Page 37 of A Perfect Pairing
“Mm-hmm. I bet you are. Get your muffins and come on.”
It didn’t take long to make her purchase, and the two women strolled up the street to the Back Porch Boutique.
“If we don’t find something in here or the other boutique, we still have time to make a quick drive over to Napa,” Serenity said, looking through a rack of dresses.
“Sounds good.” Natasha held up one dress, turned it one way, then another, then put it back. She had an idea of what she wanted and hoped they wouldn’t have to make that drive. The boutique had gone through major renovations and its space had been enlarged over the winter, and it now carried a larger selection. She tried on and discarded at least six dresses before finding a sky-blue off-the-shoulder one that skimmed her curves, stopped just at the knee, and had a modest slit that exposed a few inches of her thigh. She smiled and exited the fitting room.
“Oh my goodness. That’s it!” Serenity rushed over. “Turn around and let me see.” She smiled and nodded. “Antonio is not going to know what hit him when he sees you in this dress. I’ll try to be on standby to pick up his eyeballs.”
Natasha laughed. “You do that. And I have the perfect sandals already.” She went back to change, then paid for the dress. “Now, this is my kind of shopping.”
Serenity checked her watch as they walked out of the shop. “And since it didn’t take too long, I think I’ll go home and surprise my sexy husband. Are you going back to work?”
“No. The baseboards came in for Ms. Velda’s house, and I’m going to stop by to make sure they’re the correct ones before they start installing it.”
“And no doubt to take a peek at that fine man of yours.”
“Nooodoubt at all.” They fell out laughing. After sharing a hug, Natasha continued up the street to her car, and Serenity headed back to the doctor’s office, where she’d left hers.
A few minutes later she parked in front of the house. Today there were two guys in the yard cutting the flooring to size, one adding the last touches to the porch, and the man who had always held a spot in her heart on the roof. Her heart started pounding, and she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face when he spotted her. It took everything inside her not to climb that ladder and run her hands all over his body while kissing him senseless. It had been the same thing she’d thought back when he worked summers with Mr. Davenport. With his good looks, muscular body, and charm, every girl in town found one reason or another to walk by whichever site he was at that day. And she was no exception. Just the sight of him still made her heart race, her pulse skip, and her palms damp. Antonio must have interpreted her thoughts because he grinned and mouthed,No, while shaking his head.
She shrugged, climbed the steps, and went inside. “Hi, Todd. You called about the baseboards?”
“Hey, Natasha. Yeah.” Todd led her back outside to the yard, where a large stack of boxes sat. He took one out of the box and held it up.
“Yes, this is the right one.” Instead of the three-inch ones that had originally been installed, she’d opted for some that were eight inches. With the twelve-foot ceilings, the taller boards would give a more contemporary and elegant feel to the rooms. “Thanks. You’re good to go. I’ll stop by one day next week to see how it looks.”
“All right. See you later.”
Natasha loved how the house was coming together and hoped Chase and Mike would be pleased. She took a step back and ran into a solid mass. She gasped softly.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Antonio whispered.
She rotated slowly to face him. “Hey.”
“Everything okay with the baseboards?”
“Yes, and I can’t wait to see them installed. The house is coming together nicely. You guys are doing a fabulous job.” She knew she was rambling, but she had to do whatever she could to keep herself in check.
“Thanks.” Antonio stood there staring at her.
“What?”
“I need you to stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” Natasha asked innocently. “Like I want you to kiss me or something?”
He remained silent.
“Or… likeIwant to kissyou?”
“You’re playing with fire, Tasha.” His voice dipped lower, his breathing increased, and his hands clenched at his sides.
“I’m not afraid of a little fire. Are you?” Natasha had never been as bold with any other man, but this was Antonio.Her Tonio.
“You need to take your sassy self back to your office before you get us both in trouble.”
She burst out laughing and pointed to herself. “Who, me?” She batted her eyelashes at him.
