by Jill Shalvis
Not that they were making a lot of money. Enough to keep up with the cost of living, but that was about it. Fortunately, their rent was still amazingly cheap, so they weren’t about to make any changes. What would her parents do if they didn’t run this place? As the sign above the marquee proudly proclaimed, Moretti’s had been in the family since 1931.
She thought about Robert as she sliced the large Sicilian pie, then closed the box. He’d been in Rome for two months now, and while they talked two or three times a week, she wasn’t quite sure where that left their relationship. For the three years she’d known Robert, he’d wanted to work for Inside the Vatican. More than he wanted anything, including her. Oh, he’d argue otherwise, but she knew better.
There were two salads to go, which she put in the cold bag, along with the liter of soda. Then she stuck it all on the pickup counter and turned to the next pizza while Jeannette caught another phone order. The dinner hour had just begun and they were already slammed. Especially with that birthday party for twelve coming up.
The bell above the door rang, but instead of Mike Cho, it was Dominic who walked into the restaurant.
Sara stilled, and in the span of a second she was thirteen years old again, a geeky, flat-chested, mousy little girl who’d cried for two whole nights, convinced her life was over.
He’d changed. Broader chest, a hint of a five o’clock shadow on his strong jaw, his swagger more assured. He’d been the best-looking guy in school, but now he might just be the best-looking guy in New York. His eyes seemed darker, and his hair looked like her fingers would get lost in those thick brown waves, and for heaven’s sake, even his smile had gotten more charming.
As if she didn’t dislike him enough already.
But it certainly made sense that Ellie had a crush on him. One quick glance at Jeannette, and yep, she wasn’t immune either. Sara remembered how she’d written Mrs. Dominic Paladino, Mrs. Sara Paladino, and Mrs. Sarafina Paladino ad nauseum on a half dozen notebooks starting at age twelve. Which stopped abruptly at age thirteen, after that day. She’d destroyed notebooks, journal entries, anything that mentioned him, purging him from her life.
The next year it was time to make the big switch to high school. Even though she’d begged her parents to let her go to the all-girls Catholic school in Midtown, they’d sent her to Loyola. The school ruled by Dom and all his jock friends.
Lucky for her, he’d barely acknowledged that she was alive.
At least now she could return the favor.
* * *
DOM PALADINO HAD been grateful to get out of his folks’ house for a little while. The conversation had turned to Tony’s wedding. Again. Even with Catherine’s parents all the way in Europe, everyone, including them, felt compelled to throw in their two cents.
Poor Catherine had been getting it from both sides. She was trying her best to keep the affair to a manageable size but her folks—both diplomats who had about a million political “friends” that had to be invited—didn’t seem to know the meaning of compromise. At this rate, they’d have to get St. Patrick’s Cathedral to hold them all. Dom had told Tony to elope a dozen times, but had his eldest brother listened? Fine. His business, his problem. Just as Dom had left the house, the discussion had turned to the relatives who still lived in Italy that should be on the guest—
His thoughts skidded to a halt. Was that Sara?
Holy shit, she’d… Blossomed.
He greeted Ellie and Jeannette in his usual manner, but his gaze was magnetically drawn to Sara Moretti. He hadn’t seen her in years and damn she looked hot. Gorgeous light brown hair that hit just below her shoulders. And those eyes of hers. If he’d had any doubt she was Sara, those big hazel eyes would’ve confirmed it. He tried to imagine that skinny, shy kid with braces from his past, but her transformation was too impressive. Probably still smart as could be, though. “Sara?”
She gave him an abrupt nod, then turned her back to slice a large pizza.
Above the piped-in Italian music, he heard Ellie gasp.
He didn’t get it. Why had Sara been so curt? He tried to remember if he’d done anything bad to her back in the day. He didn’t think so. Yeah, at times he’d been an arrogant little shit in high school, but not usually. Mostly out of rebellion, considering he had his older brothers’ reputations to live up to.
Dom honestly couldn’t remember having much interaction with Sara, not even at church functions or here in her family’s pizza parlor.
“How are the wedding plans coming along?” Ellie asked.
“Oh, man. I don’t want to even hear the word ‘wedding.’ The whole thing is insane. If I ever start talking about that, remind me, would you?”
“I bet Tony’s excited.” Ellie blushed as she went over to the soda machine. She poured him a cola, squeezed a piece of lime, put a lid on it, slid in a straw and handed the cup to Dom. “Here you go.”
“Thanks, Ellie. The boys at school still driving you crazy? Say the word and I’ll make sure they behave.”
“Stop it,” she said, the pink on her cheeks looking a little spotted. “They’re all stupid.”
“Still no one special then?”
“Ew, no.”
He laughed, just as Mike Cho, a guy he knew from Loyola, then the local gym, came into the restaurant.
“Dominic,” Mike said. “What’s the matter? You don’t lift anymore?”
“I moved. I’m living in the Cast Iron District now.”
“That’s not far.”
“No,” Dom said. “But I’ve been going to Body Space Fitness in Union Square.”
“I heard that’s a good place. They have a pool, right?”
“And killer instructors.”
“Can you hook me up with a pass? I might be willing to take the bus for a pool.”
“Sure. I’ll give you a call.”
Sara came to the counter, carrying a big take-out bag for Mike along with his pizza. “That’ll be twenty-six fifty.”
“You new here?” Mike asked, his voice dropping half an octave as he forgot that her eyes were above her chest.
“That’s Sara Moretti,” Dom said. “She’s been away at college. Studying…journalism?”
Sara glanced at him as if she hadn’t realized he could speak full sentences. “That’s right.” Then she looked at Mike again. “I remember you from Loyola. You wrote for the paper a couple of times.”
“You’re that Sara? Wow. You’ve changed.”
“I hope so.” Sara smiled. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Yeah, same here. How long have you been back?”
“Just a week.”
“So, you here to stay?” Mike asked.
“I’m not sure,” she said with a small shrug that drew Dom’s attention to her breasts straining the fabric of her T-shirt. “I’m working on my master’s thesis so I’ll be here long enough to finish it.”
Dom realized he was behaving as badly as Mike had, and he snapped his attention up to her face. Her lips were moving but Dom hadn’t heard a thing she’d said.
She and Mike laughed about something, and then Sara asked, “Will that be cash?”
Cho whipped out his wallet, fumbled with his credit card, then smiled at her with such eagerness, Dom debated getting him that gym pass.
While Sara swiped Mike’s card, he looked at Dom, lifting his brows in what was supposed to be a guy-bonding moment. Dom ignored it. He wasn’t sure why he was irritable. Mike was a good guy. They’d competed in track.
As Sara handed him back his card, Mike grinned. “You made that paper a decent read,” he said. “Much better than Billy Calabrini.”
“Thanks. That’s nice of you, but if you’ll excuse me. I have to—” She nodded her chin in the direction of the kitchen and drifted toward the prep counter.
Mike’s grin faded with every step she took. But that didn’t stop him from eyeing how those worn jeans cupped her ass. “Well, can’t win `em all,” he said. He turned for the door. “Later.
”
“Yeah, later.” Of course Dom had been checking her out also. But that was different. He took a sip of his soda, then got out his wallet when he saw Sara packing up his order. He put cash on the counter, then a tip in the jar. Like always. When she came with his stuff, he smiled—not as enthusiastically as Mike had. “You never asked me to write for the paper.”
“Mike volunteered,” she said, not meeting his gaze.
“I didn’t know that was an option.”
“It was,” she said, as she stared at his soda. A moment later, he watched her add the cost to his bill before she rang it up. “Besides, as I recall, you were always too busy.”
“Uh-oh. I think I must have done something to you back in school.”
She didn’t answer at first, just stared down. “What do you mean?”
“Charging for the soda?” he said, joking. Trying to get her to lighten up. Maybe she’d caught him checking her out and was pissed. “I mean, I’m happy to pay for it, but…”
Ellie rushed over to her sister’s side and bumped Sara’s shoulder. “I’m sure you never did anything bad to her. She’s just been gone too long and doesn’t know the routine anymore.”
Dom smiled, trying to figure out the expression on Sara’s face. Was she really annoyed about the buck seventy-five, or was this about something else? He hadn’t seen Sara in years and—
Jesus. The long-ago memory flashed like lightning through his brain. How could he have forgotten? This wasn’t about anything Dom had done to her. It had been the other way around. As the editor of the school paper, Sara had practically eviscerated him in an op-ed piece, and he’d never been more insulted in his entire life.
. “I know the routine,” Sara told her sister. “I’ve worked here more years than you.”
“Sara,” Ellie said, her voice a little condescending. “Not now, okay?”
Sara glared at her. “I don’t remember Dad saying anything ever about giving out freebies. And surely Mr. Hotshot can afford to pay for it.”
Ellie, looking shocked and embarrassed, cleared her throat. “I’ll just charge the order to your family account, okay?” Then she spun around on Sara and in a hushed voice muttered, “What is your problem?”
Dom could still hear, though, and clearly this was the perfect opening. He could’ve taken the high road—after all, they’d been kids. But with her acting like this? “Ellie, why don’t you ask Sara about the article she wrote my last year at Loyola?” he said, gathering his order and holding Sara’s gaze captive.
She should’ve looked embarrassed. Maybe even blushed. Not look as if she wanted to give him a third nostril.
“Yeah?” she said with an accusing smile. “And ask Dom what he said about—” She stopped short and blinked. “Never mind.”
“Go ahead,” he said, honestly drawing a blank. “About what? I’d like to hear this.”
Her inhale was sharp, and her cheeks flushed dark pink. Without a word she turned around and disappeared into the kitchen.
Sara’s never forgiven Dom for hurting her feelings all those years ago. So how come her heart beats like crazy every time he stops by? Could she have a hot X-rated fling with the guy she used to hate? It can’t possibly last. But in the Big Apple, half the fun comes from rewriting history…
Look for SEDUCED IN THE CITY by Jo Leigh, available only from Mills & Boon! And don’t miss two more books about the sexy Paladino Bachelors—TEMPTED IN THE CITY & DARING IN THE CITY
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IMPRINT: Special Releases
ISBN: 9781489273291
TITLE: HER KNIGHT TO REMEMBER
First Australian Publication 2018
Copyright © 2002 Jill Shalvis.
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Mills & Boon®, Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia 2000.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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