Page 43 of A Perfect Pairing
She waved a dismissive hand. “He wanted to know if I was free for dinner.”
Antonio grunted and eased into the traffic. “Next time I’ll just park and come inside with you.”
Shifting in her seat, she said, “Do I hear a bit of jealousy in your voice?”
“Maybe?” More like alotof jealousy. She was a beautiful woman, though, so it was probably unreasonable for him to never want another man to hit on her. He slanted her a quick glance and saw her smiling. “What?”
“I haven’t had anyone to be jealous about another man talking to me in a long while.” She laid a hand on his thigh. “But you don’t have to worry, Tonio. I don’t want anyone but you.”
“Same goes for you. So, did you get what you needed?”
“Yep. Now Serenity will have plenty of chocolate for those strawberries and truffles she makes. The truffles are second on my list of weaknesses behind the dipped strawberries.”
He wanted to tell her she was quickly rising to the top ofhislist of weaknesses. It had taken him only a few short weeks to fall for her again, despite trying to convince himself of the risks.
CHAPTER 17
Natasha studied Antonio after the server took the food orders and left their drinks. The man looked breathtakingly handsome in the navy suit, and she knew by the fit it had been expressly tailored for him. And with his height and sexy stroll, he could grace the runway of any fashion show. She imagined this was how he’d dressed every day while working at the firm in New York, and she couldn’t decide which she preferred—the laid-back, jeans-wearing version or this polished businessman one.It’s a good thing I can have both.
“I meant to ask you if everything’s okay. I noticed you sitting in your car for a moment at my house,” she said.
Antonio seemingly thought for a moment. “Oh, yeah. Fine. I was talking to Noelle. She called to remind me that I still hadn’t let her know when she could spend the night with me. Since I live alone, apparently, I need the company.”
She smiled. “Aw, aren’t you a cool uncle. Are you going to do it?”
“Absolutely. Next Saturday. We’re going to have a ball—movies, popcorn, ice cream, staying up late. All the things a parent would most likely veto.” He sipped his wine.
Natasha giggled. “You are so wrong. I bet you won’t do that when you have your own. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” The words slipped out before she could stop them. They’d talked about having children and both had wanted them—she still did. She just didn’t want him to think she was trying to push him in any direction so soon.
Antonio reached for her hand. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t. This is us, Tasha. You can say or ask anything and not have to worry about me taking it a certain way. We’ve always been able to talk to each other about everything, I don’t want that to change. And I know what you meant.” He gave her hand a little squeeze. “You’re right, I probably won’t let my child do that… well, not all the time,” he added with a wink. “You know how much I want kids, so if I’m blessed enough to ever have them, I’m going to spoil them a little.”
This man made it extremely difficult not to jump all the way in emotionally. She’d already admitted to herself that a part of her never stopped loving him, but that part appeared to be spreading like a brushfire across her heart, and she had no idea how to slow it down. Natasha already knew Antonio would be an incredible father. She’d watched him with his niece that night at the town meeting, and the way he had interacted with the little girl melted Natasha’s heart. “You’re really good with her, and it’s great that she remembers you.”
“While I was living in New York, we’d FaceTime every week. She stole my heart the day she was born, and even though I knew I couldn’t be here, I wanted to be part of her life. Being here to watch her grow up was one of the reasons I wanted to come home.”
“What’s the other reason?”
He smiled faintly. “I was tired of working sixty or more hours every week and missed the slower pace of home. I wanted a career change, and I missed my family. With Grandpa not doing that great, it just seemed like the right time to come back.”
“That’s a lot of hours.” She’d be burned out, too, if she had to work that many hours every week. When did he have time to relax? He had mentioned that he and his ex-wife had wanted different things, but did those long work hours also contribute to the demise of his marriage? They’d talked about it briefly, and she wanted to ask but figured it might be best to wait until he brought it up again. Natasha decided to change the subject. “Did you decide to take over the construction company before you moved back?”
Antonio shook his head. “Nope. I had planned to take a month or so off, then decide what to do. He sprang the offer on me that first day I saw you.” He quieted for a few seconds. “Didn’t think we’d be here this way.”
“That makes two of us, but I’m so glad we are.”
“So am I.”
The server returned with their food, and they continued to converse over the meal. Although they both had grown and changed, in all the ways that counted, they were still the same. Natasha could spend hours with him and never run out of things to talk about. By the time they left, she wasn’t ready to head back home.
As if reading her mind, he asked, “It’s not too late. Do you want to head over to Pier 39 for a while?”
“I’d love to.” This time they were lucky enough to find parking across the street from the pier. He entwined their fingers, and she marveled at how perfectly their hands fit.
“I haven’t been here since we graduated from high school,” Antonio said as they strolled past the many shops and eateries toward the back of the pier.
It had been their last date right before they both left for college. It was then that he’d given her the promise ring. Natasha leaned against the railing and stared out at the water and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. The breeze kicked up, and she shivered.
“Cold?” He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. “We can head back if you want.”
