“They don’t want that!” Vince couldn’t believe this. He was the one who put in sixteen years of hard labor in the business. Not his brothers.
“Dad, that’s a nice offer, but I wouldn’t know the first thing about construction,” Angel said. “This is Vince’s deal.”
“I got my own shop,” Nico said. “I like it that way.” Nico owned Exotic and Classic Restorations, where he restored and sold some really cool cars. It was where Vince got his Camaro.
His dad grunted. “I just wanted to put it out there. I, uh, I’m working on my will with Gabe’s help. I just want to make sure you’re all taken care of.”
“What did the doctors say?” Vince asked.
“No news,” his dad said. “Not until my checkup. I just thought it was a smart thing to do. I’m getting up there in age.”
“You’re sixty!” Vince said. “Not that old.”
“Just to be on the safe side,” his dad said somberly. Vince knew exactly why. This cancer diagnosis had shaken them all up.
“I’m comfortable with Vince taking over the family business,” Angel said. “I don’t need any assets. Vince, you keep it going as long as you like. You don’t have to check in with me.”
“Thank you.” He put Angel in a headlock and rubbed the top of his head. Angel grinned. “I knew I kept you around for a reason.”
“Yeah, I’m out.” Nico grabbed the remote. “It’s all you, Vince. Can we watch the game?”
His dad frowned. “Here I thought my legacy meant something to you boys.”
“It means something to me, Dad,” Vince said. Once again he felt passed over. He wasn’t good enough to trust with the family business.
His dad crossed his arms and studied Vince for a long moment. “All right. Let’s see how this library project goes with you and Sophia running it. As long as her dad’s not involved. But—” he held up a finger “—there will be no merger as long as Joe’s at the head of the company.”
“That’s fair,” Vince said.
His dad rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t do anything stupid, Vince.”
Vince’s head reared back. “Like what?”
“Like getting involved with the person you’re supposed to be working with. I need to know this isn’t some harebrained scheme just to seduce a beautiful woman.”
Vince stood, beyond annoyed. “You met her, you saw the plans, had your interrogation; I’m taking her home now.”
“This is your proving ground,” his dad said. “Show me what you can do.”
He’d spent his whole life proving himself. He’d thought sixteen years of working for the old man had shown what he could do. Obviously that wasn’t enough.
He found Sophia sitting at the dining room table with a cup of tea, chatting with his stepmom. “Let’s go, Sophia.”
Her eyes widened. “But we haven’t had dessert yet. Your mom made these almond crescent cookies. I had one. They’re so good.”
Vince glanced at the plate of cookies covered in powdered sugar and immediately became suspicious. First the Italian wedding soup and now the cookies his stepmom always made for weddings with his Italian relatives.
“Are you trying to tell me something, Ma?” he asked.
She sipped her tea. “I have no idea what you’re referring to.”
There was no way he was going to bring it up in front of Sophia. He didn’t want her getting any ideas that he was looking for marriage. Why would his stepmom think that just because he brought a woman home for the first time he was looking for a wife? He’d only invited her because his dad insisted.
His stepmom held the tray out to him. “Have a cookie.”
“Did someone say cookies?” Angel asked. He got a napkin and grabbed a handful. “Nico,” he called, “you want cookies?”
Nico appeared and snagged a handful. “Love when you bake, Ma.”
“It’s my pleasure,” his stepmom said. She picked up a cookie and held it out to Vince. Suddenly that cookie felt like an invitation to a domestic ball and chain, and he was not prepared to go there.
“No, thanks,” he managed.
“Come on, just one,” she coaxed. “Sophia had one.”
Sophia nodded and smiled.
“I’m on a diet,” he said, which made his brothers laugh uproariously. Angel started choking, and Nico pounded him on the back. “It’s late. We gotta go.” He leaned down and kissed his stepmom’s cheek. “Thanks for dinner.”
His stepmom pressed the cookie in his hand with a sweet smile. “For the road.”
He hung his head. Now what was he supposed to do with the damn thing?
“Eat it, eat it,” Nico chanted.
“He’s got to watch his figure,” Angel said before cracking up again.
Sophia stood, looking amused. “I’ll take it if you don’t want it.”
He shoved it in his mouth. “Happy?”
His stepmom hid a smile. His dad walked in and snagged a cookie.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Sophia said to his parents. She turned to his brothers. “It was nice meeting you both.”
“You too,” they chorused.
His dad shook her hand. “I’m glad to see you’re your own person.”
“Thank you,” Sophia said, all graciousness and class even with the not-so-subtle dig at her father. “Nice to meet you too.”
They said their goodbyes. His stepmom threw in one last-ditch effort on Vince’s behalf. Sort of. “Remember what I said, Sophia. Don’t let him walk all over you. He respects strength.”
“Ma, I’m right here,” Vince moaned.
Sophia laughed. “No danger of that.”
“Good. I hope we’ll see you again.”
Sophia smiled and nodded. He doubted she’d ever want to face his family again. Not after all the embarrassing comments and the hard questions his dad had asked her. Hadn’t exactly been a picnic. He walked her out the door and into his car. When she got in, she leaned her head back on the seat and blew out a breath, closing her eyes.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
“That was rough with your dad,” she said.
“You did all right.” His gaze lingered on her. Her eyes were still closed, her long lashes fanning out over those smooth cheeks. She looked sweet almost, with her eyes closed. Her spicy rose scent drew him in. She opened her eyes and returned his stare. A jolt of desire gripped him. Her eyes held such fire. He was so tempted just to—
“You going to stare at me all day, or are you going to start the car?” she asked.
He grinned and started the car. “You did good, Soph. Real good. Thank you.”
“You think your dad will let us partner on the library?”
He pulled out into the street. “He said so when we spoke.”
“I passed the test!” She raised a fist in the air. “Woo-hoo!”
He laughed. “Yeah, you passed. But he only wants you on the job. Not your dad.”
“No problem.” She was quiet for a moment. “You have a nice family.”
“They’re all right.”
“You’re a good big brother. A good son.”
He warmed at the compliment. No one ever used the word “good” about him, though tonight his family had been full of praise. All for Sophia’s benefit, but still. “Eh, you’re just saying that because Ma gave you an earful tonight. No one told you the bad stuff.”
“What bad stuff?”
He got quiet. He didn’t tell anyone that shit.
“Let me guess,” she said, “you’re some kind of man whore?”
He grinned. “That would imply I get paid.”
“Man slut?”
“I enjoy women. That’s all. I’m upfront that I’m not looking for anything serious.” Unfortunately, his stepmom had other ideas with all that wedding food. “Everyone knows going in what they’re gonna get. Nobody gets hurt.”
“How do you know?”
He stopped at a stop sign and looked over at her. “How do I know what?
”
“How do you know nobody gets hurt? Do you talk to them about it later? Make sure they’re okay?”
“Pfft. No. I don’t call them at all. They call me if they want a repeat performance.” He tapped the steering wheel and hit the accelerator. “I tell them that upfront too.”
“Classy.”
“Thank you.”
“I will never be one of those women.”
He feigned shock. “No! Really?” She scowled, and he tried really hard not to smile because he could tell she’d been thinking about being his. “I never thought you would be,” he added for good measure.
Lie. He’d thought about it way too much. Why shouldn’t he give in to a very natural attraction? Just because of the business. His dad’s words came back to him, Don’t do anything stupid, Vince. His dad expected him to screw up even after all the hard work he’d put in. If that was what he expected anyway, why shouldn’t he have a little fun? His dad wouldn’t have to know. He could keep business and pleasure separate. Probably. It was uncharted territory, and the idea of having Sophia was turning him on way too much for any further rational thinking.
“Good,” Sophia said. “I’m glad.” But he could tell she wasn’t glad at all. She sounded miffed. Maybe she wanted this just as much as he did. He decided to test the waters.
“So tell me more about this fictional rake you get off on,” Vince said, glancing over at her.
She straightened. “I don’t get off on rakes.”
“What gets you off?”
She got mad. He could tell by the way she took a few deep breaths, and now her lips were practically a flat line. He suppressed a laugh that he knew would just piss her off.
“I am not having this conversation with you,” she bit out.
It occurred to him that maybe she didn’t get off at all, which was concerning. A beautiful healthy woman like Sophia never experiencing ecstasy.
“Did your last boyfriend get you off?” he asked.
“This is an extremely inappropriate conversation from someone who only wants a—” she made finger quotes in the air “—‘professional relationship. End of story.’”
He recognized his own words from dinner as well as the tension in her that he knew he could help out with. “I was just trying to get my family to shut up with the Vince stories.” He lowered his voice to a husky drawl. “So, tell me, did your last boyfriend get you off?”
She squirmed a bit, blushing, and finally said, “You mean Simon?” Like he knew all about her ex-boyfriends.
“Yeah,” he said just so she’d keep talking.
“Not really.” She said it with such sadness that it really started to bug him. Someone like Sophia never feeling passion. It couldn’t be. She was full of fire. It wasn’t healthy not to get that out.
“What about the guy before that?” he asked.
“Brian?” she asked. Even their names sounded pansy-ass.
“Yeah.”
She hesitated. “Almost.”
“Almost?” He let out a huge breath of exasperation. What was wrong with these guys? What was wrong with Sophia that she’d settle for less? “Guy before that.”
“Tim?” Another pansy-ass name. He was sensing a pattern here.
“Yeah, Tim.”
“Not really.”
“The rich donor guy?” he asked. “The friend.”
“He, uh, plays for the other team now.” She waved a hand in the air. “So, you know, no.”
He bit back a groan. “Sophia.”
“I know, but he said he was confused for a while. It wasn’t me.”
He pulled over to the side of the road somewhere in Clover Park. “Has any guy ever gotten you off? I’m talking fingers fisting in the sheets, raw, screaming-top-of-your-lungs orgasm?”
She flushed, but she still answered. “No.”
He stared at her. She stared back, a defiant gleam in her eyes, an unquestionable challenge.
“You want me to show you?” he asked. Please let me show you. He knew they’d be good together, and he wanted to be the one, the first to witness her ecstasy.
She turned away. “Like you could,” she mumbled under her breath.
He caught her chin and turned her back to him. “I promise you I can. One night.”
“I don’t do one-night stands.”
“Two nights,” he amended, feeling generous. It was the least he could do. It wouldn’t be fair to show her the peak only to drop her back to the low boring side so quickly.
“If you could hear yourself right now, you wouldn’t be smirking like that.”
“I’m not smirking,” he said. “I’m smiling.”
“Just take me home, Vince. I’m exhausted.”
He pulled back into the street. “Your loss.”
She snorted. “Whatever.”
Damn, he’d really been hoping.
“It wouldn’t affect our business deal,” he said, in case that was what was holding her back. He decided then and there, it wouldn’t hold him back. “We’ll keep that separate. What happens in the bedroom, stays in the bedroom. No one has to know.”
Truth was, he had nothing to lose. His dad already thought he was a screwup. That was made abundantly clear to him tonight. And the more time he spent with Sophia, the sharper the hunger for her grew. And, strangely, the more he got to know her, the more he wanted to know. She was addicting. He glanced at her. She appeared to be thinking it over.
“You ever been in love?” she finally asked. “I mean really in love, heart-thumping, head-over-heels, can’t-even-think-straight love.”
“Nope. Not once.”
“You don’t sound torn up about it.”
“I’m not. What about you?”
“No,” she said, sounding very forlorn. “I’ve sort of given up.”
“Well, geez, don’t give up if that’s what you want. What are you, twenty-five?”
“Twenty-six.”
“You’re young. I’m sure some pansy-ass guy is just waiting around the corner for you, dying to profess his love.”
She brightened. “Yeah? You really think so?”
“Sure.”
“One of the town council members has a son he wants to set me up with.”
“Who?”
“You know Randy? His son.”
“Out of the question,” Vince said.
“Why? He said he’s in pharmaceutical sales. Stable, good job, looking to settle down.”
“First of all, Randy is a lech.”
“He is not.”
“Trust me,” Vince said, “I know. Second of all, a sales guy is not going to get you off. You can do better than that.” Like me.
“Who should I date? Huh? A guy like you? No, thanks.”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“Two nights!” She gestured wildly. “That’s a fucking proposition, not a date!”
His lips twitched. Something about the f-word coming out of her classy mouth gave him hope. Now that she was looking at yet another pansy-ass boyfriend, he wanted a chance to throw his own name in the ring. Nothing pansy-ass about him. And though he’d never actually dated, more like one-and-done hookups, he suddenly really wanted a date.
“You want to go on a date with me, Soph?”
“It would’ve been nice to be asked.”
He double-checked to see if she was serious. Her arms were crossed, and she was staring mulishly out the front window. “Fine. You want to go to dinner with me?”
“Where to?”
“I don’t know. Wherever.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t think you really want to go. You’re just saying that because I got mad.”
He felt like pulling his hair out. This woman made no sense. He’d switched gears from a roll in the hay to a classy date like he thought she wanted, and she still didn’t go for it. What exactly did she want? He put the radio on and didn’t say another word until he pulled up to her house. He studied he
r. She looked tense. Must be all that pent-up fire with no place to go.
He pushed a lock of hair over her ear. It was silky smooth. He leaned closer. “I’m getting mixed signals here. You into me or what?”
“Or what,” she replied. She got out of the car and slammed the door.
Guess he had his answer. Still, he couldn’t help watching her hips sway as she marched up the front sidewalk. No way in hell she was going out with that lech Randy’s son. For the first time in his life, he worried if he could ever be the kind of man someone might actually want to be with more than once.
He had a feeling one night with Sophia wouldn’t be enough.
Chapter Eleven
A week later, late Friday afternoon, Vince returned to the office to find a FedEx package with the signed contract for the Clover Park Library. His dad had finally signed off on it. He called Sophia’s work number and actually got her.
“Hey, Vince, what’s up?”
“My dad signed the papers, so full steam ahead.”
“That’s great! I sent the plans over to my architect. I wanted to see if she could add more windows.”
“And?”
“She said she could.”
“Send me the plans.”
“I will. I’m starting the historic documentation next week.”
Vince was surprised to find he had no complaints so far about working with Sophia. She was efficient and professional.
“So let’s talk money,” he said. “Where are we with the fundraising? How soon before we can break ground?”
“I have a meeting with the fundraising committee next week. We’ve reached seventy percent of the goal.”
“That’s with your private donor?”
“Yes. He contributed two million.”
Vince whistled under his breath. “Can we break ground before hitting one hundred percent? I’d really like to get started. We both could use the cash flow.”
“I meet with the mayor and town council next week.”
“And you forgot to invite me to this meeting?” he asked tightly. “Nice to go behind my back.”
“I just needed to get the job done,” she replied calmly. “Project’s moving forward. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“I thought we were partners.” It was like she didn’t trust him to do the job. “And who the hell is this private donor?”
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