Page 45 of A Perfect Pairing
He carefully pushed back the hair covering her eyes. She’d cut the long style she used to wear, and now the strands fell just below her ear. It gave her a more sophisticated appearance and enhanced her beauty, and he loved the change. Antonio glanced over his shoulder at the nightstand clock and sighed.It’s almost two.He wanted nothing more than to wake up next to her. But this was Firefly Lake, not New York, and all hell would break loose if folks found out he’d spent the night. He and Natasha were adults, but neither of them needed to deal with a lecture from the nosy townsfolk who acted as if they were the morality police. She slept so peacefully, he didn’t want to wake her, but he didn’t have a choice.
“Tasha,” Antonio called softly, placing fleeting kisses on her lips and cheek. “Wake up, baby.”
Natasha groaned and snuggled deeper in his arms. “Five more minutes.”
He laughed softly. “You can have all the minutes you need once I leave.”
Her head popped up. “Antonio? What time is it?”
He idly ran his hand up and down her spine. “Relax, sweetheart. It’s just after two. I need to go.”
She flipped over onto her back. “I know.”
Antonio left the bed and got dressed. He shoved his tie into his pocket, then leaned down and kissed her slowly and thoroughly. “Come lock the door.” She flipped the covers back and padded naked across the room to the closet. Just the sight of her tempted him to stay for just one more round.
Yawning, she slipped her arms into a short robe and tied the belt. “Are you going to be busy tomorrow?” Natasha shook her head. “I mean later today.”
“Mowing the lawn and dinner at my parents. What about you?”
“Sleeping in.”
He laughed, took her hand, and led her to the front. “I’ll call you tomorrow night.” Unable to resist, he kissed her once more. “Sleep well.”
“You too. Drive carefully.” She ran her hand down his chest and abs and gave him a sleepy smile.
Antonio’s body reacted with lightning speed.Time to go.He quickly closed the door behind him and loped down the driveway to his car, knowing he had a cold shower waiting for him at home.
Antonio woke up the next morning to the insistent chime of his phone. He blindly reached for it, knocking it to the floor. He muttered a curse and leaned over the bed to find it. Sitting up, he squinted at the display and read the text from his brother:FYI, Mom found out about your date last night, so get ready… lol!
He flopped back against the pillow and groaned.Here we go again.He typed back:Thanks for the warning. I expect you to do your big-brother duty and run interference.Tossing the phone aside, Antonio lay there a while longer, thinking about Natasha. As exhausted as he’d been last night, it had taken him almost two hours after showering to fall asleep because of all the emotional turmoil in his mind. They had decided to go slow, but after last night, he wasn’t sure if he wantedslowanymore. His phone buzzed again. He sat up and went still when he saw a message from Lori:Antonio, I know it’s been a while. You didn’t respond to my voicemail a few weeks ago, but I really need to talk to you. I miss you. I miss us. Please call me.
Antonio couldn’t believe her audacity. If she’d been this interested in talking, maybe they could’ve salvaged their marriage. He started to ignore it, like he’d done the first time, but then sent back a short reply:There’s nothing to talk about. We’ve both moved on, so let’s just leave it.
Going back to sleep was out of the question now, so Antonio decided to go for a run before doing his yard. He used to start his day with at least two cups of coffee but realized that he hadn’t drunk more than two cups in the past week, opting for smoothies instead. His body felt better because of it.
He headed back to his favorite park, did two miles, and came back home to tackle the lawn. Afterward, he showered and powered up his laptop to work on a design for a house. He still hadn’t made a decision on whether to buy or build, but he wanted to have the option available whenever he was ready. Unlike other bigger cities, Firefly Lake still had a lot of open land for purchase, and his first choice would be something that backed one of the lakes. Once again his thoughts strayed to Natasha. He knew she loved being near the water, and he could see them enjoying sitting there in the evenings to unwind. Antonio brought his thoughts to a screeching halt.I’m getting way ahead of myself.
Seeing that it was just about time to leave for his parents’ house, he saved the file and shut down everything.
He made the short drive over, and before he could get in the door good, his mother started in.
“Why didn’t you tell me you and Natasha were dating? I had to find out from someone else.”
“Mom, you found out the day of Grandma’s party, just like everybody else. I brought Natasha, remember? No, I didn’t make a grand announcement, but I’m sure you saw us together.”
“And I have to say they make such a cute couple,” April said, placing two platters on the dining room table. “You need me to get anything else, Mom?”
His mother surveyed the table laden with serving dishes. “No, baby. I think that’s it. I think we’re ready.”
“I’ll go let everyone know,” Antonio said, nearly sprinting out of the room. His mother acted like he’d never dated before. He stuck his head in the family room, where his father and brother were watching a basketball playoff game. “Dinner.” Noelle, who had been asleep when he arrived, sat up on the sofa next to Nate, somewhat disoriented. Her eyes cleared and she noticed Antonio in the doorway.
“Uncle Tony, is it time to go to your house yet?” Noelle asked around a yawn.
He scooped her up in his arms. “Not yet. It’s only been one day. We have six more to go. But how about you sit next to me at dinner today, and we can talk about what we’re going to do. What do you think?”
Her eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously. “Okay.” She threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek.
Antonio would give anything to have this every day. He put her on his shoulders as they went back to the dining room, and her squeals of delight made him smile. His grandmother was at the table when he returned. Noelle giggled when he dipped his head to kiss the family’s matriarch. He placed his niece in her booster seat and took the chair next to her. Everyone filled plates and started in on the meal.
