His Complete Polar Opposite

by Theresa Paolo

  Enzo groaned and dragged his ass to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took out a beer. He was going to need a little alcohol to get through another conversation about paint.

  “Hey, if you would just let me have total control, I wouldn’t have to be here right now harassing you.”

  He popped the cap off the bottle and tossed it into the garbage, eyes never leaving Ella. If he wasn’t mistaken, she just revealed her evil plan. “You’re totally doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

  She pressed her lips together, eyes taking on a doe like glare as they rolled up to the ceiling. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You brat,” he said.

  “I’m only doing what you asked me to?”

  “I did not ask you to annoy me for every little detail. I trust you to pick out an outlet cover for crying out loud.” He took a swig from the bottle, wishing it was something a little stronger.

  Ella laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Just that not even five seconds ago, you were complaining about Cami being a micromanager, but you are, too.”

  “I am not nearly as annoying as she is.”

  “Says who?”

  He rested his hands on Ella’s shoulders and steered her toward the door. “Goodbye,” he said.

  “Not so fast, mister. What about the paint?”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Are you saying I can pick whatever color I want?”

  “Sure.” Her face lit up like it used to when she was a kid on Christmas morning. “Just don’t get carried away. If I come home one day to purple walls, I will hunt you down.”

  “And what? Glare at me?” she joked.

  Enzo would never do anything to hurt her and Ella knew that. “I don’t know, but don’t make me have to figure it out.”

  “I’m shaking in my flip flops.”

  “Why did I give you a key again?”

  She lifted up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Love you, too.” She reached for the doorknob. “You will not regret this.”

  He sure as hell hoped not.

  She opened the door, and Enzo called out to her. “Be careful going home.”

  “Always am.”

  At twenty-six years old, she still didn’t have a car, opting to ride her bicycle everywhere. If she needed to drive a farther distance, she’d borrow Enzo or their other brother Marco’s car. Enzo wondered what Ella would do when she was in California, though he was sure Lucas, Ella’s boyfriend, had a car for her to use. Lucas wouldn’t leave her stranded while he was at the office. At least Enzo hoped.

  It wasn’t his problem. Not anymore. Even though when he looked at Ella, he saw the broken girl who lost her mom, she was no longer her. She had grown up and started her own business. While he would always be there for her if she needed him, he had to start seeing her for the adult she was.

  He gave a nod, and she bounced out the door with her bubbly disposition. He closed it behind her and plopped his ass on the couch to finish his beer. It had been a long day, and he wanted to clear his head, but every time he tried, Cami with her new red hair and perfect body, popped into his mind.

  Chapter 4

  The sun hadn’t started its ascent into the horizon yet as Cami stood in front of the ocean, stretching her arms and legs before an early morning run. It was her favorite time of day. The beach was free of the tourists that would overcrowd the sands in a few short hours; the only sounds were the waves crashing on the shoreline and the seagulls cawing overhead.

  She was lucky if she got more than four and a half hours of sleep a night, but on days like this, with the air thick with salt and still cool with the slight breeze coming off the Atlantic, it was worth it.

  With one last stretch, she took off, slowly at first, allowing her body to wake up. Each step she propelled herself a little faster until she was at a comfortable speed. Her hair bounced in its ponytail, her lungs pumped harder, and she could feel all the tension from stress that had been plaguing her begin to ease.

  It was pointless trying to clear her head, so instead, she went over her schedule for the week. Tomorrow, was Taco Tuesday with Ella and Krissy, a weekly tradition and something she looked forward to. She had to find time to stop at her parents’ house, go with Ella to look at décor for Enzo’s apartment—though she wasn’t exactly an expert on Enzo, but his style wasn’t hard to figure out. He was a traditionalist at heart, so Ella needed to steer away from anything modern. He was a simple man as well, so anything outlandish would be out of the question. She made mental notes and picked up more speed.

  She was almost out of food in her house, so she definitely needed to find time to get to the supermarket. Jerry would be delivering cups and lids mid-morning, napkins and stirrers would be delivered tomorrow, and Allison would be by tomorrow afternoon to go over some new designs for coffee mugs. Being on the boardwalk of a highly popular tourist destination the demand for souvenirs were high, and Cami was not a fool to miss out on the extra income it generated.

  Mugs were a huge seller in her coffee shop, but her current designs were already a couple seasons old, and she wanted something new for the yearly visitors to get excited about. Maybe a new design every year, and people could start a tradition of collecting them. She made another note in her mental notebook and slowed her pace.

  The sun would be rising soon, and she needed to get to the shop before her customers started arriving. She took a moment to take in the mix of night and day swirling together in a beautiful array of oranges and blues.

  It didn’t matter how busy life got, she would always take time to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature. She desperately wanted to plop her butt in the sand and watch the entire sunrise, but she had customers who relied on her. She stood for a second more, absorbing the painted sky, then headed toward the public showers for a quick rinse off.

  Only a few feet from the staircase that led to the boardwalk, her eyes caught movement to her right. Cami wasn’t the only morning person in Willow Cove, but it was pretty rare for her to see someone out on the beach before the sunrise.

  She stopped and glanced toward the person. Her breath caught in her throat when Enzo came into view donning nothing more than a pair of gym shorts, muscles on full display and sweat glistening across his chest.

  “Thought that was you.” He jogged toward her, confidence radiating from him with each stride. Her eyes landed on the deep v that dipped into his waistband; his strong, cut lines looked like they were sculpted by a master artist.

  “It’s me,” she said with a squeak. She cleared her throat, playing it off like a tickle. “What are you doing out here this early?”

  “Couldn’t sleep and thought I’d go for a run.”

  “I just finished,” she said. “It’s a beautiful morning for it.”

  “You always run this early?”

  She nodded. “It’s the best time. I have the beach entirely to myself.”

  “Perfect way to clear your head and get ready for the day.”

  “I actually think about everything I have to get done.”

  “Is get your t—”

  She held her hand up. “I swear if you ask me about my tire, I will kill you and toss your body into the ocean.”

  Enzo smirked. “I think I’m a little too heavy for you to pull that off. Besides, I don’t think Reid would be too happy to have a missing persons case on his hands.”

  Reid was Willow Cove’s finest, serving and protecting the town for over a decade. He was also a good friend to Enzo and his family.

  “I’m willing to take my chances.”

  “Just let me get it taken care of for you. I’ll call my guy, he’ll come get the car, and have it back to you before you close shop today.”

  Cami didn’t need anyone to do her bidding, and she definitely didn’t need a man taking control of her responsibilities, even if he did currently look like a beach god. “I’ll get it taken care of.”

  “You keep saying tha
t.”

  “Because I will get it taken care of. I don’t understand why you care so much anyway.”

  His effortless confidence wavered, and he ran long fingers through his hair. “It’s a safety hazard for everyone on the road.”

  Cami barked out a loud laugh. “Sure it is. While it’s been lovely talking to you, as always, I have a business to open. Enjoy your run.” She turned to the stairs.

  “If you change your mind about the tire, let me know,” Enzo called out.

  She glanced in his direction. “I won’t.”

  “Suit yourself.” He jogged backward, eyes on her before turning and running down the beach with impressive strides.

  Instead of hurrying off to open her doors, she took in the view as Enzo ran toward the sunrise. It was the best view she’d ever seen.

  Chapter 5

  Parking was a hot commodity in Willow Cove during the summer, even on a Tuesday, but luckily by some miracle, Enzo found a spot close to the boardwalk. He parked, and as soon as he slipped out of his Jeep, he spotted Cami’s bright red car. Three days after the initial flat, and she was still driving on the donut, despite telling him she’d get it taken care of.

  For someone who prided herself on having her life together, he thought she’d be a little more on top of getting her damn tire fixed. Then again, after seeing the state of her trunk, maybe she wasn’t as organized and efficient as she claimed. If she would have just let him call his guy, the tire would have been fixed by now. He had no idea why she was being so stubborn about it. She clearly didn’t have the time, and he didn’t mind making a phone call for her.

  The scent of salt hung in the air as Enzo strolled down the boardwalk toward the Local Bean. He always stopped in for a morning pick me up, so hopefully if he casually mentioned the tire, she wouldn’t threaten to toss his body into the ocean again.

  The thought of Cami trying to lift his body made him laugh. She might have worked out and had nicely sculpted muscles in both her arms and legs, but there was no way in hell she’d be able to toss him in the ocean.

  The aroma of fresh brewed beans greeted him before he even reached the door. It mixed with the salt of the ocean and the scent of sunblock that lingered in the air of the boardwalk from early June to the end of August.

  He stepped inside, and his eyes immediately found Cami behind the counter, moving with a skilled grace. She grabbed a cup and filled it with steaming hot water, dunking a tea bag up and down before placing a lid on top and sliding it across the counter to a customer.

  Enzo understood drinking coffee in the heat for a pick me up, but hot tea sounded like a horrible idea. He smiled at the young woman as she turned from the counter and caught his eye. Her cheeks flamed red and she hurried past him.

  “Setting girls hearts a flutter with a single smile. How do you do it?” Cami asked when the woman had left.

  “My apparent charms seem to be ineffective on you,” he said as a joke, but once the words were out, he realized how true they were. Enzo, according to most people, was a good-looking guy, and girls tended to give him a second glance, but not Cami. She did the total opposite. She’d be more likely to roll her eyes at him then to let them linger.

  She shrugged then grabbed a rag to wipe down the counter. “I’ve heard you and Marco burp the ABC’s.”

  “Some women would find that very endearing.”

  “And some women like to be tied to the bed and whipped.”

  He nearly choked at the image that popped into his mind. As a kid, Cami drove him insane, and now as an adult, she was going to kill him in the very spot he stood.

  He cleared his throat. “I see you haven’t gotten your tire fixed,” he said, desperate to change the subject.

  Her eyes practically rolled into the back of her head. “If I knew you were going to be a royal pain in my ass about the whole thing, I never would have let you help me.”

  “You would’ve preferred to keep walking on the side of the road in the August heat?”

  “That torture would be far less than dealing with the likes of you.”

  He laughed. “I never took you for such a hostile person.”

  “Then you haven’t been paying attention very well all these years.” He had though and he wondered what she would think if she knew that. If she knew that he’d been paying attention to her for years now despite locking his attraction to her away.

  She gave him a wink that was more playful than anything else and spun toward the coffee pot. “Your boring usual?” she asked.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “I can put it over ice. It’s hot out there.”

  “Hot is fine.”

  “One of these days I’m going to get you to drink something other than hot coffee, two sugars, and a splash of milk.”

  “I wouldn’t hold your breath. Your delightful personality won’t help you much if you’re dead.”

  “Oh! I’m the one with the delightful personality? I swore you held that title.” She popped the lid on the cup and pushed it across the counter.

  He took the cup in his hands, the heat spreading through his fingers and making him debate if an iced coffee would have been a better choice, though watered-down coffee sounded pretty damn terrible.

  He retrieved his wallet and pulled out a five. Cami plucked the crisp bill out of his hand and rang him up. She handed him his change, and he shoved the two-fifty into the tip jar.

  Her eyebrow cocked above her brown eye. “What is that?”

  With his coffee in hand, he made his way to the door. He flashed her a smirk. “Paying you back for my last freebie.”

  “That wasn’t a freebie! That was a thank you, you ass.”

  “Get your tire fixed.”

  Cami’s foul language followed him into the heat, and he laughed as he made his way to the restaurant.

  Vinny’s Lobster Shack was his grandfather’s place, and Enzo had been working there since he was a kid. It was his first job, but not his only. He’d had his fair share of other employers throughout his life, but the Shack was the place he always went back to.

  Now with his grandfather getting older, though he refused to accept the fact, Enzo was taking on much of the day to day responsibilities. He was happy to step in and one day, his grandfather would retire and the place would be all his. In Enzo’s mind, even if the papers said the place was his, in his heart it would always belong to the original Vincenzo.

  It was still early, and the restaurant wasn’t set to open for another couple of hours. Enzo had hoped for a quiet ease into the day, but the loud bang coming from the restaurant told him otherwise. He sighed and yanked the door open.

  The sound of pots clanging echoed through the small dining area. He took his time, putting his coffee down on the bar, and made his way to the kitchen.

  A mix of Italian and English met him at the doorway. Chris, the chef, glanced at Enzo as he entered the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest, and he shook his head.

  “Diavolo!” Grandpa’s voice bellowed through the small space. The seagull, lovingly nicknamed Devil in Italian, knocked a pan onto the floor, refusing to let go of the bag of hot dog buns secured in his beak. For the last few years, Diavolo showed up in the spring, becoming Grandpa’s biggest nemesis until the first cold of October when the kitchen doors were closed and locked.

  Enzo would just give the bird a bun and get it out the door, but not Vinny Moretti. He refused to give a single dropping to the blasted beast even if their kitchen took the brunt of the ongoing battle.

  Enzo looked to Chris and nodded to his grandfather wielding a spatula like a sword. “How long has this been going on?”

  “Five minutes, give or take.”

  Diavolo and Vinny were in a standoff now, Diavolo’s eyes on the door while Grandpa stood in the way of the only exit.

  “Just let the bird go,” Enzo said.

  Grandpa turned his attention for a mere second, and Diavolo took advantage, flying toward the door.

  “That da
mn seagull!” Vinny held his fist up with fury in his eyes. “You let him get away.”

  “Come on, Grandpa. We will be opening soon, and Chris needs to get things in order.” Enzo draped an arm over Vinny’s shoulder and steered him away from the kitchen. It was a little early for a snifter of limoncello, but maybe getting him out of the kitchen and away from the crime scene would help.

  “I was helping until that damn seagull showed up.” He muttered in Italian, and if he’d spoken louder, Enzo would have understood him. While Enzo couldn’t speak the language fluently, he’d been around his grandfather most of his life to pick up enough of the language to get by. He definitely knew all the curse words.

  “Let Chris handle it,” Enzo said. “You can help me out here.”

  Enzo guided Vinny to his stool and waited for him to be situated without acting as if Enzo was there to help him if he needed it. Enzo didn’t need him falling off of a stool and breaking a hip. The man was stubborn, and an injury would only enhance that stubbornness.

  Enzo readied the bar and, despite the time, poured his grandfather a little glass of limoncello to sip on. Vinny took the glass without argument and rested his arms on the bar. “Sometimes I think Diavolo is your grandmother.”

  ‘What?” Enzo exclaimed. His grandmother had passed away a few years ago, and his grandfather had never really been the same. His smile never seemed to reach his eyes, and there was always a slight sadness that would go undetected to those who didn’t know him that well, but Enzo could see it.

  But to think a seagull was his dead wife was beyond anything Enzo had ever heard, and he’d heard a lot of strange things in his thirty-one years.

  “You hate that seagull, and you loved grandma with every ounce of your being.” Not to mention they’d been referring to Diavolo as a male for as long as he’d been coming around.

  “I did.” He took a sip of limoncello. “More than anything or anyone, but she was also a pain in my butt and kept me on my toes.”

  “So that’s why you think Diavolo is grandma reincarnated?”

  He shrugged. “The damn thing showed up shortly after she passed and has been driving me crazy ever since.”