Year of Living Blonde (Sweet Life in Seattle, Book 1) (31 page)

Natalie laughs. “God help me, please don’t.”

He considers her and decides if she really wants to keep the fortune to herself this badly, he’ll let her.

“All right.” Anthony releases her. “Keep the card. But now you owe me.”

She puts the card in her coat pocket. “I don’t think so.”

“Yes, you do. And believe me, I plan to collect.”

Once they’re outside, they walk side by side along the pier, with Natalie occasionally meandering ahead of him. And being the pig he is, he can’t take his eyes off her body, especially her ass. It was dark at the star party last night, but in the light of day Natalie is luscious with an ass every bit as ample as her breasts. He remembers that she was a bit heavier when they first met, and that she’s obviously lost weight, but he prays to God she doesn’t lose any more. Women in the States always act like they can’t be skinny enough, and she’s perfect the way she is.

Natalie suddenly sees something in a shop window. “Wait a minute!” She stops walking and pulls on his arm.

“What?”

She doesn’t answer and instead leads him back to one of those shops that sell tourist souvenirs.

There are only a few people around and she goes straight for a T-shirt rack near the front window.

“Look! I have to get it for you.”

At first, he’s not sure what she’s talking about, but then he sees she’s pointing at a rack of Hulk T-shirts.

“Or do you have a whole closetful already?” Natalie seems to be having misgivings. “People probably give them to you all the time. Forget it. It’s a stupid idea.”

“No, wait.” He grabs her arm. “This is cool. And I swear I don’t own a single Hulk T-shirt.”

“Really? Because I think it’s perfect, being that you’re an expert on gamma radiation.”

“Long gamma-ray bursts,” he corrects her automatically, “but close enough.” He grins.

“What size do you wear?” She starts flipping through the shirts.

“Large.”

“How’s this?” She pulls out a black T-shirt, holds it in front of him.

Anthony looks down at it and nods, deciding he likes being the object of her good intentions for a change. “I approve.” The shirt has bold red lettering that says
The Incredible Hulk
and a green angry Hulk on the front.

“I think it should fit. I’m getting it for you. I can’t resist!”

“Okay, thanks.” Their eyes meet.

In truth, a lot of women have bought him gifts over the years, but Anthony finds he’s touched that Natalie wants to buy him something. While she’s up by the cashier, he wanders the shop a bit, wishing he could find something for her, too.

And just when he’s nearly given up, he sees the perfect thing.

“HOW DO I L
ook?” Anthony asks. He’d slipped into a public restroom and put on the Hulk T-shirt.

Good enough to eat.
Natalie lets her eyes linger over his lean muscled torso. Even the shirt looks happy to be worn by him.

Never thought I’d envy a T-shirt.

“The shirt looks fantastic,” she says. “It’s a pity you’re so darn unattractive though.”

Anthony smirks, but doesn’t say anything.

Natalie reluctantly hands him back his motorcycle jacket. She was holding it for him while he went and changed and has been drowning in its delicious Anthony scent. At one point, she even held it up and stuck her face inside. Luckily, he was still changing and didn’t see her.

“How is it a woman who bakes such sweet things for a living never has anything sweet to say?”

Natalie shrugs with a helpless smile. “It’s just my way.”

He puts his jacket on while she holds the sales bag with his
Star Wars
T-shirt inside.

“Not that you deserve it, but I decided to get you a gift, too. I bought it when you were in the restroom earlier.”

Natalie looks up in surprise. “Really? You bought me something?”

“Yes, even though you’re cruel to me.”

“I . . .” She fumbles around for some kind of response. “What is it?”

“You’ll see, but you have to stand still and close your eyes.”

She does as he asks. There’s a rustling noise and then she senses Anthony standing directly in front of her. His hands gently tuck her hair behind her ears and then something slides in place, resting on her cheeks and nose.

“All right,” he says. “You can open them now.”

The world is shaded. Her hands reach up to touch the sunglasses on her face.

“Very nice.” He nods with approval as he takes her in. “I bought you some aviators. Now we can both look like the famous Moondoggie.”

Natalie squeals with delight. “You did? I have to see them!”

They head over to the nearest shop so she can examine her reflection in the glass. After checking herself out for a few seconds, she can’t help herself, she squeals again. “I love them!”

“Now you look just like the badass you are, Miss Natalie. Though, you might want to cut back on all that screaming.”

“Thank you,” she tells him. Suddenly, she feels shy. Natalie can’t remember the last time a man bought her a gift when it wasn’t her birthday. It feels like years—eons. There’s an ache in her chest and a deep longing she doesn’t want to examine too closely.

They’re both still looking at their reflections in the window when she gets on her tiptoes and kisses him on the cheek.

Anthony turns his face toward hers and slowly shakes his head. “
No,
” he says and points to his lips, “
baciami qui.
”

Her heart flutters as she puts her hands on his cheeks. They feel scratchy under her fingers. Then she draws him toward her and kisses his mouth.

Afterward, he pulls his own aviators out from inside his jacket and puts them on too. “What do you say? Let’s both be badasses.”

Anthony takes her hand in his and Natalie tries to act casual about it. As usual, his hands are toasty warm. They continue their stroll along the pier and Natalie is as excited as a teenage girl on her first date with the cutest boy in school. She doesn’t even mind the way women stare at him anymore.

For once, I’m flying first class.

“Do you want to take a ride on the Ferris wheel?” He points toward the end of the pier where the large wheel is rising out of the water like a giant sea monster.

“Uh, okay.”

He glances at her. “We don’t have to.”

“I want to. It’ll be fun,” she says with forced enthusiasm. Hopefully, everything will be okay.
Just stay calm,
she tells herself.
You can do it.

They walk down to the Ferris wheel, and after getting tickets, wait in line behind a group of tourists. She feels like a tourist herself. This whole day has been like an out-of-body experience.

Anthony takes his sunglasses off and puts them on top of his head. “Listen, my daughter’s coming over this weekend. That’s why I can’t go to your house for dinner on Friday.”

“Serena?”

He nods. “Just want to clear that up. I didn’t mean to give you the wrong impression earlier.”

“That’s okay. Why don’t you bring her along? My daughter, Chloe, will be there and she’s invited a few friends over.”

Anthony doesn’t say anything. He looks out in the distance toward the water. Pensive.

She studies his perfect features, trying to figure out why he would be so hesitant.

“I don’t typically introduce Serena to any of the women I date. It’s easier that way. No offense.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that.” Natalie reflects on what he’s saying. “I’m not offended. You sound like a protective father, that’s all.”

He lets out a breath and seems relieved. “I’m glad you understand. I’ve been divorced for a long time. I was a kid when we got married and it only lasted a couple of years. Nicole’s been remarried now for a while.”

“Was she pregnant when you got married?”

Anthony looks embarrassed. “Yeah, it was an accident. I was in my senior year of college at UCLA.”

Natalie quickly does the math in her head and figures Anthony must be around thirty-two or thirty-three years old.

Thank you, God.

She relaxes a little since she was worried he might still be in his twenties or something.

“At least you stuck by your daughter. And you still managed to earn a Ph.D.—that’s pretty impressive.”

He shrugs. “I suppose.”

“You don’t think a Ph.D. in astrophysics is impressive?”

“It’s not like I’m saving lives or anything.”

She gives him a strange look. “Most of us aren’t saving lives, Anthony.”

He stares at her for long time, but doesn’t say anything. Finally, he puts his sunglasses back on and turns toward the front of the line.

Natalie studies his profile.
What was that all about?

Their turn arrives and Natalie steps into the capsule of the Ferris wheel with trepidation. It’s encased in glass, except for the section beneath their feet.

She takes a seat on one of the benches and Anthony sits beside her.

“At least we’ll have our privacy,” he points out.

Natalie smiles a little, trying not to give away her nervousness.

The door is shut and the capsule moves forward a bit and stops as more people are loaded into the next capsule behind them.

“Actually, this isn’t bad.” Anthony puts his arm on the seat padding behind her and stretches his long legs out at an angle so they fit. “And I’ll bet the view from the top is phenomenal.”

“I’m sure it is.” She turns to look out the window.
The view will be nice. Maybe this won’t be so bad.

They continue to move forward a beat at a time, inching their way higher and higher. Natalie swallows and takes a few deep breaths.

This is fine. Everything is fine.

Anthony is cracking jokes about the family sitting in the capsule behind them and how they’re acting like wild monkeys in an ape house.

“You’ve got to see this,” he says, chuckling. “These little kids are hilarious. Two of them are licking the glass. And now they’re waving ‘hello’ to us.” Anthony waves his hand in the window.

Natalie would love to see, but the problem is it requires that she look
down,
since those people are below them. And she’s pretty sure she wouldn’t be able to handle that.

“Why aren’t you looking?” he asks.

“I’m just not that interested right now.”

“Not interested. What’s wrong?”

She shrugs and tries to act casual. “Nothing’s wrong. What makes you say that?”

“Because you’re acting strange.”

“I’m fine,” she says too quickly. “Really.”

He’s silent for a long moment. “Do me a favor and take off your sunglasses.”

“I prefer to keep them on. I really like them and they’re comfortable.” She glances at him. His sunglasses are on top of his head again. His expression is flat and she can’t read him at all.

He’d definitely make a good card player.

“Take them off,” he says in a voice that doesn’t leave much room for argument.

Natalie slips her sunglasses from her face and puts them in her pocket. She stares at the red padded bench across from them and takes a deep breath. Trying to forget all the windows. Forget how high up she is.

Everything is fine.

“Let me see your face.”

She turns to him and he studies her. Finally, he frowns. “What’s wrong? Tell me.”