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“What?” I looked down, checking to ensure I wasn’t hard, and the fact she was going on a date had me about as limp as possible, so no, that wasn’t it.
“Gray sweats. Backward hat.” She wedged her lip between her teeth and stood. “You do that on purpose?”
“Do what on purpose?” I had no clue what she was talking about, but if my pants and hat were the cause of her doing that sexy thing with her lip, sign me the fuck up, I’d do it every damn day.
“She’s been having trouble falling asleep lately,” Maria said instead while handing over Chiara.
“I know, you’ve barely slept in weeks.”
“No rocking her to sleep. Just put her in the crib with Stuffy, her favorite bear, and leave the door cracked. I know it’ll be hard, but she’ll fall asleep after crying a bit.”
Watch Chiara beg for me and not pick her up? Ha. No chance. “Sure.” Another lie. I was on a roll tonight. “Can I at least know where you’re going to dinner? Time you think you’ll be home?”
Maria leaned in and kissed Chiara while gently giving her a small squeeze. “Do you plan to come spy on us? You do have a car seat in your Tahoe, so you can’t blame me for worrying.”
I’d traded my Porsche last year to help Natalia keep the restaurant afloat. I could’ve easily accessed the millions in my savings account or the money stashed in my safe, but part of my promise to myself to try and change when moving to Charlotte was making it on my own without my family’s money.
“I’m not taking your daughter out at night to spy on you, no,” I said, trying to reassure her, though it wasn’t that crazy of an idea. “So, restaurant name? Time?”
“He didn’t tell me where he was taking me. He knows I love sushi, though. And the time? I don’t know. I guess it depends on if ...”
Yeah, I didn’t need her to finish that sentence, and she must’ve noticed I wasn’t capable of hearing more.
“Listen, I appreciate you doing this, and I know it’s awkward, but maybe this is what we need to happen so we can be certain living next door to one another is something we can keep doing.” She paused. “I’m sure you’ve had women over, but you’ve been good at—”
“No.” I shook my head, and Chiara was the only separation between us now as I stared at her. “And you won’t see it, Maria.” That was a promise I could easily uphold.
She swallowed at my clipped confession, then looked at Chiara, and I’d swear her eyes were glossy. “Have fun, baby girl.”
“Be safe,” I forced out, trying to maintain my cool. Having Chiara in my arms was all that was saving me from going downstairs and yanking this new guy from his car to ask him fifty questions.
“Okay,” she whispered, then pinched Chiara’s cheek.
Then that dark part of me I couldn’t contain snapped out. “If I find out he touched you”—I wanted to leave it at that, but I reluctantly growled out—“without your permission ...”
“I know, I know.” Her brows tightened. “A broken something-or-other.”
“And, Maria,” I added as she turned, so she stole a look back from over her shoulder. “You look beautiful.”
She frowned at that for whatever reason, then crushed me as she walked out the door.
I looked at Chiara. “I shouldn’t have let her go, right?”
“Mmmm.” She smiled and said, “Love you,” which sounded more like, “Wuv u.”
Fuck. I drew her closer, situating her at my side, and walked us over to the window.
Chiara set her hand on the glass and tapped when she saw her mom exiting the building, heading for a BMW out front waiting.
Maria must’ve sensed us, because she hesitated outside his car door and looked up.
The prick didn’t even get out to open the door. What in God’s name was wrong with him?
Maria waved, presumably at Chiara, then slid inside the passenger door.
My stomach dropped as I watched the car pull away. “Let’s go see who this guy is, okay?” I carried Chiara over to my apartment and headed straight for my office.
Maria had said he’d been one of our clients last weekend, which would narrow my search to one. I set Chiara on a blanket at the center of my office so I could find the information from the catering event on my laptop.
