Page 27 of Under the Radar

The look he sent her was filled with admiration, and yet somehow, it still smoldered. She met his gaze without backing down, then turned and said something to Hannah, who grinned and tried to hide it behind her sandwich.

The front door opened, and Maxx and Stefano walked in, their voices booming. “We’re here!”

Charly frowned. “You are supposed to be watching the kids.”

Maxx grinned, dropping his head and kissing her soundly. “Mary, Nonna, and Papa have all the kids. Not only that, Rosa is making a huge lasagna, and they expect everyone at their place for dinner tonight. You get us for the afternoon.”

I grinned at the shocked look on Cherry’s and Hannah’s faces. I wasn’t surprised. This family always pulled together. When Rosa and Mack got married, they had moved to a place next to Mary’s, and the three of them hung out a lot. Mary was an adopted grandmother to all the kids, who loved spending time with them. Rosa, Stefano’s mom, was Italian, loved to cook, and adored having her family around, which now included all of us.

“How lovely,” Cherry said. “Are you sure?”

Stefano flashed her a grin and introduced himself. Both he and Maxx were as surprised as I was to find out she was Hannah’s mom and not a friend. He was fast to reassure her. “Mama would love to meet all of you. Including you again, Dom. Mack was keeping the kids busy in the garden, and she and Mary were bustling in the kitchen. They’d be disappointed if you didn’t join us.”

“Awesome. I remember your mama’s cooking fondly,” Dom said with a grin.

“Great.” Stefano clapped his hands, taking the plate of food Gabby offered him. He bent and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Tesoro.”

The house was suddenly overfull, the sounds of laughter and teasing nonstop. I leaned against the wall, enjoying it. My friends gathered together, helping one another. Nothing new, except this time, I was on the receiving end of that help. It was a great feeling. I gazed at Hannah across the kitchen as she laughed at something Charly said. She looked so right with my friends. She fit in well, and everyone liked her. God knew, I liked her.

I caught her eye, and we shared a smile. It occurred to me I had never experienced that before. Usually in our group gatherings, I was the odd man out. They never made me feel that way, but it was the truth. Everyone else was coupled up. Even Mary had a beau these days. An older gentleman who had bought a house down the road from her. Now she, Larry, Mack, and Rosa hung out as a foursome. And until this second, I was always solo.

Internally, I shook my head at my thoughts. Hannah was my roommate. We weren’t a couple. She’d been here a week.

But we’d bonded so quickly. I already forgot what the house was like before she walked in the door. I looked forward to the end of the day, knowing she’d be around. Getting to have dinner with her or hear her laugh.

But it was too soon, and there were so many reasons for us simply to remain roommates. Good friends were hard to come by, and I truly liked her as a person.

And yet the thoughts persisted.

And I didn’t stop them.

I didn’t want to.

* * *

I wasn’t sure painting was supposed to be this much fun. I stood on the ladder, edging the walls, and Hannah did the bottom then followed behind, rolling. I kept stealing glances of her bent over, trailing the paintbrush along the top of the baseboard. The movement caused her shirt to lift, and I caught glimpses of the bare skin of her back. A few times, her stomach as she stretched to get the roller to reach. At one point, she stood below me, pointing out a piece I had missed. Her T-shirt gaped at the neck, and I caught a peek of her lacy bra and the breasts it so carefully guarded. I wanted to free them, play with them. Taste them. Just the thought made my mouth water.

“Chase?” she prompted. “Earth to Chase.”

I shook my head. “Sorry. I was, ah, thinking.”

She put her hand on her hip. “About?”

“Work. A car,” I lied. “Some upholstery I want to get my hands on.”

“Uh-huh,” she grunted, knowing I was lying. I was sure she’d caught me staring at her rack. But damn, it was fine. Really, I had no choice.

She put down the roller. “I need a drink.” She pointed to the wall. “Fix that.”

Laughing, I corrected the line and climbed down from the ladder, picking up the roller and finishing the wall. I headed to the kitchen to grab a drink, pausing when I overheard Hannah and her mom in her room talking quietly.

“Are you sure, Hannah?”

“Yes, Mom. He is just a friend. Nothing else.”

“He wants more. I saw it.”

“Well, he isn’t getting more. I am not ruining a good partnership for that. I like him, but I’m not interested. He’s–he’s like a brother to me. We’re friends. Nothing more.”