“Hey.” I gave him a peck over the counter and settled on a stool. “I didn’t realize I was getting Chef Luca tonight. What’s the occasion?”
He frowned as he stirred. “I have to have a reason to cook for you?”
“No, but it’s been a while since you busted out the full kitchen press.” There were dishes in the oven and pots on almost every burner. “It looks like there are courses to this date night.”
“There are. Tonight’s menu is inspired by the dishes you’ve loved the most since we’ve been together.”
“You’re making cannoli?”
“Maybe,” he sang, turning his back to fuss with a plate.
“You really are the perfect man.”
His broad shoulders tensed, but not for long. “How are you feeling after this morning? Any aches or pains?”
“No, at least not yet. I was lucky the emergency brake slowed the car down enough to keep the airbags from deploying. Have you heard from the mechanic?”
Luca shook his head and glanced over his shoulder. “Not yet. Chase assured me he’d be in touch this weekend.” He checked his watch. “Why don’t you head out to the table and pour yourself a glass of wine?”
“Sounds good.” I sashayed away, loving that I didn’t need to look to know Luca was staring.
Popping open the expensive wine—wine which I still hadn’t gotten a taste for but now understood a little better—I poured us both a glass. I smoothed my hand over the thick tablecloth and smiled at the short flower arrangement in the middle of the table. Every detail had the Luca Moretti touch and was utter perfection.
The kitchen door opened, and bright light from the kitchen poured into the candlelit dining room, creating a halo around Luca’s imposing frame. “We’re starting with Gnocco Fritto, followed by egg raviolo, then a steak for you and fish for me, and we’ll finish with three different kinds of cannoli.”
I wiped away an imaginary tear and pursed my lips. “You know just what to say to a girl to make her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”
He set our plates down and took a seat. Tilting his glass, he swirled and sniffed before finally taking a sip with a quiet hum. The man loved a good wine. “So, how did the Oxford meeting go?” He set his glass down and cut into the delicate pastry.
I hummed, chewing the buttery, salty perfection. “Great. They loved our ideas, and we got some direction, so we should be all set to finalize the proposal next week.”
“That’s fantastic.”
“Mhm.” I stabbed at my appetizer.
“What’s wrong?”
Letting out a bone-deep, tired sigh, I set my knife and fork down. “Just Scott acting like a fucking kid.”
“What’d he do now?”
I took a sip of wine, knowing Luca wouldn’t be happy. “He and Nicki, ya know.” I tilted the glass back and forth. “Which is none of my business, but he makes it my business when his fucking around makes him late for our meeting, so then I’m late for dinner with you.”
Luca dabbed the corner of his mouth and set the napkin next to his plate. “Nicki cheated on Aldo?” He lifted an eyebrow. I regretted bringing it up, but we’d promised no secrets, and his legal counsel cheating on a capo who also handled financials for the legitimate business seemed like something Luca might need to know.
“One time.” He grimaced, and I groaned. “And now I’m a snitch.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t say anything. Now that I know, I can keep an eye on the situation.” He shook his head. “I’m not so much worried for Nicki, but I hope Scott was being honest when he said it only happened once. Aldo . . . well, Aldo’s old school.”
The unspoken threat was enough to send a shiver down my spine. I rarely caught a glimpse of Moretti Luca or the world that went along with it.
“Let’s not ruin our dinner worrying about Scott. How’s the acquisition going?”
He shrugged. “It would be going a lot better if our appraisals matched. They’re asking for a lot more than the casino’s worth, and it’s getting to the point where we may have to walk away, which would mean a lot of wasted time. I never thought buying a casino would be such a headache.”
“I hope it all works out. I’d love to get my hands on the renovations. That place could really shine with the right changes.”
“And that’s exactly why we need to get it for a reasonable price. It’s wildly outdated. Hell, on top of the horrendous décor, the security system needs a complete overhaul. I’m sure we’ll come to some kind of agreement. I just need to give them the right incentive.”