August walked to the window overlooking the rush-hour traffic that was inching down Seventeenth Street and loosened the tie he’d knotted a half hour ago when he’d gotten dressed for dinner and the theater.
Torture. This whole afternoon had been torture, being next to Leila for the three-hour drive to Denver while they pretended to be the happy couple.
He couldn’t cage the attraction that hit when Leila smiled or touched his arm, or hell, even when her eyes held his. Desire swelled hot and fast inside of him. The reactions he couldn’t control put him at war with himself. He wanted her more every time he was with her, and yet Sam’s words continued to haunt his thoughts.
Don’t mess with her.
When they’d arrived at the hotel, Nonna had worked her magic and gotten them a free upgrade to a romantic suite, complete with a canopy king-sized bed and a Roman soaking tub. Not even thirty seconds after he and Leila had walked through the door, Leila had disappeared into the palatial bathroom, saying she had to get ready for dinner. He hadn’t seen her since.
He’d thought about her, though. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. He’d likely worn a path in this plush carpet with all the pacing he’d done while Leila had been in the shower. Hearing the spray of water, thinking about her in there—naked and dripping wet—had made him prowl the perimeter of the room.
And on that note…August checked his watch before he let himself wander too far into the fantasy of getting into the shower with her. Five minutes. They had to meet her grandparents in the lobby in five minutes.
Good. Logistics were the perfect distraction. He crossed the room and knocked lightly on the bathroom door. “You about ready? Don’t want to keep Nonna and Poppa waiting.”
“Yep, coming.” The words were slightly harried and muffled.
He turned to grab his keys off the dresser, hearing the door open behind him. “Do you think we should walk to the restaurant or—” A peripheral glimpse of the woman walking toward him was all it took to shut him up.
August lifted his head to get a better view of her, of the way her dark hair rolled softly down to her shoulders, of the way her red lips bowed together with a hint of uncertainty, of the way her strapless black dress dipped into a slight V at the center of her chest and then cinched at her waist before flaring to hug the curves of her hips.
“Jesus.” He let his gaze wander down her body once more. So much for avoiding any fantasies.
“What?” She looked down and examined her dress like she thought something might be wrong.
He was powerless to offer her anything other than the truth. “You’re beautiful. More than beautiful.” Elegant and graceful. Captivating.
Leila’s gaze dropped to the floor, but she smiled. “You look nice too.” She peeked up at him from underneath her long, dark eyelashes like she’d done so often before they’d started dating. Almost shyly. “It’s been a while since I dressed up. I’m just glad this thing still fits.”
Fits? “That dress was made for you.” He fought the urge to move closer. Her no-rules stipulation only made him even more wary of touching her. Once he crossed that line, it would be impossible to stop.
Don’t mess with her.
He was trying. Damn it, he was really trying to be a good man. “We should go.” Once again, he felt like the room was closing in on him. “Do you want me to drive to the restaurant?” He quickly opened the door for her, ready to escape the confined space.
“No. Nonna said she wanted to walk.” Leila grabbed her wrap off the dresser before she slipped out into the hallway, and he tried not to notice the sway in her hips. After making sure he had his keys, August followed her down the corridor.
“Things seem to be going okay so far.” She paused to wait for him. “I mean, the drive down went fine.”
“Yeah.” He hit the button for the elevator. “Your grandparents are still a trip.” He’d always enjoyed spending time with Nonna and Poppa. They told the best stories. “How long have they been married, anyway?”
“Fifty-five years this summer.” Leila’s face sobered. “After Nonna got diagnosed with stage III cancer, I wasn’t sure they’d make it to that milestone.”
The elevator doors rolled open, and August gestured for her to go first. “I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for you. To take care of everything at the winery while helping them get through her treatments.”
“It was awful.” Leila watched the numbers above the doors as they ticked down to the first floor. “She was so sick for a while, thanks to the chemo treatments. But it meant a lot that I got to be there for them. They’ve always taken care of me. If I hadn’t come home, I would’ve missed the chance to take care of them.”
Who took care of Leila, though?
The elevator stopped on the first floor, and the doors opened. Leila went to step out, but her heel caught on a tile and made her stumble. August managed to get his arms around her in time to steady her, and then they swiftly moved out into the lobby all tangled up.
“Look at you lovebirds,” Nonna called from a few feet away.
“That’s us.” Leila hugged him like they’d planned to end up in each other’s arms all along.
“It sure is.” Ignoring the hunger growling inside, August released her but kept a hand at the small of her back in case she stumbled again. “I hope you two haven’t been waiting long.”
“No, no.” Poppa waved off the statement. “Nonnie wanted to have a look around this fancy lobby.”
“It’s so glamorous, isn’t it?” Leila’s grandmother tipped her head back, staring up. “All that marble and the cathedral ceilings?”
“Not nearly as glamorous as you, my love.” Poppa took his wife’s hand and kissed it, and August marveled at the affectionate gesture. Fifty-fifty years of marriage, and those two still acted like newlyweds. They were a golden couple—Nonna clad in an emerald-green dress and Poppa in a dapper gray suit.
“Leila, darling, you look radiant.” Nonna admired her granddaughter’s dress. “Isn’t she lovely, August?”
“She’s stunning.” He didn’t even try to hide his admiration. If he hadn’t been admiring her so intently, he might’ve missed the faint blush on her cheeks.
“We should get going.” Leila linked her arm through her grandmother’s. “Are you sure you want to walk? We can always take a cab to the show.”
“I’d love a walk.” Nonna beamed her smile in August’s direction. “That will give us plenty of time to catch up.”
They paraded outside with the lovely ladies leading, and then the four of them fell into stride on the sidewalk.
“How is the rest of your family, August?” Nonna asked. “It’s strange; I haven’t run into your mother for ages. We usually get to say hello at least once in a while.”
“Everyone’s good.” As far as he knew, anyway. He hadn’t exactly made himself available to hang out with them. “Wes and Thea are visiting a lot. They’re splitting their time between Texas and Colorado, so Mom’s been busy.” Right about now, his brother would likely be sharing the news about the baby with the rest of his family. He dammed back another surge of jealousy. Maybe those connections could bring you back too. Could they? What if it were possible? What if he could someday have the kind of love Wes had for Thea, for his kids? Would love be enough to change him?
August found himself staring at Leila. For the first time in what seemed like forever, hope breathed new life into his heart.
“I’m sure Mara has been thrilled to have all of her kids home together,” Nonna said when they paused at a stoplight. “How many grandchildren does your mom have now?”
“Three.” And Olivia, Ryan, and Charlee had become the lights of his mother’s life. If he were being honest, he’d admit they’d become lights in his life too. No, he didn’t get to see them much, but when he did, Ryan acted like they were best friends. And sometimes, the boy texted him pictures he drew for him, telling him he couldn’t wait to see him again with about fifty exclamation points punctuating the words. And don’t get him started on Charlee. One look at her melted his heart into a puddle. “There’s also another baby on the way.”
“How exciting!” Nonna held on to her husband’s arm as they walked through the crosswalk to the other side of the busy street.
Leila glanced up at August, her eyes wide. “I didn’t know Jane was expecting again.”
“Actually, it’s Thea and Wes.” The jealousy still stalked his happiness for his brother, but he wouldn’t let it take over. “He told me today before I came to pick you up. He was going to make the big announcement tonight.”
“That’s great news.” His pretend fiancée slipped her hand into his. “Congrats on being an uncle again.”
“Thanks.” He held on to her, not caring if this was part of the act. He wasn’t sure what was real and what was pretend anymore, but he wouldn’t let go.
“That also makes you an auntie too, you know,” Nonna reminded her happily.
August didn’t have to look too closely to see Leila’s smile tighten. She kept her eyes focused in front of them and moved more quickly down the block. “Oh, would you look at that? We’re already here.”
He released her hand, but the warmth of her skin still lingered in his palm. Maybe that was the hope working its way all through him.
Thankfully, the restaurant wasn’t like one of the Michelin-star places Forrest was always taking him to in Napa. He’d never understood fancy food and tiny portions. Instead of a sleek entrance, this place had a mismatched brick facade and small windows.
“Buona Nottes is owned by our friend Rafael,” Poppa explained, hurrying to get the door for them. “It’s real Italian food. His minestrone is almost as good as mine.”
“No way.” August hadn’t had Poppa’s minestrone in years, but he could still taste it. That had been their Sunday appetizer at the restaurant before the man had agreed to promote Simon so he could spend more time with his family. “I always get minestrone when I go out for Italian food, and I always end up disappointed.”
The man slung an arm around August as they stepped inside. “I knew I liked you.”
There was nothing special about the restaurant’s interior either, but something about the simplicity of the scuffed wood floors and old plaster walls felt welcoming. People packed the small dining room, all of them enjoying family-style portions of Italian classics. A perfect hint of garlic wafted in the air.
“Mr. and Mrs. Valentino.” A young hostess waved at them from a small desk. “My dad said to bring you right back when you got here.”
“Thank you, Mari.” Nonna hugged the girl. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. What a beautiful young lady you’ve turned into.” She waved Leila and August over. “This is my granddaughter, Leila, and her fiancé, August.”
Her fiancé. It might only be a title—a part he had to play—but he didn’t mind being introduced as Leila’s fiancé. The title had started to take on a different meaning for him. When he’d introduced himself to Blake that way in the park, he’d been making a point, but now it felt like he was stepping into the role.
After the necessary handshakes and polite greetings, they paraded all the way to the back of the restaurant and through the double doors into the kitchen. The space reminded August a lot of Valentino Bellas’s kitchen, with chaos erupting in front of stoves, and line cooks and food runners maneuvering around each other to get the meals to the tables while they were hot.
“Angelo!” An older man in a white chef’s coat left his post in front of a stove and hurried to greet Poppa. “And Frannie!” He peppered Nonna’s cheeks with kisses. “How wonderful to have you here. It has been much too long.” His accent came across much thicker than Leila’s grandparents’.
“Leila? Can that be you?” The man didn’t wait for an answer before capturing her in bear hug. “When did you grow up? I remember your nonna holding your hand so you wouldn’t get near the stoves.”
“I remember that too.” She straightened and reached for August’s hand, tugging him over. “Rafael, I’d like you to meet August Harding. My…fiancé,” she added after only a slight hesitation.
The man’s gasp conveyed true delight. “You’re getting married?” He sternly signaled a server who happened to be walking by. “We need a bottle of our finest champagne. Proprio adesso!”
The young man nodded and rushed away.
“We can’t tell you how thrilled we are to be here.” Nonna inhaled deeply. “It smells like heaven in this kitchen. I can’t wait to try everything.”
“And you will.” The man ushered them past the cooks and the stainless-steel counters to a corner where a large farmhouse table sat. “You have the seats of honor tonight.” He pulled out chairs for them. “Sit, sit. We will bring you that champagne and some of our best appetizers.”
“The burrata with marinated tomatoes?” Poppa asked hopefully.
“Of course.” The man clapped him on the back. “You enjoy yourselves and celebrate. Let us take care of everything else.”
“We do have a lot to celebrate,” Nonna said after Rafael had walked away. Her gaze settled on August and Leila.
“We do,” August agreed. It had been a long time since he’d enjoyed an evening this much. It had been a long time since he’d been this unburdened. “It’s not only our engagement we should celebrate either. You two have been together for over fifty years.” Five decades and they still had this intense fire burning between them. “So, please share. What’s the secret to a long, happy relationship?” What did he have to do if he wanted to have the kind of marriage they had someday?
They stared into each other’s eyes, seeming to speak without words.
“You have to guard each other’s dreams,” Nonna finally said with a definitive nod.
“And you treat those dreams like your own,” Poppa added. “We haven’t always agreed on everything, but we’ve always wanted the best for each other above everything else.”
August found himself gazing at Leila again. A smile softened her lips as she stared back. Something about the way her mouth curved seemed genuine, not part of their fabrication.
“I’ll remember that advice.” He did want the best for Lei, and he could still guard her dreams, even if they weren’t together.