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Forever.
The word lingered between them, rousing more emotion than Emma had thought possible.
Carlo shifted his thumb up to trail it across her lips and gazed at her with those dark intense eyes that could make a nun waver from her sacred vows. That look kindled need inside her that only he could quench. He leaned close until the warmth of his breath spilled across her lips, fragrant with the scent of wine, and he nuzzled her nose with his.
“I wish I had the right words to say, Emma. I wish . . .” He took her lips in a kiss that said more than any words.
She could love this man forever, she thought as she opened her mouth to his kiss and took him in. His breath, his taste, his sweetness. He made her feel cherished and for that moment, she let herself believe she could be a woman he would want in his life. Forever.
He tunneled his fingers through her hair, his touch gentle, almost a massage against her scalp. His kiss went on and on, but he banked the passion rising between them, keeping his touch more reverent than enticing.
She eased away and searched his features, wondering at his restraint and he once again ran his thumb across her lips, almost as if kissing her goodbye. “It isn’t easy not to take more from you tonight, Em. But when I do, I want it to be forever just like you do. I want you to believe that too and I’m not sure you do. At least not yet.”
She sat back, pulling away from him and not just physically, but he kept up his gentle touch as if to reassure her.
“It isn’t easy for me to believe, Carlo. I saw what happened with my parents –”
“I know, but if you hold on to that and to the way your dad treated you, who loses?” he said and while her brain acknowledged he was right, her heart still didn’t dare believe.
He obviously sensed her conflict since he didn’t push. “How about we sit and enjoy the fire, the wine, and the company?” he said.
“I’d like that.” She didn’t want to end the night so soon, especially when it had been so nice up until she’d messed things up again. But then the little voice in her head said, That’s just what your dad would say. She couldn’t argue with that. She still carried the emotional scars from years of being told nothing she did was ever good enough. That if something went wrong it was because she had screwed up.
Carlo had been right when he said that if she held on to the way her dad had treated her she’d be the one who’d lose. And she didn’t want to lose the amazing man beside her and the promise of the life they could have together. Armed with that, she decided to prolong the night and said, “What do you plan to do with your week off?”
He grinned and winked at her, his brown eyes glittering with amusement. “I plan on wooing a very special lady. Do you have a problem with that?”
Caught up in his playful mood, she said, “Depends on who that lady is.”
Laughing, he wrapped his arm around her neck and hauled her close. “I guess if you don’t know, I have to show you again,” he said and kissed her, all traces of gentleness and restraint gone until she was clinging to him and breathless.
“I guess it would be me,” she said when she finally shifted away again, slightly dazed.
“You guessed right.”
***
A WEEK WITH BARELY anything to do was a rare thing in his business, but with Connie and Jonathan’s rush wedding and the press conference, he hadn’t dared accept work for anything the following week, especially since they had a schedule crammed with assorted holiday parties in the two weeks prior to Christmas. Except for checking in to make sure their supplies were ordered and would be in on time for next week’s rush, he really had nothing to do. Well, nothing to do except court Emma and as he’d discovered over their last few encounters, that was going to take a great deal of patience and restraint.
He had wanted to do nothing more than to make love to her last night. As he thought of how she’d responded and remembered the feel of her lips and her body pressed to his, he grew hard with need. But as he had told her and everyone else who’d been pushing him, he was a patient man. He didn’t want to be proved a liar.
Trying to shake off his need, he forced himself from bed and into his morning routine. Some quick strength exercises while he watched the financial news. Satisfied with what he saw on the tube, he checked the weather on his phone before dressing for his run. Unlike last night’s chill and wind, today was promising to be a balmy 50 degrees by mid-day and it was already well on its way to that number.
He dressed lightly and headed east through town, passing Emma’s house on the way. Although it was early, the lights were on inside and cast a welcoming glow in the rosy dawn, but he pushed on. One did not woo in sweaty running clothes.
As he continued down Main Street there were more lights on in a few households. When he reached the end of the residential section and the first businesses, a colorful illuminated banner across the street welcomed people to Sea Kiss. In the business section, festive wreaths and garlands of twinkling bulbs wrapped around streetlamps added to that feeling of welcome. On the doors and windows of the various shops and offices were holiday decorations and more cheerful lights. In front of the small food market and further down by the cheese shop, surf and skate shop, and hardware store, delivery trucks were unloading supplies and the drivers waved at him as he ran by.
He waved back and smiled, loving the small town feel and the peace it brought him. In some ways the street reminded him of Ferry Street in Newark’s Ironbound with its strip of stores, restaurants, and his family’s bakery. Everyone knew everyone else and what was going on with them. Everyone watched out for each other.
Another couple of blocks up and the street became residential again, with larger seaside homes and inns. When he hit the boardwalk there were other runners already there, taking advantage of the early morning and the warmer weather. He pushed southward and at the end of Sea Kiss he went up and over the inlet bridge to the next town. Known for its party atmosphere, the heart of its boardwalk had a more commercial vibe than its northern neighbor. Unlike Sea Kiss which was mostly residences along the beachfront and boardwalk, assorted businesses and restaurants lined the western part of the street for a few miles before he crossed over into the next town. Upscale and all residential along the waterfront, that town was more like Sea Kiss, but not as welcoming. Maybe because he always felt a little out of place with the wealthier citizens. Some of those residents had been Emma’s customers at the trendy bridal salon just blocks away in the center of town.
Emma, he thought and his heart raced a little faster, but not from the run.
Unlike him, she had work today even if she had no weddings scheduled until after the New Year. She still had to plan for those events and assist any new customers who might come into the bridal salon.
They’d made plans to have dinner tomorrow night, but he intended to surprise her today with a picnic lunch to hopefully break up her day and give her a little time to rest. Maybe even continue with their getting to know you plan so they could move on to the next phase of their relationship. As he daydreamed about what that might be, he caught sight of the lighthouse up ahead and realized he’d reached the halfway point in his run.
Turning, he raced northward, eager to get home and put his plans for the day into place. His pace was quick, far quicker than how he normally ran so he was winded and dripping sweat by the time he got home. Steam came off him as he bent over in front of his house, gulping in cold air until his breath was somewhat under control. He entered, stripping off his clothing as he did so. He was eager for a shower to wash away his grime so he could head out for the day.
He savored the streams of hot water easing the slight soreness in his muscles and driving away the damp chill of the morning. As the water cooled, he hurriedly washed and vowed that when he finally replaced the mobile home with his dream house, he’d have a hot water tank big enough for the world’s longest shower. Or maybe for a two-person whirlpool tub where he and Emma could soak. Maybe even enjoy a little intimacy in the steaming bubbly waters.
As arousal rose up again at the thought, he twisted the tap for a blast of cold to tamp his desire and rushed from the shower. He might not have a lot to do today, but he wanted to get it done quickly and hurry over to visit Emma.
Emma, Emma, Emma, the little voice in his head mocked as if to warn that he was placing too much hope in the thaw in her demeanor. Just like he’d lingered too long in the relationship with Sasha, yearning for a change that had never come.
He swiped away those thoughts the way he might an app on his phone and rushed out the door to the SUV sitting in his driveway. So far it had performed like a dream, although he was still getting used to the lack of engine noise and worried that he might run out of juice. Jonathan had assured him that the car was smart enough to let him know well in advance when to plug in. Plus Jonathan had already installed a charging station at his new research and development center which was only a few blocks from Carlo’s warehouse.
To be on the safe side, he drove to the charging station at the Pierce company parking lot and plugged the SUV in. Did the quick walk over to his warehouse. As he entered, the place hummed with activity like a hive of worker bees and the queen bee at the center of it all was Paolo. He stood back and watched with pride as his youngest brother directed the staff to organize their assorted linens, china, glassware, and cutlery which sometimes got in disarray when they’d been as busy as they had been the last few weeks. The slow week would let them get things ship shape and that would make things easier for their future gigs.
As Paolo took one last look at the clipboard in his hand and turned to walk to their offices, he finally noticed Carlo leaning on the door jamb.
Paolo ambled over, slapped the clipboard against Carlo’s chest, and with a teasing smile said, “It’s about time you got here. I hope you have a good excuse for not being here at the crack of dawn like you usually are.”
With a shrug, Carlo said, “Decided to stay in bed this morning.”
Paolo’s brown eyes, so much like his own, widened in surprise. “Don’t tell me you melted the Ice Queen that quickly?”
Carlo shook his head. “Actually, no. But even if I had, I’m a gentleman. I don’t kiss and tell.”
Paolo arched a dark brow. “Really? Did you get to first base? Second?” his brother pressed, but Carlo ignored him, went into his office, and sat at his desk to shuffle the papers on his desk. Paolo followed him in and plopped into the chair before Carlo’s desk.
“We all good on the deliveries for the next few days?” Carlo asked after he skimmed through the paperwork.
“Yeah and Tomás is personally checking with Jesse about the cheese she ordered for us,” Paolo said and rolled his eyes.
“Personally, huh? You think the two of them –”
Paolo raised both hands to direct him to stop. “I’m a gentleman too, mano. But there’s definitely something there if you ask me.”
Which both pleased and worried Carlo. He liked Jesse a lot which was why he helped her out by placing orders through her and letting her work for them. He also wanted his brother to be happy and maybe decide to stay in Sea Kiss instead of re-enlisting. But if his brother left, Jesse would have to deal with losing a man she cared about all over again.
“I think I’ll go check on that order myself,” he said and shot out of his chair.
Paolo waved a finger in his face. “Don’t get involved. Tomás hates it when you go all control freak.”
Carlo jerked as if struck and pointed a finger at his chest. “Me? Control freak?”
His brother elbowed him playfully. “Why do you think you and Emma get along so well? You’re made for each other.”
Carlo wished that was true which had him wondering about Paolo as he returned to his desk and sat. “I haven’t heard you mention anyone lately. Someone warn all the ladies in town about you?”
With a sheepish look and a shrug of broad powerful shoulders, his brother took the seat in front of the desk and said, “I’ve had my eye on someone only she’s older. Still married.”
Carlo had definitely not seen that coming. He steepled his hands before him and examined his brother closely. “Married? Do you think that makes sense, mano?”
“She’s separated and getting divorced from what I hear,” Paolo said and as he did so, a surprise thought came to Carlo.
“Caralho, not Tracy. Please tell me it’s not Drama Queen Tracy,” he said, recalling everything that had happened at her wedding just over a year earlier.
Spots of color dotted his brother’s cheeks before Paolo decided to busy himself by grabbing the papers on Carlo’s desk and rifling through them as if he was checking the orders.
“Come on, Paolo. Spill,” Carlo insisted and yanked the papers from his brother’s hands.
“She’s not that same person anymore. I guess she learned a painful lesson. It happens to a lot of people,” Paolo said and shot his head up to glare at Carlo with a laser sharp gaze.
“Water under the bridge and the only reason I’m worried is that Tracy’s just not our kind,” Carlo said.
“Just like mamãe wasn’t papai’s kind? A poor little girl trying to strike it rich. Isn’t that what avô used to say about her behind her back?” Paolo challenged.
And to her face, Carlo thought. “It’s not the same.”
“Then what is it? Is she too fancy and too rich? Like Owen and Jon, your two new best buds? Are you saying the da Costa brothers aren’t good enough for the likes of people like them? Like Emma?” his brother retorted, his growing anger apparent.
Damn if his brother hadn’t just out argued him. With a wry smile, he handed the papers back to Paolo and said, “You should have been a lawyer, you know. I hardly ever win an argument with you.”
Paolo jabbed a finger at him. “Just remember that, cabrão. And I’ll promise not to mention your past love life again if you promise to keep an open mind about Tracy.”
A hard promise to keep, but he trusted Paolo’s judgment, as surprising as it was in this instance. “Deal,” he said and offered his hand to seal the bargain.
Paolo shook it and then with a solid tug, urged Carlo to his feet. “Now go check on Tomás and make sure he’s staying out of trouble.”
“Done,” he said and jerked his jacket off the back of his chair and slipped it on for the short walk to where he’d parked the SUV. But as he arrived at his destination, the day had already warmed considerably, the sun was out, and a soft almost spring-like breeze blew off the ocean, calling him to skip the car and stroll the half a dozen or so blocks to the center of the business district where Jesse had her cheese shop.
Barely fifteen minutes later, he walked into the store and the bell above the door chimed to announce his entry. He always loved the feel of this shop with its wrought iron baker’s racks holding collections of crackers, nuts, jellies, jams, oils, vinegars, and assorted treats to pair with the cheeses Jesse sold. There was an Old World feel to the shop, as if you’d just stepped back to the 1800s when Sea Kiss had been formally founded. For the nearly two centuries before that, the town had just been a collection of buildings and tents used by Methodists for summer revival meetings.
As he walked toward the display counter, muffled voices came from a hidden spot behind and off to the right of the counter. A second later Tomás strolled out carrying a big wheel of cheese with Jesse trailing behind him hugging a medium-sized cardboard box. Their slightly mussed looks, pinkened cheeks, and shamefaced expressions said they’d been playing around with something other than the inventory in the storage area.
“Is this a bad time?” he asked to which Jesse and Tomás replied, “No” and “Yes” simultaneously.
Jesse jabbed Tomás in the ribs before opening the glass door of the refrigerator where she kept the larger wheels and inventory of cheeses within easy reach for customers. Tomás feigned injury, placed the wheel on a shelf, and took the box from her to empty the contents into the refrigerator.
Jesse wiped her hands on a towel tucked into her apron and said, “What can I help you with today, Carlo?”
“I wanted to surprise Emma with a picnic lunch. Do you think you could put one together with some cheeses, meats, and other goodies?”
Jesse smiled. “I’d love to. I know most of Emma’s favorites,” she said and bent to remove several items from the counter display. “Let me get the basket from the back and I’ll load it up for you with some crackers, lemonade, and other treats.”
She rushed toward the small storage area tucked into one corner of the narrow space. The rasp of things being moved about on shelves filled the silence as Tomás finished his chore and Carlo waited, but not just for the picnic basket. He wanted an explanation from his brother as well as a promise he’d be mindful of Jesse’s situation.
When Jesse returned, she worked to assemble the lunch items and Tomás ambled out from behind the counter to wait, arms across his chest as he leaned against the wall. His head was downturned as he was clearly in avoidance mode.
A few minutes later, Jesse passed the small picnic basket over the counter to Carlo. “I packed some plates, cutlery, and glasses in there as well.”
“That’s great. What’s the damage?” he asked, but Jesse held her hand up to wave him off.
“My treat. You and Emma do so much for me. And a big thank you for the orders for next week that Tomás brought over. I’ll have everything ready for you in the next few days,” she said and glanced at Tomás nervously.
“I’ll swing by to pick it up,” Tomás said and straightened from the wall. “I’ll see you later,” he added, but made no effort for a more personal goodbye with the shop owner.
Jesse didn’t seem to take offense, possibly understanding that Tomás was uneasy with any public displays of affection.
“How about you give me a lift back to my car?” Carlo said, tucked the basket under one arm, and wrapped the other around his brother’s shoulders.
“Sure thing, mano. I have to get back and help Paolo anyway,” Tomás replied and walked with him to the door, where they broke apart since there was no way two men as big as them were going to exit side-by-side.
On the sidewalk, Tomás peered back into the store for a second before motioning his brother in the direction of the da Costa delivery van parked at the end of the block. As they walked toward the vehicle, Carlo noted the slight hitch in his brother’s stride.
“Knee giving you trouble today?” he asked, concerned for his brother in a number of ways.
With a chagrined smirk, Tomás shook his head. “Nope. Banged the good one on a shelf when you made your very inopportune entry.”
“It could have been a customer, mano,” Carlo chided.
Tomás looked around and held his hands out as if to say, “Where?”
Carlo tracked his brother’s gaze and realized he was right. It was late morning, but in the off season the locals and what few visitors were in Sea Kiss midweek didn’t seem to venture out until after twelve.
“She’s not the kind of woman you play around with,” Carlo warned, not that Tomás was normally the kind to mess around with a woman.
With a reluctant shrug, Tomás nodded. “Eu sei. Believe me. And I tell myself it doesn’t make any sense to get more involved with her when I’m not sure what I’m doing.”
Carlo understood, but that didn’t change the hurt that could happen. “She’s already lost one man in her life, mano.”
“Don’t you think I worry about that? About hurting her?” Tomás said and ran his fingers through the longish strands of his hair in frustration. It had grown out from his buzz cut in the weeks he’d been home.
Carlo wrapped an arm around his brother’s shoulder again. “I trust you to do the right thing. Never doubt that.”
Tomás nodded and peered at Carlo from the corner of his eye. “And what about you? Are you going to do right by Emma?”
Carlo jiggled the basket under his arm. “I’m trying. It’s just hard to get past all the walls she’s put up.”
Tomás considered him thoughtfully for a long second. “Keep trying. And when the walls come tumbling down –”
“I’ll be the happiest man alive,” Carlo said with a smile.
