My Italian Billionaire: A BWWM Italian Billionaire Romance Read Free

she realized he'd been stealing from her.
    "You started it." She twisted around to see him and shrugged one shoulder.
    "What can I say? I like to start things." He flashed that grin again.
    "I'm sure that smile gets you lots of things," she said. Belatedly, she realized she could move up in line.
    He followed her almost too closely, but his grin died. "I haven't had much reason to smile about lately," he admitted, his voice hushed again, as if he was telling her a secret confession.
    "Why? Your last sugar mama run out of money?" she teased.
    Lucca winced. "Actually, my father died recently."
    She sucked in a breath. "I'm so sorry." Before she thought about it, she reached out and squeezed his arm. Wow, did he have muscles. Firm and tight and… This was so inappropriate for her to be focusing on right now. "I didn't mean…" she stumbled over her words. "I'm sorry for your loss."
    He patted her hand on his arm. "You didn't know." A ghost of his grin returned. "I didn't mean to put a damper on things."
    "No, ah, I'm glad you told me." She was both sorry for him and glad he had shared. Suddenly, Lucca didn't feel so much like a random stranger anymore.
    "Megan! You made it." Derrick grinned then glanced at his older coworker who was helping him. "What can I get you?"
    "I'll have the Asian salad."
    "The… honey sesame dressing okay?"
    "Yes."
    His finger hovered above the pad for a long moment before he located the proper key. "Something to drink?"
    "Iced tea."
    Again with the finger hover dance. "Sweetened or unsweetened?"
    "Sweetened."
    "Okay, that'll be—"
    "You should ask if she wants anything else first," the older coworker cut in. "Never assume the customer is finished ordering."
    "Oh, right, sorry. Anything else, Megan?"
    "No," she started saying at the same time Lucca said, "Yes."
    She glanced at him. Her hand had been reaching for the twenty she had in her pocket.
    "Can you double the order please?" Lucca asked.
    Derrick stared at him and then at Megan. She nodded. When Lucca stared up at the menu above them, Derrick mouthed, "Boyfriend?"
    Megan shrugged. His mom was always trying to hook her up with someone. Maybe now Aunt Kelly would cut her some slack.
    Derrick quoted the amount due, and Lucca smiled down at her. "Please let me."
    She shook her head. "Half and half."
    He frowned. "But it's to make up for your shirt."
    "And your spilled coffee." She lifted her chin, not about to give in.
    Lucca chuckled. "Fair enough."
    It took Derrick some time to figure out how to give them both change, and they found a small table for two in the back. The hot chicken tasted delicious combined with the dressing, and the honey thai almonds and mandarin oranges were a nice touch. They ate mostly in silence, a comfortable one, and Lucca excused himself when he had finished. To her surprise, he hadn't gone to the bathroom. Instead, he came back with two ice creams, one with chocolate toppings, the other strawberry.
    He held them out. "Your choice."
    No contest. She plucked the strawberry one from his grasp.
    His eyebrows rose. "You're sure?"
    To answer, she licked it.
    His eyes focused on her mouth, and she blushed. "Strawberries are my weakness," she confessed.
    "Finally." He licked his ice cream. "I was afraid you'd never share something personal with me, what after I told you about my…"
    "I'm afraid I'll get fired." She shoved a large bite into her mouth. Sharing bad news seemed to be their thing.
    "Why?" He lowered his cone.
    "A customer got really sick from one of my meals."
    "How so?" Some vanilla ice cream dripped onto his hand, and his tongue darted out to lick it.
    "Huh? Oh, it wasn't my fault, but I do feel bad. I mean, peanut allergies are very serious, but the waitress hadn't told me, she hadn't even told the customer there was peanuts in the dish, and the wait staff is supposed to ask every table about food allergies before taking orders but…"
    Even when he frowned, he was too good looking for his own good. He had to