“Please step back,” I said quietly.
He moved, but not in the way I wanted. His right hand slid out of his pocket, and then down my arm, from elbow to wrist. I felt his touch through the silk of my navy blouse and was grateful that the long sleeves hid the goose bumps.
“You’ve changed so much,” he murmured.
“Of course. Enough that you didn’t recognize me earlier.”
“Jesus. You think I didn’t know it was you?” He turned away, but that didn’t lessen his impact. The back view was just as splendid as the front. “You could never hide from me, Gia. I’d recognize you blindfolded.”
Shock and confusion held my tongue for a moment. We’d gone from distant and impersonal to searingly intimate in a heartbeat. “What are you doing here, Jax?”
He walked to the windows and looked out at New York. In the near distance, Central Park was a splash of green already touched with autumn-red and orange, a vibrant burst of color in a concrete jungle. “I’m going to offer Lei Yeung whatever it takes to make her go play in someone else’s sandbox.”
“It won’t work. This is personal.”
“Business should never be personal.”
I stepped back toward the threshold, eager to escape. The conference room was spacious and airy, with floor-to-ceiling windows on one side and clear glass on the other. The walls at either end were a soothing pale blue, with an expensively stocked bar to the right and a huge display screen to the left. Still, Jax dominated his surroundings, making me feel caged.
“Nothing’s personal, right?” I said, remembering how he’d just failed to show up one day. And every day after that.
“Things were between us,” he said, his deep voice husky. “Once.”
“No, they weren’t.” Not for you...
He turned abruptly, causing me to take another cautious step back even though we stood a room apart. “There are no hard feelings, then. Good. There’s no reason not to pick up where we left off. My meeting with Yeung won’t take long. When I’m done we can head to my hotel and get reacquainted.”
“Fuck you,” I snapped.
His mouth curved, revealing that delicious dimple. Oh, how that changed him, concealing how dangerous he was with a touch of boyish charm. I hated that playful little indentation as much as I adored it.
“There you are,” he said, with an unmistakable note of triumph. “You almost had me fooled into thinking the Gia I knew was gone.”
“Don’t toy with me, Jax. It’s beneath you.”
“I want you beneath me.”
I’d known he would say that, if I opened the door, but I’d had to hear it. I had to hear him spell it out. He was direct when it came to sex, sensual and natural as an animal. I loved it, because I’d been that way with him, too.
Greedy. Insatiable. Nothing else had ever made me feel as good.
“I’m seeing someone,” I lied.
Visually, he didn’t bat an eye, but somehow, I got the impression that struck a nerve. “That Williams guy?” he asked too casually.
“Hello, Mr. Rutledge,” Lei said, sweeping in on her killer Jimmy Choo slingbacks. “I’m going to assume this is a pleasant surprise.”
“It can be.” He turned his attention to her so completely, I felt dismissed.
“I’ll leave you two to it,” I said, walking out. Lei’s gaze caught mine and I understood the silent message. We’d be talking soon.
I didn’t look at Jax again, but I still got the same message from him.
* * *
I CALLED CHAD WILLIAMS as soon as I passed through the turnstiles in the lobby. “Hey,” I said when I heard his smooth Southern drawl. “It’s Gianna.”
“I was hoping you’d call.”
“Do you have dinner plans?”
“Ah—I can break them.”
I smiled, feeling a little guilty about preempting whoever was going to be ditched, but it felt good to have a little ego-stroking. My confidence had taken a beating from seeing Jax again.
I couldn’t forget how he’d been with me long ago. Frisky, teasing, affectionate. If I closed my eyes, I could still feel him come up behind me, sliding my hair out of the way to press his beautiful mouth against my throat. I could still hear the way he’d groan my name when he was inside me, as if the pleasure were too great to stand.
“Gianna? You still there?”
“Yeah, sorry.” I started pulling out the pins that restrained my straightened hair into a sleek chignon. “I know a charming Italian place. Cozy. Casual. Excellent food.”
“You’ve got yourself a date.”
“I’ll call the car service. I can pick you up in about fifteen minutes. Will that work?”
“I’ll be waiting.”
* * *
TRUE TO HIS WORD, Chad was standing on the sidewalk when the car pulled up. He wore loose-fitting black jeans, boots and a dark green Henley that went great with his eyes. As far as dates went, he was prime.
He started toward the cab, then jumped back with a curse as a bike messenger sped by.
“Christ almighty,” he muttered as he settled into the seat beside me. He looked me over as we merged back into rush-hour traffic. “I like your hair down. It suits you.”
“Thank you.” It’d taken me a while to get used to wearing it up. It was so thick and heavy, the weight of it gave me headaches...like the one I had at that moment.
“So,” I began, “I have to confess—”
“Hope it’s sinful.”
“Uh, no. I’m taking you to my parents’ place.”
His brows rose. “You’re taking me to meet your folks?”
“Yep. They own a restaurant. We won’t have trouble getting a table without a reservation—usually impossible on a Thursday night—and they won’t rush us off, either.”
“You planning on keeping me around awhile?” he teased.
“I’d like to. I think we could work really well together.”
Chad nodded, sobering. “Stacy knows what you’re offering is exactly what we need, but...she’s sleeping with Ian and it’s screwing everything up.”
“I figured.” Ian Pembry was a suave and distinguished fifty-year-old man with silvery gray hair and striking blue eyes. He wasn’t handsome in the usual sense, but he had charisma and a bank balance that made a lot of women overlook his flaws. Stacy had her work cut out for her; since Lei, he’d never stayed with any lover long. “What’s he offering you to stay with him?”
And where does Jax fit in? Had seeing me knocked him for a loop at all?
“Ian says he can put something together like you’ve presented and he can do it better, because Lei doesn’t have what it takes. That’s why she’s poaching his talent.”
“You know that’s crap.”
“I do, yeah.” He smiled. “You wouldn’t be working for her if she was second-rate.”
“And the Mondego resort chain is five-star all the way,” I reminded him. “They wouldn’t work with someone second-rate, either. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, Chad. Don’t let Stacy take it away from you.”
“Goddamn it.” His head fell back against the seat rest. “I don’t think we can make it separately. That’s why the idea of the dueling kitchens was going to work.”
“It will work. But you can do it on your own, too.”
He looked at me, his gaze searching. “Give it to me straight, Gianna. You’ll say anything to close this deal, won’t you?”
I thought about Jax and what he’d said about business not being personal. For me it was always personal. I cared.
“I’ve got my reasons,” I admitted, Jax now being one of them. I’d worked too hard to have him stroll in, toss his money around and ruin everything. “But I wouldn’t screw you over. It doesn’t get Lei or me
anywhere if you’re not successful. I promise you, I won’t disappear as soon as the ink is dry.”
“And now I’ll know how to track you down through your folks,” he said, relaxing.
“Over thirty years in the same location.”
“I guess that’s as good a guarantee as anyone can get.”
* * *
MY FAMILY PULLED out all the stops when we got to Rossi’s, deducing who Chad was from my previous descriptions. We were seated at a corner table and everyone came by to introduce themselves, giving Chad a heaping dose of Rossi hospitality.
I had Chad take the bench seat facing the rest of the restaurant, while I took the single chair across from him. I wanted him to feel the energy, to see the faces of customers enjoying a great meal. I wanted him to remember why he wanted what Savor was offering him.
Over a toast, he said, “You’re right. This place is great.”
“I’m never going to lie to you.”
He laughed, and I enjoyed the sound. It was a bit wild, a lot free. Very much like the man himself. I was attracted to him on a comfortable level. Nothing like the explosion of body and mind I’d felt from the very first second I’d laid eyes on Jax, but then no one elicited that reaction but Jackson Rutledge.
“Smart bringing me here,” he said, running his fingertip around the lip of his wineglass. I suspected he’d prefer beer, but he didn’t ask for it. “Making me see you’ve got the business in your blood, too. It’s not just a job.”
“My family just opened our second Rossi’s in Upper Saddle River.”
“Where’s that?”
“New Jersey. Posh as hell. My brother Nico is spearheading it. Just passed the three-month mark.”
“So why not hook your family up with the Mondego?”
“It’s not what they want. They want this—” I gestured around the restaurant with a sweep of my hand. “Community. Franchising was never their dream.”
He studied me. “You make it sound like your dreams are different.”
I sat back. “I suppose they are. I want to help them get what they want, but I want something different.”
“Like what?”
“I haven’t found it yet.” Although I thought I had. Once upon a time... “I figure I’ll know it when I see it.”
“Maybe I could help you pass the time while you’re waiting,” he suggested boldly.
I smiled. “It’s an idea, isn’t it?”
Maybe he was what I needed. It’d been too long since my last boyfriend. I’d been working hard, leaving little time for socializing. I didn’t fool myself into thinking I would magically have immunity to Jax if I got laid, but it wouldn’t hurt. It would certainly take the edge off life in the interim, and Jax wouldn’t be staying in New York long. His life and work was split between D.C. and northern Virginia, and soon enough, another Rutledge would need him for something. He was the family fixer.
I leaned forward, opening myself to the possibilities.
Chad’s mouth curved in a very male smile, the slightly triumphant one of a man who knew he was going to score. He reached for my hand, his gaze drifting over my shoulder in a lazy way. Then he stilled, his brows lowering in a scowl. “Fuck.”
I knew who he was looking at before I turned around.
Chapter 4
AN ALL-TOO-FAMILIAR CHARGE swept over my skin. I decided not to turn and give Jax the satisfaction of seeing my face, which probably showed my surprise, frustration and irritation.
He had cast-iron balls to come into Rossi’s after the way he’d broken my heart. My family would remember him—remember that last night we’d all spent together. We’d been in New York on a quick weekend trip to introduce him to the family I talked so much about. We’d stayed long after the restaurant closed, eating and drinking and laughing with my brothers and my parents. They’d fallen in love with him just as I had. That was the night I’d come to believe we were in it for the long haul.
I hadn’t seen him again until he’d walked into the bar at the Four Seasons.
Chad looked at me. “You invited Stacy, too?”
“No.” Confused, I finally looked over my shoulder. Seeing Jackson helping Stacy out of her jean jacket made my teeth grind. Chad hadn’t known where we were going, but Jax had guessed.
And sure enough, he made a beeline toward us with Stacy. My mom got in their way, her smile wide as ever but proverbial feathers ruffled in full mother-hen mode.
I looked at Chad. “We could sneak out the back.”
He laughed, but his eyes were hard.
Angelo came over. “Is he meeting you?” he asked, jerking his head toward Jax.
“No...” I looked at Chad. “They don’t have to sit with us.”
“Good.” He sat back, glaring. “Talk about keeping the wrong company. Stace can go ahead with Ian’s deal, if she wants. I’m sticking with you and the Mondego.”
“All right.” Angelo looked at me. “I’ll make sure they’re seated somewhere else.”
I took a gulp of my wine as my brother walked away.
Chad studied me for a moment. “He has your back.”
“That’s the Rossi way.”
“Stace and I used to be like that. Before Ian showed up.”
“Really?” I tried to ignore the sensation of Jax’s gaze. I could feel him looking our way. “What happened?”
He shrugged. “Hell if I know. It all went to her head. I don’t even know if she thinks about the food anymore. She’s too busy trying to be rich and famous.”
My mom came by with more wine, setting her hand on my shoulder as she refilled our glasses. I felt the gentle press of her beautifully manicured nails and heard the silent question: Are you okay?
I set my hand over hers and squeezed, answering. I wasn’t okay, but what I could say? I wouldn’t give Jax the satisfaction of refusing him service and neither would my family. He’d get excellent food, our best server and complimentary wine of his choice.
They’d pull out all the stops. Kill him with kindness. Show him that we weren’t petty and small. But oh, what it would cost us. All of us. My safe place felt invaded, his potent energy permeating the space and my senses. Every nerve tingled with awareness.
Lori, one of the waitstaff, came over to take our order. Chad and I decided to split the pasta for two. All through the appetizer and salad courses, I was expecting Jax to come over. I was terribly aware of him, unable to give Chad the attention I’d been able to before. He was subdued, too, his gaze staying firmly on his food or on my face, both of us studiously avoiding looking at other patrons.
In my mind, I was certain Jax was having a wonderful time just to spite me. Why was he taking Stacy out when she was Ian’s latest fling? Or was she freely available to both of them? After all, she’d showed no hesitation and a lot of pleasure in kissing Jax’s cheek when he first showed up.
Just before the main course was served, Chad excused himself to go to the bathroom, and I checked my smartphone. I’d missed a call from Lei. When Chad came back with a beer in hand, I smiled and said, “I’ll be right back.”
I headed toward the bathrooms, but ducked into the back office instead, closing out the noise when I shut the door behind me. I speed-dialed Lei and set the phone to my ear.
“Gianna,” she answered. “I have to applaud you for your choice in men.”
“Can I pick ’em or what?” I walked over to the far wall where a family portrait hung. I’d been around twelve years old in the picture with braces on my teeth and wild hair. Nico, Vincent and Angelo had been varying degrees of gangly. My dad was immortalized in his prime, as was my mother, who’d aged little since. “How’d it go?”
“As expected. You guessed right, by the way. Jackson said he’s stepped in as a favor for someone.”
“I ha
ven’t had a chance to dig for more details, I’m sorry—I’ve been with Chad since I left—but it’s probably a Rutledge. When Jackson’s not gambling with millions, he’s cleaning up after family members à la Olivia Pope.” And dating beautiful women... “As for Chad, he’s on board, but I think we’d be wise to get a new contract drawn up ASAP before something happens to change his mind. Jax isn’t going home gracefully. He crashed the dinner hour at Rossi’s, bringing Stacy along for the show.”
Lei laughed. “I’m sorry, but I like him.”
My mouth quirked ruefully. “Happens.”
“Ian called.”
“Oh? How’d that go?”
“He asked if I’d see him tonight.”
“Ah. Maybe that’s why Jax has Stacy. Babysitting duty.” Irritatingly, that filled me with relief.
“Could be. I said no in any case. I feel like our men are circling the wagons, which means we need to keep doing what we’re doing. Honestly, I haven’t had this much fun in years.”
Our men. I snorted and turned in time to see the door opening...and Jax appearing. “I have to go, Lei, but I’m here if you need me.”
“We’ll hit it again fresh in the morning. Good night, Gianna.”
“You, too.” I set my phone aside.
We sized each other up for a long minute. He was wearing the gray sweater and slacks from earlier in the day, the casualness more familiar—and beloved. A lock of his dark hair fell over his brow, softening the severity of his beauty. He had his back against the door, his hands in his pockets, his legs crossed at the ankles. But only an idiot would fail to sense the predatory alertness in him. His hooded gaze was watchful and knowing, seeing way too much.
“I miss the curls in your hair,” he said finally.
I backed up to my father’s desk, resting my butt against it. I crossed my arms. “That’s a seriously delayed response.” A couple years too late...
“You were closing in on the kill when I got here. Are you thinking about fucking Chad Williams because you want to, or because you want him to sign on the dotted line?”