“I’m no threat to anyone,” I protested. “Besides, even if we end up sleeping together, it would never get to that point. I’m sure he has plenty of women to choose from. I’m not even in the running for ever meeting his mother.”
“Okay, well just keep it in mind. Before you so much as think about touching him, you should also know that he’s been told since he was a little boy that he has to settle down with a nice Italian girl. That’s not you.”
“Thanks for pointing out the obvious, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not looking to settle down with Marco or anyone else.” All I wanted was to do well enough at my job to be able to travel some more when I had time off. Okay, and maybe an orgasm or two wouldn’t hurt.
Elena gave me a meaningful look but dropped the subject. It was clear she didn’t think I was being honest, even with myself.
“If you say so,” she said eventually. “Anyway, I have to go to work after this. Do you want to come with me? We can have a few drinks when I’m not on.”
“I’ll pass, thanks.” My one night at the club had been more than enough for me. “We can take a rain check on those drinks. On your next night off, it will be my treat.”
She raised her wineglass in my direction. “I’ll take that rain check. Now that you’re going to be making the big bucks, I have no problem with it being your treat.”
I laughed but nodded as I clinked my glass against hers. “Let’s not get carried away. I had a great first day, but we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.”
Chapter 13
Marco
I slid the last file I’d need over the weekend into my laptop bag and surveyed my desk, making sure I hadn’t missed anything. Satisfied that I had all the urgent work packed, I nodded and was heading for the door when it opened.
Addy stepped into my office, looking as fresh and energized as she had when she’d arrived this morning. Her blue eyes were bright and happy, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
She’d put her golden hair up into a messy bun secured by a pencil at some point during the day, and it exposed the graceful curve of her neck. As she walked in, she smoothed the white dress she was wearing and looked up to meet my eyes.
The dress had a navy belt cinched around her waist and flared out below it, but the top was fitted enough to give me yet another great idea of what she was working with. I sighed internally, willing myself to stop noticing these things about her.
“Hey,” she said, her voice cheerful as she shut the door behind her. Her gaze swept past me and rested on the satchel lying on my desk. “About ready to head home for the weekend?”
“Just about.” I turned to grab my phone, wallet, and keys. “What’s up? Did you need something?”
“No, I’ve finished up what I had to. I just wanted to know if you needed anything else from me before I took off.”
“No, you can go. You’ve done a great job this week.” I grinned and resisted the urge to go over to give her a hug. “Better than I was expecting even.”
“Thank you.” She was smiling fully now, radiant and proud. “It means a lot to hear that from you.”
“No problem.” I picked up my laptop and motioned her to the door. “Shall we go? Are you ready yet, or do you need to pack up?”
“I’m ready.” She walked backward until she reached the door, then turned the doorknob and stepped back to swing it open. Preceding me out, she waited in the hall for me to join her. “What’s on our agenda for next week?”
I groaned, shutting and locking the door behind me. “How about we go for a drink to celebrate your first week, not talk about business, and see what next week holds when we get there?”
“You want to go out for a drink?” She lowered her chin, but her brows went up. “With me?”
“Yes. It’s been a long week and I could use some conversation that isn’t about work. Are you in, or do you already have plans?”
She hesitated for a second, but then the contemplative haze disappeared from her eyes and she gave me a nod. “Sure. Why not? I don’t have any plans.”
“It’s not the most enthusiastic answer I’ve ever gotten to an invitation, but I’ll take it.” Why, though? Why had I even invited her out? I needed to get these fantastical ideas of her out of my head.
She wasn’t interested. No matter how much it sometimes looked like she was. I had the wrong kind of equipment for her. End of story.
Except now I’d invited her, and she’d agreed. It didn’t happen often that a woman was completely unavailable to me, but this one was. There had been nights after I’d gotten home when I’d been lying in bed wondering what her eyes would look like glazed over in pleasure or what my name would sound like if she cried it out.
I’d tried to convince myself that was the only reason I had developed this stupid crush. That I only wanted her because she was unavailable. The more I got to know her, though, the more I realized that wasn’t true.
I’d wanted her before I’d known she was unavailable, for starters. But there was more to it than that.
Either way, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t planning on getting gender reassignment surgery, and that was the only way she’d be interested in what I had to offer.
Even so, I enjoyed her company. I wanted to get to know her better despite the option of hooking up with her not being on the table. Hell, who knew? Maybe she’d become a great friend and wing woman in addition to being a team member at work.
Addy bumped my shoulder with hers as we walked, looking up to flash me a smile. “It wasn’t an unenthusiastic answer. It was simply an unexpected invitation. You’re sure it’s okay to be drinking together when I work for you?”
“Absolutely. I’m the boss, remember? What I say goes.”
She laughed as we exited the building, releasing a contented sound as we stepped into the fading sunlight. “God, I love this place.”
“How long have you been here?” I asked, placing a hand at the small of her back as I led her toward the canal. The action had been out of pure habit, but when she didn’t look at me funny or question why I was touching her, I decided to keep my hand there.
One small touch, even over her clothes, was still something. It was the most I was going to get, so I was more than happy to take it. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Aldo would have a field day with that thought if he ever got hold of it.
Addy angled her body toward mine while we walked. “How long have I been in Florence? Four years. I’ve been in Europe for almost five.”
“Ever think about going back to the States?” I asked as we weaved our way through the Friday afternoon crowds on the sidewalk.
“No, not really.” She chewed the inside of her cheek and then shrugged. “I mean, I have thought about it. Especially at times when it felt like I might not have a choice. Last week, for example, I was feeling pretty hopeless about staying.”
“Why last week in particular?” I frowned. “Wait, is this about not being able to pay your rent?”
“Yeah.” When she looked into my eyes again, there was more vulnerability in hers than I’d ever seen there. She was such a firecracker, such a proud woman who seemed to tackle everything in her life with a vivacious tenacity, that I hadn’t expected to see it in her. “I wouldn’t have been able to cut it at the club long term. I was applying for other jobs, but I still haven’t heard anything back.”
“The situation was that dire?” I almost couldn’t believe it. I knew she’d been desperate for rent money at the very least, obviously, but I hadn’t realized the extent of it.
She averted her gaze to the end of the street where the canal had come into view. “Yeah, it was. I’m really lucky I met you. Otherwise, I would have had to give all this up.”
“I’m glad we met, too, then.” I slid my hands into my pockets but stayed close to her side. Not because she was in danger or anything but simply because being there felt nice. “Where is home? Where would you have had to go back to?”
>
“Portland, Oregon.” A nostalgic smile curved her lips. “I suppose it wouldn’t have been that bad. It’s not that I don’t like it there. I’m just in love with being here.”
“Portland. That’s the foodie capital, right?” A group of school children rushed past us and bumped into Addy’s side. She stumbled but caught herself at the same time that I reached out to steady her.
We ended up in this weird, her-side-to-my-front situation that had our faces only inches apart. Try as I might to stop it from happening, my gaze dropped to her parted lips.
Her tongue came out to swipe across them, and my breath caught in my lungs. There was a moment where I could practically taste her on my tongue, a moment when I could have sworn she wanted me to as her eyes bored into mine.
All too soon, she righted herself and stepped away. With that moment between us broken, I inhaled deeply before moving my gaze to hers. Her eyes were round and big, her irises darker than usual from the dilation of her pupils.
Her chest was heaving just slightly, too. Logically, I knew it was impossible, but it sure as hell looked like she was fighting off thoughts of kissing me just like I was trying to do about kissing her.
Again, though, the moment disappeared when the smooth voice of a street musician was joined by the strumming of his guitar. Addy let out a little giggle, then swung around to face the end of the street again.
“Sorry about that,” she said as she started walking again. “And yes, Portland is known for being a destination for foodies. Where did you want to go to have that drink?”
“There’s a nice cafe just around the next corner. It’s right on the water and it’s a beautiful place to watch the sunset from.”
“You watch sunsets?” She frowned, but I didn’t miss the smile she tried to hide. “That’s pretty neat.”
“Why? Don’t you like sunsets?”
Laughing, she shook her head. “No, I love them. It’s just not often that you hear a big bad alpha male admit to watching them.”
“You think I’m a big bad alpha male?” Good to know. Although, it was sad that she’d never know just how bad I could be.
Addy arched an eyebrow at me as we turned the corner. “Well, you certainly come across as being alpha and you’re at least a head taller than me, which makes you big. It’s the bad part I’m not entirely sure about.”
What I wasn’t entirely sure about was why her teasing tone and the way her eyelashes fluttered made me feel like she was flirting with me.
“I can assure you I’m very good at being bad.” I slowed when we neared the cafe and gestured to an open table. “Let’s have a seat here.”
When I turned to her to see if she’d even heard me, she had a slightly glazed look in her eyes again. She blinked it away quickly, but it was too late. I had seen it, and now I was wondering what had put it there.
Once we were seated and our drinks had been served, I lifted my glass to hers. “Cheers. Thanks for agreeing to come out with me tonight.”
“Yeah, uh, sure.” She still seemed flustered, but she looked me in the eyes when she raised her glass to mine and took a long sip of wine. “You don’t have to thank me, though. Elena and I have been here before. They have the most amazing antipasto platters. Talk about foodie dreams come true.”
“Elena?” I questioned, seeing an opening to pry without being too obvious about it. “Will she be mad at you for having drinks with me tonight?”
Addy pulled her head back. “No, why? She’s working anyway.”
“I see. She’s not the jealous type then, huh?” I flicked a hand at our surroundings, which were undoubtedly romantic. The tables were small rectangles that were so intimate our knees were touching.
Bulbs of oil candles sat in the center of the table. The orange glow of the antique streetlights coming on was soft, and the setting sun reflected on the still water of the river. Music drifted through the air from all sides.
If I had a girlfriend, I wouldn’t have liked them being in a setting like this with someone else. On the other hand, I supposed possessiveness and jealousy were traits of an alpha male, as she had so rightly called me. Maybe women were more level-headed about that kind of thing.
Addy’s head fell back as she laughed, gesturing wildly with one of her hands. “Oh, no. She’s going to be jealous as fuck when I tell her I came back here without her. It serves her right, though. She took some guy she met the other night to another favorite place of ours just because he mentioned he liked Caipirinhas. They make the best Caipirinha in the city, so I get why she took him, but still.”
I took in her relaxed posture and the genuine smile. Something wasn’t adding up here. “It seems you two have a very trusting relationship. It must be nice to have a partner like you.”
Her laughter cut off abruptly and her eyes narrowed. She stayed that way for a second. Then she burst out laughing so hard I was afraid she wasn’t getting any air.
“Elena’s my roommate, not my girlfriend,” she managed to sputter between peals of melodic laughter. “Oh, my god. You still think I’m a lesbian?”
“Yes,” I said slowly. “You told me you were the first night I met you.”
“Yeah, but I only said that because I didn’t want you to hit on me.” The laughter subsided, and she swiped tears away from underneath both eyes. “Shit, Marco. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to mislead you. You were a stranger in a club full of grabby strangers. I just needed a minute to decompress, so I lied.”
A variety of emotions spun through me. I knew I should have been at least a little angry and annoyed that she’d lied to me, but I couldn’t quite muster up those feelings. The overwhelming emotion I felt was relief, because maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t completely unavailable to me.
She had her lips between her teeth, biting down on them as she watched me with wide eyes. It occurred to me that she was afraid of the consequences of having lied to me.
The mere thought that she might expect to be reprimanded or even fired over this made me burst out in laughter of my own. “Relax, Adaline. It’s okay. I saw you that night, remember? I completely understand.”
“You’re not pissed off at me for not telling you earlier?” Her eyes were still far too round.
I shook my head and leaned forward, placing my hand over hers and waiting until she tore her gaze away from our connection to meet mine.
“No, I’m not pissed off at you. Your sexual orientation had nothing to do with me offering you the job and I’m not petty enough to let a fib you felt was necessary to give you a break bother me. It’s okay, Addy. Really.”
Tension melted from her expression when she was satisfied that I was being honest. “For what it’s worth, I really am sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I said. “Now where were we? I believe you were saying something about the antipasto platters?”
The smile she gave me was positively radiant, her eyes shining in the warm, soft light as she nodded. “Yes. Let’s get one, and we’re going to need more wine.”
“Done and done.” I grinned and signaled for our waiter, placed the order, and returned my focus to only her. “We said we weren’t going to talk business tonight, so tell me more about you. How does a girl from Portland end up living in Florence without any plans to return home if she can help it?”
Addy told me her story, then asked more about me. We devoured our antipasto and several more drinks before I figured it was time to call it a night.
It was getting late, and Addy’s cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were bright in an I’m-on-the-verge-of-getting-drunk way. “We should probably head home.”
She sighed. “Okay, if you insist. It’s still early, though.”
“Not if you have to work early in the morning,” I said before signaling for the check.
Addy blinked rapidly, like she was having trouble understanding what I was saying. “I have to work early in the morning?”
“No, but I do.” I took her hand gently in mine and helped her up after I’
d paid. “Do you want a ride home? We can get a cab.”
“Okay,” she said, winding her fingers around mine. She tightened her grip, clearly not intending to let go. I was totally fine with that.
She hung onto my hand all the way to her apartment, drawing these maddening circles on the inside of my palm. By the time we reached her place, there was a noticeable bulge in my pants.
Thankfully, it was too dark in the interior of the car to notice. Addy turned to me once the wheels stopped turning, squeezing my hand at the same time. “Want to come up?”
“Uh, okay?” I definitely wasn’t going to turn her down, but I didn’t want to be presumptuous either. She’d had quite a bit of wine, so perhaps she just needed help on her way up.
I paid the driver and followed her up three narrow flights of stairs before stopping in front of a door that had been painted purple. Addy fished a key out of her purse and unlocked it, then wiggled her fingers at me as she sashayed her way inside.
“You coming?” she asked without a hint of a slur in her speech.
“Hopefully,” I muttered under my breath. Louder, I said, “Depends. What am I coming in for?”
“Depends,” she parroted, then flicked on a single lamp in the entryway. It illuminated the small space in a reddish hue. She was standing right in the middle of it. “We have drinks in the fridge…”
Trailing off, she lifted her hand and pulled the pencil out of her hair. The golden waves fell past her shoulders in a tumble of messy waves. She kicked off the low heels she’d been wearing and looked right into my eyes before pointedly dropping hers to my crotch. “Or we could fix that growing problem of yours.”
My breath froze in my lungs. I wasn’t used to being the one getting the moves put on him, but I’d be damned if I didn’t like her assertiveness.
Taking a couple of steps forward until I was past the threshold of her apartment, I kicked the door shut behind me and kept going until my chest was flush against hers. Addy dipped her head back to look up at me, offering me a cheeky little smile.
Take It All Off Page 9