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Rosana Perini shot her a disapproving look. “Another reason I worry about you living alone. Who’d know for hours if you didn’t make it home?”
Exactly. Who’d know she’d almost spent last night at Jordan’s place? She couldn’t believe how quickly things had gotten hot and heavy. She’d been thinking all day about it, in fact. Reliving the highlights. He’d brought her to satisfaction right there in his foyer. Sera felt her face flame and hoped her mother didn’t notice.
Jordan’s power to charm and seduce was beyond her understanding. The realization had unnerved her and sent her hightailing it out of his apartment.
She’d already resolved to treat last night as an aberration never to be repeated. She’d had her guard down and had been running on emotion from an evening capped off by having her car banged up. Yup, that was her story, and she was sticking to it. She just needed to convince Jordan to treat last night as if it had never happened and swear him to silence about the whole comforting-embrace-leading-to-fringe-benefits thing.
“It was another story when you and Marisa were roommates,” Rosana Perini continued, jerking Sera back to the present, “but now you’ve got no one nearby.”
Except for Jordan. Sera kept her tone light. “I bought Marisa’s condo when she got married. I’ve still got the protective family aura that she left behind.”
Her mother heaved a sigh. “You were always sassy, unlike your brother.”
“I know. Dante is an angel. I guess you just got the names wrong, Mom.”
“Speaking of Dante, he has a new job.”
“Yes, I know, he told me.” How could she forget? Her brother’s new employment was what had gotten her into her current fix. Her gig as Jordan’s physical therapist meant she’d have to spend time again and again with the in-law she’d been intimate with.
The doorbell sounded, and her mother got up. “I wonder who that is.”
Moments later, Sera heard voices, and then her brother followed her mother into the room.
“Dante, this is a wonderful surprise,” her mother said. “We were just talking about you.”
Dante filched a piece of bread from the table and bit into it.
Rosana’s face was wreathed in smiles as she headed for the kitchen. “I’ll set another plate and heat up some more food. I always make extra.”
Dante winked at Sera and swallowed. “And today, your just-in-case habit paid off. Thanks, Mom.”
As their mother disappeared, Sera regarded her brother. “You made her happy.”
“Anything for Mom.” Dante took a seat opposite her, polishing off the last of his bread in the process. “I didn’t know you were here. Your car wasn’t out front.”
“It’s there,” Sera mumbled. “I parked around the corner.”
Dante snagged a piece of cheese from an appetizer plate. “Why would you do that?”
Sera sighed. This was why she was careful around her family. It was always lots of questions—with a subtext of questioning her judgment. And then, because she figured Dante would find out anyway, Sera said, “I got into a little fender bender last night, so I’m driving Jordan Serenghetti’s car.”
Dante stopped and swallowed. “Whoa, hold up. I’m still processing the cause and effect. How do you go from a little fender bender to driving the Razors’ top gun’s fancy wheels?” Her brother grinned. “That’s some fast work, sis. I’m employed by the Razors organization, and I haven’t even had a chance to grab a beer with Jordan yet.”
“Hilarious, Dante.” She cast a quick look at the kitchen to make sure their mother wasn’t coming back. “Jordan drove by right after the accident.”
“Just happened to drive by, huh?”
“Yes,” she said, holding her brother’s gaze but nevertheless lowering her voice. If she couldn’t convince Dante there wasn’t the scent of a juicy story here, she was doomed with everyone else. “After my car was towed, Jordan lent me his. It was generous of him.”
Dante nodded. “Generous.”
Sera tilted her head. “What’s the matter with you? Have you turned into a parrot?”
Her brother coughed. “Just trying to understand the facts.”
Sera smiled brightly. “Well, there you have it. End of story.”
“I thought the goal here was to get Jordan Serenghetti feeling indebted to the Perinis, not the other way around,” her brother teased.
