She’d wondered if her customers would be disappointed if she wasn’t there to ensure they had the perfect cup of coffee to start their day, but they seemed to care more about her and her health.
A couple hours into the day, Enzo strolled in, looking as gorgeous as ever. He moved with confidence and a masculine grace that had her wanting to add more places to his bucket list.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” she said and loved the bewildered expression on his handsome face.
“Gorgeous? Okay, I’m not going to argue.”
“Good, because it would be a losing battle.”
He leaned over the counter and caught her in a sweeping kiss that was short but left a long-lasting tingle on her lips. “You snuck out this morning.”
“I did,” she said with pride. It wasn’t an easy task since her ankle still wasn’t a hundred percent, but she managed without making a ton of noise to wake the sleeping beast. Besides, last night she’d worn him out and knew he’d sleep in. Lucky for her, the alarm clock built into her head after years of conditioning finally returned from vacation.
“You should’ve woken me,” he said.
“Why, so you could argue with me? Not how I want to start my morning.”
He laughed and rubbed at his chin. “I’ll give you that.”
“Thank you, now would you like your usual? Can’t have you holding up the line.”
“Doesn’t being your boyfriend come with special privileges?”
Boyfriend. The word had always scared her, caused her to go running for the dunes, but this time it filled her with a tender warmth she wanted to snuggle into.
“No, sorry. You have to follow all the same rules and etiquette as all my customers.”
With a laugh he said, “I’ll have my usual then.”
“Coming right up.” She turned to go make his drink.
“Oh no. Get back here and take my money,” he said.
“But you’re my boyfriend.” She felt weird saying the word boyfriend and even weirder still charging him.
“You just said it doesn’t give me any special privileges.”
She did, didn’t she? “Okay then.” She rang him up and took his money.
“Hey, Enzo,” Paulie said once he finished a big order and zoned back into the world around him.
“Hey, how’s it going? This one driving you crazy yet?”
Cami shot him a glare, and Enzo held his hands up with a laugh.
“Not at all,” Paulie said. “Couldn’t ask for a better boss.”
Cami smiled smugly. “See?”
“Kiss ass,” Enzo mumbled.
Cami laughed while she made Enzo’s coffee, and when she was done, she pushed it across the counter. “Here you are. Now go. You’re holding up the line.”
“I see how it is. Wasn’t expecting the honeymoon stage to be over so quickly.”
She gave him a playful wink then waved him forward and kissed him goodbye. As she pulled away, she whispered, “Add this counter to your bucket list.”
Enzo’s eyes darkened, and she spun away so he could watch her ass sway as she headed to the backroom to get more stirrers.
***
Enzo walked down the boardwalk and spotted Reid walking toward him. Enzo gave Reid a nod as he approached. The navy-blue sleeves of his uniform strained against his biceps. He was in good shape for a man three years shy of forty.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Wish I could say the same.”
“Rough night?” Enzo asked.
“Dumb teenagers stole a boat and managed to get stuck in the middle of the cove. Had to go track down the boat owner this morning.”
“Bet that was a fun conversation.”
“Not as fun as trying to throw off the local media. They’re like savages.”
“That’s because they finally had something to report on other than the weather.”
“Then she needs to get a job in a bigger town.”
“She?” Enzo asked.
“Allison Winters.”
“The woman on the local news?”
“She’s a damn thorn in my side.”
Enzo laughed. He knew the feeling all too well.
“What are you laughing at?” Reid asked.
“Sounds like you might have a thing for her.”
“Are you out of your mind? I want to throttle her most of the time. She’s intrusive, pushy, doesn’t stop talking for two seconds, and she has no idea how to take no for an answer.”
Reid would figure it out one day, and then Enzo would gladly say I told you so. Until then, he would sit back and watch as the woman drove Reid to his breaking point.
“Enough about that incessive woman. I hear you have your own these days.”
“Word travels fast.”
“Considering you put on a display for the whole boardwalk, everyone in town knows.”
“That was kind of the point,” Enzo said. “Figured it was the easiest way to put it out there without a dozen different people coming up and asking without actually asking.”
“Smart move. I need to head to the station, then I’m going to crash for the next eight hours. These overnight shifts are killing me.”
“Tourist season is almost over.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Stop by for a beer whenever you have a minute,” Enzo said.
“Will do. Talk to you later, brother.” Reid patted Enzo on the back, and Enzo headed toward the restaurant. He mentally prayed that he wouldn’t find Grandpa with chicken wire, though he wasn’t going to hold his breath. The man was stubborn when he got an idea in his head, and he was determined to catch that damn seagull.
Enzo walked into the restaurant and headed to the kitchen. The lights were on, so he knew Grandpa had to be around here somewhere. He walked through the food prep area and to where the back door was propped open.
He prepared himself to see Grandpa with a mad scientist look on his face while he wielded wire cutters, but what Enzo found was a completely different sight. Grandpa was sitting on an old milk crate, hand feeding Diavolo pieces of bread.
Enzo just stood there for a moment, admiring the strange camaraderie between human and bird, wondering when the hell this truce happened. He’d only missed a couple days.
The door creaked, and Vinny spotted him. Vinny stood up and waved his hands. “Shoo, you beast. Shoo.” Diavolo spread his wings and took off into the mid-morning sky.
Vinny wiped his hands together probably trying to hide the crumbs.
“It’s too late,” Enzo said. “I saw the whole thing. When did you two become buddies?”
“If I can get him to trust me, I can catch him.”
“Please tell me you’re kidding.”
Vinny sighed. “Fine, the little bastard is a she after all.”
“How do you know?”
“Seguimi.”
Enzo did as Vinny said and followed him. They weaved around the back of the building and stopped just shy of the end of the building. Vinny pointed upward to the flat part of the roof. Enzo looked up, and his eyes landed on a nest with two chicks that looked almost ready to fly the coop.
“I can’t take away a mother trying to provide for her family. That makes me Diavolo.”
Enzo rested a hand on Vinny’s shoulder, and once again it felt like the end of an era. So many things were changing, but for once, Enzo wasn’t afraid.
Chapter 23
Cami couldn’t wait for Enzo to go home and see Ella’s finished product. Ella had texted Cami pictures, and Cami knew, even though it was drastically different, Enzo was going to love what she had done. Cami greeted Enzo at the door when he got home after a long shift at the restaurant. She had left work early because she realized she could, and it was nice to get out early a couple of times a week. It was definitely an adjustment, but it was one she was happy to get used to.
“Hey,” he said, bending his head to kiss her. She melted into his lips, and he embraced her, wrapping
her in a hug. There wasn’t a day that had gone by that she didn’t love being in his arms.
“Come on,” she said as she drew away and took his hand.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
He came to a stop, and Cami couldn’t budge him. “I haven’t even showered. I smell like lobster and French fries.”
“You smell like you.”
“That’s not very reassuring.”
“You smell fresh, clean, and masculine with a touch of fry grease.”
“Lovely.” He didn’t argue further though, letting her pull him to her car. “I thought you were going to call and get this fixed.” His eyes landed on the dratted donut. She’d been meaning to, but it kept slipping her mind.
“I will take care of it. Promise.” She lifted on tiptoes to kiss him. “Now get in the car.”
“I’ll drive,” he said. “We’ll take my Jeep.”
“But you don’t even know where we’re going.”
“If you had your tire fixed…”
“Seriously? Get in the damn car, Vincenzo!”
“Oh, we’re using proper names now? Okay, Camille.”
She glared at him, but he finally got in the car. “So where are we going?” he asked, looking out the rear window as she backed up. He was impossible.
“You’ll see.”
“Or you could just tell me.”
“Or you could just wait.” She tossed him a glance, and he was smiling, surely getting a kick out of driving her crazy.
The drive was quick, since Enzo only lived ten minutes away. She pulled up to his place and put the car in park.
“My place is the surprise?”
His front door opened, and Ella hopped outside, clapping to herself. “You’re here.” She ran down the front lawn and opened the passenger door. “I’m so excited for you to see everything.”
“It’s done then?” Enzo asked.
“Yes, it’s done. Now come on.” Ella grabbed his hand and yanked him toward the house. Cami followed. At the front door Ella stopped, putting her back to the door. “If you hate it…”
“Just open the door, Ella,” he said.
She took a deep breath, and Cami had no idea what she was worried about; the place was perfect. Ella pushed the door open and stepped aside for them to enter. Enzo froze in the doorway, his eyes scanning the new décor, stained floors, and paint colors.
He was quiet for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Ella shifted from one foot to the other. “Do you hate it?”
The slightest of smiles tilted his lips. He turned to his sister and tugged her in for a hug. Cami sighed in relief for her friend and also for Enzo who had embraced change and didn’t regret it. “I love it,” he said. “It’s everything I wanted but couldn’t put into words.”
“I know that’s my job. Turn your random visions into reality.”
“That could be your tagline,” Enzo said.
Enzo let go of Ella and stepped farther into the house. Cami gave Ella a hug of congratulations for a job well done.
“It’s seriously perfect,” Cami said. Ella had turned his house into a home, and now all Enzo needed was a family to fill the room. The unexpected thought took her by surprise, causing a slight bout of fear to poke at her.
“I’m so happy.” Ella beamed. “Now that the big reveal is over, I’m headed to the airport to pick up my man.” Ella turned to Cami.
“Let’s double after he’s settled and before you two leave,” she said.
“Definitely. I’ll call you.” Ella gave Cami a hug then Ella interrupted Enzo admiring his place and gave him a hug. “The bill’s on the table,” Ella said with a wink, and with that she was out the door.
Cami stood beside Enzo, and he took her hand in his, bringing it to his mouth and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “What do you think?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter what I think. All that matters is what you think.”
“This house could be our future,” he said. “And if you don’t like it…”
Cami’s heart stuttered in her chest. Future? They’d just agreed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, and granted he had spent almost every night since at her place, but actually moving in together, giving up her townhouse that she loved so much was something she wasn’t ready to deal with.
“What’s the matter?” Enzo asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She had—the ghost of her future where her pink throw pillows didn’t have a place in her life anymore, and her crystal chandelier was too feminine for the masculine vibe of this living room. She loved being with Enzo, but the thought of giving up her life, sharing it completely with someone else, and sacrificing in order to compromise went beyond fear. It was downright terrifying.
She had always been the one to make fun of Enzo for resisting change, but in the end, she was no different. She had her routine, her life, and her own place that she loved. But then she looked at Enzo, the chiseled lines of his face, the pretty blue of his eyes, and the natural wave in his dark hair, and she couldn’t deny that she loved him, too. She just hadn’t thought loving him would one day result in sacrificing a life she’d built for herself.
She swallowed down the fear. This wasn’t the time to freak out over it. The future wasn’t today, and it certainly wasn’t tomorrow either. She had time to get used to the idea. Right now, all that mattered was that Enzo loved what Ella did to his place.
“You don’t like it,” Enzo said, assuming her silence had to do with her distaste rather than the actual thoughts running rapid in her mind.
“No, I think it’s perfect for you.”
He wound his arms around her waist and looked down at her. “For you, too,” he said. “You’ll be spending a lot of time here. We have a few more checks on my bucket list to mark off.”
Looking into his eyes, the future didn’t seem so scary, so she forced the still loitering thoughts out of her mind and kissed him. “Then what are we waiting for?”
He carried her into the living room where they christened his new coffee table and made the first check of many on his bucket list that day.
Chapter 24
Cami moved from register to espresso machine with little to no pain in her foot. It felt amazing to finally be back to almost a hundred percent.
Martha walked in, her pink shirt billowing behind her. “Cami,” she said as she approached the counter. “How are you feeling, sweetie?”
“Much better. Thank you for helping Enzo with the essential oils. They really helped.”
Martha waved her hand. “Please, that’s what I’m there for.” Cami rang her up and handed her the change. “I see you’re finally getting your tire taken care of, too. You know you shouldn’t be driving around on the donut for too long.”
“Wait what?” Confusion swirled in Cami’s head as she stared at Martha. While calling to get the tire fixed was on her to-do list, she hadn’t gotten to it yet.
Martha pointed over her shoulder. “There’s a tow truck hooking your car up right now.”
“What?” She untied her apron and slammed it down on the counter. “Paulie,” she called out. “I’ll be right back.”
She stormed down the boardwalk toward the parking lot. She didn’t call anyone to get her tire fixed, but she knew someone who she wouldn’t put it past. Cami made it to the parking lot just in time to see her car being towed away.
Enzo stood in the empty spot where she had parked her car, and she stomped over to him. She probably should have taken a calming breath, but anger surged through her, hot and reckless. He saw her, his face brightening.
“Hey,” he said.
“Don’t hey me. What the hell, Enzo?”
“It was going to be a surprise.” He actually had the nerve to look bashful.
“I told you I would take care of it.”
Enzo’s eyebrow arched, and she wanted to smack him. “What’s the big deal? It needs to be fixed. I’m getting it fixed.”
<
br /> “Because I don’t need you to take care of things for me when I’m perfectly capable of taking care of them myself.”
“Yet you’ve had all this time to do it, and you haven’t.”
“If you’ve forgotten, I was injured. Thanks to you.”
“And your fingers weren’t broken. You could have picked up a phone and called someone to take care of it. You didn’t, so I did. You should be thanking me not chastising me.”
“Thank you? For going out of your way to do something I specifically told you I would handle.”
“That you didn’t handle! I’m doing you a favor.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“I never said you did. This is me being nice.”
“No, this is you trying to control my life.”
“That’s what this is about? Your inability to let people help you?”
He didn’t get it. “No this is about you overstepping. Just because I’m sleeping with you doesn’t give you the right to take over my life.”
His eyes darkened with anguish. “I thought we were more than just sleeping together.”
Damn it. The words hadn’t come out right. She had too much anger and frustration running through her. “We were.”
“Were?” The wounded look on his face cut deep into her heart. “Why are you saying it in past tense?”
She ran a hand through her hair, trying to get her thoughts to align before she said something else she’d regret. “I mean we are.”
“Are we?”
“Yes, why are you even questioning it? That’s not what this is about. This is about you not respecting my wishes.”
“It’s a fucking tire, Cami.”
His frustration snapped something inside her. “It’s not just a fucking tire, that’s my point. I got hurt, and you completely pushed me out the door and took over. You brought Paulie on to work overtime, you took Ella away from her life to fill in, you hired a new employee without consenting me, and now this. It’s just too much.”
“What are you saying?”
She didn’t know what she was saying; she couldn’t see beyond the anger. “Maybe we’re too different.”
“No, that’s just it. We’re not. All this time I thought we were total opposites, but the truth is we’re exactly the same.”
His Complete Polar Opposite Page 15