, he would be safe. Or would he?

“Amazing,” Dom said as he stirred the pot of risotto. “Ten minutes of quiet. That’s a record for you.”

Luca made the motion of zipping his lips and took another drink.

“Please tell me what brought this on so I know how to do it again. I thought only my cock down your throat shut you up.”

Luca coughed out a laugh, grabbing a napkin so he didn’t spew red wine everywhere. When he finished wiping his mouth, he said, “You say the most inappropriate things all the time, I swear to God.”

“I make you swear to God too.” Dom looked up, a wicked smile curving his lips. “Don’t forget that.”

Luca wasn’t sure if it was the memory of Dom making him do just that or the wine that had the heat creeping into his cheeks.

“Kind of hard to forget.”

“That’s a compliment, right?” When Luca nodded, Dom lifted his glass. “Then thank you.”

Luca shook his head but couldn’t stop his chuckle. “Smartass.”

Dom went back to stirring the risotto, then pulled out a second pan and placed it on the burner to the left. He added in some olive oil and turned it to a medium heat, then he opened the fridge and pulled out the fish he’d prepared earlier.

He patted the perch dry and then began to flour it, and once he had all four of the fillets ready to go, he washed his hands and moved back to the stove. It was like watching a professional chef, and Luca had a feeling he could blindfold the guy and he’d still be able to make this meal.

Dom placed the fillets into the pan, and as they sizzled, he pulled out two dinner plates. A couple minutes later the fish were flipped and the risotto was off the stove.

The aromas wafting through the house were divine. Dom plated the fish on the risotto like it was something from a Michelin-Starred restaurant. “What are you doing sitting there? Grab the wine; we’re going outside.”

“Outside?”

“The pavilion. You remember where that is?”

Luca nodded and scooted down off his seat, grabbing up the wine and their glasses. “Do you need any help?”

“I need you to stop talking and get your sweet ass outside so we can eat.”

Luca headed to the open doors. “Sweet ass? Is that a compliment?”

When Dom merely arched a brow, Luca grinned and said, “Thank you,” before he headed outside to the pavilion.