She couldn’t hide her happiness. The fact that he was here in her warehouse already told her more than his words ever would. She gauged the distance between them, physically. Yet her body was alive, breathing, yielding and wanting; just the fact of him being here did that to her.
What could she say to that? What could she say that wouldn’t sound too over the top? She tried to think fast, to rein back the sheer giddiness of seeing him again.
“You did the right thing.”
He looked the picture of casual chic and exuded easy confidence with his tousled hair, jeans only slightly less blue than the color of his eyes and the checked shirt he wore, rolled up at the sleeves.
She folded her arms, hoping it might quiet the wild clamoring of her heart as she absorbed his appearance.
“I know I did the right thing.” He told her, taking a step towards her. She watched his lips, already knew what they would taste like, had imagined them most nights she tossed and turned in bed. And couldn’t wait to feel them on hers again.
“It’s so good to see you again,” she said. It wasn’t just good. It was completely awesome but she wasn’t about to tell him that. She hugged her arms for comfort. “I’m impressed that you found me so easily. This place isn’t in the tourist guide books.”
“Easy or not, I was going to come here if it meant I could see you again. I’ve thought of you the whole time we’ve been apart.”
She listened to him, speechless, as her skin tingled as though fireflies danced on it. “I didn’t have a choice, you see. I had to see you again.” He cupped her face with his hand and the scent of bergamot and mint—his scent—seduced her senses, reminding her of the faraway places he’d taken her to before. This time she was determined not to let it end at a kiss. She’d already made up her mind—even as she folded her arms even tighter around her.
“I’ve missed you, Andrea.” His words fell on her ears like blues music on a sultry, rain-kissed night. She could do nothing but look up at him and stared into his eyes, intense, and blue. She felt a pull towards him and barely breathed as he thumbed her bottom lip then bent down to drop a gentle kiss on her mouth. She closed her eyes and soaked him in, his smell, his freshness, his sheer, bold sexiness.
“I missed you too,” she whispered, her lips brushing his neck as his fingers settled along her waist. He smiled at her words, then bent down and kissed her again, this time his kiss was wet and long as she discovered him all over again; the feel of him pushing her over the edge so that she no longer cared whether a customer walked in and caught her.
He was danger and thrills and seduction all rolled into one and she’d thrown caution to the wind the moment she’d set eyes on him.
“I wish I had taken your number,” he confessed. “I had no way of getting in touch with you again. So I had to find my way back to you.” She couldn’t help but smile as she drank in his words feeling relieved that the attraction hadn’t been one-sided.
“I know. It seemed crazy not to exchange contact details, but like you said, it would have been unfair. You’re traveling, and I’m here.” It didn’t exactly bode well for any kind of relationship.
“There are some people who walk out of your life never to return.” He let the words hang in the air and she soaked them right up. “I couldn’t let you be one of them.”
“Here’s your latte.” Leo’s voice sliced through their secret bubble like a dagger. Startled, she peeled herself away from Riley and felt the heat seep out from her body as she instinctively wiped her lips. She took the cup of coffee Leo offered her.
“This is Riley,” she said, trying to still the beating of her heart and the rise and fall of her chest.
Leo stood not moving an inch. “Riley?” he asked, as though he was interviewing someone for a position.
“Riley James,” said Riley and held out his hand.
“This is Leo. I might have mentioned him to you?” Andrea wasn’t sure. “Hey there,” said Riley as the two men shook hands warily. “Your assistant?” asked Riley, glancing at Andrea.
“Business partner,” Leo corrected him.
Riley’s eyes narrowed. “Business partner, I’m sorry.”
“And you would be?” Leo asked, maintaining his position. Andrea felt her muscles tighten. Didn’t he have the inventory check to do today?
“A friend,” said Riley.
“You’re the traveler, right?” asked Leo. The air hung heavy with awkwardness and Andrea wished that today had been one of Leo’s days off. He couldn’t have turned up at a more inopportune moment.
“We met in Bellagio,” Andrea explained.
“That’s a long way from here, isn’t it?” asked Leo, taking a sip from his plastic cup.
Andrea turned her head sharply, giving him a contemptuous look. She didn’t like the unfriendly tone in his voice.
“It depends on what you mean by long.” She heard the cautionary note in Riley’s voice.
Andrea wanted to step in. If she could sense Leo’s apparent animosity she knew Riley could too. Her new found glee at seeing Riley again soon paled into irritation.
“Leo, weren’t you about to check the inventory? I’d like to get back to Ava with accurate amounts of our stock so she can place another order.”
“I’ll get to it,” said Leo. She breathed with relief as he turned to head towards the office. When he’d disappeared from view, Andrea walked over to the far corner, beckoning Riley to follow her.
“I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t be.” Riley told her, then ran his fingers along her jawline making her shudder in anticipation. “It didn’t help that I called him your assistant.”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s usually very easy to get along with. I don’t know what’s the matter with him today.”
“Is he an equal business partner?” Riley asked, reaching out for her hand.
“He’s only here a few days in the week.” She loved the feel of his fingers on her skin, and it was a struggle to concentrate on his words without moaning.
“I’ve been thinking of you every day since you left, Andrea.” He moved his hands and ran his fingers around the outline of her lips. Once more he was seducing her with his words again and she willingly let him. “That would make both of us,” she confessed. It was easier to tell him once she knew how he felt first. “Where are you staying?”
And how long are you here for?
And what do we do now?
Questions assaulted her mind like a swarm of bees. This, coupled with the feel of his fingers on her lips and him standing so dangerously close to her, intoxicated her senses. She couldn’t read an email or cross reference inventory now if she tried.
“I’m staying at the Cristallo Bed and Breakfast, not far from here. It has a good internet connection, and that’s what I need more than the comfort, for now.”
“When did you get here?” she asked, wondering what he’d been doing for the past two weeks.
“I got here a few days ago and I’ll probably stay for a few more days.” Their fingers entwined, and feeling his skin against hers, listening to his words, made her stomach turn, reducing her to a puddle of tangled emotion. She had to keep her head about her. Riley being here was a dream come true but he was only passing by. There was nothing about him that signified long-term, even though right now she was willing to give him her heart and her body and she was desperate for him to take both.
In this brief moment of clarity she had to think straight and slow down. But the sound of heavy footsteps intruded upon them once more. She pulled her hand away and stood up taller, forcing Riley to move away from her. Behind him she saw Leo marching towards her.
“Do you have the checklist?” he asked. “I can’t remember where I’ve put mine.”
“No,” she replied. Can’t you print it off again?
“Do you want me to come back later?” Riley asked.
“Your coffee’s getting cold,” Leo told her, ignoring Riley completely as he walked up towards her.
>
Dammit Leo.
“Why don’t you print off a new copy?” She tried to keep the irritation out of her voice and set off towards the office.
“I’ll be back, hang on a moment.” She said to Riley.
“I’m not going anywhere.” He promised.
She felt a swell of happiness in her chest but first things first, she told herself. Time to deal with Leo. Returning to her desk she shuffled the untidy pile of papers on it and then discovered that she’d accidentally picked up a copy of his inventory list by mistake.
“Sorry, I must have picked this up by mistake,” she said, sheepishly and handed the sheets of paper to him.
“We’re going to have to replenish our stock.” He told her. “The numbers are looking low from what I’ve seen. You’re going to have to place a big order.”
“I’ll do that later this afternoon.”
“Whenever. I’m not here tomorrow, just to let you know.”
“That’s not a problem.” She felt somewhat relieved to hear that she’d be alone tomorrow.
She decided on the spur of the moment. “I’m going out for a while and I’ll be back in an hour and a half. We’ll talk before you leave for the day.”
He gave her a nod and walked away with the list in his hand, leaving her alone in the office with the heat of Riley’s gaze fixed on her from afar.
“Everything okay?” he asked as she walked back up to him.
“All good,” she said, breaking out into a smile. “Now that you're here the least I can do is take you to lunch,” she said.
“I don’t want to get in the way. You seem very busy.”
“You’re not in the way,” she assured him and then she glanced at the untouched latte that Leo had bought for her. “Are you hungry?
“Hungry?” But the way he said it, the way his eyes locked onto hers, neither of them had food on the brain.
“There’s a coffee shop a few doors down. We could go there for a while—get out of here.”
He seemed to like the suggestion.
“Come on,” she said, and her heart jumped as he took her hand.
“You can’t have been in Bellagio all that time. Or were you?” she asked.
“I left the day after you did.”
“Where did you come from before you got here?” she asked.
“Padua.”
“I thought you’d already been there?”
“No,” he replied. “First time.”
She shrugged. She was sure he’d told her otherwise but being around him usually turned her brain to mush anyway. Like now.
11
But as they sat down across the table from one another in the busy coffee shop, Andrea wasn’t prepared to let it go.
“It’s strange because I thought you’d been to Padua, or maybe you got mixed up.”
He had that air of unease around him, as though she’d asked him to multiply two four digit numbers. “After a while they all start to look the same, the villages and towns.”
“I don’t agree.” She told him. Italy was different, in different regions. Each was beautiful in its own unique way.
“Don’t take it the wrong way,” he said, quickly. “Your country is beautiful. I’m saying that from my point of view, as a weary traveler, after a while it all seems the same.”
Perhaps he had a point. “Weary traveler?” she asked. “Is that how you see yourself?” It was almost as if he didn’t want to talk about it. Maybe traveling for as long as he had been meant that the novelty had long worn off.
“I feel that way sometimes.”
Familiar faces wandered in and out of the coffee shop acknowledging her and smiled back in turn. The short steam-burst sounds of the coffee machine as it clanked and gurgled, interspersed their conversation. She quickly forgot that this was a normal day at work. The surprise of seeing Riley almost took her back to the magic of Bellagio and she thought back to the evening when they had sat out by the lake.
“You sound jaded.” She wondered if he was ready to end his long break.
“You could be right,” he said. “But I’m not ready to go back to the States yet.”
“No?” She asked, secretly pleased.
“I like it here. I feel more at home in Italy. More than I did in France or Switzerland.”
“So what are you plans next?”
“I like to live for the moment,” he told her. “I used to plan. But things didn’t work out. For now, this suits me.”
“Didn’t work out?” She wanted to know what didn’t work out. To her, he was still a blank slate and she wanted to get inside his mind and walk around in it for a while until he was familiar and easy to her. That’s what being in a relationship was about, wasn’t it? Knowing the other person fully and deeply, and maybe even as well as you knew yourself. The way Ava had spoken about Nico knowing her.
“No.” His reticence in revealing much didn’t make things easy.
“Was that why you took off?”
“I didn’t take off.”
She gave a tiny laugh, hoping to take away from the seriousness of his tone. “It’s a figure of speech.” But there was no point in trying to unravel his inner thoughts, she decided. So she said nothing because if she couldn’t ask him where he’d been the last few weeks, or probe further about his whole journey in the years that he’d left the US, then what else could she ask him?
“I’m sorry,” he said, appearing to study her face. “I sound miserable, don’t I?” She grimaced but said nothing. “Getting to a new place, you’d think I’d be all pumped up with enthusiasm and excitement. I think I need to go back to my hotel and rest up.”
She felt herself smile again. He was tired, and perhaps his moodiness was attributable to that. She couldn’t imagine living the way he did for longer than a few weeks.
“The only reason I’m here is because I wanted to see you. It ended too soon, the time we had together. You must have been shocked to see me.”
She smiled easily. “It was a shock,” she agreed. “But a pleasant one.”
“Not for Leo, I don’t think.”
“Don’t worry about him.”
“Is he usually so controlling?”
“Controlling?”
“Around you.”
“He doesn’t control me,” she cried, indignantly. “We’re not…I wouldn’t have…” she dipped her chin down and wondered how to say it. “We’re not together, it that’s what you think. He’s just a business partner. That’s all. I mean, that’s why—I wouldn’t have…nothing would have happened between us if I’d been with…” Someone. If I’d been with someone, she wanted to say but found it hard to get the words out.
Why were they talking about Leo? She’d left the warehouse and brought Riley to the coffee shop to get away from Leo.
“You wouldn’t have what?” Riley asked, his eyes glinting.
“I wouldn’t have let you kiss me.”
“I want to kiss you now.”
Her heart leapt at the suggestion and the new turn their conversation had taken. She welcomed the sudden shift because ever since she’d seen him, she’d wondered this one thing: would anything happen between them now?
Her mouth fell open as he boldly slipped his hand across the table top and took hers. The feel of his skin, warm and sensuous, and the way his thumb teased the palm of her hand already called out to her. It was going to be a long day at work if he was going to get her started and then leave her again.
“Do you want to see me again, Andrea?”
Tremors trickled outwards from the base of her stomach and teased her body as he continued to circle his thumb, then took her other hand in his.
“I do,” she said breathlessly, “and I want you to kiss me,” she said, her voice so low that she wasn’t sure it reached him.
He leaned in. “I can’t hear you.” Blue eyes twinkled at her and she studied the dip in his upper lip. She’d tasted that once; had felt it with her lips and tongue and the memory of that moment
made her warm and molten all over. She leaned in. “I wish you could kiss me. But you can’t, not here. I know everyone in this place.”
“You’re talking as if I’m going to lay you on the table and make love to you this moment.”
Now that he’d planted the vision in her head, it was going to be impossible to shift it.
“You couldn’t possibly do that. Not here.”
“No,” he said eyeing her lips. “Not here. But I’d kiss you here,” he said, trailing his thumb over the palm of her right hand, “and here,” he circled his thumb over her other hand. “And there,” he nodded at her lips. “And there,” he said, gazing at her chest. “And lower, and lower,” he leaned in as much as the table would let him while his voice sent promises skittering across her body. “Along every inch of you.” She ceased to think in words and now saw only images in her mind. Of her, and him, of heat and sweat.
“For now,” she said, trying to ignore the heaviness in her breasts and the wetness between her legs. “For now, you should go and get some rest, perhaps.” And leave me to cool down.
He grinned at her obvious change of subject. “And you go back to your work before Leo starts to wonder what I’m doing to you.”
She licked her lips, resisting the urge to kiss him. “Don’t worry about Leo.”
“I’d like to take you out to dinner,” he told her. “I found a place in my travel guide. It’s not far from my hotel.”
“I’d love to.”
“If you don’t have other plans.”
“I don’t have any other plans.”
12
“Do you want to come back to mine?” she asked, “or I could drop you back at yours?”
They sat in her car and shadows flickered across his face as a group of people walked past, blocking the light that spilled out of the restaurant windows. She’d picked him up from where he was staying. It was a modest little establishment about eight miles from where she lived and near the town center.
They’d gone to the small restaurant he’d shown her in his travel book and they had caught up over dinner. The pull of attraction she’d felt for him had come back stronger than ever once he’d left her after their visit to the coffee shop.
Hearts on Fire: Romance Multi-Author Box Set Anthology Page 79