“Ah, so thiz is your hairstylist?” His mother smiled unexpectedly.
“Mom, this is Kayla.” She held her head up, looked confident, like she had nothing to hide. He really respected her for handling the situation with such grace.
“Hola, Kayla. I’m Charo.”
Kayla went to her and kissed her on the cheek. “It’s nice to see you again.”
His mom gave her a quizzical look. “Again?”
“Yes. I saw you at the hospital when Nico had his accident.”
Mom wore a blank look on her face. Nico chimed in and said, “She was the nurse who took care of me.”
That bit of information seemed to please his mother. She even took Kayla’s hand. “Sí, mamita, now I remember. My sobrinos couldn’t stop looking at you.”
“You mean Christian,” Nico said. He knew Dylan had more class. Happily married, he didn’t ogle other chicks.
His mom nodded in agreement. “So now you and my hijo are friends?”
“I’ve known Nico since I was a kid.”
“Kayla grew up in the neighborhood. She’s Jesse’s sister,” he said.
“Ay, that Jesse esta caliente,” his mom said, adjusting her bright blue tank top over her ample chest. She beamed at Nico. “How come you never told me about thiz belleza?”
“Jesse didn’t let Kayla hang out with us.” He started to sound like a broken record.
“But now it’s okay?” She laughed.
“He doesn’t have a say in the matter anymore,” Kayla told her.
His mom clucked her tongue. “I like her. She has cojones.”
Kayla smiled at that. “Can I help in the kitchen?”
“Claro que sí.” Of course she could.
Nico’s cue to let the women get acquainted. “Think I’ll leave you two to catch up while I go take a shower.”
They barely heard him over all the chit-chat. He shook his head. Guess he should’ve been happy they’d taken so quickly to each other. Mom usually dismissed the women in his life. But who could reject Kayla? The warm-hearted nature, her genuine kindness captivated people. Look how easily she’d won him over. He tossed a glance over his shoulder. They assembled lunch, joking and laughing like they were best friends.
Chapter 11
Kayla had a super productive weekend. She accomplished more than she’d set out to do. Not only did she succeed with Nico, but she had Charo as a new ally. The woman adored her. And vice versa. What a hoot. Kayla loved her eccentricities. Charo knew how to have a good time. She had amazing energy, found humor in everything. They made plans to get together again, maybe even spend a day shopping.
After Charo had left, she and Nico had jumped into bed. As a matter of fact, they spent the rest of Saturday and most of Sunday naked in each other’s arms. In between making love, they’d talked about everything–hopes, dreams, goals. Nico had even shared his feelings on growing up without a father, something he said he’d never done with anyone, outside of his mother.
She couldn’t stop smiling, to the point that her face hurt. But who cared? She was in love. Spending the weekend with Nico confirmed everything she already knew, everything she’d hoped for. They were compatible on every level, especially in bed. Wow. She’d be in a sexual haze for days, maybe even weeks.
Hopefully, she’d be able to function at work. People’s lives depended on it. One thing for sure, her euphoria would not be fading anytime soon. Neither would the floating-on-air feeling. Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end. For now. She dreaded having to leave Nico. Duty called. She needed to get her butt home and get ready for the workweek. Mondays were high-volume at the hospital. She’d have to bring her A-game if she planned to get through it and keep her sanity.
Fully dressed, Kayla gathered her belongings while Nico watched sports in the living room. She wished she could read his mind. After their weekend together, did he still have apprehensions? She knew he liked a tidy existence. Would he be more open to a relationship? More importantly, could he put the past behind them, not think of her anymore as Jesse’s little sister? Speaking of which, would Nico stand up to Jesse if it came down to it? Kayla shook her head. The last few days had been pleasantly peaceful. She’d give anything to stay in fantasyland. Ah, well. Real life called. She had no choice but to answer.
“You taking off?” He sat up and muted the TV.
Kayla dropped her bag on the floor and went to him. God, he looked gorgeous and satisfied, like a man who’d been thoroughly loved. Nico stood and locked eyes with her. A whirl of emotions passed between them. Good. She wasn’t the only one affected. “I need to get ready for work tomorrow.” She braided her fingers with his.
“Spend the night and leave from here.”
His sexy dark gaze spiked her body temperature several degrees. Kayla would’ve jumped at the offer. But she really needed to rest, and that wouldn’t happen if she slept over again. She couldn’t put a patient’s health at risk, God forbid administer a wrong dose or make some other careless mistake.
“I can’t,” she said, staring at the hickey she’d put on his neck. She’d left her mark, just like she’d planned. “Jesse will be back soon, and I don’t have the energy to deal with him. If I’m home, he won’t ask any questions.” She figured Nico would accept this excuse more easily.
“So when will I see you again?”
The question overjoyed her. “I have a fierce schedule this week.” Unfortunately, she did. Suddenly, she wished she hadn’t agreed to work so many hours. At the time, she’d only been thinking about the paycheck because she wanted to get her own apartment ASAP. Too late now, unless she could finagle something, which she highly doubted. On the other hand, maybe it would be good to put a little distance between them, make Nico miss her. Men liked the chase.
“Let me know if you can fit me in somewhere,” he said, tucking his bottom lip between his teeth. He almost sounded wounded.
“I will,” she said, tapping his cast. “Do you need me to do anything before I leave? Once I’m gone, you’re on your own,” she teased.
“Just one thing.”
“What’s that?”
He pulled her close, pressed his mouth hard over hers and gave her a bone-rattling, mind-shattering, heart-stopping kiss.
* * * *
Kayla worked all week with an extra bounce in her step. She hardly had time to think about her whirlwind weekend, but every so often her thoughts drifted there and she cracked a smile. A couple of the other nurses had commented on her rosy glow, her extra-sunny disposition. She’d chalked it up to a “restful” weekend.
Her co-workers were cool, but she hadn’t been at the hospital long enough to form any bonds. Kayla kept her personal life to herself. On the other hand, she’d told her sister all about her blissful weekend. Sofia knew about Nico. She gave Kayla major props for finally snagging him.
God, she really missed a certain sexy guy. The hectic pace at the hospital kept her up to her eyeballs in work. She got home late, exhausted, with only one thing on her mind–sleep. Two more days and she’d finally get a break. She planned to spend the whole day in Nico’s bed.
Come to think of it, Nico hadn’t called. Charo had mentioned something about getting him out of the house this week. So maybe she’d kept him busy. Still, Kayla would make it a point to call him during her lunch break. If she got one.
* * * *
Nico’s mother drove like a maniac. His accident hadn’t killed him, but Mom certainly would. She called this fun? Nico had no interest in running around town with her. But the fresh air did feel good. Now if he could only shake the cobwebs from his head.
One weekend with Kayla, and now everything felt different. He wouldn’t lie. He did miss her. Too much for his own good. It bugged the hell out of him. No woman had ever consumed his every thought. He even dreamed with her–dirty, sexy, soaking wet dreams he didn’t want to wake up from.
Ma took a sharp turn, and his heart lodged in his throat. At this rate, she’d make his
problems go away permanently. Problems. How the hell could he label a gorgeous, intelligent, kind-hearted, hot-blooded woman a problem? Any man would kill for a girl like Kayla. And yet, here he sat with a long face, feeling flustered and confused.
By now, she had to be pretty pissed off that he hadn’t called. Jerk. He acted like he didn’t give a shit. Eventually, he’d call, after he sorted out his feelings. And he would not let his mother’s opinion on the matter influence him in any way. She’d said it enough times. He heard it loud and clear. She loved Kayla, thought a woman like her could finally straighten his ass out. Yeah, yeah. Spare him the lecture. He’d decide when to settle down.
Nico couldn’t wait to get to the jobsite. It had been the one condition he had for today’s field trip, otherwise he would’ve stayed home. Maybe he couldn’t work yet, but he could at least stop by and see the guys, take his mind off things for a little while. His mom made another turn, this one slightly more civilized. She sang at the top of her lungs to the Spanish tune on her car stereo like she didn’t have a care in the world. What else was new?
“Hang a left at the stop sign,” Nico shouted over the music.
She nodded. Once on the avenue, she stopped singing, lowered the volume and let out a whistle. “Who lives here? Donald Trump?” Her head snapped from side to side as she took in the neighborhood.
“Nah. His house makes this place look like a slum.” Nico thought about Trump’s sick ocean-front estate in Palm Beach. Okay, maybe he exaggerated. Northville did have a lot more character. The community dated back to the 1890s. At one time, it had been a pineapple plantation.
“Iz that it?” Charo pointed at the house with several trucks in the driveway.
“Yep. Pull up behind the white pickup,” he said, his gaze darting over a lush green landscape. The mansion had been built in 1923, a Mediterranean Revival, one of the three popular designs back then. The oldest home, built in 1895, stood only a few blocks away. Another contractor had already restored it to museum-like quality.
They exited the car and his mom sashayed ahead of him, scurrying to get a better look. “Ay Dios mío, que bello,” she exclaimed, acknowledging the home’s opulent exterior.
“You need to stay outside. Dylan only allows workers on the property.”
She shot him an incredulous look.
“Insurance regulations,” he added, before she could argue.
“Can I at least see the backyard?” She steepled her fingers and mocked a prayer.
Most of the restoration took place indoors. And being that he didn’t see Dylan’s truck anywhere, Nico decided to let her explore the grounds. The property owners were living elsewhere during renovations. Plus, he knew the chances of his mom staying put were slim to none. “Just don’t touch anything,” he warned.
“No. No. I’m just going to look.” With that, she skipped off like an excited child ready for mischief.
“Well, well, look what the wind blew in,” said one of the guys when Nico came through the front door. Steve stopped sanding a wall and walked over to him. He clapped Nico on the shoulder and left white powder on his dark t-shirt. “What’s up, bud?”
Nico liked Steve. The guy worked hard and never complained. He’d been one of Dylan’s first real employees. “Nothing, man,” Nico replied. “I’m going stir crazy.”
“Yo, Nico!” another man, with a red bandana around his head, shouted from a scaffold that rose high in the air.
Nico looked up and instinctively held his cast. The accident flashed before his eyes. Memories of falling off that very same scaffold made him feel queasy. He exhaled. The cathedral ceiling hung twenty feet above the posh floor. Damn. Had it been this house, he wouldn’t be standing here right now. His gaze slid over Carlos. Fortunately, the guy had more brains than he did. Carlos used straps to anchor himself, like he was supposed to. “How’s it hanging?” Nico tried to make light of the situation.
Carlos laughed. “Doing better than you, papi.”
“Hey, cuz,” Christian said, as he came around a corner. “Thought I heard your voice.” He unscrewed the cap on his plastic bottle and guzzled down water. “Didn’t bring the hottie with you?” He wiped the back of his hand across his sweaty forehead.
“What hottie?” Steve gave them a sappy grin.
“Nico’s new woman.” Christian wriggled his dark brows. “The sexy nurse.”
“Maybe I need to break a bone,” said Steve. “On a scale of one to ten, what are we talking about?”
“Tell him.” Christian bumped Nico on the back.
He’d come here to take his mind off Kayla, not the other way around. Nico gave his cousin the death glare. “She’s just a friend.”
Christian laughed at him. “Look at those sick puppy eyes. Who are you trying to convince, us or yourself?”
“Cut the guy some slack,” Steve said, throwing an arm over Nico’s shoulder. He took pity on Nico because they all knew what it was like once Christian got going. “Come on. I’ll give you the grand tour.”
Nico appreciated the diversion. Following Steve up the lavish circular stairs, he couldn’t believe real people actually lived here. Dylan had definitely knocked it out of the ballpark, their most impressive project to date.
Viewing the entire interior, he mostly focused on the flooring. The wide-plank wood was in decent repair, and he’d have no problem restoring it to like-new condition. By the time his cast came off, the guys would be wrapping it up on the lower level. With them out of the way, he’d be able to start in downstairs. The project would stay on schedule, just the way Dylan liked.
Coming out here today had done the trick. He’d kept his brain occupied with work, had formulated all kinds of plans and ideas for those floors. All in all, he’d had a good day. Even his mom had behaved herself. He’d found her in the cobblestone courtyard, sitting on a stone bench, daydreaming in front of a water fountain.
Of course, Christian had to take a parting shot. Once again, he’d brought up Kayla. If Nico didn’t want her, Christian would gladly take her off his hands. He always said stupid shit just to get a rise out of people. Usually it worked. This time, Nico didn’t take the bait, even though the comment had really irked him.
The thought of Christian–or any man for that matter–touching one hair on Kayla’s head made him rabid. He felt jealous and possessive, and yet he wouldn’t claim her. His brain used logic, but the massive knot in his stomach, twisting sensations deep down in his gut spoke otherwise.
* * * *
Finally. A day off. Kayla had a million things on her to-do list. She only planned on doing one of them. It didn’t matter that Nico hadn’t called. She hadn’t called him either.
What a lovely sunny day. This time she packed her bikini so she could catch some rays, do a few laps in the swimming pool. Minutes from his house now, she probably should’ve called ahead. But she wanted to surprise him. The smell of rotisserie chicken wafted inside the car and made her mouth water. Good thing she’d stopped at the supermarket to grab a few things. Skipping breakfast had her stomach making ridiculous sounds.
She couldn’t wait to see Nico. After they ate lunch, she planned to have him for dessert. Kayla turned onto his street. She spied his house and the lone Mustang in his driveway. Yes! She pulled up behind him, cut the engine and quickly gathered her things. The crisp blue sky made her smile. Everything felt like rainbows and butterflies.
Her knock came louder than she’d intended. Blame it on anxiousness, excitement. She glanced down at her favorite red sundress that made her boobs look especially perky. Nico didn’t answer right away. Impatient, she knocked again. The door suddenly swooshed open, and there stood Nico with a solemn face.
“Hi,” she said, her voice elevated with joy.
Nico gave her a weak smile. “Hi to you.” His gaze swept her up and down and lingered on her breasts. “What are you doing here?”
No hug. No Kiss. A little more enthusiasm would’ve been nice. “Finally got a day off. I wanted to surpr
ise you.”
“Come in,” he said, stepping aside. “What do you got there?”
Okay. What the heck was going on? He acted indifferent, like they hadn’t banged each other’s brains out last weekend. “Hungry? I brought lunch.” She watched him cautiously.
His expressionless face gave nothing away. “That was nice.”
“You feeling okay?” Maybe his arm hurt. But her gut knew better.
“Just have a lot on my mind.” Nico’s chin dipped. He stared at the floor.
Kayla got a sinking feeling in her stomach. This wasn’t about a bad day. Somebody’d had a change of heart. “Oh. Is that why you didn’t call me?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “You look real nice.”
What kind of an answer was that? Kayla went to the kitchen and set the grocery bag on the counter. “I didn’t mean to barge in.” She removed the chicken and a tub of potato salad from the sack. “Well, maybe I did, but I thought it would be okay.” Finally he looked at her. “Guess I should’ve called first.”
“Wish you had,” he said, glancing away. “Christian is picking me up in a little bit. We’re heading over to Dylan’s place.”
She felt totally deflated. No invite. No offer to cancel his plans. Obviously, he didn’t want to be with her. “I see,” she said trying to make eye contact, but he wouldn’t oblige. She adjusted the strap on her tote bag. Thank God, it still hung on her shoulder. She already felt stupid. At least she hadn’t made herself at home. “Sorry for the intrusion.” Her chin quivered. Tears stung her eyes. She made a beeline for the door, because no way would she let him see her cry.
“At least eat something,” he called out.
“I’m not hungry anymore.” She ran to her car and never looked back.
Chapter 12
Staring at the bedroom ceiling, Kayla wondered how she still had any tears left. She’d cried all afternoon. The day had started out so happily. Had her plans panned out, right now she’d be in Nico’s bed. Her knees clutched together. His mouth had been all over her body. She’d never be able to get that image out of her head.
The Right Temptation Page 8
