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“Tell me what?”
“That I told him about David.”
“You did?”
He nodded. “I’m sorry.”
She stared at him for a long moment. She couldn’t be mad at him. She couldn’t be mad at Cameron. The only person she should really be mad at over the whole David episode was herself. She should have told Cam from the outset, and there would never have been a problem.
“Please don’t be angry with me.”
She chuckled. “I’m not. Part of me wants to be, but I’m not. You meant well, didn’t you?”
He nodded vigorously. “I heard you. I heard how you felt. There’s no way you should have to be around that man. Cameron didn’t know, and I knew he would want to. I know it wasn’t my place, but I care.”
“You do?” What was he saying? Did he mean he cared about her? Or just that he cared in general, that he was a caring person? He stepped toward her. Oh, God! Was he going to kiss her? Did she want him to? Hell yeah, she did!
“Oh! I’m sorry.”
Mary Ellen sprang away from Antonio as the door opened behind him. Natasha from the office stood there looking shocked—it wasn’t every day you found a handsome Sicilian when you walked into the ladies’ room.
Antonio smiled at her as if she were the one out of place. “That’s okay, we were just leaving.” He held the door for Mary Ellen and gestured for her to go out ahead of him.
When they were out into the hallway, he laughed, and she had to laugh with him. “I’m sorry again. I seem to be screwing this up every time I turn around.”
The laughter died in her throat. “Screwing what up?”
He put a hand on her shoulder, sending shivers chasing each other down her spine and making her knees want to buckle under her. “Asking you out. Will you have dinner with me? Tonight, tomorrow, whenever you want?”
She looked up into his eyes. Was he messing with her? No. It didn’t look like it. He looked as concerned and caring as he had when he talked to her on Wednesday. Maybe it was just part of his play to get a woman into bed—and if it was, it was working. She nodded. “Okay.”
“Tonight?”
She nodded again. Why not? She’d waited years for her turn in his bed. Why wait any longer? They both knew what it was about, why not just get on with it? “Later. I need to hang out with the team first.”
He smiled. There went those full lips, curving up at the corners and making her heart race again at the thought that later they’d be touching her skin—all over. “I’ll let you get back to it. I’ll be here when you’re done.”
She smiled. “Okay.” As she turned away from him, he touched her shoulder, and she turned back. He lowered his head; he was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes but didn’t get what she expected. He closed his hand around the back of her neck and gently planted a kiss on top of her head. “I can’t wait.”
She did her best to walk steadily back out to the terrace to rejoin the others, but she felt a little wobbly and had a feeling she might look as if she was walking on air.
Chapter Five
Antonio checked his watch. How long would it take? It’d already been an hour since Mary Ellen went back to join her colleagues. Patience wasn’t one of his strengths. Once he made a decision, he preferred to move swiftly. He wasn’t in the driver’s seat here though. It was all up to Mary Ellen. At least she’d said yes—and shewasattracted to him. He knew plenty about women, and the way she’d reacted to him in the bathroom had made it plain. She was physically attracted to him.
Normally, that would be all he needed to know. If he was going to have dinner with a woman and she was attracted to him, he knew how the evening would go—and how it would end. That wasn’t the case with Mary Ellen. He wasn’t on a mission to get her into bed, at least not yet, not tonight. He shifted in his seat. The thought of getting her into bed had the interest stirring in his pants. If he started to think about her body, about getting his hands on her and … Damn. He hadn’t allowed himself to think of her that way before. He’d believed there was no point. She wouldn’t be interested. But she was. What was he going to do with it? He wanted to get to know her, as a person, not just as a piece of ass. He couldn’t deny he wanted to get his hands on her ass—on every inch of her creamy skin. His hands, his tongue … he shook his head. He wasn’t supposed to be taking it in that direction. She wasn’t the kind of girl who’d sleep with him on a first date. And, gorgeous as she was, it wasn’t just her body that interested him. If all he wanted was a hot body, he could find one to take home any night of the week. What he was interested in was the woman, Mary Ellen. He wouldn’t find another like her in a million years; he already knew that. She was special. The question was, would she find him special, too?
He looked up as Cameron came through the bar. “I’m heading home.”
“Okay. Have a great weekend.”
“Thanks. You too.” Cameron smiled at him. “Mary Ellen’s still here.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“Because I asked her to stay and have dinner with me.”
