For a long, silent moment, the three women goggled at him. Finally, Cari cleared her throat and approached, hand extended. “Pleased to meet you, Matteo.” She nudged Danielle with her elbow. “You’ve been keeping secrets, Dani.”
Matteo shook hands with each friend in turn, his wide smile strained and tight.
“Would you excuse us a minute, ladies?” He took her hand and pulled her toward the sidewalk. “You want to scrap tonight?” he asked, his voice low.
“No!” She gripped his forearm. “They were worried about me, all alone in this big house. They came to cheer me up.”
“You didn’t tell them about us.” His eyes narrowed. “You ashamed of me, bella?”
She cupped his jaw in both hands. “No, I swear. I just—wanted more time. Just the two of us, you know? When we’re together, I can forget about what came before and what comes next.”
He regarded her for a long moment, breathing hard through flared nostrils. Then his eyes closed, and his brow smoothed. “Okay, I promised not to pressure you. But I do think about what comes next, bella. I think about it all the time.” The corner of his mouth hitched in a wry smile. “Now, you gonna feed me, or what?”
Danielle pushed back from the dining table. Thank God she’d bought the biggest chicken in the meat case. Supplemented with roasted potatoes, salad, and lots of bread, her coq au vin stretched to feed five, barely. In the kitchen, Matteo hummed as he washed dishes—the clatter and splash a thoughtful cover for their dissection of his finer points.
“Oh my God, Dani, he’s adorable,” Marie squeaked and squeezed Danielle’s wrist.
Only half-listening to her friends’ chatter, Danielle watched him through the open doorway, the smooth shifting of his muscles beneath his chambray shirt, the way his worn jeans cupped his ass.
“…tell your kids?” Laurie asked.
She shook her lust-addled head. “Sorry, what?”
“When will you tell them?”
She reached for a cookie, stalling.
“Dani, you have to tell them.”
She dropped her head into her hands. “I know, but I don’t want to be like Jason.”
Cari snorted. “How could you possibly compare yourself to that schmuck?”
She quickly related that afternoon’s phone call. “Three times, now, he’s introduced them to his squeeze du jour. They always break up as soon as the kids start to feel comfortable with her. It’s not fair to them. They need at least one stable parent.”
“So, keeping secrets equals protecting your kids?” Laurie nabbed a cookie with pink icing and sprinkles. “Or are you just protecting yourself?”
Danielle groaned and slumped onto the table. “There’s no way this can last. He’s so damned young.”
Cari snorted. “He doesn’t seem to care about your age.”
“For now.”
Marie snatched the last jam-filled cookie. “Try listening to him instead of listening to your fear. Just because stupid-ass Jason left you doesn’t mean every guy’s gonna leave you.”
The clatter in the kitchen stopped, replaced by approaching footsteps. Danielle bolted upright.
Matteo gently gripped her shoulder. “Well, ladies, I think I’d better leave. It was a pleasure meeting you all. I hope to see you again soon. Bella, will you see me out?”
She followed him to the deck.
He twined a lock of her hair around his finger. “So, did I pass inspection?”
“You got an A-plus.” She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Thanks for being so understanding.” Another kiss, longer and deeper. “Do you really want to go?”
He chuckled against her temple. “Of course I don’t. Only eight more days until you kick me to the curb. But you should spend time with your friends.” He flashed a devilish grin and squeezed her ass with both hands. “Maybe they’ll talk you into giving me a chance.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Maybe they’ll talk me out of it.”
