by Crespo, Nina
Rome got off of the elliptical and walked out the glass door of the gym into the foyer. “You’re right. You shouldn’t hand her over.”
“But the guy does have papers with her signature on it, agreeing to the pickup. I know Natalie will want to see her before she goes, but I don’t want to wind up in the middle of an ownership battle, either.”
A battle that, in his opinion, shouldn’t have occurred in the first place. “Don’t worry about it, Maya. You won’t be.”
When he arrived later at the house, still in his workout clothes, the pet taxi service hadn’t returned yet. Maya gladly handed over Betsy and left to take care of her other clients. Where was Natalie, and why wasn’t she answering her phone? Had her flight been delayed?
Rome took Betsy to the backyard and played catch with her until she grew tired of the game.
The doorbell rang.
He shut Betsy in her playroom. The last thing he needed was a confrontation with the driver if Betsy wandered onto the front porch.
Rome opened the front door.
The blond, college-aged guy from the pet taxi service stared at him a moment, obviously expecting Maya. He covered his surprise with a polite smile. “Hi. I’m Evan. I’m here to transport Betsy to her owner in Richmond. Is she ready now?”
“Nice to meet you, Evan. Yeah, about Betsy. That’s not supposed to happen until three.”
The guy’s smile dimmed. “Well…we don’t guarantee an exact time. There’s a range.” He held up the clipboard in his hand with papers attached to it. “It’s stated on the transportation agreement that Ms. Winters signed.”
“Can I take a look at that?”
“Sure.” Evan handed him the clipboard.
Sure enough, Natalie’s signature was at the bottom of the agreement, along with Dorian’s.
Maybe he was overstepping by stalling the guy or even being there in the first place, but with the close ties and affection Natalie had with Betsy, it would affect her deeply not to see Betsy off. He couldn’t just ignore the situation and let it happen.
What if he was wrong and Natalie hadn’t made the eight thirty flight that morning? Shaking off doubt, Rome decided to take a leap that she was on her way. “Evan, does your girlfriend have a pet?”
“Yeah. She has a cat.” Evan gave him a cautious look. “Why?”
“Well, imagine if your girlfriend wasn’t going to see—what’s the cat’s name?”
“Tiger.”
“Cute name. So…” Rome offered up a nonchalant shrug. “Imagine if your girlfriend wasn’t going to see Tiger for over a month. Wouldn’t you do whatever you could to make sure she got a chance to say goodbye to him?”
Evan frowned with a slightly puzzled look. “Well…yeah.”
“That’s all I’m trying to do. My girlfriend was supposed to be here yesterday, but she ended up stuck in Atlanta because of delayed and cancelled flights, and she’s rushing home, right now, to see her dog. Put your girlfriend in her shoes. Put yourself in my shoes. Would you want to tell your girlfriend that she missed seeing Tiger by thirty minutes?”
Evan shook his head. “Damn, that would suck. She’d never forgive me.”
“My girlfriend is the same way.” Rome didn’t blink as he stared at the guy. He’d exaggerated a little. Natalie wasn’t his girlfriend, and Betsy wouldn’t be gone a whole month, but from the guy’s expression, he’d scored some sympathy points. Maybe enough to convince him to wait.
Evan looked down at the clipboard a moment. “I get it, but my boss—”
A dark sedan pulled up to the curb.
Natalie got out from the rear passenger-side door, lugging her carry-on bag. She glanced at the pet taxi van in front of the house and jogged-walked up the driveway to the porch as fast as her narrow navy skirt and heels would allow. “Is she already in the van? Am I too late to see her?”
“She’s in her playroom.” Rome stepped aside. “You can still have time with her, right?”
He stared at Evan, eye to eye, trying to convey what he wasn’t saying aloud. Give her time to say goodbye.
Evan looked between Rome and Natalie, then released a slow exhale. “I should probably grab some coffee before I head back to Richmond. I saw a Starbucks around the corner with a drive-through. I’ll grab some and come back in about twenty minutes?” Evan stepped off the porch.
Rome nodded. “Sounds good.”
“Thank you.” Natalie followed Rome’s lead in handing him her bag and hurried inside the house.
He shut the front door, then sat in the living room, giving Natalie and Betsy time alone. The joy in Natalie’s tone as she talked to Betsy and Betsy’s barks made him smile. He’d come up with his share of last-minute strategies in the past, but this one ranked as one of the toughest. And one of the best he’d ever worked out.
But twenty minutes later, happiness dimmed.
As he and Natalie stood next to the pet taxi parked at the curb in front of her home, she handed over Betsy on a leash to Evan, along with a canvas tote containing Betsy’s favorite toys and treats.
The poor guy looked extremely conflicted about taking Betsy, who yowled and whined as he secured her in a carrier in the back, along with the bag.
The van drove down the street, and Natalie watched it leave. Once it turned the corner, she turned to Rome. “I know you had plans for today. I hope I haven’t ruined them.”
“You haven’t.”
“It’s been an unbelievable morning.” She lifted her hands, let them drop to her side, and then hugged herself. “The flight was oversold, and I had to beg them to give me a seat. I would have called Maya to fill her in, but then I realized I’d left my phone charger at the hotel. The driver loaned me his on the way from the airport. I got Maya’s message about you being here.” Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she glanced down at her shoes before meeting his gaze. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” The only reason he wasn’t holding her was because he still wore his workout clothes and smelled like sweat. Bullshit. The only reason he wasn’t holding her was because he wouldn’t want to let her go.
Natalie gave him one of her forced smiles. “I should probably go unpack now. Thanks again.”
She was putting up walls, just like she had the night he’d come by to talk about the security system. He should take the easy way out that she was giving him and go home.
As she turned to walk to the front door, he caught a glimpse of her miserable expression. She wouldn’t have Betsy there keeping her company tonight. Every time she walked past the playroom, she’d remember why Betsy wasn’t there and how many long days would pass until she would see her again. Maybe he couldn’t have anything else with Natalie, but, right now, she needed a friend.
He reached out, just catching her fingers, before he’d even decided what to say.
She shot him a puzzled look.
Rome held her hand. “Come over for dinner tonight.”
Chapter Nineteen
Natalie got off the elevator on the seventh floor, carrying a bottle of wine. Following the directions Rome had given her, she walked to his condo a few doors down on the right.
After Betsy had left, her intention had been to curl up on the couch and cry her eyes out over a tub of Ben & Jerry’s and a glass of wine. Then he’d asked her over to his place, and before she’d realized it, she’d jumped on the invitation like a desperate woman clinging to a life raft. It was sad but true. Still, she wasn’t under any illusions. The alarm was installed. Their two-week extended hookup with benefits had come to an end. He was just being nice, helping her get through her first night alone.
She knocked, and, a moment later, Rome opened the door. They looked like twins. He’d worn a casual white button-down shirt and jeans, too.
“Hey.” Smiling, he stepped aside and let her in. “You’re right on time.”
“I forgot to ask what you were cooking.” As she kissed him on the cheek and handed him the bottle, his spicy cologne made her linger l
onger than intended. “So, I brought a pinot noir that goes with almost anything.”
“Thanks.” Rome moved back and shut the door. “But you didn’t have to bring anything.”
“I know. Habit. I’m not used to showing up empty-handed.” She stepped farther into the condo. Succulent smells filled the air. “Whatever you’re cooking smells wonderful.”
“Rosemary chicken.” He led her from the small entryway into the wood floored kitchen that was straight ahead of them.
Windows close to the ceiling on the right revealed the starry night sky. The bright white above-the-counter cabinets reflected the light shining from low-hanging silver fixtures above a middle island that also doubled as an eating area. The windows and lighting gave the space an open, welcoming feel.
“This is…” She walked into the adjoining living room. The sparsely furnished space contained a slightly worn beige couch against the wall, a simple coffee table in front of it, and a flat-screen television on the opposite white wall. Curiosity, not snobbery, prompted a question as she laid her keys and phone on the coffee table. “Are you moving in or moving out?”
Rome set the bottle next to the two green placemats with silverware and paper dinner napkins he’d set up on the island. “Kind of still moving in, I guess.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“About a year.”
“A year?”
His ears turned slightly red with his sheepish smile. “Yeah.” He chuckled and rubbed his hand along his nape. “I bought the place furnished, but that was supposed to be a temporary thing. I’ve been meaning to buy furniture for the living room and bedroom. I just haven’t gotten around to it.”
This went beyond minimalistic. The condo had good bones meant for wall hangings, brightly colored rugs, and a complete set of furniture. But she wouldn’t judge. “Anything I can do to help with dinner?”
“Nope. All done.” He went to the wall of black and stainless-steel appliances and opened the oven.
Heat and the mouthwatering smell from the glass dish he set on top of the stove made her stomach rumble. She’d eaten a bowl of cereal for lunch hours ago.
“Hope you’re hungry. I’ve got rolls and a salad to go with it.” He pointed to the kitchen stools at the island. “Have a seat.”
Moments later, they sat, enjoying the food he prepared.
Once she took the first bite of the dish—chicken with red potatoes, carrots, and slices of red and yellow peppers seasoned with rosemary—she didn’t want to stop. It not only tasted good, but it filled her with a sense of homey comfort. Like she used to feel when she and her parents had sat down for Sunday dinner.
Natalie caught him staring at her. Probably because she’d practically ignored him since she’d started shoveling chicken into her mouth.
Heat blossomed in her cheeks. “What’s wrong? Do I have something on my face?”
“No.” Rome grinned. “I just like that you’re enjoying my food.”
“It’s really good.” She broke off a small piece of the roll on her plate and dipped it in the flavorful juices of the dish. “Now I feel like a slacker.” She ate the bread. “I just threw stuff on the grill. You actually cooked. Besides this dish, what are your other specialties?”
“The list is actually short. This, meat loaf, and pasta with homemade sauce. Those were the three dishes my mom insisted I learn how to make.”
“Insisted. That word is always the perfect introduction to a good story. Do tell.”
He chuckled. “Well, the summer before my sophomore year in college, I went home for a few weeks. My mom kept dragging me into the kitchen at the restaurant my parents own, insisting I perfect this dish, instead of letting me work behind the bar like I’d bragged about to my friends.”
“And we all know bragging never ends well.”
“That’s definitely true, especially since I actually told my buddies I’d be working as a bartender. I wasn’t twenty-one yet. I could only work as a barback, but it sounded good. Anyway, I was angry at her until my dad pulled me aside and explained that she wasn’t being hard on me by not letting me work with the bartenders. She’d missed me while I was away. She just wanted to spend some time with me.” He sipped wine. “So, over the next two years, I made time to go home for at least a month during the summer. That’s when she taught me the meat loaf and pasta recipes.”
A soft sigh escaped from Natalie. “Aww. That’s so sweet. Your mom sounds great.”
“Yeah, I grew up lucky. Both of my parents are pretty special.”
A pang of loss hit as she thought of her own mother. She’d always imagined that her mom would have been the super-involved type when she went to college, helping her decorate her dorm room and sending her monthly care packages. But of course, none of that had happened.
Once again, she caught him staring. She recognized what she saw in his eyes. Curiosity. An expectation that she’d talk about her own family. But once she explained what happened to her, most people fixated on the worst. Alexa and Cori were the first people who hadn’t pitied her. Instead they’d focused on what was important. She’d lost her parents as a teen and survived.
Besides, she’d only known Rome a couple of weeks, and being together was about having a good time. Natalie’s gaze dropped to the scar on his arm. But he’d obviously faced his own struggles and survived them, too. Maybe he would understand. Still, this was their last night together. She didn’t want their time to end with him feeling bad for her.
Rome picked up the bottle of wine and topped off their glasses. He winked at her. “Hope you left room for dessert.”
Relief trickled through her at the change of topic. “Maybe I’ll have a little.”
Natalie helped him clean up after dinner, and despite her best intentions in skipping dessert, Rome convinced her to have some.
He held a forkful of chocolate-swirl cheesecake in front of her mouth. “Come on. Just one more bite.”
Gooey chocolate, her weakness, clung to the small, tempting bite just inches away. Laughing, she turned her head. “No more.”
Grinning, he followed her mouth with the fork. “You know you want it. What happened to you sharing this slice with me?”
“I’m full.” She nudged his hand back toward him. “You eat it.”
“If you insist.” He slipped the rich bite into his mouth, then pulled the fork back out from between his closed lips.
A small bit of chocolate remained on his bottom lip. “Here. You need this.” She handed him a napkin.
He wiped his mouth. “Did I get it?”
“No. Hold on. You missed it.” Natalie took the napkin from him.
She wanted to kiss away the drop of chocolate so badly her mouth watered. But Rome hadn’t made a move on her all night. He’d clearly already transitioned her into the friend zone.
“There. Got it.” Natalie dabbed away the chocolate, planning to make a funny comment about how he shouldn’t waste good cheesecake, but his darkening golden-brown eyes lured her into kissing him instead.
Seconds passed with her mouth on his, but Rome didn’t return the kiss.
She quickly broke away, the heat of embarrassment crawling up her neck and into her face. “Oh…I’m… I need to go.”
“Natalie, wait.”
Where was her purse? She backed away from Rome and glanced around the kitchen. That’s right. She didn’t bring one. Her driver’s license and credit card were in a holder attached to her phone. It was on the coffee table with her keys.
As she went to grab them, he snagged her by the wrist. “Natalie.”
No. She didn’t need him to tell her that she’d made a fool of herself. Natalie tried to pull away, but he held on to her. “Rome, please just let me go. I understand. You don’t have to spell it out. The house alarm is done. We’re done. Just like we agreed. I get it.”
“You don’t.” He grabbed her by the arms. “Will you just stop and listen? I don’t mind that you kissed me. Hell, I’ve spent the enti
re night wanting to do a lot more than that.”
“You have?”
“Yes.” Frustration filled his expression. “And the only reason I didn’t make a move is because I really like you.”
Either she was jetlagged or her single girl’s handbook was way out of date. “Wait. You like me, but you don’t want to be with me?”
“No, Natalie. I do.” His shoulders fell with a harsh breath. “I can’t be with you because I want to spend more time with you, and not just having sex. But I understand where you’re coming from about needing to be there for your team and not wanting anything beyond a hookup.”
“You do?” Tension left her with a rush of relief. She wasn’t reading too much into things. Rome really liked her.
“I do understand. Like I said. I’ve been in a position where the job came first.”
“Yes. I mean no.”
His gaze narrowed with a look of confusion. “Wait. What are you saying yes and no to?”
“Yes, I really like you, too. Yes, I want to have more than just sex with you, and no, I don’t see my job as a reason for us not to see each other. At least, not anymore. When I was dealing with all the nonsense at the airport in Atlanta, it was important for me to make it home for Betsy, but I was looking forward to seeing you, too, and I was disappointed that you wouldn’t be around. I also kept thinking about you when I was in California.”
“You did?” A grin lit up his face.
As she laid her hands on his chest, her own smile emerged. “Yes. I honestly think it’s more of a distraction not to be with you.”
He held her in a loose embrace. “So what do we do about it?”
The intensity of his gaze and the desire to just kiss him muddled her thoughts. She looked to where she fiddled with a button on his shirt in the middle of his chest. “Take it really slow. No expectations. Neither of us getting frustrated if our schedules don’t always match up.”
Rome tipped her chin up with his finger. “Add another condition to that, and I’m in.”
“What?”
“Even though our schedules may not always match up, we’ll make time to see each other.”