She grinned, looping her arms around his neck. “This is sweet. I like that you care.”
“I’m glad you find my emotional scarring so entertaining,” he grumbled, nuzzling into her neck.
“It’s nice to be on the other side of this for a change,” she teased.
“This is the last time. We’re moving to Canada.”
“You’ve never slept with a Canadian before?”
“My mom’s Canadian. I didn’t want to take any chances getting it on with a second cousin or something.”
“Full disclosure—I dated my neighbor’s nephew from Nova Scotia for a summer when he was visiting.”
“Canada is out. How about Costa Rica?”
“Costa Rica works.”
He cupped her face in his hands. “Just remember who you’re here with,” he said gruffly.
“Who could ever forget Nick Santiago?” Riley teased, brushing her mouth over his. In true Nick form, he took the kiss to a very dirty place. She was clinging to the vanity for support while his hand worked its way up the skirt of her dress when there was a knock at the door.
“Stop hogging the bathroom. Esmeralda has to wash her hands before dinner,” Carmela announced.
“There’s nine goddamn sinks in this house,” Nick yelled back.
“And she wants to use this one, so get the hell out!”
“Why must my children revert to adolescent behavior when they come to dinner?” Marie lamented loudly from the hallway.
“This is what happens when you have a favorite kid,” Carmela said snidely.
“I don’t have a favorite. Right now I don’t like either one of you. Andy is my new favorite.”
They exited the bathroom and found most of the family in the hall.
Carmela wrinkled her nose. “Oh, God. You’re not one of those couples that pees together, are you? That’s disgusting.”
“Bite me, Carm,” Nick said, slinging his arm around Riley’s shoulders. “Where’s the wine?”
16
8:15 p.m., Saturday, August 15
Dinner was the usual Santiago shit-show of bickering, shouting so his father could hear them, and excellent food.
Nick would have enjoyed the familiarity of it, except for the fact that he couldn’t stop glaring at his brother-in-law, who couldn’t stop smiling at his girlfriend like he knew her and liked her.
Over pork tenderloin and soy-glazed carrots, Andy wrapped up another stupid reminiscence of his time with Riley at Shippensburg University.
“Hilarious that you had sex with my girlfriend,” Nick muttered under his breath, gripping his steak knife until his knuckles went white.
Riley elbowed him in the ribs. “Will you pleaserelax?” she hissed.
“So, Riley, is it?” Marie cut in. “What is it you do for a living?”
His girlfriend removed her elbow from his torso. “I just started working for Nick a few months ago.”
“Sleeping with the employees? Really, Nicky?” Carmela sniped.
