The Secret One

by Cardello, Ruth

  Her mouth opened and closed, without her voicing a word. Finally, she ground out, “Yes.”

  A slow smile spread across my face. It was what I’d thought. In a light tone, I said, “Did I mention that I’m not a prick? If we start with that, the rest of this takes care of itself.”

  Her face flushed red. “And this is why I don’t date.”

  Interesting. And promising. “Do you know what would wipe the last few minutes right out of my head?”

  Her head cocked to the side, and her eyes narrowed slightly. “What?”

  My mood was definitely improving. Talking on the phone had been wonderful, but my body was so aware of hers it was nearly painful. I stepped closer. “A welcome kiss. It would have to be a good one, though. You know the kind that makes you forget for a moment where you are?”

  She moved closer as well and placed her hands on my shoulders. “That would be quite a kiss.”

  I gripped her hips and pulled her against my excitement. “I’m optimistic we could pull it off.”

  She rose onto her tiptoes and dipped my head toward hers until our mouths hovered near each other. Her breath became a tickle on my lips. “I am nervous about our first date.”

  “I have a cure for that,” I said in a deep growl.

  She met the kiss halfway and with a boldness that wiped my brain clean of everything beyond how good she felt in my arms. Her mouth opened to mine; our tongues swirled and teased. Her hands gripped my shoulders as my dick pulsed against her. I could have fucked her right then. She moaned against my mouth, sounding like she was thinking the same thing.

  I’d been attracted to her the day she’d come to my aid on the side of the road, but after getting to know her better, my attraction to her was deeper. Yes, I wanted to claim her, but I also wanted to kiss away her worry. She tasted like sunshine and possibilities, and as crazy as it seemed, I saw our future children. A boy and girl. Saw them as clearly as if someone had shown me a photo of them. I shuddered against her.

  “We could wait for her to bring him in and introduce us,” a male voice said from nearby, pulling me back from heaven. I broke off the kiss and stepped back from McKenna, leaving us both breathing heavily.

  Three men—two in coveralls, one in a suit—joined us. The tallest of them, the one in the suit, said, “No, I’m sure he won’t mind meeting us before he makes himself . . . at home.”

  McKenna put a hand on my upper arm. “Hi, guys. This is Christof Romano.” She waved a hand in the direction of the three older men. “Christof, this is my crew: my friends and business partners, Ty, Cal, and Wayne.”

  I shook all three of the men’s hands, although not nearly as roughly as they shook mine. “Nice to meet you.”

  “We thought we’d show you around.” Wayne nodded toward the building behind them.

  “That’s not necessary,” McKenna said quickly.

  This was her family. They were obviously protective of her, and I respected that. “I’d love a tour.” If our roles were reversed, I’d definitely want to know what my intentions were.

  In such situations, clarity was key. I held out my hand for McKenna to take. She looked from me to her crew and back before placing her hand in mine. It was a subtle but not-so-subtle message that I was there for her, not the tour. I wanted to make it clear to her that nothing she’d said earlier had spooked me.

  Seriously, compared to my family asking me to smooth things over with the devil, McKenna’s small freak-out was barely a blip on my radar. She shot me a side glance as we followed the men toward the garage. I bent my head and said, “Do you know how many people have dreams they never follow through on and make a reality? Never let anyone make you feel bad about doing something you love. Especially something you planned with your father.”

  She blinked a few times quickly. “You remember?”

  “More every day. Before I drove up, I checked out a map of this place. It’s exactly what you described to me.”

  Her hand tightened on mine. “Don’t sound so surprised. You were the first to believe I could do it. You said all I had to do was determine what was standing between me and Decker Park being a reality, then break it down to achievable tasks. That’s what I did.”

  “You’re welcome,” I joked with a cocky smile. She way overplayed my role in her success, but it was fun to play along.

  With her free hand, she lightly punched my arm. “I’m being serious.”

  I pulled her closer and gave her cheek a quick kiss. “And I’m grateful for loose engine hoses, because I have a feeling we were meant to meet again.”

  She tensed, and I regretted possibly saying too much too soon. I’d told myself I’d go slowly with her, but my brain turned to mush around her.

  I’d never imagined children with a woman before, and I’d been with enough who’d suggested them. There’d been nothing wrong with the other women—well, not with most of them—but McKenna was definitely different.

  My father thought she might be the one.

  I was beginning to think he was right.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  MCKENNA

  I didn’t hear half of what the guys said as we toured the garage side of the building. I was too busy beating myself up for vomiting all of my emotional baggage on Christof the moment he’d arrived.

  Hi, welcome to Decker Park, a.k.a. Psychoville.

  You might have been sweet to me all week, sent me food, even driven up to take me out on a date, but . . . hold on, buddy. I have some serious insecurities I need to lay at your feet.

  But don’t worry, if you’re honest, I might still fuck you.

  Why would I say that?

  I groaned.

  Christof released my hand to allow him to weave between the cars with Wayne and Cal. Ty stayed beside me. “Seems like a nice enough guy.”

  “Don’t get too attached to him. You should have seen all the stupid shit that came out of my mouth when he arrived.”

  “He didn’t appear that bothered to me.”

  I wasn’t so sure. He might have been hanging around for a one and done. Or was I the ass? “Do I want to drive him off? Is that why I keep saying stupid things to him? I don’t get it. I really like him.”

  “Cut yourself some slack, McKenna. You haven’t had a lot of examples of good relationships in your life. Okay, Cal and Wayne, maybe, but outside of them? It’s not like I’ve set an example for you.”

  I sighed. “It doesn’t matter. He’s already glimpsed my crazy side. All I can do now is wait and see if it’s changed the way he sees me.”

  “That man is clearly interested in you.”

  “For how long, though? Is this really worth all the trouble when so few relationships work out anyway?”

  “Nothing in life comes with a guarantee, McKenna. You could marry him, and he could cheat on you. He could remain faithful and die out of the blue. Life sucks sometimes.”

  My gaze was riveted to Ty’s. “I was hoping for a little more optimism from you.”

  “Why? You’ve already decided it can’t possibly work out with Christof.”

  “I never—” I stopped when I realized how spot on he was. “Do you think I’m too messed up for him?”

  Ty put his arm around my shoulders, a first for us, and kissed the side of my head. “No, baby, you’re the perfect amount of fucked up.”

  I swear I heard my father’s voice in his in that moment. Tears filled my eyes, and I leaned against his chest. “Thanks, Ty.”

  He released me and cleared his throat. “Opportunities come to all of us, McKenna, but we often fail to see them for what they are. This guy might be your chance for a real family.”

  I threw my arms around him then and gave him the tightest hug I could. “I already have one of those.” When I released him, I dabbed under my eyes. “Did I tell you he cooks? From scratch. Will you still love me if I get fat?”

  Ty chuckled, but his eyes still shone with emotion. “Get?”

  I smacked his chest. “And I was g
oing to share some of those home-cooked meals with you. You can kiss that opportunity goodbye.”

  Christof, Cal, and Wayne returned before Ty had a chance to respond. The three of them were smiling. Christof said, “This place is amazing. Cal said Richie Elliott will be here in an hour. If you’re hungry, we don’t have to stay, but I’d love to watch him tear up the course.”

  When his fingers laced with mine, it felt natural and right. Although I’d been excited for our date, I’d been a little sad to miss seeing Elliott on my tracks as well. “I’m sure we could fit both into our date.”

  Cal sidled over. “Christof was telling us that he refurbished his car. We thought we’d take a quick look under his hood before making our way over to the showroom.”

  I froze. Cal and Wayne had been on their best behavior, but I doubted they’d be able to contain their mirth when they saw Christof’s creative mechanics. “Let’s not—”

  “I don’t get to show my handiwork to too many real mechanics. I’d love to see what you guys think,” Christof said before I could persuade anyone that it wasn’t a good idea.

  Resigned, I followed everyone outside. I held my breath when my crew gathered around the hood of Christof’s car and he popped the hood up. They knew he was important to me, but they were also experts in their field. I was good; they were better. I wanted to spare Christof the sting of their advice.

  Proud as could be, Christof walked them through what he’d done, explaining it as if to people who might not understand. Their expressions reflected my repulsion when I’d first seen Christof’s creative engineering, but they slowly changed as he explained his rationale for where some of the parts were. I stepped closer.

  Beginning to look impressed, Ty bent over the hood and asked, “What’s that little gadget there?”

  “Oh, something I designed to update the air quality in the car. It works better than the original system and, I like to think, better than what they have in new cars. I knew what I wanted, drew up the specs, and I had a friend of my brother make it for me.”

  “McKenna, look at this,” Ty said. “Ever see anything like that?”

  I leaned in to check out what Ty was referring to. “No, but it’s genius. Takes up so little room. I don’t see the cooling system.” I meant it. Now that I had time to study Christof’s work, I was impressed as well.

  “That’s it. Small and self-contained.”

  “Does it actually work?” Cal asked.

  “You’re welcome to try it,” Christof said as he handed his keys to Cal, then stood there, hands on hips, as if showing off a child of his. Cal got in and started the car. Wayne got in on the passenger side.

  “Instantly cool,” Cal said. “Impressive.”

  Wayne whistled. “It’s really quite ingenious when you think of it. And a simple solution. Can’t believe no one has thought of it before. You should patent it. You’d be rich.”

  Cal elbowed Wayne. “He’s already rich.”

  Wayne shrugged. “Still, it’s a nifty little gadget. I’d buy one. Get that patent, Christof, before someone steals your idea.”

  “I will, thanks,” Christof said with a bright smile. To me, he mouthed, “Ingenious.” He thumbed toward his chest.

  I laughed. I loved that he didn’t take himself too seriously. “If we’re done oohing and aahing over Christof’s car, could we finish the tour? Elliott will be here any time now, and I’m already starving.”

  After Christof closed the hood of his car, Cal said, “If you ever want help working on your car, I’ve got time to lend you.”

  Wayne added, “Me too.”

  Tongue in cheek, I joked, “Back off, boys—I’m the only one allowed to touch his engine.”

  “No worries, McKenna,” Cal said with a chuckle, then linked hands with Wayne. I watched for any sign that Christof might be uncomfortable around Cal and Wayne. He laughed along with them, and I fell a little in love with him right there.

  An intercom announced the arrival of Elliott. I exchanged an excited look with Christof.

  I was about to suggest we drive Mack down to the track when Ty put a hand out to halt Christof. “Be good to our baby girl,” he said in a low tone.

  Christof looked down at me, winked, then turned back toward Ty. “I intend to be. I have a feeling she could kick my ass.”

  We all shared another laugh, and I went up onto my toes to deliver a quick kiss to Christof. Ty was right: Life didn’t come with guarantees. Whatever this was, it might last a day, a week, or forever. The real tragedy wouldn’t be if it fell apart; it would be if I let my fears be the reason it never had a chance to be at all. “Come on. I don’t want to miss anything.”

  Christof smiled back at me, not moving at first, and said, “Me neither. I’m glad I came.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHRISTOF

  After dinner that night I sat beside McKenna on the steps of her house. She looked about to invite me in. I was tempted to kiss her until she did. I held back because what we had between us felt too important to rush.

  I raised her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles. Before heading down to the racetrack, she’d shed her coveralls, revealing tight jeans and a T-shirt that clung to her curves, cleaned the smudge of oil off her face, and added a touch of lip gloss. I thought back to the killer little black dress I’d also seen her in. She was beautiful regardless of what she wore.

  “My brothers will all be jealous when I tell them I met Elliott. You looked as excited to watch him go as I did. Does it ever get old?”

  “Never,” she assured me, leaning her head against my shoulder. “I sometimes wake up and worry this is all a dream.”

  “That’s how you know you’re doing something right. You’ve got a lot to be proud of.”

  “As well as grateful. I couldn’t have done it myself.”

  “That’s true of most things people do. Definitely for me. Everything my family has, we’ve built together.”

  She let out a sigh. “I love the way you talk about your family. It’s like watching a Hallmark movie. What was it like to grow up in a perfect family?”

  I choked on that one. “Perfect? We aren’t that. My head is still spinning from the conversation I had with my parents this morning.”

  “You mentioned they’d said something odd. You don’t have to tell me what it was, but I’m so curious I might keep asking you to until you do.”

  “So I don’t have to, but you’ll pester me until I cave?”

  She raised her head and met my gaze. “Is that wrong?”

  I kissed her forehead. “A little.”

  “So will you tell me?”

  “I shouldn’t.”

  “How about now?”

  What a little shit she was. I loved it. “I’m not ready for your opinion of my family to plummet.”

  “Perfectly understandable.” She looked away, then back. “How about now?”

  “No.” Perma-grin was a real condition around her.

  “I respect your need for boundaries and privacy.”

  “Good.”

  “Now?”

  I laughed, and she joined in. “It’s a long, complicated story with a twist at the end you won’t expect.”

  “I’m not afraid of complicated or an unexpected turn.” She cuddled closer, making me question why I was taking it slow at all. We’d both be just as happy if I threw her over my shoulder and hunted down her bed. Wouldn’t we? It was the not knowing that held me back. What if this had the potential of mattering if I was patient? I hadn’t waited with most of the women I’d dated. That wasn’t what they were looking for. None of those hookups had led anywhere, which I’d been okay with.

  I already didn’t like the idea of McKenna with another man.

  I hadn’t left yet, and I already knew I’d miss her as soon as I did. “One of my brothers is actually a cousin.”

  “Yes, I remember you telling me about Gian. His mother left him with yours to raise.”

  “Okay, so maybe this won
’t be as confusing as I thought.”

  I started as my mother had, at the beginning, when she’d met Antonio Corisi. If McKenna stayed in my life, this might affect her as well. Her mouth dropped open when she made the connection between my family and the infamous Dominic Corisi.

  She swore a few times when I described Antonio’s crimes against my aunt, her own children, as well as my family in Montalcino. Perhaps because the whole story sounded so over the top to me, it flowed out as if I were speaking of something that had happened to another family.

  “Gian is Dominic Corisi’s half brother. Do either know?” she asked.

  “I don’t believe so. Dominic is trying to connect with our grandmother. I can’t see him knowing about Gian and not reaching out to him. I wouldn’t blame him if he knew and didn’t, though.” I described how Dominic had been turned away from the family recently.

  McKenna’s hands went to her heart. “He must have been so hurt.”

  “Actually, it pissed him off.” I told her how he’d purchased the land my family over there was leasing and of his impending return to the town. “That’s some near-villain behavior there.”

  “All because he wants to meet his nona? That’s heartbreaking.”

  “It is, right? Most likely I’ll be heading to Montalcino tomorrow. I want to be there when he arrives. I’ll meet with him, then convince my family to welcome him for a visit.”

  She searched my face. “I admire your confidence. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how much hurt there is on all sides of this.”