Summer Fire
Page 75
Let’s count to ten and call. The phone rang and his ID popped up on the screen.
“Lovely, but may I ask what you’re up to?”
“Just showing you I’m getting bored at home, alone.”
“Wish I could join you on that bed.”
Heat covered her face and flashed in various parts of her body. “Not a good idea. Nonna is in the other room napping, and my brother would kill you before he even fires you.”
“Don’t I know that?” He exhaled loudly and she chuckled.
“Any better idea?”
“Dinner?”
“Dinner and a swim in the ocean after sunset. Bring a bathing suit,” she suggested.
“I thought you had something more daring in mind.”
Delicious tingles tickled her in forbidden areas. “You’re bad, Jonathan Ramirez.”
“Actually, I’m very good at work and at…many things.”
Convinced he wasn’t lying, she squirmed uneasily. “When do we meet?”
“In front of your building at six.”
“See you.” She pressed the off button. A smile lingered on her lips. She couldn’t wait to get to know him better. Granted he was a good-looking man, but what about deep down beneath the eye-pleasing exterior?
At first she’d thought Jonathan to be shy when he almost refused to kiss her today, then she remembered he was on duty, sent by her solemn big brother to check on her safety. Jonathan wouldn’t report to Dante that his little sister was doing so well he’d kissed her. In full view of the neighbors on the beach. She giggled at the scene that popped into her mind.
“Isabella.” Nonna knocked on her door and pulled her out of her fantasy. “Do you want chicken for dinner?”
“Come in, Nonna. I’ll warm the chicken for you but I’m going out for dinner.”
A smile formed on her dear grandmother’s face. “Did the nice young man from this morning invite you?”
“Yes. Isn’t he cute?”
“I wouldn’t say cute considering his size, but very handsome. I heard Dante mention that Jonathan was a bright lawyer with a promising future. You have my permission to go out with him.”
“Nonna, you’re the best grandma.” Isabella jumped out of her bed to give her grandmother two resounding kisses on her cheeks. “Sit on the balcony. I’ll warm your dinner.”
“Thank you, Cara mia. The neighbors from 2104 are coming to spend a couple of hours with me. I’ll eat and make myself presentable. And you hurry up and get dressed.” Nonna liked nothing better than to sit on her balcony and watch the breathtaking view of the ocean.
Reassured that her Nonna would be entertained for the rest of the evening, Isabella brought her a tray with her meal and set in on the wrought-iron table. “It’s gorgeous here.”
Many neighbors shared her grandmother’s habit to dine on the balcony and enjoy the scenery. White sails of fishing boats dotted the azure water. A couple of Jet Skis crisscrossed, stirring a wake of foam behind them, and a yellow boat zoomed past, dragging an expert water-skier.
Isabella returned to her room to remove her nighty and replace it with a black bikini she topped with a shoulder strap silk mini-dress that fluttered mid thigh. The black background and colorful prints suited her tan complexion and dark hair. She slipped on a pair of high-heeled sandals and spent a good half-hour brushing her hair and applying her makeup. Ready?
Not yet. A whiff of her gardenia perfume on her neck and cleavage was a must, guaranteed to daze any man with its creamy fragrance. She examined herself in the long mirror affixed on the door of her closet and punched the air with her fist. That would do.
Her little purse dangling from her shoulder and her beach bag hanging from her hand, she strode to the balcony. “Bye, Nonna.”
Her grandmother gave her a once over and smiled proudly. “You can go now, girl. Good luck.”
Isabella rode the elevator to the lobby. Her high heels clicked along the tiled floor of the corridors all the way to the glass front door of the building. A small gray Honda waited at the curb. More attractive than ever in a pair of light gray pants and a matching striped shirt, Jonathan leaned against the passenger door.
“You look smashing, Mr. Ramirez.”
He chuckled and his glance roamed over her. “You should never pay a compliment to a man. Let him do it.”
“Did you learn that in law school?”
He opened the door for her and she slid into the car.
“You’d be surprised at how much I learned in school.” He grinned and buckled his seat belt before starting the engine and driving away. “How about going to Crab Nest for dinner? It’s right on the beach. We can swim after. All right?”
“Perfect.”
Less than ten minutes later, he stopped at the restaurant and gave his key to the valet parking attendant. With an astonished look, Isabella assessed his old car. Nothing like the flashy BMW sports car her brother drove. Either Jonathan didn’t fancy expensive toys or he simply couldn’t afford one as a junior lawyer. Who cared! She didn’t need a wealthy boyfriend, just a passionate and tender one.
She scanned Jonathan’s wide chest and muscled arms. Check passionate. A quick peek at his bright green eyes glittering with concern about her reassured her. Check tender. He could do both.
The waitress led them to a table for two, right next to the beach. Isabella ordered a light beer and Jonathan requested the same. In early September, the weather had cooled to a perfect low-eighties temperature and the snowbirds hadn’t crowded the area yet. Not far from them, local children played in the sand and built a sandcastle while a couple supervised them. A loving family, exactly like the one she hoped to have one day.
A moment later, the waitress placed long frosted glasses in front of them and poured the beer. They studied the menu and ordered shrimp scampi and crab cakes.
Jonathan raised his glass. “To you. Glad you were safe.”
“Thank you.” She clanked her glass against his and drank silently. “Where do you live, Jonathan?” He knew all about her family’s terrible vendetta and she hadn’t a clue about his background.
“In an apartment on Sunrise Boulevard. No view of the ocean or the Intercoastals,” he added with a wry arch to his brow.
She shrugged. “I don’t have a good job yet and could never afford the Blue Waves apartment. My grandmother owns it. But Nonna would rather not live on her own—or God forbid in a senior residence surrounded by old people.”
“It isn’t every day that a young woman agrees to live with her grandmother. You don’t mind?” His curiosity amused her.
“The arrangement suits us both. Nonna pays for all the expenses but she’s very good about not stepping on my toes. To do my share, I help around the place and keep an eye on her health.” Somehow, he’d managed to shift the conversation to her again. This guy should have been a detective. “Don’t you have parents or grandparents who need you?”
“My grandparents died in Mexico before I was born.” He averted his gaze. “I never knew my father. A no-good who left my mother pregnant and disappeared. She came to the U.S. with a friend. I was born in Texas. To survive she cleaned houses until she got sick. I helped by delivering papers and mowing lawns. She passed when I was sixteen.”
“Oh I’m sorry.” She squeezed his hand feeling bad for the young boy he was at the time. “Who took care of you?”
“Nobody.” His gaze seemed to fix on the past. “The old landlady let me stay in the tiny apartment providing I did her grocery shopping, drove her to the doctors, and fixed things around the house. A scholarship in basketball allowed me to join a community college.”
“How did you manage to be accepted to law school?”
“Good grades. I had no one to rely on.”
“So you’re a self-made man?”
He nodded. “I didn’t have a choice. Like my mother I had to survive on my own.”
His simple words brought a lump to her throat. Admiration and sympathy mingled in her heart
. “No wonder you work so hard now.”
“It’s not good to dwell on the past.” He took her hand and stroked her fingers. “Other than tanning on the beach, how do you spend your time?” Did she detect a smidgen of condescension in his tone?
She tilted her chin up. “Swim, gym, Pilates during the day. Twice a week I volunteer at St. Pius church to collect food for the poor. Nothing much. I’ve faced a lot of misery before coming to the U.S. So now I try to enjoy life day by day.”
His eyes sparkled with approval. “You’re right. We don’t appreciate enough what we have.”
“In the fall, I may attend law school.” She didn’t add, “unless I get married soon.” Jonathan had warned her that he liked some fun here or there, but not more. Could she make him change his mind?
“Really?” He arched dubious eyebrows. “Why would you want to become a lawyer?”
Her jaws gritted together. Did he find her lacking the intelligence to handle difficult studies? “I’ve heard of many misjudged cases where the situations were not thoroughly investigated from a psychological point of view. I believe a lawyer has to dig deep to find the motivation or lack of it, not just prove his point beyond a reasonable doubt.” She speared her shrimp with her knife and stabbed it with her fork.
“Interesting.” His eyes glittered with a new respect.
“For example, my grandfather persuaded a corrupt judge to have Lorenzo Raveno thrown in jail for involuntary manslaughter of my older brother. Lorenzo was Rafael’s best buddy. I saw him sobbing at the funeral, accusing himself of causing his friend’s death. People heard him and assumed he was confessing his guilt.” She shivered. The memory of that day had haunted her for months and reduced her appetite even now.
“Why was he accusing himself?”
“Because they were both holding the gun and examining it. Lorenzo thought their heated discussion distracted Rafael who inadvertently pulled the trigger. Still they didn’t know it was loaded. I wish Dante could go to Palermo and plead for Lorenzo’s release.”
“Fat chance. Dante is too busy here.”
Isabella twitched her mouth. Someone had to free Lorenzo. If Dante couldn’t do it, maybe she should try.
Chapter Four
His plate cleared, Jonathan considered his companion’s determined expression. He had trouble understanding Isabella wanting her family’s enemy freed. But then he recalled that in spite of the two grandfathers’ strict orders to avoid each other, their grandsons had socialized in and out of school and maintained their friendship. In addition, Isabella seemed quite affected by the fate of her family’s foe.
An uneasy suspicion needled him. Had she been attracted to—or was she still emotionally involved with one of the brothers?
“Were you also friends with the Raveno boys?” Jonathan couldn’t suppress a certain edge in his voice.
A frown knitted her forehead and she narrowed her eyes. “The big boys never took me along on their secret expeditions but I hid and often heard my brothers plotting. They threatened to cut my hair if I tattled on them. As a little girl, I admired them so much. They were my heroes, so tall and strong and daring.” Her eyes filled with regret and longing.
For the past in general or for one particular hero?
An unpleasant pinch of jealousy tweezed his insides and his fingers fisted. “Do I detect a Romeo and Juliette story here?”
Surprise arched her eyebrows. “No Juliette on my part. For years, Marco infuriated the heck out of me with his languorous gazes and his vain attempts at seduction. Boy, did he annoy me.”
Relieved, Jonathan chuckled. “He’s probably outgrown it by now.”
“No. Emma called me today and said Marco is planning to come here and take me back to Palermo to marry him.”
“No way on Earth would I let him.”
Isabella grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Thank you, Jonathan. I knew you’d protect me if needed.”
“Of course I’ll protect you.” He squinted at the little palm enclosing his big hand. A sudden warmth invaded his body and his pulse assumed an erratic beat. “Who’s Emma by the way?”
“My best friend, and Lorenzo’s girlfriend. They’re crazily in love with each other. She promised to keep Marco away from me if I could get Lorenzo out of jail.”
Jonathan raked his hair. These girls were pretty confident in their own powers. Over-confident even. “How do you both plan to accomplish your goals?”
“I’m not telling more secrets.” She shrugged and her strap slid from her shoulder, baring a paler strip of flesh.
His muscles tightened in response and a gasp escaped him. His boss’s sister was way too attractive for her own good—and for his, too. Jonathan reached for his beer and chugged it to cool his blood.
“We’re not close enough friends for me to share my plans,” she added.
He choked on his drink. Not close enough? I’ll show you how close we can get.
His fingers gripped the mischievous strap, slowly moved it up, and spread to enclose the roundness of her shoulder. Her flesh scorched his hand, or was it the opposite?
“Isabella,” he whispered, unsure of what he wanted to say or do.
Warm breath fanned his lips. Had she moved her head toward him or had he moved closer?
“Jonathan,” she whimpered against his mouth.
Her flowery perfume encircled him and teased his senses. His brain fogged but his body quivered with repressed energy. He cupped her face with both hands and kissed her delicious lips, molding his around hers and tasting beer and her sweetness. She wrapped an arm around his neck.
He wanted to snatch her off her chair and roll with her in the sand, mingle kisses and caresses, and ignore her brother, their mafia, and the whole world.
The sound of shattering glass startled them.
“Oops, I knocked the glass.” She pouted and then burst out laughing. “Can’t control my reflexes when I’m kissing you.”
Propelled out his pleasurable moment, Jonathan rubbed his neck. Had he lost his mind, kissing her at the table of a restaurant in full view of the patrons?
He surveyed the area behind them.
“Don’t worry. No one noticed. It’s quite dark where we’re sitting, and people are busy eating and chatting.”
Pathetic that she should be the one reassuring him.
A cold shower would be welcome. Actually a dip in the ocean would also help. “Let’s go swim before it’s too dark.” He glanced at the water and snorted. It was already dark. He called the waitress and paid their bill.
Isabella slipped off her stilettos and hid her purse in her beach bag. Jonathan removed his loafers and dragged a beach chair near the water. He shed his clothes, threw them on the chair, and turned to her.
Oh my… His Adam’s apple bobbed and his eyes rounded. Rooted in place, he watched her slide her dress down to her hips, wriggle to drop it to her ankles and emerge in a skimpy black bikini contouring and highlighting every curve and valley of her scrumptious body.
“Are you coming? Jonathan?”
“Huh?”
“Poor thing, you had a long day. Wake up.” She grabbed his hand and sauntered to the water. The gentle waves burst against her thighs and hips. Like a happy mermaid she let go and splashed him, laughing, and playing.
He couldn’t laugh. He couldn’t play. His gaze roamed over the generous breasts, spilling out of her bra, and lingered on her trim waist.
“Let’s swim. The ocean is all ours.” To cool his overheated body, he dove and kicked the water in a vigorous crawl. When he surfaced again, she was floating on her back, eyes closed, hair drifting around her face like a copper pillow. The moonlight streamed silver rays on her lovely figure and highlighted her tanned skin. The rise and fall of her breasts accelerated, beckoning him. His body thrummed with arousal. Giving in to temptation, he traced her mouth with the pad of his thumb.
Her eyelids fluttered, then opened and her gaze bored into his. The air in his chest vanished. Without a wo
rd, he pulled her against him and kept her embraced.
Entwining her fingers behind his neck, she tilted her head and kissed his cheek. Her sensual, full lips licked his, nipping at his lower one. His mouth settled on hers, sure and possessive. Her lips parted to welcome his tongue and her legs encircled his waist. Exactly as he’d fantasized in the afternoon when her brother called him to his office.
The thought of her brother cooled his ardor more effectively than a cold shower.
“Isabella, we better go.” Her eyes glazed and she stared at him. “It’s getting too late.”
“Oh.” She cocked an eyebrow, tempting him with an enticing smile. “What time did your mamma give you for curfew?” she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she shook her head with a sympathetic move that annoyed the hell out of him.
“You spitfire.” He pressed her against him and their mouths melded together for a searing kiss that left them out of breath. Silence fell between them, broken only by the sound of water lapping against the sand and the algae. He trailed kisses over her cheek, down her neck and the exposed part of her breast. Soon they would reach the point of no return.
“Jonathan, you’re right. We should go home before it’s too late.”
Chapter Five
Isabella’s phone ring pulled her from her happy dream. “Hi.” She yawned, about to ask Jonathan if he slept well.
“Bella, it’s Dante. I want you in my office in thirty minutes.”
“Are you crazy? Too early now.”
“It’s already eight-thirty. We’re going to the police station to interview the man who attacked you yesterday. Be here at nine. Bye.”
Suddenly wide-awake, she sat on her bed and tried to regain her bearings. Jeez, she’d completely forgotten about her aggressor and everything related to Sicily. She licked her lips and smiled languorously, pretty sure she could still taste Jonathan’s delectable mouth.
If she had to be in Dante’s office at nine, she’d better rush to the shower. Big brother didn’t seem in a cheerful mood today. Maybe Jonathan would go with them to the police. At any rate, she would see him at the firm. This made it worth rushing and choosing her outfit carefully, something sober enough to look professional yet sexy enough to attract Jonathan’s attention.