The leap onto the stage. The quick move, grabbing her and hoisting her free of the box.
And then, that kiss.
That kiss. Not just a kiss. A long, deep, hot kiss. And for no good reason, except that she was there and so was he.
.Well, yeah. There'd been a reason. It had to do with the stunned look in her eyes, and the soft feel of her in his arms. The smell of her, too. Gardenias, maybe. Or roses. The old-fashioned kind.
"Hello, honey," he remembered saying, and then he'd given her the kind of long, appreciative look her face, her figure, her sexy outfit demanded ...
Until he got to her feet, and those shoes. Those homely, sensible, I'm-not-what-you-think-I-am shoes. He'd wanted to laugh. To tell her that a woman with her looks could wear clogs, for all he cared, and she'd still look like-
Like what? a clear, calm voice in his head had said.
Like a woman who needed to be kissed, he'd thought in response.
That was when he'd kissed her.
If only he could stop the action right there. Just stop it, cut it, edit it out like a bad piece of videotape ...
Joe sat up. There was no getting away from the memory, the part he'd never live down.
The part when Blondie, without a moment's hesitation, balled up her fist and caught him with a right, just behind his ear.
"Double damn," Joe muttered, and swung his feet to the floor.
The other guys had loved it. The leap. The kiss. Her swing.
His yelp of surprise. Her squirming out of his arms and rushing off-stage with the little guy in the white suit running after her ...
Oh, yeah. He'd made an ass of himself, all right.
"Bozo and the Bachelor Party," Joe said, and huffed out a breath.
"Way to go, Romano," somebody had yelled.
"Drunk as a skunk, huh, Joe?" some other wag had shouted. He'd let them think so. It made things easier on the old ego if people thought he'd had one too many, but the truth was,
he hadn't. A glass or two of wine at Nonna's and a bottle of beer at the party weren't enough to turn a man's brains to mush.
By the time they'd served what they'd humorously called a midnight supper at the bachelor bash, he was hungry. But, after one cautious, awful bite, he'd put down his fork. Whoever had hired the caterer deserved to be ridden out of town on a rail.
Joe sighed.
After the night he'd had, was it any wonder his head hurt?
First that unwanted gift from Nonna. Then a shot to the head from Blondie, although it really hadn't hurt anything but his ego. You'd think she'd been wearing a nun's habit instead of a handful of stretchy stuff sprinkled with glitter ...
The phone rang. He grabbed it and growled hello before its vicious trill could puncture his eardrums.
"Joe, my man. How're you doing?"
Moving nothing but his eyes wasn't easy, but Joe managed.
According to his alarm clock, it was just after seven.
"You'd better have a good reason for calling me at this hour," Joe said sourly. He winced at his brother's chuckle. "And hold down the noise, okay?"
"I guess that answers my question," Matt said. "Big night, huh?"
"Long night. " Joe winced and snatched the phone from his ear. "What's that noise? Sounds like a semi, blasting an air horn."
"It is," Matt said cheerfully. "Susannah and I are on our way to the airport. We're flying to New York for a long weekend."
'Yeah. Great."
"You could manage to sound a little more enthusiastic." "That's about all the enthusiasm I can work up in the middle of the night."
"It's not the middle of the night." "It is, for civilized people."
Matt laughed. "See? I told Susie it wouldn't be a good idea to drop by."
"Damned right. I've killed people for less."
"Yeah, I told her that, too. So we decided we'd phone to wish you a happy birthday in advance."
"A happy ... " Joe raked his hand through his hair. "What is this, a family project? First Nonna, now you."
"Nonna told me about the gift she gave you."
Joe heaved a sigh. "She did, huh?"
"She means well," Matthew said, and chuckled.
"It isn't funny."
"At least she seems to have backed away from the Get Joseph Married plan."
"The good news and the bad news," Joe said, and sighed again.
"Well, happy birthday, baby brother."
"Thanks. And remind that gorgeous wife of yours that I'm available any time she's ready to admit she made a mistake."
"Keep dreaming."
Joe laughed. "Have a good time in New York," he said, and hung up the phone.
Okay. He felt a little better now. Still, he moved gingerly as he headed for the bathroom. A pair of aspirin would improve things.
Cautiously, he fingered the skin behind his ear where Blondie had hit him. A grin crept across his mouth.
Who'd have thought such a delicate-looking woman could have clobbered him like that?
Delicate, was right. Almost fragile. There hadn't been much of her, when he'd held her in his arms. Well, that wasn't true. She was small, and slender, but the package was nicely put together.
High, round breasts. A waist his hands could almost span.
Good hips. A sweet, firm little butt. And long, long legs. He let his eyelashes droop to his cheeks as he thought about those legs, how it would feel to have them wrapped around him in a moment of blind, blazing passion ....
"Oh, for God's sake, Romano," he muttered.
He stepped into the shower, turned the water on and gasped as the icy spray beat down on his head and shoulders. After a couple of minutes, he adjusted the temperature to something more reasonable.
That was better. Much, much better. So he'd acted like a jerk. Who cared? If there was one thing he'd learned early in life, it was not to look back and regret what you'd already done. A mistake was a mistake. You chalked it up to experience and moved on.
Actually, when he thought about it, he couldn't blame the other guys for laughing. Joe's mouth twitched as he worked shampoo into his hair. He'd have laughed, too, if he'd been the watcher instead of the watched. The kiss hadn't meant a thing, not to him, not to Blondie, despite her protest. Not when you considered her choice of professions.
By the time Joe stepped out of the shower and grabbed for a towel, he was feeling a whole lot more cheerful. Cheerful enough to whistle softly through his teeth ...
Right up until the moment the doorbell rang.
His good mood faded. Somebody at the door, now? On a weekend morning? Joe's eyes narrowed .. Nobody he knew was foolish enough to risk annihilation by turning up on his doorstep at such an ungodly hour.
Well, one person would. Joe grinned, knotted the towel around his hips and made his way downstairs. The bell rang again, just as he was opening the door.
"Matthew," he said in a prissy, high-pitched voice, "I swear, if you can't bear the idea of going away for a couple of days without first giving me a big, fat, juicy birthday kiss ... "
But it wasn't his brother on the porch, it was a woman. A small, slender woman clutching two huge shopping bags and with a suitcase at her feet. Her pale hair was skinned back so tightly it was a wonder her eyes weren't on either side of her head. And those eyes-their color slightly blurred behind smoked, wire-rimmed glasses-those eyes were staring at him as if he were her worst dream come true.
As if he were standing there nearly naked, and waiting for another man's juicy kiss.
Joe could feel heat shooting up into his face.
"Look, miss, this isn't what-I mean, it isn't-I mean, I'm not. .. " He hissed out a breath. What was he doing, explaining himself to a stranger? Any broad who went door to door at seven something on a Saturday morning had to take what she got, no excuses asked or given.
Funny, though. There was something about her. Something that made him think he'd met her before ...
"Mr. Romano?"
Joe nodded. "Yes?
"
"Mr. Joseph Romano?"
"That's my name, honey. What do you want?"
Lucinda swallowed hard. Oh, this was fine. Just fine. She'd spent the entire night-well, most of it-pacing the floor of the bedroom she'd once called home, alternately wishing she'd done more than slug last night's idiot and worrying about this morning's interview, until, finally, she'd told herself to forget last night. It was over.
Today-this meeting-was what counted.
Then why was she standing on her new employer's porch with her mouth hanging open and her brain on hold?
Say something, she told herself, something more than his name ... But honestly, did he think this was a proper way to come to the door? Naked. Well, almost naked. And-and talking about juicy kisses from a man named Matthew-
"Lady?" Her prospective employer's words dripped with impatience. "If you want something, you'd better spit it out."
Lucinda's eyes narrowed. Men. They were all alike, whether they were pretending to be super studs like that jerk last night, or like this jerk this morning. One had thought nothing of grabbing her and kissing her, while this one figured it was perfectly fine to answer a door wearing nothing but a towel.
What did she want? For him to put on some clothes, for starters. He was so big. So tall. So broad-shouldered, narrow whipped, and long-legged. That handsome, strong face. The ruffled black hair and sexy blue eyes ...
And he liked men, who gave him big, fat birthday kisses. A good thing, too. No way would she ever share a house with a man who looked like this. No way would she ever share a house with a man-a real man-at all. They were all sneaky, self-serving SOB's. Just look at the way her ex-fiancé had treated her. And that Neanderthal last night...
What had he looked like? Without her glasses, the man had been a blur. A big blur, but a blur, nevertheless. And it had all happened so quickly. Jumping from the cake. Her feet dangling. The man's arms going around her. Hard arms, holding her against a hard body. His husky, teasing voice. That mouth, coming down on hers. Claiming hers. Heating hers ...
Joe scowled. He folded his arms over his chest. "Lady, if you have something to say, say it. I haven't got all day."
Lucinda took a fortifying breath and fixed her gaze to his. "I'm sorry. I, ah, I just wasn't expecting..."
"Before you get yourself in gear, I already gave at the office."
"You what?"
"I said, I've already donated to whatever you're collecting for. Girl Scouts. Boy Scouts. Penguins in Peril. You name it, I gave to it. And if you want a bit of advice, lady-" "Lucinda. Lucinda Barry. But-"
"...advice you'd do well to heed in the future," he said, his voice rising over hers, "try remembering that the take would be better if you waited until a decent hour to start knocking on doors."
"The take?" Lucinda frowned. "I'm not asking for donations, Mr. Romano."
"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say. You want to sell me magazines, right?"
"No, sir. As I said, I'm Lucinda Barry, and-"
This time the name registered. Joe blinked. "Bari?" he said, giving it the same rolling "r" as his grandmother.
Lucinda shook her head. "Barry. B-A-R-R-Y."
Joe's eyebrows rose. "Did you say your first name was Lucinda?"
"Yes." Her eyebrows rose, too. "Is that a problem?"
"No. Of course not. It's just that my grandmother told me it was Luciana. I'm surprised she got it wrong."
Lucinda forced a smile to her lips. "It's an easy error to make, I suppose, for an elderly woman who doesn't speak much English."
"My grandmother? But she speak ..." What did it matter? Luciana or Lucinda, the woman was here. Joe cleared his throat. "So. You're the-the cook," he said, staring at her and congratulating himself for not saying what he'd been thinking, which was, "You're the lesbian."
"I-" Yes, Lucinda reminded herself, absolutely, she was the cook. Didn't the certificate in her pocket prove it? The fact that Chef Florenze hadn't wanted to give it to her was immaterial.
"You have ruined me," he'd screamed after they were back in the kitchen and he'd said she wasn't going to get her certificate, after all. But her fellow students had rallied to her defense, crowding around with grim faces, and finally Florenze had yanked all the certificates from his pocket and thrown them on the floor. "Take them," he'd snarled.
Of course, he hadn't give her the two hundred and fifty dollars. But she had that piece of paper, the one that counted, in her pocket.
"Yes," Lucinda said proudly, and straightened her shoulders, "That's who I am, Mr. Romano. I am your birthday gift."
Joe winced. He looked around to see if any neighbors were out on their own porches and could possibly have overheard what she'd said. This proper-looking martinet with her annoying, unmistakably Bostonian accent, was hardly what a man wanted as a "gift:'
For once, his grandmother hadn't stretched the truth.
Lucinda Barry, of the pulled-back hair, the wire-framed glasses and the shapeless skirt and blouse, was truly a dog. A veritable bow-wow.
"Great," he muttered, grasping her arm and hustling her inside the house.
Lucinda held her breath, as if that would keep her body from brushing against his. It was difficult to imagine that body that very hard-looking, masculine body-as belonging to a man who would, uh, who would accept a juicy kiss from another man.
The shopping bags shifted. She made a wild attempt at recovery but it was too late. The one in her right arm tilted, spilling some of its contents to the floor. She bent down. He did, too.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I'm not usually such a-"
"Klutz?"
Something in the way he said the word made her look up. They were almost nose to nose, and the way he was staring at her made her uneasy.
"Yes. It's just that-" She frowned. A little prickle of awareness danced along the skin at the nape of her neck. "Have we-have we met before, Mr. Romano?"
His eyes narrowed. "I was about to ask you the same thing."
"I don't-I don't think so."
"No." He cleared his throat. "No, I'm sure we haven't." Of course, they hadn't. A man would remember a sad little mouse like this, if only because she was such a mouse. Joe began collecting the things that had spilled from the bag. A small strainer. A thing with a sharp end that looked like a dental tool gone mad. Another thing that seemed to be a cross between pliers and a-a-
Her smell. Gardenias. Or maybe old-fashioned roses, the kind Nonna grew behind her house...
Again their eyes met. He saw a flush rise in Lucinda Barry's cheeks. Good cheeks. Really good. Sharply defined, elegant, razor-sharp bones...
Joe frowned, got to his feet and held out the thing that looked like pliers.
"What in hell is that?" he said brusquely.
She rose, too, and ran the tip of her tongue across her lips. He fought back the sudden, almost overwhelming need to follow the simple motion of her tongue with his thumb. Good God, he was losing his mind! "It's-it's a garlic press."
"A garlic press," he repeated.
"Uh-huh." She reached out for it. Their fingers brushed, and he heard her catch her breath. "You know. For-for pressing garlic."
"For pressing garlic," Joe echoed. What was happening here? For a second, when her hand touched his, he'd felt as if he were having an out-of-body experience, almost as if a bolt of lightning had flamed through his veins. He was pretty sure she'd felt it, too. Looking into her eyes, he'd seen a flash of emerald-green behind the smoky lenses.
A thought flew into his head, then flew out again. A crazy thought, one not worth considering. "... the kitchen?"
Joe cleared his throat. "Sorry. What did you say?"
"I said, could I see the kitchen, please? That is-that is, if I'm hired."
"Hired?" Joe offered a thin smile. "My grandmother hired you, not me."
"Yes. Of course, Mr. Romano. But there was always the chance you wouldn't-wouldn't want me."
"Why, Miss Barry." Joe's smile tilted. "What ma
n in his right mind wouldn't want you?"
She didn't just blush, she turned crimson. Joe frowned. Why was he teasing her? He was in a foul mood this morning, yes, but it was all because of the woman in the cake. There was no reason to let it out on Lucinda Barry. It wasn't her fault his grandmother had "gifted" him with her presence, any more than it was her fault he'd been a jerk last night.
"There are those who wouldn't," she said politely.
One corner of Joe's mouth curled up in a smile. The woman was hard on the eyes. She didn't like men. But she had starch in her backbone. Good. That way, she wouldn't fall apart when he axed her in a couple of weeks.
"They'd be fools," he said smoothly, "considering how well you cook."
"That's, urn, that's very kind, sir. But, ah, but I'm still new to this, and-"
"Not to worry, Miss Barry. My tastes are simple." His smile turned genuine, almost friendly, and he slipped his arm, companionably, around her shoulders. "You won't find me the least bit demanding."
"I'm sure I won't, Mr. Romano." Lucinda stepped away from him and smiled, too, very politely. "Perhaps we can discuss your favorite foods later today, so I'll know which ones please you."
"Well," Joe said, and grinned. "I'm definitely a sap for a Big Mac and fries."
He waited for her to smile but she just went on looking at him as if she was afraid he was suddenly going to toss her over his shoulder and make off with her. Okay, so looping an arm around her had been an error, but he'd meant it as a peace offering. Bad move. Evidently, having a man touch Miss Lucinda Barry was not the way to put her at ease.
"Steaks," he said. "I like steaks, charred on the outside, rare on the inside."
Still nothing. Joe took a deep breath and tried again.
"Of course, I love anything Italian. And my grandmother says Italian dishes are your specialty."
"She did?"
"Nonna was very impressed that you'd studied in Florence.'
Florence? As in, Italy? The garlic press slipped from Lucinda's hand. It looked as if Joseph Romano's grandmother had gotten more than her name wrong, but Lucinda had the feeling this wasn't the time to tell him that, or to point out that the only time she'd visited Florence had been in her senior year at Stafford: when all the girls, her included, had gathered around the statue of David and gaped at his, um, his masculinity.
Romano's Revenge Page 4
