Playing with Fire

by Graziano, Renee

  “You waited long enough.”

  “Reign, we are on the same side, right? Besides, I don’t think your current ensemble of entirely naked could effectively hide a knife.”

  That seemed to stop her, though she looked pretty delicious on her knees next to him, bare breasts quivering with each outraged breath. At any moment he could tumble her back over, but he respected her anger and the process it took for her to absorb the information.

  To her credit, after a moment, she said quietly, “I get your point.”

  “Let’s do this. You take my robe, and I’ll get us some wine, and we can sit on the terrace overlooking the city and talk about it. I’m paying a lot of money for this place, so we should at least enjoy the view.”

  “Where did you get all this money? You have this place and that fabulous car … blood money?”

  “If you want the truth,” he said mildly. “It isn’t what you think. I really am fairly good at the stock market. Learned it early on and invested wisely.” Nick walked, naked, to the closet, aware of her watching him. He took out a silk robe and turned to offer it. “Does rich turn you off? If it does, you are not like any other woman I’ve met.”

  Reign was … well, Reign. She got up off the bed and took his robe, wrapping it around her. She looked him in the eye. “I’m not against rich, and I’m not for it either. The man impresses me, not his money.”

  “How am I doing so far?”

  “I’m still wavering on how to answer that.”

  He picked up his discarded pants. “I’ll open that wine since we seem to be in a semi-truce. Okay?”

  “Nothing sweet.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it. Do you have a preference?”

  “Merlot.”

  “Done.”

  She did cooperate to the extent that she went and chose a chair and stared out at the lights of the skyscrapers. The evening air cool against his bare chest, Nick joined her, bringing two crystal glasses and the open bottle. He set it all on the glass table between them. “I suppose you want to know now who tried to hire me.”

  It would be his first question.

  “That would be helpful.” Reign shot him a swift, resentful look. Forgiveness was not anywhere near happening yet. The sin of omission was definitely not overlooked.

  “The man I shot in your closet. I recognized him the minute I pulled open that door to make sure he was actually out of the game.”

  It didn’t surprise him she looked confused. “What? That makes no sense. If he was willing to do it himself, why try to hire someone else?”

  Nick took a sip of wine and stared out over the lights of the city. The view really was worth the exorbitant amount he paid in rent. “I know. I started to have a few doubts at that point. I wish I hadn’t killed him, but really, I was just returning fire. He and I would have had an interesting conversation before an ambulance was called. Why the hell was he there?”

  “I’ve already said—”

  He interrupted. “I remember. You have no idea who could be doing this. That’s what I don’t like. If you bump up against an enemy and understand the underlying vendetta, I can deal with that. This is strange. I want to fight back for you, but I am not sure what direction to turn. Do you have an objection to me visiting your father?”

  She contemplated a moment, but then said in a small voice, “I guess not. Maybe he needs to get involved in this. He knows everyone.”

  “Do I sense a glimmer of trust?”

  “Did I say I wasn’t going with you?”

  That actually would be better. He doubted her father would open up to a stranger without her assurance the questions were legitimate. “That’ll make an interesting date.”

  “If you think I haven’t visited my share of prisons, think again. I doubt you’re a stranger either.”

  “No comment.”

  She leaned back and regarded him with a hint of accusation still in her gaze. “You sure don’t talk much about your past, do you? I feel kind of naked. Here you seem to know everything about me, and I know very little about you except you were born in Sicily and have an aptitude for sex and money.”

  “Was that a compliment? I think it was. Besides, I really like you naked.”

  She crossed her ankles. “And a criticism too.”

  “I noticed that.” The brilliant skyline was accentuated by a crescent moon that hung above the city. Nick knew she needed something back. “I meant the naked part.”

  “This is entirely the wrong time to be funny, Fattelli.”

  “Fine.” He took in a breath and thought about Carl Denton. “I’ve called in a few favors myself. There’s no noise on the street. I’ve had a hard time believing it, but nothing.”

  “But they tried to hire you and apparently two others who took it on.”

  “It looks that way.”

  “Looks?” She made a derisive noise.

  “This is a discussion, not an explanation. I really don’t have anything to explain.”

  “Like hell. As much as I’m in this, so are you.”

  That struck him.

  She just could be right.

  Oh fuck.

  He drank the rest of his wine and set down the glass with a definite click. “Have I ever mentioned I think you are as smart as you are beautiful?”

  * * *

  This was … stupid.

  Dr. Jennifer Altea thought that rarely applied to her, but apparently, she was wrong.

  First example: she’d picked out a sundress she hadn’t worn since undergrad—thankfully, she still fit into it—and matching shoes, and though her white coat balanced the ensemble with a professional touch, it was still pretty clear she was dressing as a woman and not a doctor.

  Oh, she could use the excuse that she was just on call and brush it off that way, but actually no one had called her. She looked at the nurse in charge of the desk and said, “I have a date this evening so I’m doing rounds early.”

  Lie. She was doing rounds early, but there was no date unless a person could count dinner with her older sister as a date.

  “And how is Mr. Ariano?” She asked it casually enough.

  “Cute.” Stephanie grinned. “Like really, really cute. And polite too. Nice combination.”

  Like she hadn’t noticed.

  Jennifer leveled what was supposed to be a look of reproof at her. “I was referring to his medical condition. Anything I need to know?”

  “No.” The nurse shrugged. “He’s recovering well and has no complaints. He wanted the catheter out in the worst way, but he’s ambulatory now, so we did it.”

  She didn’t think he would complain, despite her warning he should be candid, but she had wondered. As a physician it worried her. “No fever?”

  “No. If you look over the chart, he’s doing excellent.”

  It did appear everything was normal, from lab tests to wound care.

  “Great.” Jennifer smiled and headed toward his room. Just another day at the hospital, being the attending physician, but at the moment, it was possible she was just acting like a woman.

  Yeah, well, there was a reason for that.

  Salvatore Ariano had his hospital gown on with the front open, probably because it was easier to let the nurses check his dressings, which meant there was a nice expanse of muscular bare chest visible. He really wasn’t watching the television perched in the corner of the room, but it was on and the screen flickered, and he stared at it moodily as she entered until he registered her presence.

  It was unprofessional to be attracted to a patient.

  But she was. He looked gorgeously masculine with his tousled blond hair and sculpted features, but he was … once again, a patient.

  His first words were succinct once he saw her. “Can you just release me?”

  “Hello to you too.” She flipped through his chart. “Blood pressure is good and there is no sign of infection. I believe that we can release you soon.”

  He exhaled raggedly in obvious relief. “Thank Go
d. I’m so close to finishing school, and I’ve put a lot into this. I don’t think what I’ve missed will make or break me since all we are doing right now is getting ready for the bar exam, but every minute counts.”

  “I remember studying for my boards.”

  “Then maybe you understand my current state of mind.”

  Jennifer hung the chart on the peg at the foot of the bed. “Sure do. But keep in mind if you overtax your body, which has recently had more than a little stress, you are not going to do well no matter how much you study. I’m going to check your vitals, look at your injuries, and then you and I can talk about when you might be released. Good with you?”

  “Whatever you say, Doc.”

  When he genuinely smiled, she felt an odd flutter in the pit of her stomach. It almost irritated her. Why, of all people, this man?

  Fine, he was good-looking. So? She saw good-looking professional men every single day. He had ties to a lifestyle she knew existed, but didn’t quite understand, and those ties were undoubtedly why he was currently in her care.

  He’d been shot, for God’s sake.

  Not to mention the dark-haired woman with the body to die for that he had been so anxious to see. Jennifer had watched her walk past the desk and at that moment understood the level of competition was set pretty high.

  Bending over, she took the stethoscope and looped it automatically into her ears. His heart sounded steady and strong, and next she lifted his wrist to check his pulse. He smelled clean and male and she did her best to ignore it.

  Medicine 101. Do not be attracted to a patient.

  But she was.

  Like really was.

  Jennifer stepped back, looping her stethoscope back around her neck. “Everything sounds good and looks good. I see no reason to keep you if you feel like you can manage the situation on your own. I could release you tomorrow.”

  “Where are you going tonight?” His gaze lowered to take in her bare legs. “Looks like this is your last stop before a hot date.”

  Oh hell, he’d picked up on the vibe. Well, she’d wanted him to, but …

  “I don’t really do hot dates.” She wrote down the vitals in this chart.

  “Uhm.” Salvatore Ariano looked amused. “That’s a pity. I can tell you they are more fun than the other kind. They are to hell and gone better than lying in a hospital bed. So, no hot date? What do you do for fun?”

  It struck her that no one had asked her that question … ever?

  Really?

  She worked too hard. That she knew. Her life was grueling hours and on-call weekends, and while she got hit on with annoying frequency, no one had really asked her that before. To her embarrassment, she admitted, “I think I might have forgotten about fun.”

  “Classic overworked doctor?” He lifted dark blond brows. “That story has been told too many times. You have to come up with a new one.”

  “There’s a reason it has been told.”

  “Maybe so,” he said softly. “You look really great.”

  She was pretty enough but not a knockout, and she rarely bothered with makeup or her hair. Maybe she should more often. “Thank you.”

  “Just a sincere observation.”

  Was he flirting? She didn’t really think so, but at least he was paying attention. Well, kind of. His eyes drifted shut.

  The first thing she’d prescribe was rest, so that worked out just right.

  When she walked back to the nurses’ station, she said, “He’s asleep.”

  “He was shot twice.”

  “I’m aware.” She jotted down a few notes. “Let’s try this and if he feels he can leave, we’ll let him go tomorrow.”

  The nurse took the file. “Okay, you’ve got it.”

  “But he needs to schedule an appointment with my office.”

  “Yes, Doctor.”

  “Mind telling me why you are laughing, Steph?”

  The nurse leaned forward with a conspiratorial air. “Because I think you might just have a crush on gorgeous Mr. Ariano. Relax, it happens.”

  Chapter

  FOURTEEN

  The phone call came at exactly nine o’clock.

  Reign looked at the caller ID absently and then registered the number.

  Yes, a part of her went cold, then hot, and then cold again.…

  “Hello.”

  “Ms. Grazi?”

  Sitting at her desk in her office, she nodded because her throat was dry, but then realized the person on the other end of the call couldn’t see her and said, “Yes.”

  “I think I have some news you will be happy to hear.”

  Already her heart was racing. Calm down. “Needless to say, good news is always welcome. I recognize the number, Mr. Gregory.”

  “One of our largest clients has decided they very much like your style and they want you to premiere a new line of clothing for sophisticated young women. I can’t tell you how many talented designers vied for this contract, so feel free to be very flattered. You’ve earned it.”

  It had not been the easiest past few days, so she dipped her head and took a deep breath before she said, “This is wonderful news.”

  “It sure should be. Do you want the numbers of what they are offering?”

  She did. They were staggering.

  “That much?” Her voice actually was off-key.

  “Oh yes. And if the line does well, a lot more. You’ll have to travel some when they launch the new lines for each season, but I am sure you anticipated that would be the case.”

  A lot more if it was a success. That would be helpful with Vince about to depart for college. They’d already come to an agreement that he would live near campus on his own rather than make the commute, and that alone was going to be extravagant.

  Reign slipped into her professional mode. “Thank you so very much for this opportunity and the phone call. Please tell them that this will be my first priority, and have someone send the ideas for the line and the dates when they want the designs delivered.”

  “Very good. Congratulations, Ms. Grazi.”

  Yes.

  Immediately she called her sister on her cell. “Guess what.”

  Maria said, “A conversation that begins like that can go one of two ways, and from recent events, I am a little worried about what you are going to say next. Make it simple for me, please. I’m having a Bloody Mary while sitting in a deck chair on the beach.”

  However it had come about, Maria needed a vacation, so Reign was glad to hear she was making at least an attempt to relax.

  She picked up a pen and drew a happy face on an invoice sitting on her desk. “I got the design job.”

  Maria was silent for maybe a full minute.

  “You still there?” Reign was flying high and a laugh bubbled from her throat. “Like … got it. They chose me.… Me.”

  Then Maria said, “OMG. Are you serious? Don’t get me wrong, I never thought you couldn’t do it, I just figured it was a long shot at best.… Are you kidding?”

  “I’m not.”

  “So I think I know who is buying dinner the next time we go out. My treat. Confetti and champagne for everyone. Reign Grazi is on fire.”

  Well, not completely. Maria had certainly been there for her all her life. “I’m buying for you, for sure.” Reign couldn’t quite keep the elation from her voice, but she glanced at the quirky clock on the wall. The hands were made from flattened spoons, but it had its own kind of charm, and her assistant had actually made it, so she’d hung it up, and truthfully, it fit the general chaos of material samples, scattered drawings, and paperwork. She needed to get going. “I had to tell you, but I’m going to go pick up Sal. They’re releasing him today. He called and asked if I’d come get him. He said he was worried if his mother and father came, they’d insist he come stay with them and he really just wants to go back to his apartment.”

  “He’s okay then.”

  “Apparently he’s recovering really well.”

  “Apparently s
o. I’m glad.”

  “I think we’re going to see Dad after that.”

  “You and Sal?” Maria sounded dubious. “I don’t think he needs to leave the hospital and go straight to a prison, Reign. Besides, Dad is not going to want to see an Ariano, we both know that.”

  “Not Sal. Nick and I.”

  “Reign, you seem to be getting involved awfully fast and—”

  “Save it. I couldn’t agree more. I don’t know enough about him.” She cut her off her sister’s protest. “But I like him. He asked to see Dad, and I said yes. We have a few questions.”

  “Like what?”

  Reign could picture her, curling a long piece of dark hair around her finger. Maria tended to do that when she was agitated. How to do this …

  “There have been a few incidents and Nick has wondered if they might be repercussions from the family’s past. I don’t know either way, and when he suggested our father as a source of information, I thought that might not be a bad way to go.”

  “Do you know something I don’t?” Her sister’s voice was heavy with suspicion.

  “Actually, no.” Reign consciously softened her tone. “Nick is going to help me. I’m doing this to protect you and Vince.”

  “Vince needs you to protect him, I don’t.”

  Reign took in a breath. “When will we all wake up and realize we all need each other? I could go wide and suggest that all of mankind figure that one out, but at this point, I am just going to say you and I might need each other and nothing will stop me from protecting my son. How does that sit?”

  “Don’t be a bitch.” There was a hint of laughter in her sister’s voice, though it was low-key.

  “Yeah, well, don’t make me be one.”

  “Do me a favor?”

  Oh perfect. Reign said, “Like?”

  “Can you tell Dad I said hi?”

  Considering the purpose of their visit, it was just as well Maria wasn’t able to join them.

  “Of course.” Reign’s shoulders relaxed. “Mar, please.”

  “It’s been a month since I’ve been there. I’ve let life get out of hand. Tell him I’ll see him next week.”

  “I will.”

  After she hung up, Reign called Nick. She’d never done it before and it felt a little strange, but then again, to each thing a season.