The Morretti Brothers

Book 1: Roommates

“Oh my god! You’re the girlfriend, aren’t you?” came a voice from behind Eddie.

Definitely sounds blonde. Probably Luca’s latest conquest, thought Eddie. She turned away from the pancakes she was frying to address the voice.

“I’m the roommate,” Eddison said simply.

At the sound of keys turning, both women glanced at the door. Eddie knew automatically who it was.

“That…,” she said as the door swung open, “is the girlfriend.”

Kate Vanderbeek entered the small Boston townhouse with her designer handbag over her shoulder. Eddie was used to her by now.

“Morning, Kate. Pancakes?”

“No thanks, Eddie.” Kate looked the blonde up and down before addressing Eddie again. “Don’t tell me…”

“Yup,” Eddie replied with an eye roll as Kate screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Luca Moretti! Get your arse out here right now!”

At Kate’s command, Luca Moretti, the six-foot-two, black curly-haired, shirtless Italian god, walked into the kitchen.

Eddie flipped a pancake onto her plate and sat on the kitchen bench, ready for her morning entertainment. After all, it was the fourth time this week.

“Hey, babe,” Luca said, wrapping his arms around Kate’s waist. She pushed him off, slapping him with her designer handbag.

“Don’t you ‘babe’ me! Again? Luca, seriously? You promised!”

As the yelling continued, Eddie turned to the blonde standing next to her.

“So, what’s your name?” she asked.

“Bunny,” the blonde replied with a giggle, causing Eddie to roll her eyes again.

“Of course it is.”

Eddie and Luca had lived together for just over two years and were both going into their junior year of college.

Having only spoken via email before they moved in together, they were both shocked by each other but had learned to live together as roommates.

Luca had assumed at first that Eddie was a guy because of her name but was pleasantly surprised to discover otherwise.

He found her incredibly attractive, but she seemed oblivious to that fact and walked around the apartment in practically nothing. As a result, Luca spent a lot of his time having cold showers.

While Eddie was extremely attracted to Luca, she had made it clear that she did not wish to be just another conquest. She was in Boston for college, to earn a degree and leave, and no guy would get in the way.

Luca’s parents owned the townhouse where the two lived, and, while he didn’t need a roommate, Luca used what Eddie paid in rent—the money she earned working over summers—as party money.

At first, Mr. and Mrs. Moretti had not been keen on the idea of Luca having a female roommate, but once they met Eddie, they fell in love with her.

Eddie always found it funny that Luca’s parents were worried about her given the trail of women that left his bed every morning.

The sound of the landline phone ringing quieted the fight, and Eddie moved to answer it.

“Hello, Eddison speaking.”

“Eddison, darling, how are you?” Mrs. Moretti’s thick Italian accent immediately brightened her day.

“Good morning, Mrs. Moretti. I’m fine. How are you?”

Eddie smirked at Luca, who, at the sound of his mother’s name, was pushing Kate and Bunny out of the townhouse. She held back her laughter to not interrupt Mrs. Moretti.

“…Dante and I are missing our baby boy and thinking of stopping by for a visit.”

“A visit sounds wonderful! I’m sure Luca will be thrilled. Would you like to talk to him?” Eddie offered. Luca, who had re-entered the house without his fan club, waved at Eddie, signaling her to not pass him the phone.

“I think he is around here somewhere…”

Luca continued to mouth, “No! No!” But Eddie ignored him.

“Here he is! Luciano! It’s your mom!” Eddie said cheerfully, passing him the phone.

Luca ran a finger along his neck, making it clear that he would get her back for this later.

Eddie rolled her eyes and went back to her pancakes as Luca greeted his mom. “Mama! Come vanno le cose?” (How are things?)

“Oh, you good boy! Speaking Italian!”

Luca found it hard to listen to his mom as his eyes were fixed on Eddie. He would never want to admit his feelings to her, but he had a hard-on just looking at her.

He watched as she popped the last bit of pancake into her mouth, her tongue darting out to lick her bottom lip.

I’m going to need yet another cold shower, he thought, watching her take her plate to the sink.

Eddie was still wearing her PJs, which consisted of one of Luca’s T-shirts and her panties. He loved the way she looked in his clothes.

The T-shirt was just long enough to cover her sensitive area, but without a bra, her chest left nothing to the imagination.

Eddie signaled to him that she was going to get changed before kissing his cheek and strolling to her room. He watched her hips sway as she disappeared before turning his attention back to his mom.

“We are going to come tonight, son. I’ll bring lasagna.”

“Okay, Mom. Sounds great.”

“Italian!”

“Va bene! Ci vediamo stasera mama.”

“Ciao, my beautiful boy.”

Hanging up the phone, Luca walked straight into Eddie’s bedroom.

“Ma and Pa are coming for dinner tonight.” He sat on her bed as she pulled on her jeans.

He looked away as he spoke, trying to avoid glancing at her gorgeous body. “Ma said she is bringing lasagna.”

“Oh, yum! How did you get Kate and Bunny out of here so quick?”

“Bunny? Was that seriously her name?” Luca mentally slapped himself for banging someone named after a woodland creature.

“That is what she told me. Where do you find these women?”

“It is all this, babe,” Luca smirked, pointing at his shirtless chest.

Eddie found herself looking for too long. She told herself to look away before grabbing a sweatshirt to pull over her bra.

“Besides, she knew it was only a one-night thing.”

“And Kate?”

“Ha! Kate is easy! Promise to buy her lunch and some jewelry, and she is eating out of my hand. Kate is for the nights when I don’t score anyone else. It is good to have a backup.”

“That is sick, Luke.”

“You love me, Eddie.” Luca threw a pillow at her, which Eddie caught and returned in his direction with force. “Do you remember what you said to me last Christmas?”

“What did I say?”

“Oh, that’s right. You must have been drunk.”

“I don’t get drunk, Luke, that’s you. You’re the lightweight, remember?”

“I’m Italian. Italians can handle their alcohol.”

“Then you must be the only Italian in the world to fall down drunk after one round of shots.”

“It was absinthe!”

“Excuses, excuses. Anyway, what are you doing here besides watching me get dressed?”

“Do you need a lift to campus?”

Eddie’s phone buzzed on the nightstand, and she moved to check it.

“Oi, Jenkins! I’m talking to you,” Luca said, waving his hand in front of Eddie’s face. “Do you need a lift? I’ll just get dressed, and we can go.”

“Nah, it’s all good. A friend is picking me up.”

“You’ll be back for dinner?”

“Yup,” Eddie said, popping the “p.” She swung her bag over her shoulder and rushed out of the townhouse. She had spent enough time waiting around for Luca Moretti.

“Bye, Luke!”

Luca walked over to the window in Eddie’s room, which had a clear view of the street. He watched as she hopped in the passenger side of a pickup truck.

Eddie leaned over and kissed the driver. Luca’s hands balled into fists.

Who the hell is that kissing my girl?