“You should stay and be with your family, but I think it’s better if I go. Maureen, it’s been lovely. Thank you for letting me work in your beautiful kitchen.”
Torre gripped my bicep, and behind us, Maureen slipped away.
“Why are you scared to death?”
“I’m not. I’m not scared of anything.”
He held my gaze, then pulled me to him and kissed me. Hard. I opened under his demanding kiss, our lips clinging. The earlier conversation with Maureen faded, and I once again pushed the thoughts of my parents to the background noise I kept at bay. I held on to Torre, our kiss turning soft and unhurried until he smiled and murmured in my ear, “I’ll have to buy you one of these aprons. You look hot as hell.”
“What’re you talking about?” I looked down and laughed.Kiss the Cookwas emblazoned across the front with a pair of big red lips.
“If you guys are finished, can you bring up the ribs and meatballs?” Val stood in the doorway, brown eyes sparking and a big smile on her face.
“Val.” Torre turned red and buried his face in my shoulder with a groan.
“What? It was hot as hell. Frisco looked like he’d be a good kisser, and from what I could see and hear, I was right.”
“No complaints ever,” I said, a bit smugly. “And just for that, I’m going to dig out another Gucci jacket I have from when I was younger. It will fit you perfectly.”
Her squeals of pleasure were deafening as she retreated up the steps, and Torre slipped his hand around my waist and gazed into my eyes.
“Still want to leave?”
Of course you don’t, the devil whispered.
“I’m just not sure I fit in here, with a family and all this togetherness.” I waved my hand in the air.
“Do you think you fit in with me? That’s what’s important. I think that’s what we’re trying to figure out, but we can’t if you keep running away.”
No one had ever talked to me like that but Press.
“I don’t run away from anything.”
“Sure?” He prodded. “Aren’t you running away from me and what might be happening between us because you don’t know how to deal with it?”
Those chocolate-brown eyes forced the truth from me.
“Maybe.”
Torre smiled. “Now we can start. Because when you can admit you’re still learning, we have a chance.”
He held out his hand, and I looked at it, then at his face. I slipped my palm in his and laced our fingers together.
