From Wedding Fling to Baby Surprise

by Nina Singh

  When had he ever noticed a stranger’s eyes before, let alone compared them to a sunset?

  Gianni found himself unable to tear his gaze away as she handed out the drinks and made small talk, the smile on her face clearly forced and strained. Watching her made him more curious than he could explain.

  Maybe she was just tired, maybe it had been a long night and her feet hurt in the lace-up, block-heeled black leather boots she was wearing.

  The real question was, why did he want to know so badly?

  CHAPTER TWO

  SHE COULD FEEL his eyes on her.

  And it was becoming harder and harder to ignore his gaze. Laney did her best to focus on the task at hand. All she had to do was deliver this tray of drinks, then head back for the next order. Then repeat.

  Simple. She’d done it hundreds of times in the past. But tonight felt different. She’d begun her shift feeling out of sorts because of Joseph’s cowardly phone call.

  But her discomfort at the moment consisted of a whole other layer. She was beyond aware of the customer sitting alone at the table by the edge of the dance floor. He definitely wasn’t a regular. She would have remembered a face like his. Dark, handsome in an angular, sharp-jawed kind of way. Not her usual type at all. The man was clearly fit. By contrast, Joseph had been fair and rather lanky. As were the few other men she’d dated over the years. Whereas this man couldn’t be described as lanky at all. Probably not since junior high. Broad-shouldered with toned muscles visible through the long-sleeved Henley shirt he wore, he was the fittest specimen of a man she’d seen. And he seemed to carry it with an air of grace.

  She’d never gone for muscular before. Nothing about this stranger should be calling to her in any way.

  Why was he here alone? He didn’t seem the type to often be lacking in female company.

  Even as the thought ran through her mind, a tall statuesque blonde in mile-high stilettos strode over to him from the other side of the bar. That hadn’t taken long at all. Laney hadn’t thought he’d be standing there by himself for long, and she’d been right. She prepared herself for the show; the lady was no doubt ready to laser blast all her charm on the guy, who was probably all too willing to receive it. Only, upon closer inspection, the expression on the woman’s face appeared less than flirtatious. In fact, she looked downright angry. Combative, even.

  Before Laney could so much as process what was happening, the woman flung out her arm in a flash of movement. The next instant, the gentleman’s shirt was soaked and his face dripping with the evening’s cocktail special.

  The woman had tossed her drink in his face!

  She gave a final humph with a raise of her chin, then stomped back where she’d come from.

  To his credit, he didn’t react in any kind of anger or frustration. He didn’t even look shocked, for that matter.

  Laney faltered in her step. As proprietor of the establishment, she had to tend to her customers. All of them.

  She made her way over to him, pulling out the tea towel from her apron’s waistband. She handed it to him when she reached his side. Luckily, none of the liquid had made its way to the floor to cause any kind of slipping hazard. Or rather unluckily in his case, it had all landed squarely on his person.

  “Thanks,” he uttered, wiping his face and neck.

  “No problem.”

  He did the best he could with the towel before handing it back to her.

  “Just one question,” she began, seemingly unable to help herself.

  He shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

  “Did you deserve it?”

  He had the gall to wink at her before answering, “Probably.”

  * * *

  “Go ahead and laugh,” Gianni prompted. His skin felt sticky everywhere the cocktail had landed. His reflexes were usually a bit better than that, but he hadn’t moved in time to duck the unexpected assault. Too distracted by the cute waitress. The one who stood gaping at him, a slight smile of amusement quivering along her lips.

  The perpetrator of the tequila toss had already made her way back to the refuge of her circle of friends. They each took turns throwing disgusted looks in his direction as the drink-flinger sniffled and wiped away a tear from her cheek.

  For the life of him, he didn’t recognize her. No doubt that was part of the problem.

  The cute waitress was still there, clearly trying hard not to smile or laugh at him.

  “Probably, huh?”

  “Yeah. I’m usually a lot quicker to duck. She caught me off guard.”

  An elegant dark eyebrow arched up and she bit the inside of her cheek. Such an innocent gesture that somehow shot a surge of longing through his chest.

  “Usually?” she asked. “Does this sort of thing happen to you often, then?”

  “I’m going to opt not to answer that, if it’s all the same to you.” He smiled as he answered, then wiped a hand down his face to remove more of the moisture. “The ride home should be fun,” he added.

  She seemed to peruse him, her gaze traveling from his forehead down to his soaked shirt, then lower to his feet. She chewed her cheek some more, as if considering. Seemingly, she came to some kind of conclusion or decision.

  “Here, follow me,” she told him. Without waiting for any kind of answer, she turned on her heel and strode across the dance floor.

  What choice did he have?

  Gianni started after her, careful not to lose her in the throng of gyrating dancers.

  He caught up to her at the bar where she took a left and headed toward a narrow hallway.

  “Where are we going exactly?” he asked her back.

  “There should be a dry shirt or two in the back office. Hopefully, one of them will fit.”

  They passed the restrooms and a utility door. Finally, she stopped at the last door and pulled a key ring out of her apron pocket. He followed her inside the room without any thought or hesitation. A strange and unexpected thought reared in the back of his mind—if this stranger asked him to, he’d follow her anywhere.

  He gave his head a shake. Now he was just being fanciful. Sure, she was attractive. Hair so dark it was striking, olive skin, shapely in a way that screamed sultry. But she really wasn’t his type. His type usually fell toward blonds with porcelain skin and yoga-toned physiques. A lot like the woman who’d just flung a drink at him, in fact.

  “We always keep some clean clothes back here,” she was saying. “For any bartenders or servers who might be having a clumsy night.”

  “Lucky for me.”

  She went into what looked like a utility closet and emerged holding a button-down short-sleeved cotton shirt with a band collar. Really not his style, though it wasn’t as if he could be choosy at the moment. It would feel good to get the sticky wet shirt off once and for all.

  “So, if you don’t mind my asking, what brings you to the Carpe D?”

  He had to chuckle at her question. He must have stuck out like a sore thumb out there.

  “Why do you ask?” Rhetorical question. He knew the answer.

  A small smile spread over her lips. “Let’s just say you’re not our usual niche of clientele. And I didn’t see you on the dance floor even once.”

  He returned her smile. “Trust me, no one needs to see me dance.”

  “Then why?”

  He shrugged, tried to choose his words carefully. Though he didn’t want to lie to her, he couldn’t exactly tell her the truth and risk the owner getting wind of his intention. Not just yet anyway.

  “My brother’s been talking up this place since it opened. He was supposed to come with me but something came up and he backed out.” It was all completely true. Technically, he hadn’t actually lied to her about anything. His mamma’s voice echoed through his head, telling him an omission of the truth was still a deceitful lie. But Mamma’s strict code of ethics could
be taken with a grain of salt given the reality he’d grown up with.

  “Something came up, huh?” she asked.

  “Yeah. Very last minute. So I figured I’d just check it out finally even though I’d be alone.”

  Her eyes narrowed on his. She looked suspicious. He diverted by changing the subject. “So, I didn’t catch your name.”

  She gave her head a shake. “Sorry. Very rude of me. I’m Laney.”

  He nodded. “Laney. Pretty name. I’m Gianni Martino.”

  “Nice to meet you.” She chewed her bottom lip. “Sorry your first time here is ending on such a sour note.” She motioned to his wet chest. “If it makes you feel better, my evening didn’t start out all that great either.”

  “Oh?”

  She shook her head. “I was unceremoniously dumped. Over the phone, no less. He didn’t even have the decency to come by and do it in person.” Her gaze dropped to her feet. “He told me I bored him.”

  There was genuine hurt threaded through her tone. “He sounds like quite the fool.”

  She lifted her head back up.

  He continued, “I know we just met, but that’s the last word I would use to describe you.”

  “Oh? Why’s that?”

  “Everything from the way you’re dressed to the way you make a living tells me you’re far from dull. Tell me, what does this ex of yours do?”

  “He’s an accountant.”

  Of course. He had to laugh out loud at that. “Just as I guessed, clear case of projection if you ask me.”

  She tilted her head in question. “Come again?”

  He shrugged. “Sounds like he’s the one guilty of the accusations he’s throwing around. The man probably figured he’d get out before you came to your senses and realized who the really boring one in the relationship is.”

  She tapped her chin with a perfectly manicured nail. “I see you might have a point. The man’s idea of a good time is to play a round of golf, then sit in the clubhouse for several hours after.” She looked up at him, blinking. “You’re right! I’m not the boring one. He is. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Glad to be of service.”

  His reward was a wide smile. “Well, Gianni. Typical client or not, I’m glad you came in. Despite the minor scene out there.”

  She’d surprised him with her admission. “Me too. Drink attack and all.”

  “I hope you’ll come back.”

  He had no doubt about it. “Definitely. I know I will.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  A heavy moment of silence ensued. She seemed to have a rare magnetism that steadily pulled him toward her orbit. He’d never experienced anything like it before. Gianni grasped for something to say. He couldn’t explain his strong reaction to her, not even to himself. An intense electricity seemed to be crackling between them. The term “sparks fly” came to mind. He’d never experienced anything so heady in the presence of a woman he’d just met.

  Stop it already.

  There he was being all imaginative again. He’d just met the woman for heaven’s sake.

  “You probably want to get out of that wet shirt.”

  Grabbing the hem of his pullover, he pulled it off over his head. He looked up to find her studying him, from his waistband over his stomach to his chest, then his shoulders. When her gaze returned to his, something had shifted in her eyes. They’d grown darker, heavy-lidded. She apparently liked what she saw.

  He knew raw attraction when he saw it. If there’d been any doubt about the subtle pull between them earlier, there was no mistaking it now. And it was most definitely mutual.

  * * *

  Laney had no way of describing the wanton attraction that seemed to be humming over her skin straight through to her core. And she certainly couldn’t explain why she’d confided in him, a mere stranger really, about her breakup. Yet, the way he’d tried to reassure her had sent a curl of warmth from her chest down to her belly. Maybe he had a point. Now that she thought about it, what exactly did Joseph think made him so exciting in comparison? He certainly couldn’t hold a candle to the man standing before her now.

  Even before he’d taken his shirt off and she’d laid eyes on that washboard stomach and finely chiseled chest. When had she ever gawked at a man before? But here she was now, her mouth not working, unable to tear her gaze away from his bare skin.

  Finally, Gianni cleared his throat, pulling her out of her reverie. His gaze fell to the shirt she held in her hands, further jarring her into the present.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry. Here you go,” she blurted as she handed it to him. What a shameful reaction to a man simply taking his shirt off. She felt the sting of embarrassment heat up in her cheeks.

  As he took it from her, their fingertips brushed ever so slightly. A lightning bolt of electricity seemed to shoot from her hand straight through to her very center. She let her arm linger, still touching his hand.

  Snap out of it!

  What was wrong with her? She was acting like a schoolgirl who’d just been approached by the high school quarterback in the hallway between classes.

  Only, when she looked back up to the stranger’s face, there was no mistaking the heat behind his eyes. Maybe it was merely wishful thinking on her part, but it appeared her attraction to this man wasn’t exactly one-sided. He confirmed that suspicion when he took an ever so slight step in Laney’s direction, and her breath suddenly grew heavier. What might happen if she took a step too? They’d be within a hair’s width of each other, close enough to kiss.

  Did she dare?

  A sudden vibrating in her back pocket along with the sound of her ringtone yanked her out of the moment. She thought about ignoring it, but maybe the interruption had happened for a reason. The atmosphere had grown much too thick with tension.

  “Excuse me.” Reluctantly, she dropped her arm and reached for her cell phone.

  The photo appearing on the screen was her sister’s profile picture. What a way to be pulled back to reality.

  Gianni gave her a nod, indicating she should go ahead and take the call. In one fluid motion, he pulled the shirt over his head to put it on. What a shame.

  “Hey, Em. Can I call you back? I’m working.” A fact her sister was very well aware of.

  Not surprisingly, Emily didn’t heed her request. “Okay. But, just real quick, have you and Joseph signed off on the hotel room?”

  Laney swallowed. At some point, she was going to have to tell Emily and her parents that she’d be attending her sister’s wedding events solo. Not something she was looking forward to. And definitely not something she was at all prepared to do just yet. Especially not with the tall dark and handsome stranger standing just a couple of feet away.

  For one selfish moment, Laney wanted to pretend the call had dropped and hang up on her sister. To return her focus back to Mr. Chiseled Jaw. But it was too late; he was already turning away and heading back out the door. He mumbled something about making sure to return the borrowed shirt over his shoulder as he walked out.

  An irrational sense of loss struck at the center of her chest. She had half a mind to call him back. To then say what? How pathetic it would sound to simply ask him to stay. She had no reason to do so. So she just watched as he shut the door behind him and released a heavy sigh. She shouldn’t have expected anything to go her way today of all days.

  Would she ever see him again? Why did she so badly want to?

  “Are you even listening, Laney? Laney? Elaine!” Laney jumped, jarred by the use of her proper name. Her sister demanded an answer through her phone speaker.

  “Everything’s all set,” she responded, lying to her sister because she simply couldn’t get into the mess that was her personal life right now. “Don’t worry about anything. Your wedding is going to go off without a hitch.”

  She could hear Emily’s sigh of
relief over the phone. “Thanks, sis. I know I’m approaching bridezilla level here. I just want everything to go smoothly.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll call you later, Em. I really do have to go,” she said gently before clicking off the call.

  Laney loved her sister, she really did. But Em could be a bit highly strung at times. And her approaching wedding had somehow severely exaggerated that trait. Not that anyone could fault Emily for her type-A personality. Look at how far it had gotten her in life. A steadily advancing career as a junior lawyer, countless accomplishments and awards within her industry, and now her engagement to a seemingly perfect all-American up-and-coming investment banker.

  Yep, by all standards, her sister was the very embodiment of success. Everything her parents could have hoped for. Just like Mom and Dad, in fact. Wealthy, established, highly regarded in their field.

  Unlike their other daughter.

  In contrast to her sister, Laney had dropped out of school rather than go on to earn an advanced degree in law. After leaving school to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer, Laney had been rejected audition after audition. She’d decided to do the next best thing—find a way she could be near music and dancing while she made a living. So, instead of investing the nice nest egg that their grandfather had left them the way Emily had, Laney used hers to open a nightclub. While Emily had followed in their parent’s pedigreed and polished footsteps, Laney had taken the road less traveled.

  May they one day forgive her for it.

  Somehow their differences were made all the worse because Laney was older by two years. But Emily was the one everyone had always admired and looked up to. Even Laney herself. Who could blame her? Unlike her, Em never felt out of place or like a square peg in a round hole.

  And now Laney was going to have to go and explain to all of them yet another failure. She was certain she’d dodged a bullet. After all, if Joseph could be so cold and callous after two years of dating, sooner or later that defect in his character was going to emerge.

  Still, on the surface Laney just knew it was going to look like she’d somehow managed to foul up yet another good thing she’d had going for her. No doubt, her parents would ultimately find a way to blame her. It would hardly matter that he’d almost certainly been cheating on her. Somehow, she’d be found to be the one to blame for his indiscretion.