Tempted in the City (18 page)

“Okay. No problem. I'd like to schedule a walk-through with you. Make sure we're on the same page.”

“Fine.” She pulled her planner from her briefcase, gripping it tightly. “Can you do it tomorrow morning?”

“Of course.”

“Great. Thank you.” She stood. “I've got to finish packing, so if you don't mind...”

He got a business card from his wallet. “Feel free to call my cell phone direct if you need anything else.”

She nodded. Watched him go down the stairs. Ran her hands down her skirt and headed to her bedroom. The moment she saw her two suitcases open on the bed she burst into tears.

* * *

T
HE
PACKING
WASN
'
T
going well. Not just because she'd been crying for half an hour, although that had a lot to do with it. Also, feeling like an idiot for crying so long was definitely having an effect.

There had been a couple times in her life when she'd wept over a relationship, but those were dripping faucets compared with Niagara Falls. She'd always thought that girls who completely fell apart over men were ridiculous. Childish. Lacking in self-esteem.

She'd been such a clueless idiot.

What had finally stalled the waterworks had been an errant thought. One that wasn't filled with self-pity. She'd remembered that Tony had wanted to meet with her. To talk to her. Explain why he was calling things off. Like a grown-up.

Pity that in the throes of her drama she'd deleted all his texts and voice mails.

She sniffed, blew her nose again, made herself go into the bathroom and look at the damage she'd done to her face. It was swollen and blotchy and looked as if she was at the tail end of a serious cold. Makeup could hardly hide her state. She should text him. Make arrangements to meet him tomorrow—

Oh, God. What was the matter with her? Once Luca told him about her change of heart, Tony wouldn't wait. And he wouldn't be sending a text. He'd call and, if she didn't answer, he'd show up in person. In fact, knowing him, he could be at her door at any moment.

She started throwing things into her bag. Whatever she forgot she'd pick up later. She had every intention of meeting with him. He'd made an honorable effort to have a face-to-face with her. But right now she had to get out of there. When they finally talked she had to be prepared. Composed. Not a tear left to shed.

Although making him wait for another day seemed like a cruel thing to do to someone who'd done nothing wrong. For 95 percent of their acquaintance he'd been wonderful.

She didn't want to be this person. Now, instead of just hearing what he had to say, she owed him an apology for taking the weasel's way out of facing the facts.

It was three thirty when she climbed into a cab and headed for her hotel. During the short ride she decided she didn't want to put this off any longer. If not for her heart's sake, then for her own self-respect.

By the time she was safely in her hotel room, she'd calmed down. Her skin wasn't as blotchy anymore and she made up her mind to meet with Tony today and listen to everything he had to say. After he was finished, she'd be gracious, apologize for not calling him sooner and wish him all the best. She hoped he wouldn't ask to still be friends. That wouldn't be possible.

She got out her phone and almost hit speed dial. Swallowing hard, she fished out Luca's business card and found the number for Paladino & Sons. From now on it was just business between her and Tony. Thankfully, the receptionist answered. “Can you tell me if Tony Paladino is working in the office today?”

“Yes, he is, although he's with a client at the moment. Can I take a message?”

“Would you happen to know if he's going to be with clients for the rest of the afternoon?”

“No, it looks like he'll be free from four to five thirty. Would—”

“Thank you,” she said, then disconnected. She could be there at four thirty. Hopefully, the receptionist would still be there. But it didn't really matter. This meeting was just business. Catherine was still a client, after all.

* * *

“F
OR
G
OD
'
S
SAKE
, why didn't you call me after you left Catherine's?”

Luca had just entered Tony's office. As soon as he closed the door behind him Tony's gut clenched.

“I knew you were in with a client and it was kind of hard to leave a message.”

“Just tell me what happened.” Tony had to force himself to stay in his chair and not shake his brother until he talked.

“Okay. Jesus, this isn't easy.”

Luca sat in his usual seat across from Tony, but he was fiddling with a pen, which was something he did only when he was nervous. “She wants to cut everything back. The minimalist garden, no outside staircase. No more restoration.”

“Did you tell her I—”

“Me? I acted like a contractor, Tony.”

“Did she say why?”

“Not really. Blamed it on getting carried away and spending foolishly, something like that.”

“Fuck.” Tony rubbed a hand over his hair. “She hasn't answered any of my texts or calls. I tried to explain that I just wanted to take the business part of...us out of the equation. It seemed reasonable, but...” Tony shook his head. Feeling helpless wasn't something he dealt with very well. And with her not talking to him the only thing he could come up with was that she never wanted anything more than what they had. “I know she's out of my league, but I was starting to think it didn't matter so much. Although why wouldn't it? She's a goddamn heiress to some crazy fortune, and I'm—”

“Worth a fortune, too.”

“I told you before why we couldn't make it work, and I was right. I got my hopes up, that's all.”

“So?” Luca frowned. “That's it?”

Tony blew out a breath, his wayward thoughts and fears making him nuts. “I have to talk to her.” He got to his feet. “If she won't answer her phone I'll break down the damn door if I have to.”

“Um, you'll have to settle for calling her again.”

Something in his brother's voice stopped Tony just as he made it around the desk.

“She was packing when I left,” Luca said. “She's moving into a hotel.”

Tony's heart nearly quit on him. He stared at his brother. “Which one?”

“Didn't say.”

Tony muttered every curse word he knew. In every language he knew. Catherine would've appreciated it. If he hadn't lost her...

Gina buzzed in. “Tony. Your folks are here. Are you two talking about something naughty or can they join you?”

Tony closed his eyes. The last thing he wanted was to see his parents. Why the hell were they even there? He was just about to ask Gina to tell them he'd be tied up for another hour when he heard the doorknob turn. Could his day get any worse?

19

J
OE
OPENED
THE
DOOR
.
“Luca,
you're here. Theresa, did you know?”

“No. It's good, though. We just came back from taking a walk
and we thought we'd ask you to dinner. Both of you.”

“Thanks,” Tony said, “but I can't leave right now.”

“We're not asking you to,” Joe said. “We can go when you're
done. We'll rest a bit. She made me walk two miles.”

“That's great, Dad.” Luca stood up. “Ma, sit here. Dad, take
the other chair. You want something to drink?”

Tony wanted to tell all three of them to get the hell out of
his office. He didn't give a shit about dinner or something to drink. His
insides were twisted with fury at himself and every minute the anger got worse.
It had gotten to the point that he didn't know how long he could remain
civil.

He should have waited until he'd talked to her before switching
out with Luca. He should have found out if she was even interested in him for
more than sex and a few laughs. How could he be thirty-three and still this
stupid? “Dad, come sit in your chair.”

“Your mother doesn't like it. She thinks when I sit there, I'm
working.”

“He doesn't need to work,” Theresa said, “but he saw Sal at the
corner today. He said something's wrong with the Fox job. That's all your father
could talk about on the walk. So tell him everything's fine and he can sit where
he wants.”

Tony tried not to react, but that rarely worked with his
mother.

“So something is wrong.” She sighed, as if the burden was too
much to bear.

Luca, always the peacemaker, pulled one of the chairs from the
far side of Tony's office and brought it next to his mother's. “Nothing's wrong.
She's making some changes, that's all. There's nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about except you're in charge now? What, so
she finally admitted she's going to sell?” Theresa poked Joe in the shoulder.
“What did I say, huh? She's a smart girl. She knew she could make a fortune on
that house. But then she met Tony, so she said she was staying. Now she knows
better.”

Tony stared at his mother. “She didn't... She wasn't scheming.
Catherine wanted to stay, and it had nothing to do with me. But you're right
about one thing...now she does know better. She's too damn good for our
neighborhood. What the hell kind of people have the right to be so ugly to
someone who's cared more about that old house than anyone we've ever worked
with? You knew nothing about her, and all you could do was gossip about how this
one wasn't Italian and that one wasn't Catholic, and how anyone who wasn't just
like us was nothing. And Nonna, telling her right to her face that she would
never stand a chance with me? Like I'm better than her?”

“Wait a minute,” Joe said. “Nonna would never—”

“Catherine works for the UN. She speaks perfect Italian. She
lived in Italy for years.”

Theresa's eyes widened. “Why didn't she say?”

Tony slapped his hands on his desk and leaned over stiff arms.
“You shouldn't have had to know. You should have been nice to her regardless.
Welcoming her like good neighbors would. I swear, between my own family and
those judgmental old women who live next door to her, why would she want to
stay?”

He slammed his ledger shut, making Joe jump, and walked away
from the desk. Tony never spoke to his parents like this, but goddamn it. “And
after all the work she's done. She knows more about the history of the building
than I do. She could conduct tours at the Tenement Museum, and I know that
because I was there when they asked her to. She's studied all the history of the
architecture from before our families arrived. Is paying a fortune to restore
everything she could about that old house. The fireplaces, the bathrooms, the
floors, the tile, the tin plate backsplash in the kitchen. She was making it
into something extraordinary.”

His mother stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. He walked to
the file cabinets and it was tempting as hell to pull out every single drawer
and throw them across the room.

“Tony,
tesoro
, what's going
on?”

“He's been seeing her,” Luca said. “He asked me to take over,
so it wouldn't be too complicated.”

“Nonna was right?”

Tony faced his mother. “No. Nonna had it backward. I'm the one
who thought I'd have a chance with Catherine. She woke me up, Ma. Because of
her, I fell in love with this neighborhood again. I was helping her with the
restorations, and they were like hidden treasure. All the things we paint over
without a thought. She was going to build a roof garden, big enough to share
with the families around her. She wanted her neighbors to grow their own
vegetables, teach their kids about what a privilege it is to eat things you
planted. And you know what else? I tried to talk her into renting out the
basement, but she said no. That space was to be filled with her family. With her
children. She wanted them to have a legacy. Everything we're doing with the
trust, she wanted to do that for her family. In honor of Belaflore Calabrese,
who raised her because her parents were too caught up with their own lives.

“And Nonna thinks I'm too good for her? I wasn't just seeing
her. I fell in love with her. But I know she can't love me back because—” He had
to stop or he was going to lose it. “She should flip the house and get the hell
out of this neighborhood.”

“Why didn't you tell me?” Theresa said. “I would have—”

“What? Told me how she wasn't Italian? That she was too modern?
That I had an obligation to the family?”

Theresa stood up, her face flushed, her eyes worried.
“Probably. But I also would have listened to you. I would have seen that you
care deeply for this woman. I would have told you to be happy.”

“I wish I could believe that,” he said.

“Why do you think I didn't push you to stay with Angie? She
wasn't right for you. I could see. But it sounds like you think Catherine
is.”

Tony felt empty. He'd assumed telling his family what he really
thought would make him feel better. He sank onto his chair, the weight of
despair too heavy. “I think I've just lost the woman I was meant to be
with.”

“I don't believe that's quite accurate.”

Tony looked up at the unmistakable sound of Catherine's voice.
She was standing at the open door. Gina was behind her, smiling like the cat
that got the cream. Of course she'd been eavesdropping, but he didn't care.
Catherine was here.

He slowly got to his feet. “What are you...?”

Catherine smiled. The way she used to smile before everything
had started to fall apart. He could see she wasn't at her best. Her eyes looked
puffy and her hair was falling down from where she'd pinned it, but he'd never
seen anyone more beautiful.

“I came here to talk to you. To listen. Face-to-face. When I
heard that you didn't want to work with me anymore, I thought you didn't want
to...” She glanced around at his family. “I took it the wrong way.”

“No. God no. I didn't want work to come between us. That's all.
I wanted to make sure you knew I was serious. That I'd fallen in love with
you.”

She took a step toward him. “Not exactly the way I pictured the
moment, but I'll take it.”

Luca coughed. “We're all gonna just leave the office and have
some dinner. And Gina's coming with us.” He herded Tony's parents toward the
door, but his mother hesitated by Catherine.

“Okay, so you're not Italian by birth, but I think you are in
your heart. He's a good man, and he deserves someone smart, who can appreciate
him.
Hai la mia benedizione.
”

Then Joe touched Catherine's arm. “I liked you that first day.
Remember? Now, tell him to make you an honest woman so you can get busy making
my grandchildren.”

* * *

T
HEY
WERE
FINALLY
ALONE
. Just the two of them. And
Catherine couldn't manage to make her feet move.

Tony shook his head. “Fair warning. Despite giving us her
blessing, my mother's not going to change.”

Catherine's heart was beating so fast she probably needed to
sit down. After hearing what he'd said about her, she was afraid she might be
dreaming. Regardless, she'd never felt braver. “Well, good thing I'm not
marrying her.”

“I'll say. Wait. Did you just...?”

“Yes. I think I just did.”

Oh, the way he looked at her. He took a step and she took a
step and they were close enough that she could see the love in his eyes.

He brushed back a tendril of hair that had caught on her
lashes. “The answer, if you didn't know already, is yes.”

She kissed him lightly on the lips. “That, I could read.
Finally.”

Tony smiled. “I'll tell you everything you want to know. You'll
never have to guess. Starting with the fact that you're the most amazing woman
I've ever met. I don't give a damn that you're not Italian. I don't give a damn
what my parents think. Or the neighbors. Or anyone else. I love you. I didn't
know I could love like this.”

Thank God she'd used up all her tears for a lifetime. However,
she wasn't so sure her voice would hold up “Me, too,” she said finally. “I love
you, Tony Paladino. So much it's just a little overwhelming. But about those
grandchildren...”

“Ignore him. It's because he's been ill—”

“I don't want to ignore that. But I also want to take some time
to just be with you. Out in the open, where everyone can gossip about us as much
as they like.”

“Excellent plan.”

“And also, it doesn't matter, but you should know. My parents
aren't going to be all that thrilled.”

“What, they don't want a New York contractor for their only
daughter?”

“They'll adjust,” she said.

“I hope so.”

“You know who would be ecstatic about this?”

“Me?”

“Besides you. Belaflore. I think she had you in mind when she
told me every single story she could remember about Little Italy.”

Tony pulled Catherine even closer, until she put her arms
around his neck. “I'm sorry I never met her, and I hope you tell me all those
stories, but I have to kiss you now.”

“About time,” she said.

Then he kissed her. Like in a fairy tale. But even better.
Because he was real, and he was hers.

* * * * *

Look for the next book in the fun, sexy
NYC
BACHELORS
miniseries featuring Luca Paladino.
DARING IN THE CITY
by
Jo Leigh wherever Harlequin Blaze books are sold!

Keep reading for an excerpt from
HOT SEDUCTION
by Lisa
Childs.

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