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His brow lifted. “Are you worried what people might say?”
“No.”
He leaned closer and she assumed he was going to whisper something in her ear until his lips closed around her earlobe. When she tried to shoulder him away, he only sucked the sensitive spot harder.
“Harrison!”
Warm breath teased over her throat as he chuckled. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you trying to keep your distance.” His lips grazed her fluttering pulse. “When you play hard to get, it only makes me want you more.”
Her body turned to mush when his hand discreetly slipped into the back of her leggings and squeezed her ass. She leaned into him, shutting her eyes. She was as good as screwed.
“Why the cold shoulder, Mariella? You were a lot warmer this afternoon when your mouth was on my—”
She covered his mouth and cleared her throat, certain no one could hear him, but still very aware that they weren’t alone. She pushed his hand away from her butt. “I was making your signs.”
“You were making me horny.”
She looked at the crowd of people gathered around the door. “Do you think our table’s almost ready?”
“Not sure. Do you think your tongue tastes like strawberries? It’s bright red.”
A jagged breath filled her lungs. He was really pushing her buttons. “How are the chips?”
“Fuck the chips. What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar.”
“We’re at dinner—”
“That’s not why you’re pushing me away. I thought we already established—”
“Harrison,” she cut him off before he could say more. “I just think it’s better for everyone if we try to keep things platonic.”
“We’ve never been platonic.”
“Then we should start.”
“No.”
She scoffed. “No?”
“Yeah, no. I’m not doing that.”
“Well, you don’t really have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice. If you’re single and I’m single, and we have incredible sex whenever we’re together, why make a problem when there isn’t one?”
Of course he wouldn’t see the problem. It usually presented itself after he was gone.
She folded her arms over her chest, her brain fuzzy from the tequila. “Let’s not have this discussion here.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re in public and it’s complicated.”
“So let’s uncomplicate it. Explain it to me.”
“There’s nothing to explain. You’re here, and in a matter of days, you’ll be gone.”
“All the more reason to make the most of our time.”
He was breaking her down and it had already been a losing battle. “I can’t go through this again. I can’t do this only to have you disappear and never even pick up the phone to call and ask how I am.”
“This time I’ll call. I swear.”
He might call, but he’d never promise not to disappear on her. “Let’s drop it.”
“Mariella, I never—” Thankfully his phone buzzed, cutting off any more meaningless speeches about his good intentions. He glanced at the screen. “Our table’s ready.”
“Great.” She pushed through the crowd. This time leaving him behind.
CHAPTER 18
Sunday afternoon, Harrison traveled up the mountain, fueled by sheer curiosity and a need to fix the awkwardness that somehow interrupted his and Mariella’s chemistry. Several cars parked around the field, surrounded by dense evergreens that covered the mountain. The baseball diamond was as nice as the ones at the high school, complete with custom dugouts and long metal bleachers.
Harrison parked beside an old Jeep Cherokee and twisted his cap backward, searching the benches for Mariella’s dark hair in a sea of men and red-headed women. Young children raced around the sandy lot, while adults sorted equipment and carried coolers to the folding table set up between the dugouts.
He recognized several McCulloughs and Clooneys before anyone noticed him. Mariella had a huge extended family, even though she and Giovanni were basically it for the Mosconi line.
Two siblings, just like him and Erin, yet that was where the family similarities ended. Even in her brother’s absence, Mariella had an endless reserve of people in her life that cared for her. That brought him comfort.
Last night hadn’t gone quite the way he’d planned. After dinner, she declined his invitation to come back to the hotel and somehow managed to say goodnight without getting close enough for him to even kiss her.
“Harrison,” Ryan called from the cluster of cars and jogged over. “Glad you could make it.”
“No problem.” He once again searched for Mariella, but didn’t see her in the cluster of McCulloughs and Clooneys. “Have you seen Mariella?”
“She, uh, left early.”
He frowned, more confused than ever. “Did she say why?”
“My Uncle Paulie was having some indigestion at breakfast, so my brother suggested he sit this one out and take it easy. She drove him home.”
“Paulie is Mariella’s dad?”
“Yeah.” He waved a hand as another car door slammed. “Luke, over here!” Ryan yelled. “Anyway, gloves and bats are over there. Help yourself to whatever you need.”
He needed Mariella. Without her, there was no point in him being there.
“Holy shit, Harrison Montgomery.” Luke clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Where the hell did you come from?”
