by T. J. Kline
“I don’t think so,” Alexandra answered, glancing back at her table, where both of her friends watched them expectantly. The blonde, who looked very similar to Alexandra, stood up and waved at them.
“I think they want you to come back.”
Alexandra sighed. “I think they want you to come with me.” She glanced up at him apologetically. “It’s my sister and my sister-in-law. Well, she will be in a few weeks.”
“And why would they want me to come over?”
If the roles had been reversed and it were his friends, they’d want to give him shit in order to embarrass him in front of her. But the women at the table weren’t cut from the same cloth. He could hardly imagine them acting like his friends.
Alexandra turned those gray eyes on him apologetically. “Maybe because I told them about what happened this morning and they think it will be funny to watch me squirm.”
“Squirm?” he repeated.
She sighed and her cheeks turned pink as she averted her eyes. “I might have told them you were…attractive.”
Heat spread through him and Nico tried to ignore the way it pooled in his groin. He felt himself smile as he looked back at Alexandra. “You think so, huh?”
She cocked her head to one side. “False humility doesn’t become you.”
He laughed aloud at her blunt statement. She certainly didn’t pull any punches. The bartender slid her drinks on the counter and Nico motioned to him that he’d pick up the tab before grabbing his beer and the Sierra Nevada. “Then let’s go.”
“Wait, I don’t think—”
He didn’t give her the chance to shoot him down. Nico heard her sigh from behind him as he headed for the table.
“Fine,” she said. “Just don’t cry to me when you wish you hadn’t come over.”
“I consider myself duly warned,” he tossed back over his shoulder, waiting for her to follow him.
“Hi,” the blonde said as she leaned across the table, offering her hand. “I’m Fallon. My sister didn’t mention that you were so…tall.”
The other woman burst into laughter and quickly covered her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she said when Alexandra shot her an incredulous look. “But after everything you told us, that’s pretty funny. I’m Anna.” She reached for the Sierra Nevada and then they shook hands.
“It’s nice to meet you both. Now, I’m curious,” Nico said, giving Alexandra his most charming smile. “What exactly did you tell them about me?”
A slight smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she slid one of the cosmos in front of her sister. “I might have mentioned that you’re obnoxious.”
He tipped his head conspiratorially at the two women. “That would be a lie. Besides, she couldn’t possibly know that from the two words I said to her today.”
“She did mention your curls and your bedroom eyes.” Anna pinched her lips together to keep from laughing when Alexandra’s eyes widened.
“I swear I didn’t…” Alexandra’s cheeks blazed. “Anna, Fallon, this is Nico, uh…”
“Donacelli.” All three women looked at one another expectantly, as if unsure who should speak next. “So, what brings the three of you out tonight? Celebrating your big boardroom win this morning?”
“Hardly,” Alexandra scoffed before taking a long drink from her cosmo.
Nico glanced up in time to see Anna drop the beer bottle from her lips and swipe her fingers sideways at her throat, the universal signal to quit while he was ahead.
“Sore subject.” Fallon smiled across the table at him. “Lexie doesn’t consider anything a win unless she gets exactly what she wants. That didn’t happen this time.”
“Because of our interaction?” he asked.
Alexandra shrugged a shoulder.
“Aw, damn, I’m really sorry.”
He knew exactly what it was like to work hard for a goal and then have something stupid screw up your plans. Like being short a business plan and the ten thousand more dollars he needed to get a start-up loan.
“Anything I can do to help?”
“No, I’m just going to relax tonight and show my sister that I can have fun.”
“We’ll see.” Fallon sounded less than convinced but shot Nico a shrewd look. “You’re already talking about work, which was a no-no, remember?”
Alexandra rolled her eyes. “That wasn’t my fault. He brought it up,” she said, pointing at Nico accusingly.
He raised his hands in front of him. “I’m just here to watch the game and eat nachos. We can talk about anything you want.”
Her gaze lingered on his mouth for a moment before the tip of her tongue snuck out to wet her lips. Every inch of his body leapt to attention as his body nearly burst into flames. Her gaze rose slowly, connecting with his, and he saw her eyes darken. She had no clue what she was doing to him.
Or maybe she did.
Chapter 6
“So, Fallon and Anna are quite the pair, huh?”
“That’s putting it mildly.” Alex glared at the backs of the two women. She’d felt more than a little betrayed when they excused themselves to go to the ladies’ room, leaving her alone with a man who sent hot pricks of desire racing up her spine.
He was a nice guy and she didn’t blame him for her mistake this morning at the meeting. It wasn’t his fault she’d been in such a hurry or that she’d jumped to conclusions. She’d been the one to rush head-first into selling him on her position before he’d even introduced himself.
Truthfully, what CEO would have been setting up the breakfast buffet? She’d been off her game and allowed her grandmother’s never-ending requests to distract her, and paid the price for her inattention. She’d had to give up 10 percent of the stake in Eco-Tech to make the deal happen. But there was a bright side. She’d closed the deal with the AR Group afterward as the majority shareholders…and she’d somehow run into Nico again.
Alex leaned back in her chair, sipping from her second cosmo. “How did you know I’d be here? Did you follow me?”
He laughed. “I was here first, remember? Maybe it’s just my lucky day.”
His dark gaze slid over her, heating every inch like a caress. Her heart pounded against her ribs as the blood rushed through her veins. Alex took a deep breath to combat the sudden light-headedness that left her dizzy and reaching for the table to steady her.
“You’re saying it was sheer coincidence?” Her voice was lower than she’d intended, sounding seductive, even to her own ears.
He leaned forward, closing the distance between them, his gaze locking with hers, his voice gravelly and oh-so-sexy. “I prefer to call it luck.”
He was close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath fall over her lips. Alex instinctively tipped her body closer to his, drawn to him despite her earlier humiliation. Conversation flowed easily with him and he seemed almost familiar, as if she’d known him most of her life.
Alex watch his lips move and wondered for a moment what it might be like to be kissed by them, to let the fullness of them brush over her skin. Goose bumps broke out on her arms and a shiver of delight whispered over her as her fingers played over the stem of her martini glass.
What was she doing? This was supposed to be a girls’ night out. She wasn’t supposed to pick up the sexy caterer tonight.
Alex cleared her throat and sat back in her chair, taking a quick drink of her cosmo and looking at him over the rim. “Mr. Donacelli, I should really—”
“Nico,” he corrected her with a laugh. But this time the sound was tempting, deep and rich, making her wonder if that wasn’t how his voice would sound in the morning. “I think we should be on a first-name basis by now, don’t you?”
“I suppose, it’s just…”
Alex bit the corner of her lip, unsure why she was bothering to fight this attraction she felt for him. Fallon and Anna would encourage her to go for it. He was an incredibly good-looking man, intelligent, witty, and sexy enough to melt her panties. And in truth, she wanted him. But
the logical side of her brain kept reminding her that she needed to be responsible, to consider the consequences. She’d almost blown a deal this morning because she’d been blinded by him.
“Just what?”
He brushed a finger over the side of her hand and she jumped at the electric spark that ignited deep in her belly. Alex took another long sip from her drink, praying it would help her relax. Then she looked around the room, trying to latch on to any topic since her attraction to this man seemed to overwhelm her senses.
“Breakfast was delicious this morning. Please send my compliments to the chef.”
“Thank you.”
“I meant that you should tell—”
“I’m the chef,” he interrupted.
“Oh!” That surprised her. Her gaze slid over his T-shirt and jeans. The attire of a “regular” guy that didn’t exactly speak of wealth. “Does that mean you own the restaurant that catered—”
He took a sip of his beer. “Not yet.”
“Oh, so you’re just the chef?”
Alex, stop being rude! She inwardly cringed. She never spoke without knowing exactly what she wanted to say and always said what she meant. But what was it about this guy that made her keep blathering incoherently?
“Yep, that’s me. Just a chef.”
She didn’t miss the annoyance in his voice. He smiled at her but it didn’t quite reach his eyes the way it had before. It seemed like no matter what she said to him, it was wrong. Alex finished her drink, stalling for time as she wondered how best to apologize—again—without making matters worse, but he didn’t give her the opportunity.
“What about you? Are you just another suit?”
She narrowed her eyes at him over the rim of her glass. Was he playing some sort of game? Her family was the richest in San Francisco, not to mention one of the most widely recognizable. Every one of the Radcliffes had been featured as part of the new generation of San Francisco elite at one time or another. How could he not know her on sight?
She opened her mouth to tell him exactly who she was and that she didn’t appreciate his artifice, until she realized there was nothing but open authenticity in his dark gaze. Suddenly, the idea of anonymity thrilled her. The ability to just be herself, to be vulnerable and not worry about someone dating her for the power, status, or prosperity that her family name suggested, was refreshingly enticing.
She coyly tipped her head to one side and smiled at him. “I guess I am. I work at AR Group.”
“The investment firm?”
She nodded.
“That explains why you were trying so hard to convince me to up the shares…I get it. So, you’re a high-power suit.” His eyes shone with humor.
She held up a hand. “Let’s not talk about work anymore. I’d like to forget what happened this morning.”
He winked at her. “Let’s start over, Alexandra.”
“Alex,” she corrected, biting back the smile that was tugging at the corners of her mouth. He had a boyish charm that was difficult to resist.
“Well, Alex, it looks like you could use another drink.” He slipped her empty glass from her fingers and went up to the bar to get her another cosmo.
Alex clenched her hand, digging her nails into her palm, trying to ignore the heat swirling through her at his touch. She worried it was the result of too much alcohol drunk too quickly, but she knew better. This man was intoxicating.
He slid another cocktail on the table and glanced past her, toward the bar, and she felt disappointment shoot through her. She didn’t want him to feel obligated to wait for Anna and Fallon to return. Following his gaze, she saw his friend watching them expectantly.
“Do you need to get back? I’m fine if you do.” She hoped he wouldn’t. As unorthodox as their meeting had been, she found she was enjoying his company.
Nico sighed and shook his head. “Do you mind if I invite my friend over? I promised him we’d watch the game together.”
“Of course.”
As his friend dragged a chair over from a nearby table, Anna and Fallon came back from the bathroom.
“I’m Anna, this is Fallon and Alex. What’s your name?” Anna asked as she took her seat.
“Aaron. Nice to meet you.”
“So, who’s playing?” Alex asked, looking at the televisions lining the walls. Football? She didn’t know much but she thought she’d be able to fake her way through a conversation about the sport. “Is it the Forty-Niners?”
Nico shot her a puzzled glance. “No. The Raiders and Chiefs.”
“Oh. I just saw the red outfits.”
She saw Aaron frown and Nico bit back a smile. “You’re a big Niners fan?”
Before she could answer, Aaron threw his hands into the air and groaned, along with several other men who were surrounding the bar. “Aw, man, seriously? Another penalty?”
“Well, sure,” she said, turning her attention back to Nico. “Isn’t everyone in San Francisco? Who else would you root for but the home team?”
Anna’s eyes were wide as she stared at Alex.
“I don’t know, the Oakland Raiders?” Aaron suggested as he shook a handful of nuts just before dropping them into his mouth and throwing back the rest of his beer.
Anna shook her head but Alex wasn’t sure what she was trying to say. She wrinkled her nose and Nico snickered.
“Something wrong with the Raiders? Is it the silver and black outfits?”
Aaron let out a loud guffaw but Alex wasn’t sure what was so funny, although she suspected they were laughing at something she’d said. “No. I mean, it’s Oakland.”
“What does that mean?” She had Nico’s full attention now.
She rolled her eyes and glanced over at the screens again. Maybe football wasn’t a subject she could fake her way through. This seemed to be getting a bit out of her control, and from what she could see, it was nothing but large men running into one another on a field anyway. She couldn’t even tell who had the ball or where it was supposed to go.
She looked back at Nico. “I mean, they’re from Oakland. Does anything good ever come from there?”
Aaron snorted, nearly spitting out his beer. Nico’s head dropped back as he laughed, the sound reverberating through her, making her senses hum. She couldn’t figure out what she might have said to cause the reaction in him.
“Oakland, born and raised.” Nico clinked glasses with Aaron and Alex closed her eyes, hanging her head.
Would this humiliation ever end? She slid a hand over her eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t…”
She heard his laughter, rich and vibrant as it fell around her, making her feel dizzy. Unexpected desire swelled in her, hard and fast, curling in her belly and warming her from the inside out.
Nico reached for her hand. “Don’t worry, Alex. I don’t take offense. It just means that we’re the only good things to come from Oakland other than the team, right, Aaron?”
Chapter 7
Nico had no idea how much time had passed. The game ended hours ago and Aaron had found his way back to the bar for the postgame wrap-ups, but he was still at the table with Alex. Anna and Fallon had disappeared again. And he suspected they’d done it deliberately to give him and Alex time to get to know each other.
So far, he liked what he’d discovered about her. She was an intelligent woman who could talk about a great number of topics, even if football wasn’t one of them. She was as confident and sophisticated as she was beautiful, but she was quick to laugh at herself when the opportunity presented itself. As they continued to drink, it happened more and more.
The simple fact was that he liked her a lot, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that they were from different worlds. She was white collar while he was lucky his blue one wasn’t stained a dingy gray. She was Ivy League educated; he had barely worked his way through culinary school, scrimping for every dime. But despite their differences, he could see the same yearning in her eyes.
He brushed his
thumb over the top of her hand and she paused mid-sentence, looking up at him curiously. He could tell she’d had too much to drink, as had he, but neither of them were driving. It didn’t matter.
“What is it you want out of life, Alex?”
Nico wasn’t sure where the question had come from, or how it had managed to slip out. She suddenly looked sad, looking down at their hands. She flipped hers so that their palms were pressed together and wound her fingers between his, sending electric shock waves up his arm.
“I just want to be able to be the real me.”
His gaze lifted to meet hers and he leaned closer. “Have you been yourself tonight?”
She nodded slowly, a soft smile tipping the corner of those perfect pink lips.
“Good. I like the real you.” His lips barely touched the corner of hers and she inhaled sharply. “Do you want me to stop?” he whispered against her mouth.
“No.” Her hand squeezed his tighter and she leaned into him, pressing her lips fully against his.
Nico felt his entire body thrum with an electric longing as he tasted the tart cranberry juice that still lingered on her lips. Her fingers curled tighter, silently begging him to move closer, to give her more. He slid his tongue over the seam of her lips and she parted them, welcoming him into the heat of her mouth. It was heaven on earth.
“Oh! Sorry, it’s just—” Anna looked mortified when she realized what she’d interrupted.
Nico withdrew, not sorry at all for kissing Alex, but not willing to embarrass her again after what had happened that morning—well, yesterday morning now. Alex gave him a slight smile but then he saw the color in her cheeks as she quickly turned to face Anna.
“Gabe’s calling to see when we are heading home, and they’re going to be closing down soon.”
Nico couldn’t stop the feeling of disappointment that covered him like a wet blanket. “That means I should probably make sure Aaron gets home okay.”
His friend was leaning heavily against the bar with two other men and a woman in a red bustier and skin-tight leather pants. They were tossing back shots as they celebrated the Raiders’ win. He had no interest in leaving Alex’s side to spend the evening dragging a drunk Aaron to his apartment and getting him settled inside. But that’s what friends did, even at the expense of their own love lives.