That made me smile, and heat filled my cheeks, probably making them pink.“I’ll miss you too.”
“Come back over tomorrow.Once Sam is in school.If you can get away from work for a bit.”
Nibbling on my bottom lip, I tightened my hold around his torso.“So I can ride Mouse again?”
He blinked down at me.“No,bella.So you can ridemeagain.”
Well, that, of course, landed usbackin his bedroom for another forty minutes and round two.
But by the time I got home later that afternoon, I was in the best mood of my life, with a pleasant throb between my thighs and a permanent grin on my face.
It was still early, but Tommaso Barone was doing a damn fine job of making me fall in love with him.But even though I couldn’t stop smiling, that niggling feeling in the back of my mind was still there.I’d never been in love before; Tom had.Maybe I felt things stronger because this was all new to me and I was mistaking lust for love.His heartdidat one point belong to another woman.And probably still did—to a degree.A woman he lost tragically.Would he ever be able to love another?Or was I falling for a man who would never be able to love me the way I loved him?Or love me at all?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Tommaso
Iwasjustfinishinginstalling the cameras and testing them out when the sound of two vehicle doors slamming caused Portia to grunt and head for the dog door.I followed her, instantly fearing the worst and that not only was Avelyn back to raise hell, but that she’d brought reinforcements.
Luckily, it wasn’t my neighborly neighbors with a warm apple pie for me, but rather, Jagger and Maverick.
Jagger drove, and the big, bearded man with dark-blue eyes smiled at me.A twelve-pack of San Camanez Island Brewery beer hung from his left hand as he approached with a slight limp.“Hey, Tom.”He held out his free hand, and I cautiously took it, giving it a shake.
Portia was busy grunting at our ankles and sniffing the two new arrivals.
Maverick came to stand beside Jagger, and we shook hands as well.Then both men bent down to pet her.
“It’s so cool that you have a pig,” Maverick remarked.“Does she do tricks and stuff?”
“Si.Portia,siediti.”
She sat.
“Portia,gira.”
She spun around.
“Parla.”
She squealed.
“And she speaks Italian?”Maverick gaped.
Jagger elbowed him and made an amused noise in his throat.“I think sheunderstandsItalian.”
Maverick chuckled.“Right.Duh.”
“Siediti.”I said to her again, and right at my feet, she plunked her little pig butt down, staring up at us, waiting for a treat.
“Danica mentioned what happened earlier today,” Jagger said, a frown tilting his lips.He shook his head.“We had some serious security issues at the brewery last year.Had to beef things up with a gate and more cameras.”
I nodded, still not entirely understanding why they were here.
“Came to lend a hand,” Maverick said.“How can we help?”
Help?
I wasn’t sure Ineededhelp.I never needed help.I managed this place on my own, and had for years.
