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I joined in his laughter. It was joyful and contagious. “I’ll try the red.” Then I shut my menu. “And please bring me the most ridiculously fattening pizza you have.”
His eyes crinkled. “That’d be our mucho macho. Three meats, extra cheese, and five veggies.”
“Is one of the meats anchovies?” I asked.
“No, of course not.”
“Add anchovies, then.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “Seriously?”
I smiled. “I’m always serious, Adriano.”
“Got it.” He smiled back. “What size? Extra large?”
“I think small will suffice.”
“Our small is twelve inches. It’s a lot with all those toppings. Want to try an eight-inch personal size?”
Not one more pound, Riley, Fredricka’s voice echoed in my head.
“The small. If I can’t finish it, I’ll take it with me.”
“Good enough. I’ll be right back with your wine and a glass of water.”
“Perfect.”
I turned around and watched Adriano’s perfect ass as he walked away. Maybe not quite as perfect as Matt’s, but nearly as hot. Matt’s friend Lucas was great-looking too. Was Sumter Falls home to only good-looking men?
Shit.
I shouldn’t have turned around to watch Adriano walk away.
My gaze met Matt’s. He was sitting a few tables away with his date.
I turned around quickly and pretended to be engrossed in my phone.
Don’t come over here. Don’t come over here. Except…please come over here.
I’d been horrible to him earlier. Why had I thrown his rose on the ground and stomped on it? So childish, and that rose meant everything to me. I wanted to keep it forever. That was why I’d pressed it in the Stephen King novel.
So he’d pushed me a little. What really upset me was that I was so transparent. My father had taught me so well to hide my emotions, to lie when necessary.
How had Matt seen through it all?
Disappointment swept through me when he didn’t come. If he hadn’t said anything when I looked back and saw him enter, why would he now?
He wouldn’t. I was the one who’d been a bitch. The first move would have to be mine.
No. I was here to eat a disgusting and glorious pizza. After all, I was leaving in the morning. No reason to start something I couldn’t finish.
Besides, he was with another woman…which was slicing into my heart like a serrated steak knife.
That one’s a keeper, Mrs. Carson had said.
Which only meant one thing.
Matt had brought other women to her place. Matt probably screwed every single woman who rented his cabin.
I was definitely better off without him.
Besides…
The thought of sex terrified me…and excited me.
How I longed to experience sex with someone I actually wanted touching me. Someone I felt something other than complete hatred for.
My father.
So many things he’d done to me. Sometimes he even let others watch. But they never touched me. Never touched his princess. Sometimes they begged him to let them, and many times I’d feared he’d allow it.
But he never did.
I suppose I owe him a small bit of gratitude for that.
Fuck. What the hell was I thinking? I owed him nothing. A big fat nothing.
He’d ruined me.
Because of him, I’d never be able to have a real relationship with Matt or anyone else.
Which didn’t matter anyway, because Matt had already moved on.
Oh, but his kiss…
When I’d stripped away all my baggage and allowed myself to enjoy it…
It had been nirvana.
True nirvana.
Could sex with Matt be even better?
Could I forget how ruined I was and live in the moment?
Again, didn’t matter.
Matt had moved on.
Adriano set my wine down next to me. I smiled and thanked him. Then I took a long sip.
Not bad for a house red. Basic and flavorful.
Just what I needed tonight.
Now, if I could just enjoy the rest of the evening and forget that Matt and his date were a few tables away.18Matteo“She’s not going to turn around,” Leena said to me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I closed my menu. Pepperoni and mushrooms, my old standby. I never wavered from it.
“You’ve got your eyes glued to the back of her head, Mattie.”
“No I don’t.” I purposefully looked down at the napkin in my lap.
“I get it. She’s gorgeous. But she’s not your type. She doesn’t even live here.”
“So? That’s never been a requirement.”
“If it’s a romp in the hay you want, I can give you that.”
I resisted an eye roll. “Not interested, Leena. We’ve been through this ad nauseam.”
I couldn’t help it. My gaze strayed back to Riley’s head. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, and her neck…so long and silky, so ready for my kisses…
For fuck’s sake. If there’d been one place I thought I wouldn’t run into Riley Mansfield tonight, it was Rosati’s. She was hardly the pizza type. Then again, she’d gorged on Mrs. C’s carnitas and enchiladas.
“Hey, Mattie. Hey, Leena.” Adriano strutted up to our table. “What can I get for you tonight?”
“You can tell Mattie here that his silver spoon at the back table over there isn’t on the menu.” Leena laughed.
