I can’t say I’m disappointed.
The only reason I agreed to a second date was that the kiss at the end of our first date held promise.
I almost let my libido guide me into bed with another jerk.
“I should probably run the name of every guy I’m about to go on a date with past you first,” I joke as I look at Sebastian’s face.
My attempt at humor to break the silence doesn’t work.
He’s still scowling. He hasn’t moved an inch even though Donald stormed out of the apartment at least three minutes ago.
“Where did you meet him?” he questions.
I’d bet my last dollar that Sebastian doesn’t have any dating apps on his phone. The man could walk out of our building without a shirt on, and he’d have a handful of potential fuck partners within seconds.
“On a dating app,” I confess. “We have a lot in common.”
“Like what?” His chin lifts.
Seriously? Do I need to answer that?
His silent stare tells me I do.
“He likes animals and since I’m a vet assistant, that matched up.” I stop and take a breath. “He’s a fan of Broadway musicals. You wouldn’t know that from looking at him, but he told me that he could score tickets to that new show that everyone is raving about.”
His gaze narrows. “You need to stay away from guys like that.”
This conversation feels like it’s slipping closer to lecture territory, so I attempt to stop it in its tracks. “Another rule that Lisa and I had was that we didn’t talk about who we were dating or sleeping with.”
“You slept with him?” He takes a step closer to me. “When he said he would have shown you the time of your life I assumed he meant a first fuck, but that happened already?”
I look down at my dress. My breasts are heaving and that’s not because I’m trying to look sexy. I’m breathing heavily. It’s a combination of the adrenaline rush of finding out that Donald wasn’t who I thought he was and hearing Sebastian talk about fucking.
“We didn’t.” I shake my head. “It was just a kiss.”
“A kiss?” His brows jump in surprise. “You kissed him?”
I run my hand along the side of my neck, feeling flush. “It was more of a peck after our first date last month. A goodnight, so-long-until-next-time kiss.”
That lures a smile to his mouth. “Good to know.”
I look back toward my closed bedroom door. “I’m going to change my clothes and then make some microwave popcorn for dinner.”
“Don’t change.” His eyes meet mine as I turn back when he speaks. “We’re going for spaghetti.”
“Spaghetti,” I echo. “We’re going out for dinner?”
“You’re all dressed up.” He rakes me from head to toe. “You haven’t eaten yet. I haven’t either. Let’s go grab some pasta.”
My pulse thrums at the thought of spending an evening with him. My heart shouldn’t be racing. He’s not suggesting a date.
We’re just two people going out to share a meal.
“After you, Matilda.” He motions toward the apartment door. “You’re about to have the experience of a lifetime.”
“I am?” I ask with a smile. “How so?”
He rests his hand against the small of my back. “Come with me and I’ll show you.”
***
Sebastian wasn’t joking. This is an experience I’m never going to forget.
I’ve had a lot of spaghetti in my life but none as delicious as this.
The pasta at Calvetti’s is in a class of its own. It’s handmade with a rich sauce and spicy meatballs. I’ve almost eaten every bite of food on my plate.
Sebastian finished his ten minutes ago.
“I told you it was amazing.” He smiles broadly. “I can’t believe you’ve never been here.”
“I can’t either.” I laugh. “Maya’s been here with Julian. It was on one of their first dates.”
I leave out the extra X-rated information my sister provided about Julian touching her under the table while they were sitting in one of the booths that line the back wall. My gaze darts in that direction to a couple seated next to each other, kissing with fervor.
Maybe that’s part of Calvetti’s experience.
You come for the pasta and stay to come.
I shake off my ill attempt at a new slogan for this quaint family run restaurant.
“Do you use dating apps to meet men often?” he asks in a low tone.
I swallow a sip of red wine. “I wouldn’t say it’s often, but I’ve met a few great guys that way.”
“Great?” He eyes me suspiciously as he reaches for the glass of ice water in front of him. It’s the only thing he’s drinking tonight. “Yet you’re still looking.”
I sigh heavily. “Isn’t part of the fun the search?”
“The search for the one?” He draws out the last word.
“Until tonight I would have answered yes to that question.” I laugh softly. “My sisters both found their Prince Charming. I was looking for mine too.”
“You’re not anymore?” His brow furrows.
I lock eyes with him. He’s a beautiful man. His jaw is covered with late day scruff that only adds to his allure. His inky hair is thick and the perfect length for a woman’s fingers to get lost in. His features are strong and his shoulders broad.
If someone had asked me six months ago to draw a picture in my mind’s eyes of what my ideal man would look like, it would be Sebastian right down to the small mole on the right side of his neck under his ear.
There’s nothing about him I’d change.
“I’m looking for someone who thinks that the best place in the world is next to me.” I gaze down at my glass of wine. “I’m not sure I’ll find him, but I know that after tonight, I’m deleting every dating app I have on my phone.”
The moment is broken when the owner of the restaurant approaches us with a large piece of tiramisu on a plate with two forks.
Sebastian smile brightens as the older woman sets the plate down between us. “You’re the best, Martina.”
Her gaze darts from my face to his. She says something in Italian to him and he nods sagely.
Once she’s out of earshot, I pick up one of the forks. “What did she say?”
He hesitates briefly before he dives his fork into the corner of the dessert. “She said you’re beautiful.”
I cast my gaze down to hide my wide smile.
“She’s right,” he says quietly as the jarring ring of a cell phone interrupts us.
I glance at my purse out of instinct, but his phone is in his hand before I have a chance to fish mine out.
“Sebastian Wolf,” he answers succinctly as his eyes meet mine. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Call Brant. He’s closer. He’ll take the lead on this one.”
“You need to go to work,” I state the obvious when he ends the call. “I’ll get home on my own.”
“I can take you.” He stands and buttons his gray suit jacket.
“I’d like to stay.” I eye the dessert. “I’ll have another couple of bites of this and then I’ll grab an Uber.”
“Promise me you won’t take the subway dressed like that.” A grin ghosts his mouth.
“I promise.”
“I’ll get the check on my way out.” He glances toward the door before his gaze falls back on me.
“Thank you for dinner. “ I fumble in my mind with what to say next but he jumps in before I have a chance to get in another word.
“I’ll likely be out all night so lock up tight and sleep well.”
With that he’s headed toward Martina and I’m left with a desperate need to know more about my new roommate.
Chapter 13
Tilly
“What’s with all the food?” Kate says as she looks in my refrigerator for a bottle of water. “I take it Sebastian went grocery shopping?”
I wrinkle my nose at her. “I did.”
“You?” She unscrews
the cap of a bottle of sparkling lemon water. “Tilly Baker set foot in a grocery store and came out with more than a pre-made sandwich? What’s this world coming to?”
I try to keep a straight face. “You’re not funny.”
“I’ve known you for how long?” She approaches where I’m already curled up on the sofa. “Six months or so and I’ve never seen your refrigerator that packed.”
“Sebastian told me he likes fruits and vegetables.” I shrug.
She sits next to me, brushing my feet to the side. “So because you’re such a stellar roommate, you went to get him an assortment of his favorite foods?”
I don’t take my eyes from the television screen because I know she’s got a wide grin on her face. “It wouldn’t hurt me to eat healthier, Kate.”
“You’re crushing on your new roomie.”
I laugh. “No. I used the food money he gave me to buy groceries. It’s as simple as that.”
“It has nothing to do with the fact that he’s well-hung and gorgeous?”
I shift so I’m facing her directly. “It’s the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday. Why aren’t you at work?”
A smile blooms on her lips. “I needed an afternoon off and since I don’t have a roommate, I thought I’d come over here and hear about the adventures of your naked one.”
I shoot her a look. “I saw him naked once. Every other time I’ve seen him, he’s been dressed.”
“That’s disappointing.” She adjusts the belt of her black dress. “I take that to mean that he hasn’t visited your bedroom yet.”
“Yet?” I slide to my feet and picked up my empty plate from the coffee table. I’d cut up an apple and an orange and had eaten my makeshift fruit salad after I got back from my mid-morning outing.
After I woke, I’d showered and dressed in jeans and a white sweater with the intention of going to my favorite diner, Crispy Biscuit, for brunch. On my way there I passed a storefront with a vibrant display of fruit. I picked up a few things and came back here to relax with a cup of coffee, hoping Sebastian would be awake.
It wasn’t until I glanced over at his bedroom door that I saw it was ajar. When I approached it, and peeked inside I realized that his bed was made. I have no idea if he even made it home last night.
“You’re going to sleep with him,” she says matter-of-factly. “You’re a beautiful woman. He’s a smoking hot guy. You’re both unattached. It only makes sense that you’d fall into bed together at some point.”
I was on the verge of telling her about my impromptu dinner with Sebastian last night but now I push back the urge to share. It will just add to her delusion that it’s only matter of time before I hook up with my roommate.
There was definitely something in the air between us at Calvetti’s but once I got home and had a hot shower, reality swept over me again.
I have no doubt that a hookup with Sebastian would be mind blowing but when the dust settles, we would be forced to face the fact that Maya and Julian are central parts of our lives.
I don’t want to put myself in a position where I run into an ex lover at every family gathering and since Sebastian is like a brother to Julian, that’s a real and uncomfortable possibility.
“We’re not going to sleep together.” I shake my head. “This is a strictly platonic relationship. He rents a room from me. End of story.”
A loud laugh bubbles out of her. “If you think that’s the end of your story, you’re in for the surprise of your life.”
I arch a brow. “Oh, really?”
“The sparks between you two the other day were obvious, Tilly. I saw the way he was looking at you. Sebastian Wolf wants you. “
“He doesn’t.” I scoff.
She stands. “Don’t be afraid to have fun. People can sleep together and part as friends. I’ve done it with men.”
I’ve tried to do it.
It’s never worked for me.
Sebastian and I are destined to be roommates, nothing more.
“Let’s go to Matiz Cosmetics.” She picks up her purse. “A new lipstick color can change a woman’s life.”
I laugh as I walk toward the kitchen. “My life is good the way it is.”
“Says the woman who hasn’t had sex in months.”
“I’m going to need a reminder of why we’re best friends.” My lips twitch as I try not to smile. “Speaking of reminders…it’s been how long since you slept with a man?”
She runs her hand through her hair. “This is why we need to go on a shopping spree. We need to stop thinking about men, and start thinking about ourselves.”
“I’m all for that,” I say as I reach for my purse and my coat. “Matiz awaits.”
Chapter 14
Sebastian
I breathe a heavy sigh of relief as I slide the key into the lock of the apartment. I’ve been home twice since I had dinner with Matilda. Both times it was for a four-hour stretch in the middle of the night.
I clocked in three-and-a-half hours of sleep followed by a shave, a shower and breakfast before dawn broke.
On Saturday morning I was surprised when I opened the refrigerator to find an assortment of fruit and vegetables. I grabbed two apples and an orange, then left the apartment mindful of the fact that Matilda was fast asleep in her bedroom.
I did the same this morning. The only difference was the bunch of bananas sitting atop the counter.
She’d been to the grocery store twice in as many days to pick up food for us. I appreciated it and told her as much in a note that I left on the counter.
I was tempted to text her to thank her, but I didn’t want to wake her at four a.m., even though seeing her face was what I’ve craved all weekend while I worked this case.
“Did you catch the bad guy?”
Her voice is like liquid sunshine as it washes over me when I step into the foyer.
I look to where she’s sitting on the sofa, her knees curled up to her chest. She’s wearing a blue T-shirt and faded jeans with holes in the knees. Her feet are bare. As is her face.
I’ve never seen a more striking woman without a stitch of makeup on.
“We caught him,” I say as I pocket my keys. “It took all fucking weekend, but he’s downtown in lock up.”
“Is he the one who killed that woman in the park?” Her brows perk as I walk closer to her. “It’s been all over the news since Friday night.”
“That’s the one, “ I reply as I lower myself to sit on the corner of the wooden coffee table. “I’m beat. How has your weekend been?”
Her eyes drift from the mindless chatter that’s taking place on the television screen to my face. “Fine. Quiet.”
Her phone buzzes next to her and a flash of a text message pops onto the screen. Her gaze falls to it before she fishes it into her palm.
“I need to get ready.” She shifts in place, stretching her legs. “I’m heading out.”
She must have a date.
I don’t welcome the unwanted wave of disappointment that washes over me. My plan since I boarded the subway to come home was to shower and then pass the fuck out in my bed.
I know she’s due back at work tomorrow so I assumed she’d have a low-key evening planned. Apparently, I assumed wrong.
“I won’t wait up,” I quip.
She pushes herself up to her feet. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look dead tired and that’s not a lame attempt at a homicide detective joke.”
I laugh. “So I look like shit?”
Her gaze glides over my face. “No. I didn’t say that.”
The inference is there. I know she thinks I’m attractive. I saw the way she was looking at me in the Uber on our way to Calvetti’s the other night.
I couldn’t take my eyes off of her during dinner. She noticed my interest. I know she did.
I may be exhausted but I’d give up sleep for a week to spend the night continuing the conversation we were having at the restaurant. I want to keep her glued to the spot she’s standing for a
s long as I can, so I ask a question I have no right asking. “Do you want to run the name of the guy you’re meeting by me? It wouldn’t hurt to double check that he’s not a part of an open homicide investigation.”
I want her to correct me and tell me she’s on her way to see, Kate, the woman I met the day after I moved in.
She shifts on her bare feet. “This one checks out. I’ve known him for awhile.”
Him.
Fuck.
I rub my chin. I’m irritated that it bothers me that she’s meeting a guy. I have no claim on her. She’s my roommate. That’s it.
“I better get going,” she says softly. “I’m glad you solved the case. You make the city a safer place.”
She sounds like the police commissioner when he leads a press tour through the squad room. “I’ll see you soon, Matilda.”
Her eyes catch mine for a brief second. “Good night.”
I’d wish her the same, but I don’t want her to have a good night with anyone else. I want her to stay here with me, but since that can’t happen I watch as she walks away before I head straight to my bedroom alone.
Chapter 15
Tilly
“Will you marry me, Tilly?”
I smile as I look over at him. “You’ve asked me that question three times this weekend, Coop. My answer hasn’t changed.”
Cooper Gallo’s mouth dips into a frown. “The answer is still no?”
I crouch down until I’m almost eye level with the six-year-old. “One day when you’re older, you’ll meet someone who will steal your heart away. When that happens, you’ll be happy that I said no.”
“What if it’s you?” His small hand rests on my cheek. “If I’m older and you don’t have a husband yet, will you marry me then?”
“Why don’t we make a pinky swear promise to always be friends? I could use a really good friend like you, Coop.”
His pinky on his left hand juts out. “I like that. Let’s do it.”
I wrap my finger around his gently. “We solemnly swear that we’ll always be friends.”
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