Daring in the City

by Jo Leigh

  “Knock it off, Vinny. Quit hustling my customers.” Gus gave her a kind wink along with her change.

  The cop put her on edge when he brushed against her hip, but she hated that her nervous reaction was obvious.

  “What you got there, Officer?” Gus leaned over the counter to see what he was holding. “I’d get a better snow shovel than that. I got a shipment coming in three weeks.”

  “What about the generator?” Vinny threw her a glance as she hurriedly gathered her purchases. “Wait. I’ll only be a minute.”

  She pretended she hadn’t heard him and slipped out of the store. Even if she wasn’t interested in making a fast getaway, the brisk air would’ve propelled her along the sidewalk past a bakery and the bodega where Carmen worked. The talk about snow shovels made her want to curl into a ball for the entire winter. She was used to snow—that wasn’t the problem. Not knowing where she’d be living once the really bad weather hit was the upsetting part. It seemed each new apartment she looked at was taking her farther and farther from the city.

  She waited forever for the elevator, and by the time it came she’d decided to ask Luca straight out why the manic cleaning was so important. It was a legitimate question because she needed to know how soon she had to wash the floors. She really hoped it could wait until tomorrow.

  After knocking the hell out of the elevator car and corridor walls with the unwieldy mop handle, she got to Luca’s door and realized she didn’t have the key with her.

  Damn. Damn. Damn.

  She knocked.

  When he didn’t answer, she knocked again.

  “Hey, April. Wait.”

  She jerked so hard she lost her grip on the mop. It was Vinny. How the hell...

  He’d just gotten off the elevator and was walking toward her.

  Luca opened the door. And he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

  She wanted to smack him, but with Vinny as a witness, she’d end up being charged with assault.

  “Forget your key?” he asked with a half grin.

  “Forget your shirt?”

  “Paladino?” Another step and Vinny would’ve run into her. What was he thinking? “Luca, right?”

  He nodded, looking confused. “You’re...Auggie’s brother.”

  “Yep, that’s me, the good-looking one,” Vinny said, laughing. His gaze bounced between them, then he sized up Luca’s bare chest. “Are you two—”

  “No.” Luca’s quick and emphatic denial was a bit insulting.

  April just smiled and shook her head.

  “Cool,” Vinny said, his eyes narrowing at Luca’s naked torso before turning to grin at her. “For a short little thing you can move. I didn’t think I’d catch you.”

  “Did I drop something?” April asked, all innocent.

  Luca stood in the doorway, unsmiling and unmoving.

  Apparently only Vinny didn’t find the moment growing more awkward by the second. “You want to go out sometime?” he finally asked. “I can show you the sights, we can have a little dinner...” He flashed her a smile that would’ve been killer on any other guy. “Give me your number. We can talk later.”

  April didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to go out with Vinny but it would’ve been easier to turn him down without Luca standing there as if he was guarding Fort Knox.

  “Ah, that’s so nice of you to offer but I’ll be leaving New York soon.”

  “Well, that’s too bad.” Vinny shrugged. “Take it easy,” he said and left. She turned back to the door and almost plowed into Luca. “Excuse me,” she said and pushed past him.

  He took the mop from her. “Did you mean it?”

  “Mean what?” She carried her supplies into the kitchen.

  “Are you really leaving or did you just say that to Vinny?”

  His tone was completely neutral. She couldn’t tell if he was relieved or upset or ready to jump up and down with joy. She wanted to turn around and see his face when she answered. But if he looked disappointed when she admitted it was a small fib, it would crush her.

  “Kind of both,” she said, slowly turning to face him. Something in his eyes made her heart stop. It was as if he’d just gotten terrible news. But one blink later and he seemed completely unaffected.

  Afraid she’d give her own feelings away, she made the idiotic mistake of lowering her gaze to his chest. His pectorals bunched and released, the subtle movement making her pulse race.

  No matter how she looked at it she had to get out of this apartment before she did something she’d regret forever.

  11

  AS SOON AS April had left to work an event the next evening, Luca got a move on. He showered and shaved then made sure his blueprints were set out to show Jillian.

  The whole ride over to the Korean restaurant in the Village, he kept reminding himself that it was none of his business who April wanted to go out with. He and April didn’t owe each other anything. No explanations. No excuses. Although if she changed her mind and decided to go out with Ferrante, he was going to have a serious talk with her. That slick bastard had one hell of a nasty reputation with women. Vinny could make Wes look good.

  Luca smiled. That was exactly how he’d put it to April. The guy wouldn’t stand a chance after that.

  Then again, she’d said she was leaving New York soon, and that was far more troubling than Vinny Ferrante. It should have been good news. Finally, he’d be able to live the dream.

  Dammit. He’d be sorry to see her go, though. In spite of the fact that she was slowly killing him with frustration.

  Jillian was just about to slide into a booth on the other side of the restaurant when he arrived at K’OOK. Tall, curvy, with a bright smile and a short cropped Afro that made her green eyes seem luminous, she looked as great as she had the last time he’d seen her. Before running into her at the Zaha Hadid retrospective, he hadn’t seen her since they’d been students. They’d never hooked up back in school, but two weeks ago the chemistry between them had been palpable, and while they hadn’t done anything but get a drink, he’d made the date before they parted.

  “I’m not late, am I?” he said, sliding in next to her.

  “Not at all. I just got here myself.” She hadn’t left him much room—their thighs didn’t quite touch but almost. Always a positive sign.

  “How was your trip?”

  “Oh, my God...” Her face lit up. “Have you been to Barcelona?”

  “Only Madrid.”

  “You’ve got to make it to Barcelona sometime. The architecture is crazy,” she said, and just like that they fell into easy conversation. He’d always enjoyed Jillian’s sense of humor, and they both laughed a lot as they reminisced about their college days.

  An hour later everything about the evening pointed to a happy ending. That was, if he didn’t blow it all to hell and back. He’d almost brought up April several times, stopping himself before he blundered.

  “Would you like dessert? Another drink?”

  Jillian put her hand on his arm. “No, thanks. It was all delicious, but I’m anxious to see your plans.”

  It was the fourth time she’d touched him in the same place, and what that signaled made him rush to pay the bill. “You haven’t told me much about your internship,” he said as they walked out of the restaurant to hail a taxi. “Are you liking it?”

  She shrugged her shoulders, which emphasized her breasts. “I expected a more hands-on approach, but that could be the company. Maybe other firms treat their interns differently. Guess you’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Yeah,” he said, glad a cab pulled over. Two weeks ago he’d told her about the Willingham offer. He sure didn’t want to discuss it now. They got in and inched their way through the evening traffic. They sat close to each other. Talked. Smiled. Touched. It was all
looking good, although he guessed the real sparks would fly once they got comfortable at his place.

  Once they entered his apartment, Jillian stood near the door as she looked around. “Wow, it’s huge. How in the world did you score this place?”

  Used to sidestepping the question, Luca just smiled. “I’ve already taken down two walls.” He stashed her jacket and purse and took her on a quick tour. “I’ve barely started on the bathroom and kitchen on this level.”

  “What’s back there?”

  “Currently it’s my bedroom but eventually it’ll be an office. Let me show you upstairs first.”

  “Remind me about what you’re doing up here?” Jillian asked when they got to the second floor.

  “Most of it will be my master bedroom suite and a screened-in porch. And possibly a small guest room on the other side. I haven’t decided yet.” He’d made sure April’s door was shut before he’d left the apartment. But he should’ve anticipated the question.

  Jillian stopped at the closed door. “Is this a bedroom?”

  “Yes. Unfortunately, it’s occupied at the moment. Hey, you know Jefferson Holt? From Columbia? He studied architecture for a while.”

  “He sounds familiar.”

  “Well, anyway, he asked me to rent a room to a buddy of his since I hadn’t started on the remodel yet. Bad move. Last time I do him a favor.”

  Jillian grinned and, luckily, dropped the subject as he finished showing her around. He tensed, realizing he hadn’t inspected the bathroom before he’d left, and awkwardly darted in ahead of Jillian. No bra or thong hanging off the towel bar, thank God.

  April had only left her underwear on display one time. Thinking about her reaction that morning made him smile. He quickly sobered when Jillian gave him a funny look.

  When they returned to the kitchen, he poured some wine. Together, they stood over the blueprints, going over the minutia that interested the architect in them both. She asked great questions and gave him a couple of good ideas.

  Luca wished he could relax and get more into it. From the moment he’d opened his front door, thoughts of April kept creeping into his head. She wouldn’t even be home until after 2:00 a.m., but that wasn’t the problem. April had only been there a week, but somehow she’d become a part of his life. It wasn’t just the towel rod that had him thinking of her. The gleaming floor, the stacks of tarp, the damn refrigerator. All of it was associated with a moment, a look, a conversation, that was etched in his memory. But he couldn’t afford to think about her now. He’d been planning this date for too long.

  After he’d finished showing Jillian the drawings for the patio, she met his gaze with a mischievous wink. “It sounds fantastic.” Stepping closer, she moved her elegant fingers to the top button of his shirt, slipping it open with ease. “I’ll be interested to see how it turns out.”

  The next button was conquered as Luca put his hands on her waist. She’d worn a formfitting dress that hugged her in all the right places. Given the circumstances, he should be the one doing the undressing, but all he could think was that whatever spark had been there when they’d bumped into each other at the gallery had dimmed. A lot.

  So, what the hell? Obviously it was just him. It had never occurred to him that he wouldn’t be 100 percent up for this night. He’d really looked forward to it.

  But now? He let his hands drop to his sides. “Listen, Jillian...”

  She tilted her head to the right, the same thing April did when she wasn’t sure what he was going to say.

  “I hate to do this to you, especially when you look so beautiful and you’ve been so great, but do you think we could put this on hold and do it again in a week or so?”

  She let out a soft exhale. “No, I don’t mind. Are you sure you want to reschedule?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  “Huh,” she said, taking a couple of steps back so she could pick up her wineglass. “Let me guess. Jefferson’s buddy’s name is April.”

  Luca blanched. He darted a look around the kitchen, trying to figure out how he’d tipped his hand.

  “It’s just... You’ve called me April,” Jillian said, her smile gone wry. “Twice.”

  He briefly closed his eyes. “Jillian, I’m so sorry—”

  “It’s fine. Honestly. I know how uncomfortable it can be to have houseguests.” She abandoned her wine to fetch her coat and purse. “It was a lovely dinner, and I very much approve of your renovation plans.”

  He walked her to the door, embarrassed at his behavior and how much he’d let April get inside his head. Jillian deserved better.

  Jillian just chuckled. “Good night, Luca,” she said and crossed the threshold into the hall.

  Luca stepped out to say good-night, but the words stuck in his throat. Why the hell was April back so early? Her job was supposed to go until at least 1:00 a.m.

  As Jillian passed her, she gave April a quick once-over before continuing to the elevator.

  * * *

  APRIL WATCHED THE woman hit the elevator button, certain she was witnessing the end of a successful date. Her hunch was confirmed when she turned back to Luca, his shirt halfway unbuttoned. “Sorry I interrupted,” she said, rushing past him and quickening her steps to the stairs.

  She closed her bedroom door with a little too much force, but it didn’t matter. So much made sense now. The way he’d wanted to clean up the place, asking her over and over if she would be working. How he’d avoided being alone with her.

  There was absolutely no reason for her gut to be churning, for the fierce waves of jealousy that were crashing inside her. Luca wasn’t her boyfriend. So there’d been some tension between them. It had clearly meant nothing.

  The knock on the door didn’t surprise her, but she didn’t answer it. Instead, she got out her big suitcase and started folding up her jeans.

  Luca opened the door, but stayed in the hallway. “April? Listen, I—”

  “I found a place to stay,” she said, careful not to look at him. “I’m moving.”

  “Where?” He sounded shocked, though probably not half as stunned as she felt. But she couldn’t bear to stay now.

  “What difference does it make? You should be thrilled. I’ll be out of your hair for good.” She yanked blouses off their hangers and tossed them in the suitcase. She’d been using it as a drawer, so most of her stuff was already neatly folded inside.

  “How did you find an apartment in the last four hours?”

  “Again, irrelevant.” She scooted around the bed when she noticed he was moving closer. “For what it’s worth, I really am sorry if I screwed up your date. She must be someone special,” April said, eyeing his chinos and gaping gray shirt.

  “Nothing happened.”

  April paused, her green T-shirt halfway folded. It shouldn’t feel this good, knowing Luca wouldn’t lie. Which didn’t negate the fact that she’d let things get way too complicated. Even if she’d had to stay at a dive, she should have left after two days.

  Oh, God. She still resented making the floor shine just so he could impress that woman. Whether they’d had sex or not. And after he’d been so nice to her.

  She gathered all her makeup and threw it in a bag, pissed at herself, at him, at Wes, at life. Then she shouldered past him to get her toiletries from the bathroom. On her way out she grabbed a roll of toilet paper. “Here,” she said, startled to see him in the hall waiting for her. “For the one I borrowed.” She tossed the roll at him.

  He didn’t try to catch it. The toilet paper just bounced off his jaw. “What the hell?”

  “I didn’t mean for that to happen. You were supposed to catch it.”

  “Nothing’s your fault, is it?” He shoved a hand through his hair, his eyes dark and unyielding. “You never mean for anything to happen.”

  “Oh, t
hat’s low, even for you.” April spun around with every intention of locking herself in the bathroom.

  She gasped when he caught hold of her arm and spun her back around. “What are you doing?”

  Luca gave her a slight tug, but it was enough to bring her too close. “You’re driving me crazy,” he said, staring at her as if she were made of secrets. “Do you have any idea—” he said, his words so low she might have missed them if she hadn’t been just inches away. He opened his mouth once more, only to pull her into a kiss.

  Oh, God.

  His lips, warm, urgent, on hers. His arms suddenly wrapped around her, holding her tight. His tongue seeking entry, teasing her to open her mouth.

  All coherent thought vanished. April abandoned herself to her feelings. This was bliss. It was what she’d wanted since the second night. This kiss, this heat, this electricity between them. It wasn’t smart, but she didn’t give a damn. Not when it felt so perfect.

  Touching his hard chest ramped things up even more. And when he changed the position of the kiss, she let out an embarrassing squeak, but he didn’t stop.

  His hands moved down her back to her waist then up again while he worked magic with his mouth. She tasted a hint of wine and something that belonged to Luca. Him. She wanted to take everything in. His scent, his strong body against hers, his erection growing and pulsing between them.

  Her arms went around his neck, and she pressed her breasts to his chest, making him inhale sharply before he took her mouth again. She groaned in surrender, his tongue thrusting and tasting, telling her all he wanted them to do. Showing her when his hands moved underneath her T-shirt, cool on the bare skin of her back.

  He wasn’t “the one”—he couldn’t be, not after everything that had happened. She knew better than to believe that fairy tale. But the way he kissed sure made her want to believe.

  Luca pulled back, his breathing ragged, desperate, as he peered into her eyes. His lips were parted, moist, his eyes dark with desire.

  She knew she should stop this. Right this second, before they both did something they couldn’t take back.