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She tried not to take his apathy personally, even if it stung her pride. She changed the subject. “What do you think about our siblings getting married?”
He laughed and took a sip of beer. “That one I never saw coming.”
“They seem happy. What does Erin say?”
“I haven’t really talked to her.”
Surprised, she looked at him. “How come?”
He shrugged. “We’re not really close anymore.”
She wondered if his sister was another off-limits topic. She didn’t want to spoil the night forcing the conversation around subjects he didn’t want to discuss, so she kept quiet.
After several minutes of silence, he blurted, “Do you want to get out of here?”
“And go where?”
“We can go back to my room—”
“I don’t think that’s such a great idea.” When he gave her a look of surprise, she said, “Everyone at the hotel knows me.”
“Is that really why?”
She dropped her gaze to the dark pavement. “Harrison, every time I let you into my life, you break my heart on the way out.”
He didn’t deny his actions had hurt her nor did he make a joke of her feelings. But he did take her hand, holding it softly in his. “I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you.”
He kissed her fingers. “I don’t like hurting you.”
“I know.”
“I don’t want to be alone tonight. What if I promised to behave? No sex. Just good conversation between close friends.”
Were they close friends? Friends kept in touch.
“What are you thinking?”
She fanned out her hands. “I don’t know what to do.”
He rubbed a finger over her knee. “What do you want to do?”
She wanted to kiss him and hold him. She wanted to feel him inside of her and get lost in his body. She wanted to forget who she was and do something fearless. But she also wanted to avoid getting hurt again.
She was like a chimp in a cage that reached for a reward only to get shocked. How many times would she hurt herself before finally learning the lesson? Harrison wasn’t good for her. But no one else made her feel as good as he could.
“It’s not fair when you touch me like that.”
“I’m barely touching you.”
Yet she felt him everywhere. He was the downbeat of her heart and the skitter of her pulse. The prickle on her skin and the chill dancing on her spine. He was the heat swirling in her belly and—
His lips pressed to hers and she jerked back. “Harrison!”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I just… I don’t want you to push me away. I don’t like it.”
She touched her lips, the imprint of his kiss lingering on her mouth. “We have to have boundaries.”
“Why? Why can’t we just be together? Why can’t we just have this escape? I promise—”
She covered his mouth. They would crumble if he put a lie between them. She didn’t want him making promises he’d only break.
He pulled away her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “I’d never intentionally hurt you, Mariella.”
She believed him. But the road to hell was paved with good intentions. “I think I should go home.”
Disappointment stole over his face and he stood. “Can I see you tomorrow?”
“I have work.”
“After?”
She couldn’t see him in an intimate setting. She didn’t trust herself. “How about I come by the hardware store and give you a hand with whatever you’re doing there?”
His brow creased. “Why would you want to get involved in that?”
“Because you’re my friend, and I know this is a lot for you.”
“I don’t care about the store.”
Maybe not. But he cared about the things it made him feel. “I can meet you there a little after five. That’s my best offer.”
“You drive a hard bargain, Mosconi.”
“You don’t make it easy, Montgomery.”
He grinned. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow at five.”
CHAPTER 15
Harrison shut his laptop and checked the time. Damn. It wasn’t even noon yet. The day was dragging. Up at dawn, he put in five hours of hard work, made a few calls, and checked the clock six thousand times.
Groaning, he threw his head back and scrubbed his hands over his face. He should be thinking of the store and coming up with a plan.
He could hire someone to tag and photograph the inventory for liquidation, a one and done simple online auction. He just needed to make a phone call, and he could have someone sent down by the end of the day to get started and find himself back in New York by tonight.
So why wasn’t he doing that?
Because he hadn’t gone over the plans with Erin. Obviously.
She was away. With Giovanni. Her husband.
Jesus, his little sister was married. He still couldn’t picture it. Wondering how long she planned to be out of town, he sent her a text.
* * *
How’s it going?
* * *
When she didn’t instantly respond, he checked in on social media. Scrolling down the feed, only half focusing on the images drifting by, he impatiently wondered what could be keeping his sister from replying.
