Turning back to Sofia, I explain, “It’s safe there. Since it’s my building, my staff?—”
“Nico.” She grabs my hands and squeezes. “Did you mean it? What you said?”
“Which thing?”
“About loving me?”
“I didn’t mean to say it like that. But… yes. I love you, Soph. I know it’s not the best time?—”
She flings her arms around me and hugs me hard enough for my back to crack. “I love you, too, Nico. What you did…”
“You do?” I ask dumbly. Because honestly, it doesn’t feel real. “But the Cosa Nostra?—”
Her eyes soften to liquid gold as she looks at me. “You protected me, Nico. Over and over. You freaking faced off against the Don of the Cosa Nostra for me. If that’s not love…” Then she stretches up to whisper in my ear, “And you lookedreally sexy, doing all that martial arts stuff. Like an action hero. But better.”
Though it’s the most inopportune time, I feel an erection growing. Throbbing. Demanding. “Like an action hero?” I murmur. “And you liked that?”
“Yes.” Her lips graze my chin. “I liked it a lot. And Nico? Iloveyou.”
My heart squeezes. “Soph. I love you, too.”
Chapter Nineteen
SOFIA
“I really think it would be better if I go with you.”
Nico sets his mug on the kitchen island and gives his tie a quick tug before adding with a hopeful smile, “We could grab breakfast afterwards. At that new restaurant around the corner.”
I take a sip of my own coffee before replying, “It’s perfectly safe for me to go on my own, Nico. It’s broad daylight. With tons of people headed to work. I won’t be alone for a second.”
His smile wavers. “I’m not saying it isn’t safe. But wouldn’t you like to have a second opinion on the office space? Plus—” He glances out the window at the perfectly blue sky beyond. “It’s a nice day. Great for a walk.”
When I don’t answer immediately, he pulls out the big guns. “We could get red velvet pancakes. I looked online, and they’re a featured menu item at Sweet Sam’s this week.”
“Red velvet?” My taste buds perk up. My stomach makes a small rumble.
Sensing victory, Nico’s eyes brighten as he nods. “Yup. Red velvet. With cream cheese glaze and chocolate infused whippedcream. After you meet with the realtor, we could walk back, stop at Sweet Sam’s Cafe, and then I’ll head to work.”
I’m tempted to say yes.Reallytempted.
Not just because of the red velvet pancakes, though those dosound amazing. But I would feel better going to meet with the realtor if I had Nico with me.
It’s safe. I’ve reminded myself of that dozens of times since I made the appointment to see the little office space in Midtown—a space I’m hopeful could be the new location for A-1 Investigations. The rent is way more than what I was paying in Hoboken, of course, but Nico offered to help and I’m seriously considering accepting his offer.
“It’s because of me that you’re moving the business,” he reasoned when we first talked about it. “So I think it’s only fair that I help with the rent. I know you’re used to doing things on your own. But think about how nice it would be, working right in the city. We could meet for lunch. I could pick you up after work. It would be great. Don’t you think?”
Itwouldbe great. And I’m not going to pretend that commuting to Jersey City is something I’m looking forward to. Not when I’ve been staying with Nico in one of the apartments on the top floor of the Fox & Falcon building for the last month while he searches for a new and safer place for us to move into long term.
No, we haven’t had the officialmoving in togethertalk. Yet. But all my stuff is here, except for the furniture we moved from my apartment into storage. Nico’s brought me to see several brownstones on the Upper West Side, and he’s made it clear he won’t buy one unless I approve. And he’s already started redecorating the apartment we’re staying in just for me, right down to the butcher block counters and the plants on the windowsill.
So if I’m going to be moving into a brownstone with Nico, wouldn’t it make sense to move my business closer? And if he wants to help pay the rent in the beginning, until I build up my client list again, is there really anything wrong with that?
My aunt even approves, now that she’s been to visit. She came for a long weekend two weeks ago, and although she was highly skeptical of Nico at first, he won her over. “I like him,” she whispered to me the night before she left to go home. “I didn’t think I would. But now that I’ve actually met him, I do. And I can tell he loves you, Sofia. Desperately. A man who loves you like that? You don’t want to let him go.”
She’s right. I don’t want to let him go. Not again.
That’s why I’m looking at rental properties in Manhattan instead of New Jersey.
