WMIS 08 Forever With Me (5 page)

“How do you feel?” I whisper. She shivers. “Are you cold?”

“No,” she replies softly. “I think the headache is going away.”

“There are more fresh leaves on the kitchen counter, along with more Advil and soup.”

“Soup?”

“You have to eat, Alecia.”

Her lips tip up into a smile as she raises her hand and covers mine, pulling it and the cloth away from her head. “Thank you.”

“
Prego
,” I reply. “You’re welcome.”

She glances over at the kitchen counter and then returns her gaze to mine.
 

“Pink tulips?”

“I think you like pink.”

She blinks quickly and before she can back away, I skim my knuckles down her cheek one last time, push a strand of hair behind her hair, and lean in to kiss her cheek.

Merda
, she smells like lilacs and her soap and simply amazing.

“Eat the soup,
cara
. Use the leaves if you need them.” I stand to leave and she moves to follow me. “Stay there, I can see my way out.”

“Dom?”

I stop and look back at her, one brow raised.
 

“I do like pink. Very much.”

I grin and nod and leave while I still can.

Because every instinct in me is screaming for me to scoop her up and find her bedroom and stay there with her for the rest of the weekend.

Chapter Three

~Alecia~

He made me feel better.

And he brought me flowers. Pink tulips. Not the stereotypical red roses or whatever was available in the grocery store.

Tulips are out of season. He had to
find
them.

The sun is out this morning, but it’s not hot yet here on the Tacoma waterfront near my condo. I’m walking briskly—okay, I’m sauntering—just fast enough to feel my heart move.

Or maybe those are thoughts of Dominic Salvatore doing that to me.
 

And isn’t that just ridiculous? So, he was nice. I can’t believe that I let my Advil supply run dry, both at home
and
my emergency kit that I carry with me everywhere.

That’ll be the first order of business today after my walk: replenish the pain killer supply.
 

As I adjust my earbuds in my ears and switch to a Plain White T’s song, a bald eagle soars majestically over the quiet water of the sound. The tide is out, revealing all kinds of delicacies for the wildlife, and sure enough, within moments the eagle dives down and picks something up in its talons. Probably a crab.

The eagle flies off with his breakfast and my stomach growls as I reach the pier at a restaurant roughly two miles from the condo.

I turn around and head back and try not to think about Dom.

Not gonna think about the sexy Italian who can cure headaches and make me ache in other more interesting places instead.

Nope, not going there.

Shit.
I always seem to go there these days. Even through the pain of a headache rated an eleven on a scale of one to ten, his fingers skimming over my skin and his whispered voice in my ear made my girlie parts sit up and take notice.

And then he had to go and put his lips on me, and it was all over.

I haven’t been this physically attracted to a man in…
 

Years.

I don’t remember the last time. Maybe never. And isn’t that just my luck? Because Dominic isn’t the kind of guy you have as a
friend with benefits
and not fall for him. It’s simply not possible.

And there’s no way in hell I’m going to fall for him.

I don’t fall. Love isn’t real. Affection. Lust. Those are real.

And in my line of business, I see how quickly they fade.
 

Fuck, I’ve lived it.

My neighbor from one floor down—
Ray? Ralph? Rob?
—drives past and waves out of the top of his flashy convertible. He’s made it perfectly clear that he’d like to give the friends with benefits thing a try. He’s good looking. But he’s not memorable, and it seems to me that if I can’t even remember the man’s name, I wouldn’t be terribly impressed with what he can do in the bedroom either.

I wave back and breathe a deep sigh of relief when I turn the corner into my complex. I hate exercising. I hate wearing sneakers. I hate sweating.

And I have the ass and hips to show for it.

I mentally shrug and press the button for the elevator as Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” beats in my ears.
 

Now, this I like. I could dance all day. Since I’m alone in the elevator, I cut a rug of my own and boogie around the inside of the car, then come to a complete stop and school my features just as the door opens, in case someone is standing on the other side waiting to get in.

My dance moves are best enjoyed in private. I’m no Meredith Summers.

“There you are!” Emily exclaims and shoves her phone in her handbag. She’s leaning against my door.

“Why are you at my condo at the ass crack of dawn?” I ask, as I unlock the door and step inside, Emily on my heels.

“We have two baby showers and an old lady party today.”

“Red Hat Society party,” I reply, and toe off my sneakers as soon as humanly possible. “How can people wear those?”

“The sister of the mom-to-be at party number one has already called me three times this morning,” Emily continues. “The MTB is allergic to watermelon.”

“We’re not serving watermelon.” I roll my eyes and strip out of my yoga pants and Blake’s old Mariners T-shirt and walk past Emily to my shower. “It’s going to be fine. All of the details are in place for all three parties.”

“I know, I just figured that if I’m getting calls at the butt crack of dawn, I might as well be with you when I get them.”

“That’s kind of you,” I mutter, and step into the shower.
 

“How was Will yesterday?” Emily yells out from my vanity where she’s primping her hair.

“He was hungry, as usual,” I reply with a laugh.

“And Dominic?”

I pause mid-shave on my leg and frown at the foggy shower door. “How did you know I saw Dominic?”

“Because you’re almost chipper this morning. Blake doesn’t do that to you.”

“I’m always chipper,” I lie, and return to shaving my legs.

“No, you’re not. I love this eye shadow! So? Was Dominic sexy or what?”

Sexy like you wouldn’t even believe.

“He’s okay, if you like that sort of thing.”

Emily busts up laughing, and I can’t help but smile with her.

Who doesn’t like that sort of thing?

***

“Old ladies are better than emotional pregnant women any day of the week,” Emily whispers to me as she passes by, refilling the ladies’ teacups with fresh hot water.

We are at our third and final event of the day, a late tea with a local Red Hat Society chapter. Eight women are in attendance today, ranging in age from roughly fifty-five to one hundred and five.

And Wilma, the one-oh-five year old is a spitfire.

“I pinched his rear!” she crows and cackles with glee, her wide-brimmed hat shading her happy face. The party is under a tent to keep the heat off the women, and the hostess, Miss Kitty, also rented portable air conditioners for the event.

“Oh, my goodness, Wilma, he’s at least twenty years younger than you!” Betty, Wilma’s younger sister, laughs and sips her tea daintily.

“You get to be my age, they’re
all
twenty years younger than me. I’ve gotta get my fun where I can.”

I smile as I place a fresh plate of scones on the table.
 

“These scones are delicious,” Wilma comments and takes my hand in hers, holding on tight. “You’re a doll to bring them for us, Alecia.”

“It’s my pleasure,” I reply with a smile and rub her delicate shoulder with my free hand. “Are you all having fun, ladies?”

“Oh, yes!” All of the women, in their pretty red hats and purple dresses nod and smile, and if I’m being honest, this is the kind of party I like the very best.
 

“Well, we have surprises for you this month.” I nod at Emily who rolls out a cart full of pretty purple gift bags with red tissue paper as the women all gasp in excitement.

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” Leona, a sweet seventy-something woman with mocha skin, perfectly coifed hair, and bright red lipstick smiles like a kid on Christmas morning.

“I know that, but you are my favorite ladies, so I thought we’d bring you something extra special.”

“Is it that
Fifty Shades
book?” Miss Kitty asks eagerly.

“Uh, no,” I reply, and bite my lip to keep from laughing as Emily and I pass out the bags.

“I’ve been listening to that on audio,” Miss Kitty informs her guests. “That Christian Grey is something to write home about.”

“My kids bought me one of those e-readers for Christmas,” a lady named Beth adds. “I love it. This way I can read all of those naughty books and no one is any the wiser.” She nods conspiratorially with Miss Kitty, then all the ladies turn their attention to their bags.

“Go ahead and open them.”

The women dig in and come out with beautiful, hand-dyed red and purple silk scarves.
 

“I know it’s summer, so you probably won’t get to wear them for a little while, but I just couldn’t resist.”

“Oh honey, they’re gorgeous!” Wilma exclaims, immediately wrapping hers around her neck. “I’m always cold. I have poor circulation.” She winks at me and then gestures for me to lean in and give her a hug.

“I have a date tonight!” Leona announces. “I’ll wear my lovely new scarf.”

“Who’s the lucky guy?” Emily asks.

“Ed Brenner,” she replies. “He volunteers at the historical society with me, and after making him wait for a while, I finally said yes to dinner.”

“Good for you,” I tell her happily.

“How about you, honey?” Wilma asks. “Do you have a date tonight?”

I turn wide eyes on Emily, who just smiles and waits for me to answer with the others.
 

“No, ma’am.”

“I have a very handsome grandson,” Wilma replies. “He’s sixty, though, so that might be a bit too old for you.”

“Just a bit,” I reply with a laugh.

“My grandson is thirty,” Miss Kitty says with a thoughtful look on her face. “He’s going through a messy divorce and has three kids, but I think you two would get along wonderfully.”

Not even if it were Armageddon and he was the last man on Earth.

“Oh, no thank you.”

“So, you’re just going to go home alone tonight?” Wilma asks with a sad face.

“Well, no, I’ll be spending the evening with Ben and Jerry,” I reply.

“She reads the naughty books too,” Miss Kitty says behind her hand to her sister, not bothering to be quiet.
 

If only my sex life were really that interesting.

***

He’s going to be late.

I check the time on my phone for the fifteenth time in the past twenty minutes and scowl.

I hate late.

The front door of the Starbucks near my condo swings open and I glance up. My jaw drops and my mouth goes dry at the sight of Dominic as he pulls his sunglasses off his face and scans the small coffee shop for me, his blue eyes heating when they rest on me.

He’s in a black T-shirt and jeans. The kind of jeans that mold around firm thighs and a tight ass and make a girl forget how to think.

Damn, what this man does to a pair of jeans. I rarely see him in jeans.
 

It’s a sight to behold.

“You’re almost late,” I inform him, as he approaches my table, making his lips twitch.

“But not quite,” he replies, and leans in to kiss my cheek, then places a bag on the floor by his chair. “Do you mind if I order a quick coffee?”

“Not at all,” I reply, and fist my hands in my lap so I don’t reach up and cover my cheek where his lips just were. I’m like a freaking lovesick teenager.

Check that. Horny teenager.

It’s disgusting.

I pull my notes up on my iPad and read through them while Dom orders his coffee and returns to me, carrying two cups, and places one next to me.

“What’s this?”

“Your tea,” he replies and sips his coffee.

“How did you know what I drink?”

“I asked the barista,” he replies with a smile. “Not a coffee drinker?”

“I hate it,” I reply with a shrug. “I prefer strong tea with honey.”

“So noted,” he replies softly. “How’s your head?”

I tilt my head and watch him for a moment. “Headache’s all gone. Your magical leaves worked.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “There’s no magic. My grandmother used to do that for us.”