Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 121095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121095 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
He laughs.
“I’m not joking, unfortunately. My two greatest passions aren’t normally combined inside one person, let alone a woman, which means finding the man who’d be compatible with me to the extreme would be like getting struck by lightning. Basically, I’m too weird to find anyone who’d be a perfect fit for me—someone who’d genuinely enjoy both sides of me. I’ve met plenty of guys who pretend to be interested in me and what interests me, but in the end, it’s always pretty clear they’re just telling me what I want to hear to get into my pants.”
Shit. Luca’s doing that thing again. Looking at me like he’s a whale and I’m Jonah. Feeling blazing hot all of a sudden, I shift in my seat. “It’s for the best, though. At one point, I thought I wanted a romantic relationship. But since then, I’ve realized my career is my top priority. I’ve realized I’d much rather be alone than tied down to a guy who takes time away from me going balls to the wall to pursue my own dreams.”
This time, a wide smile spreads across Luca’s gorgeous face. One that’s so effusive, I have to dig my fingernails into my palms again so I won’t lean in and kiss that gorgeous mouth of his. Not only because that’d be a massive, regrettable mistake in and of itself. But because I’m well aware there are cameras in every classroom in the complex.
“So, are you saying you don’t want a boyfriend, period? Like, ever? Or are you saying you only want one if he totally gets you and doesn’t stand in the way of you going balls to the wall to pursue your dreams?”
I think about that for a beat. “Honestly, I don’t think there’s such a thing as a boyfriend who’d totally get me. Not really. That’s what my analysis proved to me. And at my age and at this early stage of my career, I don’t think it’s possible for a boyfriend not to stand in the way of me going full throttle toward my dreams. Relationships require compromise and consideration of another person’s desires and dreams, and I’m not willing to think about anyone but myself for now. Not till I get much, much closer to where I’m hoping to end up in my career.”
Luca looks a bit deflated, but he doesn’t say a word.
I swallow hard, feeling a bit flushed and exposed. That was honestly difficult to say while looking into Luca’s soulful, earnest brown eyes, but the truth is the truth.
I pull a deep, steadying breath into my lungs, even as it’s clear the air is rapidly escaping from Luca’s against his will. “What about you?” I manage to ask. “Have you had luck in the romance department?”
Luca takes a brief, almost indiscernible moment to recover from the deflating effects of my little speech. But then, a mischievous expression quickly overtakes his handsome features. “In the romance department? Hmm. I should probably double-check my spreadsheet to answer that with complete accuracy.” He mimes swiping into something, and when I bat his shoulder, he returns to me with a grin and says, “The spreadsheet confirms I’ve had exactly zero luck with romance. You might even say the limit to my total and complete failure as a boyfriend does not exist.”
I shake my head. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
“It’s the God’s truth.”
I’m genuinely surprised by that, and I’m sure my face shows it. “You’re serious?”
“Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Because …” I’ve seen too many girls to count featured on your social media accounts, whenever I’ve stalked you in the past. Not to mention, you’re easily the most charming, charismatic, hottest man I’ve met in my life. “Because you’re such a natural flirt.”
Luca twist his luscious lips. “Flirting is easy. Romance, not so much. And your question was about actual romance, right?” When I nod, his eyebrows cinch together, like he’s considering his next words carefully. “To be perfectly honest, Chelsea, I’ve never really been able to feel … a certain something that was expected of me in my attempts at actual romance—a certain spark, I guess. No matter how hard I’ve tried to feel it in my relationships, it’s just never been there with any of my girlfriends.” He runs a hand through his dark mop of hair and murmurs, “Man, I’ve never told anyone that before. It makes me sound really weird when I say it out loud.”
I shake my head slowly and touch Luca’s forearm to reassure him. I find every version of Luca Maguire irresistibly magnetic, but Vulnerable Luca is easily in my top two favorites.
“Have you tried dating men, maybe?” I ask softly. “That’s not a joke, Luca.”
He rolls his eyes so hard, I’m surprised they’re not getting stuck in his sockets. “I’m straight, Chelsea. I’m not talking about my body. It works just fine, thank you very much. You asked me about romance, remember? And to me, that’s got to do with feelings and emotions. What’s going on in my heart, not my dick. The truth is that feeling something beyond sexual attraction has been really hard for me, ever since …” He shifts in his chair. “For as long as I can remember.”