All the Way (5 page)

“Your parents never cooked?”

The dark memory stole across her joy for a moment. With effort, she pushed it back. “No, they weren’t around.”

He focused on her face and stripped away the barrier. “You never did speak about your past or upbringing,” he said softly. “Either way, I think you’re damn amazing.”

Pleasure surged but she reminded herself he was a man on a mission. “I’ve come a long way since my first column.”

“I remember. You wrote about the lure of the cheeseburger and gained a whole new audience.”

She looked up. “How did you know about that?”

“I read your work while I was away.”

She peered over her glasses, suspicious, but only met a naked hunger in those blue depths that rattled her to the core. She nervously dabbed the napkin at the corner of her lips and looked away. Time to change the subject. “Does your family enjoy having you home?”

“Sometimes.”

“Explain.”

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “The biggest statistic for restaurant failure is money. I have plenty, so when Pop called me, I knew I’d be able to renovate the place and pour funds into marketing and advertising. Of course, my father doesn’t agree. He says the success of Mia Casa depends on heart.”

“I like your dad already.”

“Try working with him. My whole family is the poster image of Italian stubbornness. I tore up half the place to put in a new lounge and update the bar. They hate it. They drove out a celebrity chef and fight me on every change I institute. Sometimes I feel like I need to coax a rabbit from the damn Mad Hatter to win an argument.”

“Have you seen a difference from your investment yet?”

“New clientele are coming in. But not as much as I anticipated. Now, with a great review…”

“Keep dreaming.”

“Right. Well, maybe Gordon Ramsey will bail me out of the mess.”

She arched a brow. “You contacted Ramsey?”

Gavin shrugged. “Worth a try. I pulled in all my contacts and put in a request to get us featured on Kitchen Nightmares.”

“What in the world made you decide on that option?”

“A bottle of Johnny Walker.”

A laugh sputtered from her lips. She hated his wit and humor.

“Does Andy work with you?” he asked.

“He writes the lifestyle column. Exercise, health and diet are his main focus.”

“But he goes with you on reviews?”

“Yep.”

Gavin remained silent. His fishing expedition was obvious, but damned if she’d tell him straight out Andy and her were platonic. Let him stew.

“You’re close friends?”

“Yep.”

The chair squeaked as he shifted his weight. “And he has a kid.”

“Actually, he has two. Stephen and Laura. Laura was in dance class at the time.”

He tapped his shoe absently against the metal rung. “I see. You went to the opera together, which means you must be very close friends.”

“I said that already.”

“Right.”

The tapping grew more insistent. Miranda put down her fork and tried the small portion of linguini. A moan rose to her lips. Perfect. Al-dente, with just enough oil and garlic to make her taste buds sing. Fresh Roma tomatoes, basil…and was that thyme or rosemary? A mixture? Tarragon would be absolutely impossible, right?

“Miranda?”

“Oh, sorry, I wasn’t listening.”

“Are you sleeping with him?”

She choked and grabbed her napkin to keep the linguini from spilling out of her mouth. “What kind of question is that? It’s none of your business.”

He seemed to think it over. “Maybe not. You’ve already told me you think it’s too late for us, but I think you should know he’s one of the reasons I didn’t approach you sooner.”

“What do you mean?”

He ran a hand through his hair, mussing the burnished strands. “I followed you a couple of times. I thought if we sat down and talked, I’d get a chance to tell you my side of the story. But you were with Andy, and you both seemed familiar. I decided to keep my distance.”

“You followed me?”

He nodded. “I knew I didn’t have the right to interfere if you were involved. God knows I wanted to, but I figured you’d kick me to the curb.”

“You would’ve been right.” She twirled her linguini around the fork. The idea that Gavin tracked her down made strange feelings stir to life. An inner voice warned her not to go down that yellow brick road, because it would never lead to the wizard. Ah, hell. “Andy is married.”

“Oh.” He paused. “Are you sleeping with him?”

Miranda gasped. “No! I’d never sleep with a married man. I’m good friends with Andy’s wife, Elaine. I babysit, and borrow Andy for reviews. I hate eating alone and can’t bring a date to a business meal.” She pushed her glasses firmly back up her nose. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

He grinned and his shoulders relaxed. “I know. I just wanted to make you mad. Your eyes flash and your cheeks get that flushed look to them. As if we were making—”

“Don’t say it.”

“Sorry.” He gestured toward the food. “Good?”

“It’s okay.” She avoided his knowing stare and concentrated on twirling. “Tell me why you’re back in New York working at the restaurant.”

“Mia Casa has been in the family for a very long time. It was passed on from my great-grandparents. I was trained since a toddler how to work in a restaurant, and everyone assumed that as the eldest son, I’d take over.”

“But you had different plans?”

He gazed off into the distance, as if fighting memories. “I wanted to travel and see new places. We had this customer who used to come in, and he’d always be jetting off to these exotic locations on business. When I told Pop about it he just laughed. Told me real values were based on family, children, and home. I imagined myself his age, doing the same thing day after day, and freaked out. That’s when I made the decision to do everything possible not to give my father what he wanted.”

She tilted her head. “It’s normal for a child to want the opposite of the parents. Especially when there’s a lot of pressure to fall into line.”

He shook his head. “Mia Casa became a trap for me. All I could see was my family struggling all the time to keep it going. We weren’t poor, Miranda. We just didn’t have many things. God knows, I wanted those things.”

“What happened when your parents found out you weren’t going to run the business?”

“First they threw a fit, but eventually they supported my decision. Pop told me I needed to find my own way to happiness.” He cleared his throat as if fighting emotion. “Also told me I’d realize the important things and eventually come home.”

She fiddled with the edge of the napkin. “So, when you got the European contract you felt like you’d achieved your dream.”

“Yes. At first I was happy, or so I told myself. Time blurred and I never questioned my decision. Until Pop called and said Mia Casa was in trouble. I left immediately and decided to stay until I get the restaurant afloat.”

“How long?”

He shifted his feet. “I took a three month leave of absence. I have two months left.”

She nodded. “Will that be enough time?”

“I hope so. I’ve used endless connections, advertised, and the new lounge opens up this week. It has all the ingredients for success.”

“Seems like once those loose ties are knotted, you’ll be on your merry way again.” Her temper burned. Why should this be easy for him? Did he really think he could stroll into her workplace, make her lunch, and waltz her into bed? Had she been so easy before?

“That’s the original plan.” He rocked back on his heels. “But I’m open to a new one.”

She snorted. “Maybe it’s time you realize people don’t always fall in line with your big bad plans. Especially if they’re temporary.” Before he could defend himself, she waved a hand in dismissal. “Whatever. I’m happy for you. Happy you got what you always wanted.”

His voice grew gritty with regret. “Yes. But I had to give you up to do it.” He leaned forward. “So I really lost.”

Startled, her gaze flew to his, and her fingers clenched.

Fire.

The connection burned with a fierceness that shook her body. She could handle a flicker of old feelings from the past. It was the new emotions that sprung to life that were causing the trouble. The swirling mixture of familiarity and wanting and completeness when their eyes locked. Three years ago, the physical attraction between them dominated the relationship. Now, a strange longing to know this new man reared up. He was different. Oh, he owned the same arrogance and confidence possessed three years ago, but now there was an inner knowing reflected in his face. He was actually more powerful, because he knew who he was, and he knew what he wanted.

Miranda realized she was in real danger.

She pushed away her plate. “Thank you for lunch,” she said politely. “I really have a lot of work to do, so I’d appreciate it if you leave now.”

He studied her in silence. The busy sounds of the newsroom swarmed around them. “Miranda, have dinner with me Saturday night.”

“No.”

“Why?”

She let out an exasperated breath. “Because I said I can’t.”

“Are you afraid of me?”

Miranda rolled her eyes. “Of course not. If you must know, I’m babysitting for Andy Saturday night.”

“I’ll help you.”

A laugh escaped her lips. “No, Andy won’t like that idea.”

“Why not?”

“He doesn’t like you.”

That stopped him for a moment. “I’ll have to change his mind then, won’t I?”

Irritation nipped. “No. I’m not one of your clients or your customers, and I won’t be bullied. Neither will Andy. I will not go out with you Saturday night or any night after that. Do you understand?”

A smile ghosted his lips. “I understand.” He stood and collected the tray. “I’ll be in touch, Red.”

His disappearance rubbed her raw. Seemed like he had no problem walking away from anything of value in his life, and she wasn’t about to stick around for a stroll down memory lane. There was only a world of hurt waiting for her. She was probably some sick type of challenge. Gain her forgiveness, earn her trust, pat her on the head, and strut back to his perfect life. He seemed to think he had a big S curved onto his chest, but like Superman, he only swept in to save the day and flew away for the next crisis. Superman had no frickin’ staying power.

Jerk.

A weird pressure vibrated around her and she turned her head to find three of her co-workers staring at her.

“What?” she asked, throwing up her hands. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

The copy-editor shrugged. “Why don’t you give the guy a chance? Seems cool.”

Everyone murmured in agreement.

Miranda groaned and laid her head on the desk in defeat.

Chapter Four

Miranda watched in amusement as Elaine and Andy rushed around the house in a desperate attempt to get out the door. The three-bedroom townhouse was cozy but trendy, decorated in earthy Tuscan tones. The thick cream carpet was currently littered with Legos and a variety of toys, DVDs, and a big Elmo doll. The removal of the expensive glass coffee table clearly showed child-proofing was needed because of their son’s ability to get into trouble.

She caught a whiff of Chanel perfume as Elaine whizzed by. “He should go down early tonight, so there’s a bottle in the fridge. We’re trying to wean him, but he loves it at night.”

“Ba ba!” Stephen screamed in delight.

Miranda tickled him under the arms and he squirmed and laughed. “Yes, no drawing on the walls tonight, buddy. I got in big trouble for that one.”

Elaine clucked her tongue. “That wasn’t your fault, sweetie. We should have hidden the markers.”

“Not what your husband said. I ended up buying him lunch for a week just to shut him up.”

Andy shot her a look at the feminine glare thrown his way. “Nice work, buddy.”

The bell rang. “I’ll get it. Better hurry up or you’ll never get out of here on time.” She flung open the door. “And for God’s sakes Andy, show your woman a little romance tonight.”

“Hi.”

Miranda stared at the man in front of her. Faded, worn jeans rode low on his hips. A casual blue shirt unbuttoned at the neck and gave her a tantalizing glimpse of olive-toned skin. She wondered if the expression on his face could actually be termed sheepish or if it was just her imagination.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered. One glance back confirmed Andy and Elaine hugging their son good-bye. “I told you I couldn’t see you tonight, and do you listen? No, of course not. The mighty Gavin Luciano always does what he wants no matter the consequences. You are in so much trouble. Andy’s going to have a fit once he finds you here, and I’m going to enjoy every single minute.”

“Hey, Gavin, how are you doing?” Andy reached past her to shake his hand. “I don’t know how late we’ll be. We want to catch supper after the play.”

“Take your time. We’ll have everything under control.”

Miranda let out an outraged squeak, but no words emerged. She studied the two men in front of her and wondered if she’d gone insane. “Andy, what is he doing here?”

Her friend shifted his feet. “Uh, well, he came to see me at
The Herald
and we got to talking. He told me you couldn’t go to dinner since you had to babysit, so I thought you’d like company.”

A scream bubbled at the back of her throat. “He conned you, didn’t he? God, my own friend becomes my betrayer. Whatever happened to think like a man? Hit him where he hurts the most? Take your revenge for all womankind?”

Andy shrugged. “That was before I knew him.”

“Come on, Red, don’t be so dramatic. You’ll get little Stephen worried.” Gavin walked past her toward the toddler and introduced himself to Elaine. Miranda glared at Andy and tapped her foot.

He threw up his hands. “Fine, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“
E tu, Brute
?”

Elaine marched up behind them. A worried frown darkened her face. “Miranda, isn’t that the guy who dumped you three years ago?”

“Talk to your husband. Seems he made a new buddy and invited him over.”

Accusation gleamed from his wife’s eyes. “Is she right? Why would you do something like that? Invite the vampire into our own house?”

Miranda squashed a giggle. Seems Elaine and her both had a deep love for sexy vampire romances.

Andy groaned. “Can’t you give him a second chance? Sometimes men need to be understood. Sometimes we screw up and deserve an opportunity to make amends.”

“Men always stick together,” Elaine grumbled. “Look, if you want me to throw him out, just say the word. It will be my pleasure.”

Miranda shook her head. “Forget it, I can handle him. Have a good time, and don’t worry.”

Andy raced out the door, obviously relieved to have escaped his wife’s wrath for the moment.

Elaine rolled her eyes. “Okay, if you’re sure. My husband and I need to have a chat. Dr. Phil doesn’t seem to be working out.”

Miranda laughed and shut the door behind them. Gavin sprawled out on the floor with a pile of blocks, seemingly absorbed in the task of creating a high-rise building. Stephen was just as intent in his desire to destroy it.

Miranda dropped on the couch and watched them. “How’d you get Andy on your side?”

Massive shoulders lifted. “He’s on both of our sides. He knows where I’m coming from. So, you really felt like I put a spell on you, huh?”

Color flooded her cheeks. “I can’t believe he told you that,” she muttered. “And they say women gossip.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“I plead the Fifth. Anyway, that was a long time ago.”

He placed a bright red block on the floor and swung his head around. When he spoke, his voice dropped to a sexy growl. “That’s exactly how you made me feel, Red. I used to catch your scent when you walked past me, and it made me drunker than a bottle of age-old whiskey. I used to watch your mouth when you talked, and remember that catchy little moan you made when I pleasure you.”

Heat ripped through her. Her belly clenched and her nipples tightened to achy points. “Don’t. We have an audience.”

He glanced down. Stephen seemed enchanted with the bucket and bored with their conversation. “Oh. What I meant was, you know we were great, umm, great…playmates.” His face lit up at his supposedly brilliant Mission Impossible encoding techniques.

She smothered a laugh.

“Playmates, huh? I’d say we excelled at taking naps. When we got up from our naps, we were lousy together.”

Stephen shoved both hands out and shook his head.
“No nap. No, no, no.”

Gavin tousled the boy’s hair and grinned. “No nap for you, buddy. Not yet.” The toddler went back to his blocks. Gavin’s voice lowered. “You’re wrong. We focused too much on napping and never gave social play dates a shot. My fault. I screwed up.”

Tension sizzled in the air, and Miranda raised her chin. Every time her heart softened, she reminded herself he’d do anything to reach his goal. Business was business. If she allowed herself to be vulnerable, she’d give him the opportunity to hurt her again.

This time she may never recover.

“You talk a good game, Gavin, but in two months you’re back out the door. What’s in it for me? I’m not looking for a short-term fling. I’m looking to settle down. Get married. Share a life.” She grinned. “Scare ya yet?”

“Nope. Bring it.”

“And what will your excuse be this time? A bigger contract? Another account only you can close? When does it end? I’m done being left behind.”

“Come with me.”

A clatter of blocks banged together and saved her from answering. Gavin dumped out the rest of the bucket and Stephen dove in. She kept her attention on the toddler and hated the sudden racing of her heart.

“What do you think?”

She sneered and hoped she looked intimidating. “I think you need to nap, bad. Isn’t that when men promise the world?”

A laugh escaped his lips. “God, you’re stubborn.” He put up a hand when she began to protest. “Wait. How about I offer a truce?”

He ignored her disbelieving snort and continued. “I won’t make any moves on you. No touching, no flirting, no bringing up the past. I’ll be the perfect gentlemen this evening.”

“What’s the catch?”

His lips twisted. “If I promise not to nap with you on Andy’s carpet, you give me a fair chance. No looking for hidden motives. No insults or defenses. Have an open mind tonight. Deal?”

Suspicion laced her tone. “All you want to do is talk?”

“Talking is a first good step. At least you won’t pounce on my every comment.”

“I don’t pounce. You just keep making arrogant remarks.”

“See, you broke the deal. That’s considered an insult.” He pointed an accusatory finger.

She fought the sudden urge to laugh. Was she crazy to accept his offer? She should throw him out and forget he came back into her life. Still, her curiosity burned with the need to be completely satisfied.

The offer was safe. Her body always got her in trouble. Tonight, he’d only deal with her mind, and there’d be no way to slip through her defenses. Maybe after tonight she’d be free of him.

“Deal.”

Stephen gurgled and smashed the perfect tower. Brightly colored blocks flew in different directions and he screamed with glee.

Her ex-lover looked disappointed. “Darn, that was a good one. Is he usually this rambunctious?”

Miranda slid off the couch. “He’ll be up another hour or so. He usually passes out by eight and sleeps all night.”

Gavin scooped up the rest of the blocks. “Okay, buddy, let’s see if we can make Trump Towers and sell them before the market crashes.”

Stephen screeched in agreement.

…

Four hours later, Miranda collapsed on the carpet next to Gavin. A groan of pain escaped his lips. “I think I’m going to die.”

“No, you only feel that way because your head is pounding and your legs hurt from racing around the room. Wait till the aspirin kicks in.” Miranda tried to pull herself back up the couch but only managed to move an inch. One glance at her babysitting partner told her he had the same problem. They both lay stretched out on their backs and gazed up at the ceiling.

“You lied. You told me he sleeps all night and isn’t any trouble.”

“It’s your fault. You got him excited about those blocks and he couldn’t fall asleep.”

Gavin groaned. “How am I going to explain the crayon marks on the wall? I swear I took my eyes off him for a second.”

“They’re washable.” The image of the successful, smooth tycoon chasing a toddler flashed before her. A giggle burst from her lips.

“What?”

“You may be able to close a million-dollar deal, but I never saw such a look of fear when Stephen told you he did poop.”

“I think you broke our truce. That was definitely an insult.”

“Just an observation.”

“If I had any strength left I’d kiss you so we’d be even. Did anyone ever tell you how beautiful you look with your hair spread out on the carpet?”

“You’re delusional.”

A comfortable silence settled between them. “I thought Andy had two kids.”

“His daughter is at a slumber party tonight. She’s at that stage where she thinks she’s too cool for a babysitter.”

“Have Andy and Elaine been married long?”

She turned her head to the right and caught a glimpse of his profile. The thought of his mouth sliding, wet and hot, over hers caused a shiver to race down her spine. Damn, she was exhausted. Time to get her mind out of the gutter. “About ten years. I guess Andy was working at another paper and interviewed Elaine for an article on fitness. She managed a health club. He was too shy to ask her out so he ended up writing a different column on her every day for two weeks. His editor finally dragged him in and made him ask her out. They were married a year later.”

Gavin rolled to the side. Propping his head on the side of her head, he studied her in thoughtful silence. Her heart stopped, then burst into rapid staccato. He reached out and ran one finger down her cheek, then drew back as if he remembered his promise.

“It was their karma.”

She swallowed. As if his words weaved a spell, she waited for his mouth to take hers. His quick, indrawn breath cut through the air as he recognized her surrender, and the silence pulsed with electricity. He half closed his eyes. The delicious scents of lemon and spice swarmed her. He leaned in, and she let out a sigh of release. She wouldn’t have to make a choice, because he’d make one for her.

He moved away with a low mutter. “Would Andy mind if I made a fire?” he asked.

She blinked. The air cooled without his body heat near. “No, go ahead. The room’s a bit chilly.”

She remained silent as he made the fire, and when the quick snap of wood caught flame echoed in the air, she remembered how many times they made love in front of Gavin’s fireplace while they listened to the opera.

“You’re thinking about it, too.”

Miranda closed her eyes and tried to will away the memory. “I don’t want to think about the past.”

“I know.” He settled back on the carpet and stretched jean-clad legs in front of him. “I remember the first night I took you to the Met. You’d never seen the opera before, and I warned you most people found the music boring. You insisted you’d love it.”

A reluctant laugh escaped her lips. “My grandmother loved the movie
Moonstruck
. We used to watch it together. Cher wore a beautiful red dress to the Metropolitan, and when Nicholas Cage took one look at her, I knew he fell madly in love. After that, I longed to see an opera.”

“Hmm, at least you didn’t admire Glenn Close in
Fatal Attraction
. If my memory is correct, she shared her love for
Madame Butterfly
with her lover. Then she tried to kill the poor guy.”

She sniffed. “You’re making fun of me.”

Gavin chuckled. “I never saw the movie, but you beat Cher out. You wore green, the exact color of your eyes. The dress had that hood wrap thing, and when you loosened the cloth, all I could see was fiery red curls spilling around your face.”

She caught her breath at the vivid description. “You remember detail well.”

“I remember you.” He paused. “We saw
La Traviata
. You gripped my hand so hard I thought I’d be crippled by the finale.”

“I didn’t want her to die.”

He nodded. “During the last scene, you cried. Of course, you used to cry over everything. Songs on the radio. Television commercials. Those awful Lifetime movies you always watched. You didn’t budge from the chair at the end, and insisted the composer made a terrible mistake.”

“I was a bit emotional. I hoped for a happier ending.”

“Operas never have happy endings. That’s why people always remember them.”

She retreated from the brief flash of pain. “Yes.” Silence fell over the room. The steady tick of the clock on the mantle mingled with the snap of wood. Shadows danced against the wall. She heard her name whispered from far away. Too tired to fight the raging swirl of emotions, sleep dragged her down and claimed her, and she welcomed it, knowing it would stop the endless array of emotions slowly torturing her.