Surviving Broken(3)
Vincent dressed in an all black Armani tux, adorned with a single white rose.
Richard and Thomas marched single file along the white carpet, both on their best behavior. Richard, being twelve minutes older, led the way, tossing handfuls of Judas pedals into the air. Thomas reached into the basket, retrieving one pedal at a time, holding it to his nose to sniff it before throwing it over his shoulder.
Keeping with tradition, the prompt service was touching and beautiful. Typically, JC never cried at weddings, she was usually too busy searching through a sea of handsome faces, but she shed tears of happiness for her sister and Vincent.
The wedding party shuffled outside to the flagstone terrace for photos. The photographer snapped pictures for thirty minutes as the sun sank into the Aegean Sea. The pictures would be perfect.
JC felt the burn of an impenetrable gaze as she made her way through the crowd of blissfully happy couples. Taking refuge from the late day sun, she paused beside an aged marble column covered in climbing bougainvillea. Peering between the delicate pink clusters, she easily picked out Luca’s fit silhouette striding toward her.
As he got closer she could see the curve of his cocky smile. Luca wore an air of sexiness that would make any woman take notice.
“Are you searching for me?” he asked, offering a glass of wine. His stare slid down her body before locking on her face.
Her cheeks heated.
She stamped a saucy grin on her face. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” he mocked, cupping her bent elbow in the palm of his hand. “Maybe you should dance with me.”
“The music hasn’t started yet.”
He leaned in close, lifting a dark brow. His eyes looked skyward darting side to side as if he’s listening to something in the distance. “That must be the sound of your heartbeat I hear.”
JC enjoyed being chased by a man and she was positively taking an interest in Luca Santini. Though he bordered on the verge of arrogant, as the evening lingered on, she found his charm and good looks irresistible. Having no shame, he pursued her outright, brushing his hand against her arm and shoulder, and flirting relentlessly in Italian. She could only make out half the words, but it didn’t matter. The language itself slipped off his tongue like foreplay.
As if the Italian accent wasn’t enough to seal the deal, the man could dance too. He led her around the dance floor all night. Luca only relinquished her hand when her stepdad, Tom, stood beside him and cleared his throat loudly at the end of the evening.
Even though JC was eighteen when Tom first came into their lives, she thought of him as a father. He relished the idea of being part of a family and took the position of a husband and father seriously. Her mother was the first woman he’d ever truly fallen in love with. They’d been inseparable ever since and the term “head-over-heels” was an understatement. They’d married four months after meeting and graced the cover of every magazine due to Tom’s A-list acting career. Together they were an unstoppable force, bringing out the best in each other.
Taking JC in his arms, he small-talked his way around the dance floor before nonchalantly asking, “Your mom wants to know if you’re driving back to the house with us tonight.”
Resting her cheek on his shoulder, she hid the heat of embarrassment rising to her cheeks. “I’m not sure. And you are so full of it. Mom isn’t asking. You are.”
Busted, Tom pulled his lips to the side in a grin. “True enough. She won’t sleep if you decide not to come home and don’t tell her.”
JC poked him in the ribs as they danced. “I’m twenty-five. You don’t need to wait up for me.”
Tom gave her a stern look. “I know I don’t need to wait up for you, but honestly I just can’t help it. What do you know about Luca Santini? He seems to have made you his number one priority this evening. Although, he made a point of introducing himself to me, and he did charm your mother. Little bit of a suck up if you ask me. Besides, don’t you have a rule about this?”
“You would’ve never survived our high school years.” JC chortled. “And yes, I do have rules, but I bend them once in great while.”
The music stopped, but Tom continued dancing, waiting for the next song to start. He wasn’t about to let her off the hook that easy.
“Let’s see, I know that Luca and Vincent were best friends when they were young. He moved to California to attended college in the states. Tracy and Vincent hired him a few months ago as marketing director overseeing the Giovanni vineyard. He’s Italian! You know how much I love that.”
Tom scoffed and shook his head. “If you don’t come home, please remember John and Shayla are making breakfast at nine tomorrow morning. Don’t be late, okay? Your mom will be upset if you’re not there.”