“Too short? My face has nice angles?” The nerve of this man. Who the hell says that to someone?
“It’s a compliment.” He stood back and gave me a panty-melting smile. “Take it.”
“Being compared to a short elf is a compliment? Thanks.”
“I never said elf, did I?”
Heat rose from my ankles to my neck, and if I could spit fire, I would have. If I stayed at this party much longer, I was sure any makeup I had left on my angular face would melt off. Rather than shoot the breeze about bone structure with a man who clearly got under my skin, I decided to go to the ladies’ room to make sure I didn’t look like a raccoon who’d just left a sauna. “Please excuse me.”
“Something I said?” The left side of his mouth quirked up at the corner, but then morphed into a full-blown grin as I shook my head and walked away.
Brae and Vanessa noticed my hasty retreat, and before I knew it, the three of us were huddled in the ladies’ room like teenage girls.
“Are you okay?” Catching Brae’s worried expression in the mirror made me feel guilty for bringing this party down. My friends shouldn’t be concerned about me; they should be enjoying themselves.
“A bit rattled, but I’m fine.” I pulled a tissue from my purse and began to blot the tiny beads of sweat I could feel on my neck.
Vanessa slicked her lips with a red gloss before turning to me. “It’s Dante, isn’t it? I will say, the man is stunning.” When Brae and I looked at her with disbelief, she shrugged. “What? You can’t tell me he isn’t gorgeous.”
“Oh, he’s gorgeous all right… and he’s as cocky as they come.”
Brae laughed. “Jude was super cocky too, remember?”
“What do you mean, was?” I shook my head and continued. “But at least he wasn’t an ass, even when you thought he was Mr. Wrong. And then you found out he was your Mr. Right.”
Vanessa agreed with my assessment. “That’s what’s so great about Kyle—what you see is what you get.”
“Yeah, a sex fiend.” Brae laughed at my description, but it was the truth. Kyle, also known as Mr. Flirt, was definitely the perfect match for Vanessa.
“Well, if you got it…” She let her words trail off. “You know, Dante could be loads of fun. He’s nothing like his brother, Mr. Romeo.” I had to smile as Vanessa reminded me of Luca’s nickname. It fit him perfectly. “According to Kyle, Dante’s a kinky fucker.” An immediate blush reddened my cheeks. Hearing this bit of news made it even more necessary to stay away from that dangerous man. When Brae and I stared at her with wide eyes, she amended her statement. “Those were Kyle’s words, not mine. Apparently, the man is experienced.”
“Well, I’m not looking for Mr. Kinky. I’m not looking for Mr. Anybody. Just because all of you are paired off doesn’t mean I need to be,” I lied. Deep down I longed for the love my friends had found, but kink was out of my comfort zone.
Vanessa scoffed, “You’re so full of it. Come on, Cass, why else would you be dating Mr. Yuppie?” Brae giggled again, and once again I glared at my friends.
“We’re not dating. We went out a few times, that’s all. And Thomas is not Mr. Yuppie. That’s how he dresses for work.”
“He wore a shirt and tie to Dispatch last week for happy hour.” Vanessa’s voice raised a few octaves. “Who wears that to a bar?”
“I’m not going to stand here and defend a nice guy when the biggest jackass is beyond that door. Did you know his nipple is pierced?”
Vanessa licked her lips. “Oh, really? Wait, how do you know that? Did you…”
I snapped at Vanessa. “No! What is wrong with you?” She shrugged in response. “I saw it through his T-shirt.”
“Yum. I wonder if he’s pierced anyplace else.” Vanessa said as Brae sucked in a breath. “You know, that can bring a woman to orgasm quicker.”
“How do you know?” Before my friend could respond I snatched a towel to dry my hands and added, “Never mind. Don’t answer that. When are we having cake? I’m getting a headache.”
Brae placed her hand on my shoulder. “Sweetie, are you sure you didn’t bang your head in the accident? Maybe you should go see a doctor.”
“I didn’t bang my head.” Although, based on how this evening had played out I wanted to bang my head against a wall. “Let’s get back out there before Jude busts through the door.”
We filed out of the ladies’ room to witness most of the guests dancing or drinking happily enjoying Kyle’s open bar. In the short time we’d been in there it seemed the party had gotten even livelier.
As predicted, Jude was waiting a mere two feet away for Brae. The man loved her like she was the reason he existed. I’d never witnessed such devotion before. Yes, Kyle loved Vanessa, and Luca loved Sabrina, but Jude had an intense possessiveness toward Brae. It was sexy as well as endearing. What would a love like that be like?
I shook my head, bringing myself back to reality, which wasn’t difficult because when I looked up, Dante was laughing with Luca and Sabrina, camera in hand and taking pictures of the happy couple. When he pointed the camera at us, I shielded my face. God only knew where those pictures would end up. With my luck, Dante would create a meme of me with a sarcastic tagline and plaster it on social media.
Vanessa struck a pose when Dante aimed the lens at her. Then in true V fashion, she pointed to his chest. “Nice piercing.”
Everyone looked to where Vanessa pointed. Jude grabbed a beer from the bartender before tipping the bottle toward Dante. “I still can’t believe you got that thing on a dare.”
A dare? I wondered what that story was. No, Cassie, I reprimanded myself. Don’t go there; you don’t want to know.
Luca laughed at his brother. “You’re such an idiot.”
Kyle was about to say something, but Vanessa stroked his chest. “You know, that would be super sexy on you, babe.”
“Not a chance. That had to hurt like a son of a bitch.” Kyle kissed Vanessa on her cheek, and added, “But if you want to get yours pierced, be my guest. Speaking of boobs, let’s have cake.”
Everyone looked confused until Vanessa giggled and said, “He likes frosting.”
TMI. We gathered around the white-and-pink confection shaped like a perfume bottle. Once the candles were lit, and the song was sung, I was ready to leave. A flash caught my attention, and when I looked to my right, Dante was pressing the shutter button on his camera, taking pictures of everyone.
He walked to where he’d left his jacket and returned with an envelope in his hand. “This is for you.” He gave it to Vanessa. “I’m sorry I didn’t have time to stop at a store before I came, and airport gift shops aren’t really my thing. I’d be happy to take your portrait, my treat.”
“Thank you so much, I’d love that.” Luca’s eyes cut to mine before Dante strolled toward the bar. With him gone, I decided now was as good a time as any to announce my exit. Walking up to Vanessa, I said, “Hey, I’m going to head home.”
“Why?” was her immediate response. She leaned closer and added, “Once all these other yahoos get lost, the real party will start.”
“You’ll fill me in tomorrow.” Guilt squeezed inside my chest from the look on her face. “I love you. Happy birthday.”
“Me too, Cass.” After hugging Vanessa, Kyle handed me a party favor as I said my goodbye to the others and made a hasty beeline for the front doors. I had such high hopes for this evening—dancing, enjoying my friends. I could blame the fender bender for the headache pounding in my temples, but that would be a lie.
I owed it all to the kinky newbie named Dante. Never in my wildest imagination did I think a cocky jackass would make my insides clench, but he did. Maybe it was the circumstances, but I had a feeling it was much more than that. Dante was different than any man I’d known, and yet in a matter of minutes, he’d been able to ignite a fire inside me that hadn’t been stoked in years… or ever.
Chapter 3
Dante
Unpacking was the worst p
art of moving. Thankfully, Luca had taken the day off to help me. I had lived in several places, and with each move, I disliked it more and more. Getting too old for this shit, I decided maybe this time sticking around longer than a year or two wouldn’t be a bad idea. Besides Milan, New York was the perfect place for my business to thrive. The move to Manhattan had been instigated by a major modeling agency contacting me to do multiple prominent shoots. I couldn’t turn them down. Couple that with the other gigs I could easily line up, plus the fact that Luca lived here, and it made it a no-brainer.
Finding an available unit in Luca’s building was another bonus. Thanks to my success as a photographer, buying the two-bedroom apartment was doable. Plus, using the second bedroom as a studio would save me the hassle of renting space elsewhere.
While Luca focused on my kitchen, I worked in the living room. After an hour or so, the clanging of pots and pans ceased. Luca walked out of the kitchen and asked, “Hey, do you want to grab lunch?” My brother’s eyes fixated on the large photograph I had hung. “Wait, isn’t that Charlene?”
Luca was the only one I had confided in, and it hadn’t been by choice. He’d happened to meet her once or twice, and then to his displeasure, he’d been in California when Charlene and I had decided to call it quits. “It is.” I quickly explained that although displaying it was weird, it had nothing to do with the person in the photo.
“It’s a beautiful shot, but isn’t it difficult for you to have it front and center in your home?” He shook his head, still focusing on the woman and not the art.
“It’s not about her.” It wasn’t. Yes, Charlene was a gorgeous woman, but as I concentrated on the portrait, I could see past all the makeup and perfect blond highlights. What first caught my attention were her hazel eyes. They glittered as if she always had the sun shining in them.
She and I had dated for almost two years. She was the closest I’d ever come to wanting to spend the rest of my life with someone. Our jobs took us to various places around the globe, from Hawaii to South Africa. But when she was offered a contract in France, she moved. In not so many words, she’d insinuated she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Charlene had felt it was the perfect time for us to explore new and different experiences. It took no time at all for her to begin a new relationship with a businessman she met in Paris. I suppose everything happened for a reason. “Like I said, what we had ended, and we’ve both moved on.”
My brother cocked an eyebrow. “Okay, if you say so.”
“I do.” I raked my hand through my hair, no longer wanting to talk about Charlene. “Did you say something about lunch?”
Forty-five minutes later, Luca and I sat in a booth, enjoying the daily special at a nearby diner decorated in a 1950s motif. Elvis crooned softly in the background while the waitstaff scurried around in bubblegum-pink uniforms.
“Ma called last night worried about you.”
The burger I had in my hands stopped its path toward my mouth. “If she texted, like the rest of society, she’d know I was fine.”
“You’re lucky she’s even using a cell phone at all. Can you please call her, so she stops bothering me?” Luca shoved a fry into his mouth, acting as the older, more responsible brother. Somewhere between our preteens and adulthood, we had switched roles. “I’m not your personal assistant.”
“She likes you better anyway. Besides, every call is no less than forty-five minutes long, and most of the time she’s yelling at me for some reason. You having found your Ms. Perfect doesn’t help my case. So thank you for falling in love.” Luca beamed, and I forced my hand to stay still and not slap that dopey lovey-dovey look off his face. “Seriously, you’re making my life very difficult. Not only is she happy her middle child found the love of his life, but she has an instant grandson. Way to go, little brother.”
Luca shrugged. “Sucks to be you, right? Don’t forget, I was in your shoes not so long ago.”
“Not even close. Ma hated Charlene. If you recall, the one and only time they met, Ma made lasagna and she may as well have set a plate of fat in front of my girlfriend.” Luca’s laugh caused me to grimace. “Yeah, very funny. I swear, the day I told her we broke up, I heard a champagne cork fly into the air. Followed by a lecture on how she knows best.”
“Well, in her defense, Charlene, although beautiful, was all wrong for you. Sabrina, on the other hand, is all right for me. I can’t wait for Ma to meet her and Mikey in person. The next trip I take with them will be to Milan.”
“Be careful, she might have Father Pietro in the living room waiting to officiate your nuptials.”
“That might not be a bad plan.”
“Wow, you’re pussy-whipped worse than I thought.” Luca scowled. “Fine, I’m sorry. Maybe that was the wrong phrasing. What I meant was, that sounds wonderful. Anyway, once I’m settled, I’ll call Mom.”
No sooner had I taken the first bite of my lunch when my phone dinged with a text from an insurance adjuster. Was this ever going to go away? I plopped my burger onto the plate so I could open my cell and read the rest of the text.
Tossing the phone on the Formica table, I growled. “Jesus Christ.”
“Problems?” Luca asked before he took another healthy bite of his meal.
“Now some adjuster needs my statement. You’d think I drove the damn car involved in that stupid accident. I need to fill out more paperwork as a witness, even though I didn’t see anything.”
The way my brother methodically wiped his hands on a napkin meant a lecture was coming. “You know, Cassie is really upset about that.”
“Really?” I scoffed. “I never would have guessed. The chick jumped down my throat as if I was at fault.”
“Cassie hardly ever drives that car. She was shaken up, so cut her some slack.” He shook his head with a sigh. “Look, you’re my brother, and I love you… but Cassie is very special to me. All I’m asking is for you to be nice. I’ve known her for over a year, and I’ve never seen her so agitated before.”
“I find that hard to believe.” At his glare, I put my hands up in defense. “Look, I get it, but I’m an innocent party in all of this.” When Luca wordlessly crossed his arms in front of his chest, I conceded. “Fine. I’ll play nice.”
“That’s all I’m asking.”
I was finally able to eat the rest of my food in peace. As Luca filled me in on how busy he was at work, my mind went elsewhere. It had little to do with the financial-world jargon he seemed obsessed with. Even though I couldn’t fathom loving that line of work, my lack of interest in finances wasn’t what caused me to zone out. It was the mention of his blond friend that forced a strange curiosity to fester in my mind. With all her friends now paired off, how did she spend her time? Was there a boyfriend, or did she sit at home grading papers while watching bad reality TV? An image of Cassie hovering over a stack of papers while wearing nerdy glasses should have invoked pity, yet strangely enough, it elicited intrigue.
“Okay, you can at least pretend you’re listening,” Luca said as he pushed his empty plate away.
“I was listening. You and Jude are rock stars in the financial market… the end,” I responded, sarcasm dripping. “So, um… maybe I’ll call her. You know, to apologize.” Lifting my phone, I asked, “What’s her number?” My brother staring at me for a few seconds had me adding, “Seriously?”
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. She doesn’t like you.”
“Ouch.” Feigning shock, I covered my heart with my hand. As if I didn’t know that already? “Okay, then I’ll be forced to stalk her online and maybe show up at her school.” And just like that, Luca began reciting Cassie’s number, knowing that my calling her was most definitely the lesser of three evils.
Cassie
Normally, at this time of year excitement coursed through me. Yes, summer ending always caused a touch of sadness, but once I got into my classroom and began decorating for my new class, everything I loved about teaching took over. Fresh faces eager to learn and eager
to please served as the best motivator. Especially for someone like me who tended to live for her work. Yet this year, for the first time ever, I felt antsy.
While tacking paper apples with each student’s name on them onto the bulletin board, I became lost in thought for the millionth time that day. Maybe I needed a vacation? And not one like I’d just had, lying on the beach lost in a book. I needed a real adventure, in Australia, or Bali, or South Africa.
Hell, I’d love to spin the globe that sat on my windowsill, close my eyes, and go wherever my finger landed. With my luck lately, I’d end up smack-dab in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
There was a time my friend Vanessa had the same aspirations, to travel and see the world. She had since added many stamps in her passport, thanks to Kyle. Unfortunately, I didn’t have someone waiting in the wings, ready to whisk me away. I had money saved up, more than enough to take time off. But as quickly as that thought came to me, knowing I’d miss my students brought me back to reality. Could a midlife crisis arrive in someone’s late twenties?
Maybe I needed to do something crazy like get my boob pierced? As quickly as that thought popped into my head, I let it fly out. Who was I kidding? It took me years to get my ears pierced.
“Knock, knock.” Turning, I saw Thomas standing in my doorway, dressed as usual, professional tie and perfect oxford in place. “Need help?” he asked, a warm smile spreading over his handsome face.
Glancing at my wall of apples, I said, “I’m okay. I wanted to finish my ‘Good Deed’ chart, but I’ll do that tomorrow.”
“I’m depending on you to instill those morals this year, so next year they’ll come to me as first graders with good hearts.”
“I’ll try, but we both know a lot can happen over a summer.”
Thomas walked deeper into my classroom before leaning against one of the desks facing mine. He had cuffed his crisp white dress shirt slightly below his elbows, revealing the golden tan that had developed over the summer. The stiff cotton fabric did little to hide his muscular shoulders, upper arms, or even his chest.
The Mr. Wrong Series Page 81
