Some Like It Hotter (Sweet Life in Seattle #3) (35 page)

They spend the next week getting settled in Giovanni’s new house. Lindsay even goes to the hardware store and buys paint. She figures if she’s not working on art she might as well do as Giovanni suggested and make the house feel like home. She’s picked out all sorts of bright colors—emerald green, teal blue, and of course, dark red for her bedroom.

She also starts working at La Dolce Vita, her sister’s bakery, a few hours every morning, filling in at the register. She’s done it many times in the past, and it’s great to hang out with the regular crew, along with Blair—one of her besties, who bakes wedding cakes and is co-owner of the bakery.

“We need a girls’ night now that you’re back,” Blair says, hugging Lindsay on her first day of work. “And I can’t believe you got married!”

“I know. It’s sort of a complicated situation, though.”

Blair nods. “Natalie filled me in on some of it earlier, but I want to hear more.”

“It happened really fast. Hopefully, we’ll manage to do some good.”

“I know it’s only an arrangement, but Natalie says you guys are living together as man and wife, with all the fringe benefits?”

Lindsay stirs her iced dirty chai latte with a straw, taking a break after the morning rush. “Pretty much.”

“I can’t believe it’s Anthony’s brother. Is he as handsome as Anthony?”

“Please.” Lindsay sweeps her hair over her shoulder. “Are you kidding? He’s
way
hotter than Anthony.”

Natalie, who is standing only a few feet away, flipping through the pages of one of her master recipe books, lets out a loud laugh when she hears this. “As if
that
were possible.”

“Oh, it’s possible,” Lindsay tells Blair. “In fact, it’s the reality.”

Natalie glances up from the book she’s taking notes from. “You seriously think Giovanni is better-looking than Anthony?”

“Of course he is.”

“I hardly think so.”

Lindsay puts her hand on her hip. “Giovanni may not be as pretty as Anthony, I’ll give you that, but what he lack in prettiness he makes up for in
many
other ways, trust me.”

Natalie appears dubious.

Blair fidgets with what appears to be embarrassment. “Um, I think you guys are getting into sort of a
weird
area here if you don’t mind my saying so.”

Lindsay and Natalie both look at Blair, then at each other.

“She’s right,” Lindsay says to her sister, laughing a little. “I think there’s a certain ‘ick’ factor here we’re skating awfully close to.”

Natalie nods. “Yes, let’s just agree they’re
both
handsome and leave it at that.”

After working at the bakery every morning, Lindsay usually goes back to the house to find Giovanni playing handyman. He bought a shiny set of new tools at the hardware store, so every day it’s something different. Typically, as soon as she walks through the front door, he’s dragging her over to show her his latest project. Recently, it was installing new light fixtures in the downstairs bathroom.

He pulls her inside the bathroom door, flicking the lights off and on as if it were some kind of miracle.

“What do you think?”

“Very nice.”

“It’s quite an improvement, isn’t it?” He flicks the lights ten more times. “Look at that. Fantastic.”

“It’s great.”

“I think I’ll do the ones upstairs next,” he tells her. “Do you think I should stick with the same design?”

Lindsay opens her mouth but doesn’t get a chance to speak.

“I believe I will,” he says in his usual decisive tone. He’s still studying the new fixtures. “These were an excellent price, plus they remind me of my favorite opera house in
Roma
. Very elegant.” He flicks the lights some more, grinning like a little kid. “How about that? Isn’t that something?”

She smiles. “When do you start work at the hospital?”

“Not for another week, but I’m going in tomorrow for a few hours to get acquainted with everyone. Why do you ask?”

“No reason.” She glances around the bathroom. “I wonder if I should paint in here too.”

“Absolutely. Choose whatever color you like.”

She arrives home from the bakery next Friday to discover he’s in the backyard pruning the tangle of neglected trees. He’s wearing a pair of faded Levis she’s never seen before and a gray short-sleeved T-shirt. Classical music plays from the new speakers attached to the iPod docking station he bought a couple days ago.

“What’s all this?” Lindsay asks, walking outside after changing into flip-flops. It’s a warm day, and the air smells like fresh-cut grass. She’s carrying two glasses of iced water and hands one over to him.

“Thanks.” He takes it from her, his throat working as he drinks half of it down.

“You’re getting these trees into shape?”

“Yes.” He nods, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “It turns out they’re fruit trees. Isn’t that great? I’ve always wanted to own my own. As far as I can make out, there are two apple and two plum, and those are blueberry bushes over there.” He points to them like a proud parent.

The trees have obviously been neglected for a while, and she doesn’t see much in the way of fruit growing on them. But with Giovanni involved in their care now, she imagines they’ll be flourishing in no time.

He hands the glass back to her and continues pruning. She goes to sit on the back patio, looking around the yard and wondering if she should add flowers out here. Her inside painting projects are coming along nicely, and many of the rooms have at least a spark of color. It’s already brought more life to the interior.

Lindsay puts the glasses down on the ground and relaxes as she watches Giovanni work. He’s sweating through his T-shirt, and his cheeks have a healthy flush. Those soft jeans are hugging his ass and thighs in a way that’s almost indecent.

“Do you think you’ll be pruning much longer?” she asks, a hopeful note in her voice.

“Probably. I read it’s best not to cut too much in summer, but these are so overgrown I’d like to remove the dead wood.”

Nice.

She leans back on her arms and continues to watch, sipping her iced water, feeling like a voyeur. Classical music drifts out from the house’s open patio door.

It turns out Giovanni is into opera, of all things. She loves music, but has never listened to opera and has certainly never thought it was something she could enjoy. Oddly, she doesn’t mind it. There’s real passion in some of the singing—the
libretto
, as he calls it.

Only a couple weeks have passed since they arrived, but somehow the two of them have fallen into this peculiar domestic life together. Lindsay doesn’t remember ever feeling so at ease with either of her previous husbands and definitely none of her boyfriends—whom she always kept at what you might call an emotionally healthy distance.

Very ironic.

All her stuff is here too. They managed to get most of it moved from her storage unit with little fuss since Anthony was nice enough to help. She told Giovanni she had plenty of guy friends who could help bring her stuff over, but his face turned nearly apoplectic at the suggestion. Her queen-sized bed is in the downstairs bedroom, as she requested, and of course, he’s been sleeping with her every night. Despite all his new purchases, she’s noticed a bed for himself hasn’t been one of them.

Not that I’m complaining
.

She’s comfortable—too comfortable—and a part of her is starting to get nervous with all this domesticity, though she’s mostly been ignoring that part for now.

He walks over, and she eyes him with appreciation.

“Why do I feel like a piece of naked bacon?” he asks.

Lindsay gives him a lascivious grin. “Because I’m undressing you with my eyes?”

“That must be it.”

“You look awfully hot. Are you sure you don’t want to take your shirt off? I’d be willing to make it worth your while.”

He chuckles. “But I’m a delicate flower, remember?”

“I promise we’ll keep it just between the two of us.”

“Well.” He pretends to consider it. “As long as you promise.”

He moves closer, and she pushes her sunglasses to the top of her head. “Speaking of delicate flowers, I think I might plant some along the border out here. What do you think?”

He reaches for his water and sits down beside her. “Sounds great. I like everything you’ve done with the house so far.”

She slips her arm through his. “Thank you. It’s been sort of fun, really.” She’s not sure why, but she has a strong desire to leave her mark on this house.

He finishes the rest of the water in the glass and puts it down. “It has been fun, hasn’t it? I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”

“Me, either.”

Lindsay’s eyes go to the way their arms are linked, taking in the ease of them together. All this domestic bliss. And what’s crazy is a part of her wants it, wants this life with him. She’s even looking forward to having Joseph and Sara stay here before they go to their uncle. She tries to imagine her and Giovanni together as an actual married couple, and it’s not that hard.

“Oh, I went by the hospital again this morning,” he says. “I almost forgot to tell you.”

“How is it going there?”

“Good. I’m looking forward to starting work.” He turns to her. “Listen, how do you feel about coming in and teaching an origami class to some of the kids sometime?”

Her brows go up. “At the hospital?”

“I think it’s something many of them would enjoy, but only if you want to.”

Lindsay is quiet, considering this. “They’d let me come in and teach a class? They don’t even know who I am.”

“Well, I told them you were my wife and a professional artist.” He grins. “I gave you a glowing endorsement.”

“You told them I was your wife?”

He nods. “Yes, Lindsay. We’re married, remember?”

“I know.”

He’s watching her, appears to be measuring her reaction. “You don’t have to do the class. I’m not trying to put you on the spot or anything.”

She thinks it over. She’s taught classes to kids in the past. Not at a hospital and not origami, but she knows she could do it. “That’s okay. It sounds like fun, actually.”

“There’s one other thing I should mention.” Giovanni considers her for a long moment.

“What is it?”

But then he shakes his head. “It’s nothing. Forget it.”

“Are you sure?”

He nods. “Yeah.”

She leans into him, already getting excited about teaching the class. “I have tons of origami paper. Lots of colors and designs. It should be a blast.”

“That’s great. I’ll let them know.”

“Oh, wait. Except I can’t do it on Monday.” She sits up suddenly, remembering. “I’m helping Natalie interview potential nannies.”

He chuckles. “Yes, I heard all about it from Anthony—who’s not too pleased, I might add.” He gives her a look. “You’re seriously trying to help them avoid something called the ‘nanny spell’?”

“Excuse me, but it’s a real thing,” she informs him. “You’re just blind to it because you’re a man.”

He gives her an amused look. “You know I was raised with a nanny, right? And trust me, my father never slept with her.”

“What did she look like?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. Like a normal woman.”

“Was she young and hot?”

“No, she was older. Kind of plain.” He pauses. “Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure she was a lesbian.”

Lindsay nods with approval. Francesca was no dummy. “See, your mom understood.”

“So is this how you’ll be if we ever have to get a nanny?”

She goes still, the breath knocked clear out of her. She tries to recover quickly before he notices. “Why would you ask that?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. What if it worked out between us?” He searches her face then lowers his voice. “Stranger things have happened.”

She imagines the kind of life she’s certain he wants—big and messy with a house full of kids. It’s a life she’d love too, but she knows it’s not something she could ever give him.

She turns her head and looks out at the currently barren fruit trees.
Just like me
. She never tells any of the men she’s involved with about her infertility. She figures they don’t need to know, and what’s more, she doesn’t want anyone’s pity.

Another secret.

And one she has
no
plans to share with Giovanni.