Chasing Julia (Rhode Island Romance #2) (8 page)

She fluttered her
eyelashes at him.

His laughter
followed her up the stairs to her apartment. She left him in the kitchen while
she made her way to the bedroom. She grabbed fresh underthings, a pair of black
yoga pants and a pink sweatshirt from her dresser drawer before heading for the
bathroom.

He had a kettle of
water boiling on the stove when she joined him in the kitchen about thirty
minutes later. He’d also set her small dining room table, lit a couple of
candles and dimmed the lights. Jazz music drifted from the stereo.

She felt something
tug deep and hard inside of her. “Is the worst over?” she asked, pretending the
nervous edge in her voice had to do with the thought of watching him clean the
live crabs before throwing them in the kettle.

He smiled. “The
worst is over. They should be ready in ten minutes.”

She retrieved salad
fixings from the fridge.

“I like that
sweatshirt,” he said. “It almost matches your toes.”

“Thanks. Pink is my
favorite color.”

“You are such a
girl.” His voice was soft, teasing.

She felt color
rising in her face; she kept her back to him as she sliced some tomatoes.

“Do you have
crackers?” he asked.

“In the pantry.
Bottom shelf.”

His body brushed
against hers as he slid behind her to open the pantry door. From the corner of
her eye, she watched him as he opened a box of Ritz crackers and spread them
out on a plate.

When the salad was
done, she melted butter in a saucepan. “There’s a bottle of wine in the cabinet
above the fridge,” she said.

“Red?”

“Pinot Noir.”

“Perfect.”

He uncorked the wine
with expert movements. She caught herself observing his long, calloused
fingers, the dark hairs on his sinewy arms.

Stop
.

He brought the
bottle and two glasses to the table. “I’ll let that breathe for a few minutes.”

His arm grazed
against hers as he came back to the stove and lifted the lid on the pot. “
Mmm
.
These are just about done. Nothing like fresh blue crab meat that you’ve caught
yourself.”

He propped one hip
against the counter, watching her as she stirred the butter. “Watching you
right now makes me think of all the times you made dinner for us. Did you like
that? Do you like to cook?”

She lifted one
shoulder. “I can’t say that I
love
cooking. Usually, I’m so tired at the
end of a workday. I’d rather have someone else doing the cooking for me. But I
didn’t mind cooking for all of you. It was a satisfying feeling, watching you
enjoy those meals.”

“They were pretty
good. Especially your lasagna.”

She grinned. “I
made that a lot, didn’t I. It was one of the easier recipes.”

“We ate sloppy joes
a lot, too.”

She laughed,
glancing up at him. “Another easy meal. See? I’m not exactly a gourmet chef.”

He laughed with
her. He reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His laughter
faded as a soft light entered his eyes. “You’re going to be a great mom.”

She felt a kind of
giddy, drowning feeling as she held his gaze. “I hope so,” she said.

“Do you want a big
family?”

“I always did. I
think that comes from being an only child. I wished I’d had brothers and
sisters to play with.” Her mouth turned down at the corners. “I’d shared with
Joe that I wanted to start a family right away.”

“And he was okay
with that?”

“Joe pretty much
agreed to anything I wanted. Whatever made me happy.”

Tony compressed his
lips. He took a step away from her. “Seems to be a trend with the Rossetti
brothers, doesn’t it,” he said with a wry tone.

He lifted the lid
on the kettle. “These are done. Let’s eat.”

The remainder of
the evening passed comfortably. The mysterious undercurrents that had edged
into his conversation and behavior throughout the day disappeared. They talked
of insignificant, everyday things as they ate their meal. They joked about all
the work that went into cracking and picking the crab to get a small amount of
meat. He complimented her on the salad. She toasted his crab boiling skills.
The bottle of wine emptied. The candles burned down.

After dinner, he
washed the dishes while she whipped up some cream to dollop on scoops of the
fresh mixed berries she’d bought the day before.

They carried the
bowls into the living room and sat on the couch. They ate in cozy, comfortable companionship
as soft jazz music floated around them.

“That was good,”
Tony said when he was finished. He put his bowl on the coffee table. He glanced
at his cellphone. “It’s getting late. I should go.”

Something dimmed
inside of her. “Do you have a busy day tomorrow?”

He hesitated. “I’m
helping Joe set up his spray booth. He’s been converting Willa’s garage into a
cabinet shop. He’s moving out of the warehouse.”

“Oh? I didn’t know
that.”

“Yeah. It frees up
some warehouse space we need. And…” He shrugged.

“He wants to be
close to her.”

She surprised
herself at how easily the words came, without a hint of jealousy or bitterness.
She really
was
moving on.

She stood up with
Tony and followed him to the front door. He reached for the handle and paused.
He turned to her. “This was a good day.”

Their eyes tangled.
His gaze contained some mysterious light that she couldn’t fathom.

She swallowed.
“Yes, it was.”

The air between
them seemed to shift, to thicken with the intimacy that had hovered between
them all day. He took a step towards her. He brought his palm to her cheek and
kept it there as he bent closer.

Her heartbeat
pounded in her ears. Her lips parted in a silent gasp. She stood still,
anticipation sizzling through her veins.

Tony brushed his
mouth softly against her forehead, his lips pliant and warm. He inhaled deeply
as if breathing in her scent. Then he stepped back and reached once more for
the door handle. His eyes were luminous, penetrating, as he gave her one last
look. “Yes,” he said. “A very good day.”

God,
he wanted her.

He wanted to hold
her closer than he ever had before, breathe in her sweetly intoxicating scent,
bury his face in her long, silky hair, taste her luscious pink mouth and
tongue, sink himself inside of her clinging, feminine warmth, feel her legs
wrapped around his back as he thrust and thrust into her until he’d spent his
desire deep inside her body and then did it again and again and again.

Had it merely been
lust that he’d felt for her when he was a randy teenage boy? Now he wasn’t so
sure. Because he didn’t just want her sexually; he simply wanted to
be
with her. To talk with her, to laugh with her, to make her smile in that sweet
way that made her eyes sparkle like jewels.

Had he given his
true feelings for her away today? Had he revealed too much? The rational side
of his nature demanded that he take things slow, to ease her into the
possibility of them as a couple. It was natural for her to be put off by the
idea, normal for her to feel some awkwardness or embarrassment about moving
from one brother to the next. He got that. And maybe it was too soon. Maybe she
needed more time to get over Joe.

But he didn’t want
to give her too much time. She was vulnerable right now, easy prey. He didn’t
want another man moving in, taking what was his. But he didn’t want to be her
rebound guy either.

There was such a
fine line.

How beautiful she’d
looked today. Her skin had glowed in the sun; her amber eyes had glistened. Her
face had flushed a pretty pink color. Her laughter had sung through his blood
and entwined around his heart. It was all he could do to not touch her
constantly.

Even so, he’d
touched her more today than he ever had in the past. It was a kind of
taming—getting her accustomed to touches that were more than friendly. There
had been moments when he’d felt her looking at him differently, a new kind of
awareness in her eyes. A few times, she’d pulled away. She’d seemed uncertain,
cautious. He’d been aching to kiss her at the door. But she’d seemed to
stiffen, so he’d kissed her forehead instead.

Had he revealed too
much when he told her how he’d lusted after her? When he spoke frankly about
his physical reaction to her? No. He didn’t think so. Julia had told him once
that she admired openness and honesty above all else in her relationships. He
felt the same way.

When the time came
for him to have her, to finally take her—and he would—he didn’t want any
secrets between them. There would be nothing between them at all, only naked
skin on naked skin.

Christ
. He had to stop this. He had to think about something
else besides Julia, otherwise he wouldn’t get any sleep tonight at all. He’d
already jerked off in the shower. Now he was hard again. He hadn’t felt this
out of control since he was a teenager. How long had it been since he’d had
sex? There’d been that brief fling with Danielle back in April. Five months ago?

He’d never had any
problem acquiring female company. But none of his relationships had lasted very
long. None of those women had held his heart the way Julia did. If he got his
way, there wasn’t going to
be
any other woman for him now but Julia. She
was the only one who stirred his blood. Her. Only her.

His deep sigh
carried resignation and anticipation. He reached under the bedcovers and
touched himself. He wrapped his palm around his stiff cock and gave it a tug. His
groan echoed in his lonely bedroom as her face filled his vision.

Julia.
Julia
.

He
took a longer lunch hour on Monday so he could pay a visit to Audrey King’s
eponymous shop on Thayer Street. She was helping a customer when he walked in
the door, so he waited in the background, tamping down his impatience as he
pretended interest in the jewelry on display.

Ten minutes later,
Audrey was closing the door on the customer and turning towards him. She was
wearing a long, wispy scarf-like dress that swirled around her legs as she
approached. Brightly colored baubles dangled and jingled on her slender wrists.
“Hello, Tony,” she said with evident delight. “What brings you here?”

“Julia says you
stopped by her office on Friday?” He kept his voice calm. “You’re planning some
kind of event?”

“That’s right! I’m
so glad she told you. I may need your help with some things.”

He braced his hands
on his hips. “What’s going on, Audrey?”

She arched one
eyebrow. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Bull. You ladies
are up to your plotting again. Just like you did with my brother.”

“What are you
talking about?”

“Come
on
.
You think I’m stupid? Collette badgering me to invite Joe and Julia to that May
Breakfast? I didn’t like being your unknowing accomplice.”

Audrey pursed her
lips. “Oh. That.”

“Right. That.” He didn’t
raise his voice towards her, but his words were clipped and cool. “And now you
girls are manipulating things with me and Julia. I don’t need your
interference. I’m doing just fine on my own in that department.”

Audrey’s smile was
all-knowing. “Ah. So you
do
love her.”

He felt something
lighten in his heart as he said, “Yes. I do.” He sighed, feeling some of his
annoyance dissipate. “How long have you all known?”

“Since the
breakfast. It was pretty obvious. To us, anyway.”

He relaxed his
stance a little. He folded his arms and leaned against the jewelry display
counter. “What are you women? Witches?”

She laughed.
“That’s hilarious. I can’t wait to share that with the girls. No. Just think of
us as your wise old aunts who’ve had more experience in matters of the heart.”

“Old? You’re what…thirty-nine?”

She laughed again,
her cheeks blossoming with color. “It’s impossible for you to not flirt, isn’t
it. I’ve noticed you treat every woman that way, regardless of her age or
looks.”

He shrugged. “All
women deserve to be flattered for the amazing creatures that they are.”

“Oh, you charmer. Julia
is a lucky, lucky girl.”

His forehead
knotted. “You know, I hadn’t fully acknowledged my feelings to
myself
back then. She was still engaged to Joe.”

“Funny how it’s all
working out then isn’t it.”

He frowned. “It
wasn’t so funny for Julia.”

“She appears to be
on the mend. I think she’s over the grieving stage. She’s ready to move on. She
even said she’s fine with me inviting Willa and Joe to the party.”

“She is?”

“Yes. And she
seemed very pleased when I told her of how highly you speak of her work.”

“She did?”

Audrey set her hand
on his arm. She looked contrite. “Yes. And I’m sorry. We
have
been
plotting. But I was feeling her out more than anything. I wanted to get an idea
of what she thought about you. Maybe give her a subtle push in the right
direction. Open her eyes a little.”

Tony sighed. Great.
Now he felt like a boy at a school dance, wondering about the girl who was
giving him the eye across the dance floor, wondering if she was really looking
at
him
. Did she think he was cute? He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m
worried I might be moving too fast,” he confessed reluctantly. “We spent the
day together on Saturday. At the end of the day, I got the feeling that she
still thinks of me as a friend.”

Audrey gave him a
measuring look. “Well, then. Use this next month working on my party together
to change her mind. The last thing you want is to get so firmly entrenched in
the friends category that she won’t ever think of you as anything else.”

His mouth twisted
wryly. “Right.”

“Just don’t let her
get too comfortable around you,” Audrey pressed. “A mama bird will feed and
care for her young, but then she pushes them out of the nest. Julia needs that
push.”

Tony stood up
straight. He wagged a finger at Audrey in warning. “Okay. But you all stay out
of it now. Tell the girls. I appreciate that you care enough about me and Julia
to help. But I want things to happen naturally. Not because of your conniving.”

The older woman
nodded. She held up three fingers. “I promise. Scout’s honor.”

His mouth twitched
at her sincere expression. “You were a girl scout?”

“East Providence,
Troop number four seven three.”

He was still
laughing when he walked into Pauline’s Cookie Bar next door a minute later.

His sister glanced
up from the cash register. “Tony! What brings you this way?”

“Busy?”

“We were this
morning. Enjoying some quiet before the afterschool rush.”

He braced his
elbows on the glass display. “Willa around?”

“She left about ten
minutes ago.” Sylvie closed the register drawer and gave him a speculative
look. “So, what are you doing here? This is out of the way for you.”

He gave her a sly
grin. “Cookies?”

She rolled her eyes.
“What kind do you want?”

His eyes gleaned
over the trays of cookies beneath the glass. “How about the macaroons.”

He helped himself
to a cup of coffee from the self-serve area along the side wall and brought it
to the bar counter along the front window. Joe had built that as well as the
cabinet that was anchored to the wall behind the food display. The cabinet,
with its pretty stained glass center door, had once been part of the wall unit
from Willa’s old kitchen. Now its open shelves held framed photos of Willa’s Aunt
Pauline, the woman who’d inspired Willa’s love of baking.

Tony pulled out the
stool next to him for Sylvie as she approached with a plate of cookies. “How’s
business?” he asked.

“Good. It was a
little slow over the summer, but things are really starting to pick up now that
the college students are back.”

They dug into the
cookies and sipped coffee and watched passersby on the busy sidewalk. “This is
strange,” Tony said after a while. “We live in the same house. But I hardly
ever see you anymore.”

Sylvie looked
remorseful. “I know. Sorry. I’ve been busy here. And I like hanging out with my
friends. You remember Katie, right?  I stay at her place sometimes. She’d got a
really cool apartment near Hope Street.”

“That’s cool. I’m
glad you’re having fun.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Any boyfriends I need to beat
up?”

She blushed.
“Nothing serious.”

He gave her a
speaking glance. “You’re being careful?”

She smacked his
arm. “Yes,
dad
. Geez, between you and Joe…”

He grinned. “You’ll
always be our baby sister, even when we’re all hobbling around with canes.”

Her face softened.
“I know.”

When the cookies
were consumed, he swiveled his chair around to face her directly. He cleared
his throat. “There’s something I want to run by you.”

“Okay.”

“It’s about the
house.”

His sister frowned.
“What about it?”

He cleared his
throat again. He hadn’t expected the words to be so difficult to say; he’d been
reciting them in his head for weeks. “Joe’s moved out. You’re not there much.
It’s feeling pretty empty.” He rubbed his jaw, hesitated a moment before
barreling on. “I think it’s time to sell the place. I haven’t talked with Joe
about this yet. I wanted to feel you out first.”

She gulped. “Sell?
You mean, move away from there…forever?”

He nodded. “You’re
going to leave permanently someday anyway. Get married.”

“That’s a long ways
down the road.”

“What if Joe and I
helped you get set up in an apartment closer to here? You could walk to work
and downtown. Wouldn’t you like that?”

Her mouth turned
down. “But that’s the house we grew up in. The memories…”

He swallowed.
“They’re weighing me down, Syl.”

She rested her hand
on his arm. “I didn’t know. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. It’s not like
I’m depressed. It’s just…lonely there for me. The memories, even the good ones…
I think they’re just holding me back.”

“You’ve never
said…”

He shrugged,
striving for nonchalance. “Yeah, well there it is. I’m a grown man. It’s time
to move out of the parents’ house and get my own place. I’ve been looking at a
couple houses in the Cumberland Hill area. It’ll be an easy commute.”

Sylvie considered
his words. “Wow. This is a shock. I mean, I’m happy for you, I guess. I kind of
get what you’re feeling.” She squeezed his arm. “Let’s talk to Joe. But what do
you think about renting the place instead? We could fix it up into three
separate units, split the income between the three of us. The housing market
here is still pretty bad. Besides, you could use the extra income to help pay
the mortgage on your new house.”