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“That little performance of yours was enough to get you to first base, but I’m going to need a lot more before I let you slide home.” Slipping off the stool, he enfolded her hand in his warm, male grip. “Let’s go, Lili.”
He led her through the crowd, holding tight while people alternated between slapping him on the back and clasping her arm affectionately. Her mother beamed, Gina’s eyes looked suspiciously shiny, and Cara gave her a dirty wink.
Then they ran into Obstacle Number One. Her father.
Tilting his head, Tony considered her for a heartbeat before kissing her on the forehead. “Mi mancherai tantissimo, Liliana.”
A too-full feeling ruled her chest and she nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She would miss him, too.
Her father turned to Jack, but before he could say a word, Jack squeezed her hand. “Lili, could you give your father and me a minute alone?”
“Sure,” she murmured, taking a couple of surprised steps back.
Jack leaned into her father and spoke in too low a voice for Lili to hear. And she tried, she really did.
“Nice to see you finally taking my advice,” Tad whispered in her ear. “Though I wonder how Jack would feel if he knew the real reason you made a play for him. That all you wanted was a ride on the chopper. Tsk, tsk.”
“Oh, shut up,” she said nervously as she watched Jack and her father finish up and exchange what looked like bone-crushing handshakes. It must be about the cookbook. Let the fun times begin.
“Any time you want to ride the hog, babe, it’s yours.” Tad kissed her on the temple. “I think you earned it.”
“Oh …” But that thought would have to wait because she was on the road again with her own personal thrill ride, Jack dragging her toward the back office … no, the restroom … oh, the kitchen. A mercifully empty kitchen, now that service was over and the crew were out celebrating with the revelers. Finally alone with him, butterflies collided in her stomach and she felt ten times more nervous than she had in front of the news camera and the entire restaurant of customers.
“What’s going on with my dad?” she asked, stalling.
His smile was a warm secret. “Just very important chef stuff. Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about.”
“Jack!” Why, that arrogant… At his sly grin, it dawned on her that he was trying to get her riled up to move her into communication mode. Clever, clever.
Her heart zigzagged in her chest and she rubbed her collarbone, seeking calm. “I’m no good at this. I’m Italian and I know I should be better at all this emotional stuff, but we’ve never really been like that in our family. So, I’m sorry if I get it all wrong, but I’ll try not to make any jokes.”
He bestowed on her an encouraging smile. “You’re doing fine.”
She ran her fingers along the nearest scratched up stainless steel countertop. “Lili,” he said, not ungently.
She swallowed past the lump of emotion. “I used to be fat and I used to be scared. Then I was no longer fat, but the fear stayed. Yeah, I took edgy photos and attacked would-be burglars dressed as Wonder Woman and made shocking passes at TV idols in bars, but I was determined not to allow any of those dalliances out of my comfort zone change who I truly was. Lili DeLuca, stoic restaurant manager, martyr daughter, all round chicken. I was all those things and I had every intention of staying that way.”
“Ah, sweetheart.”
She shot him her most condemning look. “Don’t interrupt. You wanted this, so you’re going to damn well listen. Besides, you’ll like the next part. It’s all about you.”
He raised his hands. “Please. Continue.”
“Then you came into my life. Well, the coming part took a frustratingly long time because first, you had to needle, and get under my skin, and tell me I had potential and could do anything. That was pretty overwhelming for me. To have someone as amazing as you care about me that much—” She flapped cool air at her face, hating herself for acting like such a girly-girl, and loving how the weight she’d carried for so long seemed to lift with every word. “I wasn’t sure it was real. I wasn’t sure you were real because let’s face it, you’re the fantasy. So yes, I panicked because that’s a hell of a lot easier than trusting my heart to what might be a figment of my imagination.”
“But I’m very real.” His voice was heartbreakingly compassionate.
Yes, he was. He was flesh and blood and fantasy, all rolled into the sexiest, most awesome package of male she had ever seen. No wonder she was confused.
“I’m sorry I didn’t trust us, but mostly I’m sorry I didn’t trust myself. I’m just getting used to being a superhero, you know.”
He kissed her, slow and sensual and so, so hot. “All right, that wasn’t half bad. There’s hope for you, yet. Think we can move to second base now.” Sliding his hands up along her ribs, he thumbed her already-primed nipples. Bones and other important body parts went with the flow and liquefied in pure pleasure.
“Lili, I walked in here tonight, expecting nothing, and got everything I needed. Seeing your art and all the changes, I’m so proud of you. And then to put yourself out there on camera. Woman, you’ve got balls. I love you so much.”
Oh, that was so lovely to hear. “Yes, but I needed a push, someone who saw me. Really saw me. It’s scary when someone can read you that well, can understand what you need better than you do yourself.” She gulped. “I applied to graduate school.”
His thumbs stopped that lovely plucking at her breasts. Damn, she needed to time these revelations better.
