Page 121 of Delicious (Delicious #1)

Chapter Ten

Adler

W hen Niccolò finally stopped kissing me senseless, I searched his gaze to make certain he was confident about his decision. “You really want to be with me?”

“Your dinner and dessert told me everything I needed to know,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead that made me fucking melt .

“But you don’t do boyfriends.” I didn’t know why my stupid mouth was trying to ruin the best thing that had ever happened to me, but it wouldn’t be the first time I talked myself into a problem. “You’re sort of infamous for that.”

“Because no one else was you.” He said it with such smooth sincerity that it swept me away on the romantic tidal wave that destroyed the last of my defenses.

“You also live in Las Vegas right now because of Lucciola,” I pointed out, unable to stop myself.

He chuckled. “Then I’ll open a restaurant in Sunnyside so I can stay here instead.”

“But—”

He pressed a clean finger over my lips. “I have over fifty restaurants in the world. If I choose to live at the one in Sunnyside for good, then that’s my choice. Besides, Renée could use some competition.”

“Renée Carducci from Ambrosia?” She was a legendary chef whose restaurant I had been lucky enough to visit a few times and one of the few people I considered on Niccolò’s level.

He nodded. “She’s always enjoyed some friendly competition. It should be fun.”

My head was spinning from the suddenness of getting everything I had spent my whole life dreaming about. “Are you serious about moving to Sunnyside on a whim and starting a multimillion-dollar business, just like that?”

“Just like that,” he repeated, then kissed me again, this time with a little more heat. “My gut has never steered me wrong yet.”

I poked his firm stomach. “What gut?”

He laughed again, and if I didn’t know any better, it sounded like a man in love. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up so I can enjoy more of your delicious dessert.”

I retreated to my bedroom to make myself presentable, although I couldn’t resist coming back in my gray sweatpants and black tank. Niccolò’s gaze turned downright predatory, making me want to rally for one more round, even though I was spent.

“You certainly know how to tempt a man,” he murmured when I was close enough for him to tug me into his embrace for another kiss. “But dessert first.”

I laughed as I took the second glass out of the fridge, then headed back to the table to eat. I watched as Niccolò closed his eyes to savor another bite of the Frangelico zuppa inglese . “Remarkable. It’s like tasty time travel. This takes me straight back to my nonna’s kitchen.”

“She sounded like an amazing woman,” I said wistfully, having heard Niccolò sing her praises in countless interviews. “I’m sad I can’t meet her.”

He opened his eyes and gave me a soft smile. “Thankfully, my mother is just like her. She’ll adore you, especially since you speak Italian. Your accent is pretty good, too.”

That was high praise coming from him. “You were my inspiration for learning at first, although I turned serious about it when I was considering going to Tuscany to study cooking. But when Sweet Heat took off, that plan got put on pause. I figured I could always go back to it when my fifteen minutes of fame run out.”

“Mmm, I’m looking forward to teaching you Italian techniques,” Niccolò hummed, toying with my feelings by sucking on his spoon.

“In the bedroom and in the kitchen,” I joked, practically preening when it drew a laugh from him. “You’ll find I’m an eager student.”

“We’ll have fun,” he said with a warmth that turned my insides into gushing lava.

As we continued talking while finishing our desserts, it amazed me how naturally we fell into step with each other. It made sense that he felt like my friend after watching him on various TV programs from my earliest memories. But I treasured the fact that he let me in, allowing me to see the genuine parts of him he had guarded from the cameras.

I couldn’t wait to watch our future unfold together.