Begin Again (6 page)

“Today is a good day in Queens.” He gestured to the blue sky above, with the sun gently beaming down on them. “We’re working toward a whole host of buildings to serve the cultural community in our city.” He went on to speak of other structures that would be built, and Adam thought of the fundraiser he’d been to at the Tavern on the Green, and Elyssa. But his gaze strayed to Paulina. He liked
the way she stood up straight, held her head high, cocked to the side. All that hair mind-boggled him again
.

“So, on to the festivities,” the president said. “Let’s cut the ribbon. Adam Armstrong, our architect, along with Paulina Pettrone, the head of Pettrone and Ludzecky Builders, are here to do the honors.”

Adam stepped back so Paulina could precede him. When she stopped to shake the
board president’s hand, Adam halted close to her. The sweet scent of flowers rose up from her hair, and he couldn’t help but inhale it. Something stirred inside of him, and again, he had the urge to touch those luscious locks.

The president stepped back, and Paulina took one set of large scissors, Adam the other. They cut the blue ribbon at the same time, and the crowd applauded. Paulina grinned,
and he noticed a little dimple in her cheek
.

“Happy about this?” he whispered to her.

“Hmm.” Her voice was low…sensual. “Excited.”

There were photo ops next. In every one of them, he stood beside her, and once they were told to move even closer, he had to slide his arm around her to fit everyone in the picture. She felt solid, strong, but that damn hair made her so feminine he could
barely keep his face impassive.

When the event ended, Nia came up to them. “Congratulations to us all,” she said sunnily. Then to Paulina, “I’m heading out. I’ll be at work around noon.”

“Eat before you come to the site. Corralling thirty kindergarteners is no easy task.” She turned to Adam. “Nia’s chaperoning a trip to the zoo. Our three boys are going.”

“Are they in same class?”

“Yes.” Nia’s face tightened almost imperceptibly. “They usually break up twins, but after…” Her voice trailed off.

“Because their dads died,” Paulina finished, “and they got so close, the school agreed to our request to keep them together.”

Nia left, and Adam caught sight of Joe. “Do you have your car?” he asked Paulina. “Joe and I could drop you off.”

She waved to Joe. “No, my
foreman is picking me up. We’re going to visit some suppliers to check out front doors for the house we’re building.” She glanced at her watch. “Not for a half hour, though.” Her gaze strayed to the far end of the property. “I’d like to go out to the yard where the outdoor stage and seating will be. What a great idea.”

“Yes, it was.” He could hear the smugness in his voice

The woman’s
eyes narrowed on him, similar to Caterina’s the other night and to Nia’s just now. “It was your idea, right?”

“Guilty as charged. Come on. I’ll go back there with you. Let me just tell Joe.”

He accompanied her to the rear of the property, which would eventually hold an outdoor stage behind the music hall when it was built. But the unusual nature of the trees was the eye-catcher. They surrounded
the area like a green cocoon, and some jutted out to permit more privacy. A picnic table had been placed in one of the coves
.

“What a stunning topography,” Paulina commented. “And it’s all natural, right?”

“Uh-huh. I fell in love with the grounds right away.”

“Me, too, when we first checked them out. They’re inspirational.”

“Let’s sit for minute before your ride comes and enjoy
the view.” He pointed to the picnic table and they headed toward it. They sat on the same bench, facing outward
.

For a moment, he wondered if they had anything to talk about other than the building.

Out of the blue, she asked, “You said you’ve been to Europe, right?”

“On occasion.”

“Have you ever gone to the Rodin Museum in Paris?”

“Yes.” He waited but she said no more. “Why?”

“I’ve only seen pictures, but I was thinking how lovely those outdoor gardens are.” She sighed. “Wouldn’t it be nice to see sculptures scattered on the sides and back of the stage?”

“It would. Costly, though.”

She shrugged a shoulder. “No fund-raising was needed to build the music hall.”

“Queens got grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities.”

“So maybe we could find
a person to plan a fundraiser to buy the first sculpture, then the project might take off. Get a work by somebody famous like Albert Paley or Henry Moore, and maybe some more up-and-coming artists would donate a work.”

“You like sculpture?”

“Yeah. My little sister works at the Met, and she got me hooked. I spent hours in the Greek and Roman Gallery, once I discovered it. Then I took a
few art history courses and studied Michelangelo and Cellini. Donnie was going to take me to France to see Rodin and others, but we never got around to it before we had kids, so the trip was put on hold.”

“Ah. I’m sorry. Sometimes we put things off that should be done in the present.”

Adam heard his own words in a different way. Right now, with the sparkle of the sun hitting that lovely
hair, with the sky making Paulina’s eyes liquid, he knew for certain what
he
didn’t want to delay. When he saw her expression, how she stared up at him, he realized she was thinking the same thing. But she pulled her gaze from him, then stood. “I, um…it’s getting late. I have to go.” She started away.

Catching her from behind, he turned her around and edged back so they were under the cover
of the trees.

He held her by the shoulders, then he lowered his head.

From the way Adam looked at her when they were seated on the bench, Paulina knew he was going to kiss her, so she tried to leave the backyard. But once he’d stopped her, there was no escaping—because she didn’t want to be anywhere else. His mouth touched hers lightly, brushed over her lips, and she savored
his taste—coffee and a hint of peppermint, which was soon eclipsed by the essence of him filling her head. After a few seconds, he slid his arms around her and drew her close. She went easily, willingly and fell deeper into the kiss. His tongue explored her mouth, and she allowed it, welcomed it, returned it. His body aligned perfectly with hers, and he pressed his hips in close. He was hard,
and she was going damp, and she wanted to weep with the sensation. She missed the scent of a man, his flesh and bones, his unyielding frame. She inhaled him, crooked her head so he could get better access.

She had no idea how long the embrace went on. All she knew was that at some point, they were both stepping back, breathing hard, staring at each other.

“Well!” he said, raking his hand
through his hair. She took pleasure in his loss of composure and consequently wasn’t embarrassed by hers. “That was unexpected.” “Really? You started it.”

“That’s not what I mean.” He arched a brow. “Besides, you wanted it.”

“I’m not denying that.”

“What I meant was, the contact was intense. Right away, without warning. I’m shocked by my reaction.”

Her hand touched her lips as
she savored his taste, still on her. “I enjoyed it. But if you didn’t, that’s okay.” Once more, she started away. She didn’t have time for games, and if he was rebuffing her again, she didn’t want to stick around and get her feelings hurt
.

“Hold on!” This time he caught her hand, pulled her around and didn’t let go. “Why do you keep running away?”

She took in a deep breath. “I guess because
I can’t read you. You flirted, asked in an email if we should meet, then said never mind.”

“I did.”

No hedging. No denial. She liked that. “Why?”

“Because I wasn’t sure we should…do anything like this.”

“Adam, it was only a kiss.”

His expression said it was much more than that
.

“But I liked it,” she continued. “Still, don’t worry. I’m not asking you for anything.”

Jamming his hands in his pockets, he rocked back on his heels. “What if
I
want something?”

“Damn it, Adam, just say what you mean. What you want. I don’t have time for or interest in being coy.”

“Let’s go out.”

She watched him.

“You’ve dated since your husband died, right?”

“No, but recently I made a decision that I wanted to get into the…the swing of things. I’m seeing someone
tonight for supper and a movie.”

His brows knit together. “Is it serious?”

“I met him on first base.”

“Excuse me?”

She laughed at her expression. “At a softball game. I got a hit, and he…never mind all that.”

“So, you’re a free agent, so to speak.”

And would probably stay one. But she’d like to see this man. “I am, but I’m not interested in anything serious. Just some fun.”
Some hot sex
. She didn’t say that aloud, thank God. Though she knew one thing: she was attracted to him big-time.

“Have dinner with me this weekend.”

“Sofia’s taking the boys on Sunday for the day. I could do an early dinner.”

“All right. I’ll pick you up at five.” He added, “Wear something nice, but no ball gowns.”

Did he think he had to tell her what to wear? What was all that
about? Maybe it was nothing. She just wasn’t used to this dating scene. Had never really been in it. He was probably being thoughtful.

“Hey, Paulie, you back here?” Frank’s voice came from the end of the yard
.

She said, “I have to go.”

He grasped her arm again. “Would you wear your hair down Sunday?”

“Maybe. Let’s wait and see.”

“So, how’d it go?” Joe asked
the question after Paulina left and Adam went to the car.

“The ribbon cutting? You were there.”

“No, I mean afterwards when you followed Paulina to the backyard.”

“Could you see us from the street?” God, he hadn’t thought of that. He hadn’t thought of anything but how she fit him perfectly, how she wanted him.

“At the picnic table. Then you dragged her into a bunch of trees that
covered you. But you should be more careful if you don’t want spectators to see what you do.” He glanced in the rearview mirror and started the car. “What
did
you do?”

“None of your business.”

“I can fill in the blanks.”

“Just take me downtown, please. I don’t want to talk about this yet.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

When Joe dropped him at his building, Adam went upstairs and into
his office. Until now, he’d resisted the urge, but today, he strode to the storage area built in behind the whole left wall. From it, he took a rectangular-framed photo, two feet by three feet. Bringing it to the sitting area, he rested it against the back of the couch and sat across from it
.

And stared at the lovely faces of the Ludzecky sisters. One in particular. And he noticed something.
Not only was her hair shorter but her whole demeanor, even just standing there, was different. She seemed relaxed, despite the formal occasion, and there was mischief in her eyes, as if she was just about to whisper something naughty to one of her sisters. And those eyes were clearer, brighter. But the biggest thing was she looked younger. The wedding had been only a few years ago, but in the photo,
Paulina could have passed for a teenager. No longer. Nobody could mistake the sad wisdom that had taken up permanent space in her eyes
.

It made him feel so bad, he had to tear his gaze away from the photo. It also made him resolve not to add to the grim expression—ever!

I’m not looking for anything serious.

That was good. It would be easier to keep the relationship upbeat if they had
pleasant, no-strings-attached times together. At least she wouldn’t get hurt that way.

Her brother, Lukasz, stood on the blacktop in the backyard of the Ludzecky home, a basketball poised in his hands, ready to shoot. His smile was cocky and his muscular body exuded self-confidence. “So, catch me up on your life, sis.”

Paulina waited under the basket, ready to rebound. “Is that why you dragged me out here? To grill me?”

“Uh-huh. The others’ll
tease you. I just want to know what’s goin’ on.”

She glanced toward the house. Since the guys had died, the Ludzecky siblings tried to have dinner once a week. Luke was farthest away, so he didn’t get here every time, but today he’d given his wife a break and brought his girls down for an overnight. Magdalena didn’t attend regularly, either. She was often brokering seven figure deals or working
until the wee hours of the morning. Tonight, five of them had come
.

She watched Luke. She trusted him as much as she’d trusted Donnie, and she could use some advice. “I had a date. With a guy in our softball league.”

Her brother took the shot, and from under the basket, Paulina caught the ball and threw it back
.

“He nice?”

She thought of Steve Lowden, and how he’d been a perfect
gentleman, how he liked to talk about sports and television shows and his kid. They’d had fun, but Paulina hadn’t felt any chemistry with him. Not like her response to Adam.

“Yeah, you know, easy.”

Luke growled in his throat. “
Easy
is the kiss of death for a guy. We wanna be mysterious, difficult to read.” He took another shot. “It lures women to come back for more.”

She wrinkled her
nose. “Not what I felt with Steve.”

“He kiss you?”

“TMI, Luke.”

“The hell it is.” He threw the ball down and crossed to her. He was taller than her and always made her fell small, protected. Gently, he grasped her upper arms. “You’ve mourned long enough and you deserve to have a full life. That includes lots of kissing and what comes after it.”

She deflated. They all did when Luke
went soft on them. Poor Kelsey, his wife. She didn’t stand a chance when he was in this coaxing mode. “Truthfully, I want that, too.” She peered up at him. “A lot.”

He led her to the picnic table off the blacktop. It reminded her of sitting on the one at the music hall property with Adam. Who’d kissed her senseless. “Talk to me, honey.”