Page 27 of One Naughty Night (Single in South Beach)

“Right. Sorry.” His hand dropped, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“No worries. I’ll take care of it later.” She moved toward the kitchen. “Do you have enough time for coffee?”

Renzo took a deep breath as he followed her. “I do, thank you. That ought to provide us with enough time to figure out how we’re getting off track this morning.”

He flattened his tanned, calloused hands across the cracked laminate countertop a mere foot from where she poured water into the coffeepot.

It occurred to her that even now, as towering Renzo confronted her, he didn’t come close to intimidating her the way reedy, scrupulously mannered Miles had at the museum. She’d never been comfortable around the smarmy art director with his endless innuendo and furtive looks.

“Off track?” She measured out extra grounds to account for her guest. “I don’t think thereisa track for new business partners who opt to sleep together before their first deal is done. It’s all new terrain for me.”

Pressing start on the machine, she turned to face him, knowing she’d never find her inner strength or financial independence if she didn’t confront obstacles head on. Though she had to admit the man was a very enticing obstacle.

He nodded. “Fair enough. Why don’t you spell out where you see things going from here so there is no risk of misunderstanding?”

Licking her lips, she hesitated. After what had happened between them last night, it wouldn’t be easy to downshift a relationship that had been moving full throttle. But that’s what needed to happen.

“I just need to put the reins on things a little. I’m coming out of an unhappy situation with a guy where I didn’t stand up for myself enough and--”

“What?” Renzo tensed, hands clenching at his side. His deep voice bounced around her small kitchen. “Did someone give you a hard time? Esme, you should have—”

“I handled it.” She didn’t need someone to manage her life for her. Far from it. “It happened weeks ago.”

“What happened weeks ago?” His voice contained an ill-concealed growl that suggested he hadn’t fully leashed his inner Rambo.

She couldn’t deny a small thrill at his indignation on her behalf. Because no matter how well she’d handled things, she’d also had bad dreams about it every night but the one where Renzo had occupied her bed.

“I had a run-in with a guy who didn’t understand the meaning of ‘no.’ I left before things turned too ugly and I’ve put the incident behind me.” She didn’t care to share the whole of the experience, but it was more than she’d told anyone else about the situation. “But if I’m ever going to make peace with myself for what happened, I need to seek out my own strength and exercise more control in my life.”

As the scent of coffee steamed into the air around them, Esme experienced a small catharsis. Even confiding her vow to find some more gumption felt empowering. Made her all the more committed to the cause.

“You need more control over your life.” Renzo repeated carefully. “And you shared this with me because you think we should slow things down.”

Shrugging, she poured coffee into two blue ceramic mugs for them. “I guess that sums it up.”

“Do you have any reason to think I share anything in common with this guy?” A vein visibly throbbed in his temple. “Because I --”

She laid a hand over his wrist. “Of course not. You are nothing like him and I know you would never…” She brushed away memories of her supervisor’s unwanted advances and suffocating grip. “You’re nothing like that.”

His rigid shoulders eased a fraction, his dark eyes shifting from sympathetic outrage to compassion.

“So you want me to back off because you’re… what?” He waved his free hand in a vague motion while he juggled his steaming coffee mug in the other. “Searching for yourself?”

With great effort she prevented herself from rolling her eyes.

“I’m finding ways to take charge of my life. Going into business for myself is actually going to give me a boost in that department and I have you to thank for the idea. But as for a relationship--”

“A cocky construction worker commandeering your remotes isn’t exactly what you had in mind, I take it?” He set his half-empty mug on the kitchen counter and scooped up the keys to his truck he must have laid there the night before or this morning while he’d been roaming around her apartment. “Heard and understood.”

Startled that he would walk away so quickly, without even arguing the point, Esme hoped she hadn’t inadvertently offended him.

Hurt him.

She hadn’t really considered that possibility with a man who seemed so self-assured.

Unsure how to fix things, she shifted to the safe terrain of business discussion. “I’ve got a few antique clients I can start calling today. I’ll try to set up some showings and let you know what kind of reaction I get.”

Renzo nodded as he moved toward the door and Esme stifled the ache she felt to watch him leave. How would she ever find that core strength she needed if she let Renzo into her life on all levels? With her mild personality and his strong one, he could overshadow her in no time. Wouldn’t he?

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