They stopped at the water landing of Hotel Bonvecchiati, a renovated palazzo built in 1790. The hotel was located in the heart of Venice and a three-minute walk to the Piazza San Marco and the Basilica of San Marco, popular tourist stops in the city center.
The driver, a lean Italian wearing sunglasses, helped Anika descend the boat along with the other passengers. She blushed when he kissed the back of her hand. His gentle flirtation was just what she needed to soothe the painful reason for her trip to Italy.
She dragged her rolling suitcase into the lobby and checked in, and within half an hour had dropped her luggage in the room, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and made her way back downstairs.
Standing in front of the hotel, she studied a street map. Her first trip abroad by herself, and all of a sudden the magnitude of the experience overwhelmed her. Originally she’d planned to go with the flow of the vacation, but now she wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. She needed a plan, but what should she do first? She flipped open one of a handful of brochures. Go to the piazza now or a cafe for a bite to eat? And where was a good place to eat?
She should ask the concierge for advice. She turned in the direction of the hotel with every intention of doing that, when a familiar voice arrested her steps.
“Well, well, well. What have we here?”
A faint tingle of apprehension dotted her shoulder blades. All the way from Georgia to Venice, and she runs into him.
Reed Stewart stood with a little smile twisting up one corner of his mouth, a Georgia State baseball cap pulled low on his head. Last time she’d seen him was at a party, holding a half-empty beer bottle and grinding on a brunette in a corner.
“Hey,” she said dryly, immediately annoyed. She’d had the misfortune of working with Reed in the school dining hall, and he’d been nothing but a pain in the rear. He didn’t take his job seriously and spent way too much time flirting with the female students and staff.
Despite all that, he had a magnetic personality—enough so that she avoided him whenever possible. She became uneasy around him but couldn’t put her finger on the exact reason why.
“What are you doing in Venice, Anika Taylor?”
“Summer vacation.” She kept her answer short and scanned the brochure about moped tours, hoping he’d take the hint and leave her alone.
He didn’t. He surveyed her from his superior height. “Are you here by yourself?”
“What’s it to you?”
“Why so touchy, princess?”
His grin annoyed her. She suspected that he was laughing at her. The word princess annoyed her, too, because she had the impression it was by no means a compliment.
“I’m not being touchy. I just don’t know why you need that information.”
“I’m making conversation. I’m here by myself. See how easy that was? How about you? Are you here by yourself?”
He’d managed to make her feel like she was overreacting. “Yes.”
“No friends? No family?”
“No. Only me. That’s what by myself means.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“Why did you do that?” Anika asked.
“Do what?”
“Act surprised.”
“I don’t know, I figured you’d be here with someone.” He folded his arms across his chest, giving added definition to the pectorals under the cotton shirt.
Anika kept her gaze up so she wouldn’t stare. “Are you saying I don’t seem like the type to solo travel?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Sorry, you don’t.”
Her mouth fell open.
“Come on, you know I’m right. I can’t believe your boyfriend let you come on this trip alone. What’s his name again? Is it Emmett?”
“Emerson.”
“That’s right. Emerson.”
“For your information, he didn’t let me do anything. I do what I want.”
She hid her pain behind a rebellious attitude, but the truth was, Emerson was supposed to accompany her on this trip. They’d planned a romantic end of school year getaway for the two of them, but only a few days ago, he’d broken up with her, forcing her to take the trip alone. But that was none of Reed’s business.
“You do what you want, huh? You’re just full of surprises.” The slow drawl and the way his eyes slowly scrolled down her pink halter to her purple and pink Capri pants made Anika a little self-conscious.
The hairs on the back of her neck tingled, and she straightened her spine. She’d caught him watching her in the same way before, in a bold and assessing manner. The first time she’d thought it was her imagination, but then she’d caught his eyes on her one night while they closed down the salad bar. He made her very conscious of her own movements. When her boyfriend came around, Reed was friendly enough, but it didn’t keep him from that unnerving silent observation when they were alone.
“How long are you here for?” she asked, in an effort to switch the topic of conversation away from her.
He stepped out of the way of a woman entering the hotel. “I came in yesterday, and I’m staying until the end of the week. I’m traveling through Europe before I have to deal with the responsibilities of getting a job and all that other adult stuff.”
Anika played with her bag strap, not knowing what else to say. She thought about the coming changes, as well. One more year and she’d be on the hunt for a job and an apartment.
“If you want to hang out, let me know. We could keep each other company,” Reed said.
Anika blinked. The invitation took her by surprise. “I don’t think you’d want to do the same things I do,” she said.
“How do you know?” He tilted his head at her, that little smile making another appearance.
“Are you interested in glass blowing, for instance? That’s on my list of things to do.”
“Oh.” He rubbed a hand across his clean-shaven jaw. “Glassblowing, huh?”
He seemed to give the idea such serious thought, she couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s what I thought.”
“No, wait a minute now. Actually, that sounds fascinating. I’m sure it’s really cool, and it’s one of the things to do while here, right? We could go to one of the factories on Murano.”
“You know about that?”
“Sure I do. Count me in.”
Apparently, Reed was full of surprises, too.
“Really?”
“Uh-huh. I’m not just saying that.”
“Okay, cool.” She smiled. “So, what’s on your agenda for the trip?”
He hooked his thumbs into the loops of his jeans. “Playing it by ear. My goal is to stay out of trouble.”
“Is that even possible?”
He quirked a brow at her. “Yes, it’s possible, but not probable. Trouble seems to follow me wherever I go.” He grinned. He had a sexy mouth. A thin upper lip but a full lower one that looked kissably soft.
Crap. Where did that come from?
Anika cleared her throat. “I’m staying out of trouble while I’m here.”
He contemplated her for long seconds. “You’re not the type to get into trouble anyway.”
“What does that mean?” Anika asked, mildly offended.
He laughed softly. “I’m guessing you’re a good girl, and there’s nothing wrong with that, by the way.”
“I am a good girl, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun, too.”
“Come on. You probably have a super neat desk at home, and I bet Jake would have given you the employee of the month award every month, but that would have been embarrassing for the rest of us.”
She blushed. Their boss had said something similar, remarking on her dependability when compared to the other student employees. Even though she knew he was baiting her, Anika rose to the challenge anyway. “Well, you’re wrong. I love trouble. I court trouble.”
“Is that right?” Amusement filled his blue eyes, and he rubbed his jaw. “We’ll see about that.”
Excitement inched down her spine
. “Wait a minute, what did you have in mind?”
“Something other than glass-blowing, that’s for sure.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “I promise not to overstep my bounds. I wouldn’t want Emerson to kick my ass.” He said it sarcastically, as if that would never happen.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Anika muttered.
“Yeah, I know. So listen, have you eaten?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Perfect, cause I’m starving, and yesterday I found this neat little place in a non-touristy part of the city. It’s got great food, great wine, and cheap prices. You game?”
“I’ve never drunk before.”
His eyebrows shot upward. “Never? But you’re going to, right?”
“I don’t know…”
“Come on, you’re in Italy, princess. One glass. You’ve gotta taste the vino.”
His enthusiasm was contagious. Anika laughed. “Okay, okay. I’m here for an adventure, so I’m open to anything.”
“Bene.” Reed winked, and in that moment, with the sun shining down on them on the cobblestoned streets in front of Hotel Bonvecchiati, Anika saw him in a different light. Her stomach did a strange little twist, and she turned away from the appealing picture he made, his eyes lighting up, his even teeth revealed past lips pulled up at the corners in amusement.
“The restaurant is away from the city center, so we’ll have to catch a water taxi. Let’s go.”
As Anika fell into step beside him, another strange little twist filtered into her stomach.
Reed Stewart was definitely trouble, but maybe a little trouble on this trip wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Chapter 4
Could she do it? Could she work with Reed and not fall apart from the constant contact?
Of course. She was a professional and would impress Laura with the job she did for him, the same as with all her clients.
Anika parked at the curb outside his home. “This is it,” she muttered.
The classic gray Tudor was nestled back from the street in a well-to-do area of Atlanta. She had no doubt why Reed settled in this part of town. The fun-loving bachelor he used to be would have never bought a house in this zip code, but Reed the single dad must have made a conscious decision to live near parks, schools with high test scores, and in a community where the neighbors probably all knew each other.
The quiet street held very little activity, except for a white minivan cruising by at an extremely slow pace. The driver squinted out the window as she checked the numbers on mailboxes.
Taking a deep breath, Anika strolled up the short walkway with a leather Burberry briefcase over her shoulder containing a laptop and other necessities. She couldn’t do anything about the nervous tightening of her chest as she neared the steps that led to the double doors, so she steeled her nerves and prepared for the sight of Reed.
He appeared seconds after she rang the doorbell, once again breathtaking in a dark pullover and jeans. His curly hair was neatly combed, and the clothes covered him as if they’d been sewn on his body—fitted, but not tight. He made looking good so effortless.
“You found the house okay?”
She paid no attention to the warmth in his eyes or the sudden rise in her pulse rate. “Yes, it was easy to find.”
“Come on in.”
Stepping inside, she was immediately impressed by the interior. Reed had been right. The owners had taken good care of the place. Crown molding and gleaming hardwood in the front foyer lent an elegant introduction to the home.
The tour began right away, with Reed taking his time to show Anika throughout the first floor, pointing out rooms he wanted to paint and how the windows lacked any type of treatment. Each time he made a movement, her senses magnified the motion, so that she was acutely aware of the swing of his arm or the sound of his soft-soled shoes on the floors.
In the living room, she made the mistake of noticing his long fingers as he gestured to an empty wall, telling her he’d like a photo or a unique wall covering in the blank space. Anika mhmmed and nodded, but the movement of his fingers reminded her of how they’d trailed across her bare skin and how she’d come all over them as he plunged them two and three at a time inside her.
He was only inches away, within reach. She fanned her face with her notepad and walked into the center of the room to avoid looking at him.
The four bedrooms were upstairs, along with an office. They ended the tour with a return to the kitchen, where Anika set up a makeshift desk at the bar, and Reed stood across from her.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“I have some ideas.”
There were no pictures on the walls, and except for the living room, master bedroom, his daughter’s room, and his office, the place was almost entirely unfurnished. During their walk-through she snapped photos and took measurements, but with the interior of the home such a blank canvas, her mind raced with possibilities—including knocking down the partial wall that separated the den from the kitchen. The change would open up the space and increase the light in both rooms, but she wondered if Reed would be open to such a drastic change.
“Did you get a chance to check out the website?” she asked, scrolling through the images on the digital camera.
“I did.”
“So tell me about your vision.” She snapped open her binder and pulled out a pen. “What would you say is your style?” This was the part clients struggled with, and it was her job to help them articulate what they wanted and narrow down the ideas.
Reed shrugged. “Simple.”
“That wasn’t one of the choices,” she pointed out.
He laughed shortly. Amusement added a hint of light to his blue eyes. “Okay, what do you think?”
“I think…” The living room contained a large sectional, a TV, a sound system, and a worn love seat. A king bed sat in the middle of the master bedroom, with an old leather recliner in one corner whose condition suggested he’d had it for years. “You prefer comfortable furniture and functional pieces. You don’t want a showroom. You’re more suited to a place where you can come home and relax and feel as if you’ve escaped the day-to-day grind. A place you can actually live in.”
Reed nodded thoughtfully. “You could say that. Right now my furniture is big and clunky. I suppose I could use a more feminine touch, but I don’t want anything girly.”
“A traditional aesthetic would suit you.”
“Maybe. With consideration for my daughter, of course.”
Anika made a note. She still couldn’t believe Reed had a daughter and was raising her alone, no less. “How old is your daughter?”
“Four years old. I know I joked about her being opinionated, but it’s very important to me that her room is exactly what she wants.”
The tone of his voice held a gravity that made Anika look up. “I promise to do my best.”
“Thanks. She’s still a little fragile. Her mother passed away a year ago.”
Anika gasped. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”
“Heart failure. I couldn’t believe it, really. She was so healthy. She biked, ran—was all around athletic. One minute she was here, the next she was gone.” He frowned, shaking his head.
It came as no surprise that Reed would fall for an athletic woman. In college he’d been rumored to be in relationships with several female athletes—one on the softball team and two swimmers. He himself had the muscular body of a man who probably worked out regularly. He used to be involved in intramural sports and had once shown her a photo of him and his father in California, standing on the beach with their surfboards.
“How is your daughter handling the loss of her mother?”
He rubbed a hand along the back of his neck, the frown deepening on his face. Anika had the sudden urge to throw her arms around him to ease his concerns. She’d never seen Reed like this. The worry etched in his face was unusual. She was accustomed to him being playful and laid back. “Most of the time Brielle—that’
s my daughter—is great. She’s funny, playful, and a curious kid. But sometimes…sometimes she has bad days.”
“That’s understandable. It must have been hard for her to lose her mother so young.”
He sighed, suddenly looking weary. “It was.”
And how did Reed feel about his daughter’s mother, she wondered, but didn’t dare ask.
“I’ll make sure she falls in love with her room.” Anika asked a few more questions, delving deeper into his likes, dislikes, and color preferences. “I have all the information I need,” she said finally. “I’ll put together a few ideas and get back to you early next week.” She gathered her belongings and zipped the briefcase closed.
“So how long have you been working at the design firm?”
“Quite a while. I worked as an intern for a different firm while I was in school and applied for a position at the Design Studio after graduation. Laura offered me a job right away. I’ve been there ever since. Six years now. How long have you been at Continuum?” She was interested to learn more about Reed and what he’d been up to in the intervening years but didn’t want to appear too eager because she didn’t want to encourage him.
“I have a similar story. I had a couple of summer internships with them, and when I graduated, they offered me a position in their New York office. Entry level stuff and a tough training ground, but I learned a helluva lot. Now I’m one of their managers.”
“Do you miss New York?”
He rested a hip against the edge of the island. “Honestly, no. I enjoyed my time there, but moving here was the right decision. Recent developments have convinced me of that even more.” Unblinking, he stared at her.
The temperature in the room went higher.
That Time in Venice (Love Unexpected Book 6) Page 3