“I’m sorry.” Regret lined his face as he pulled the phone from his pocket.
I got it. He was a doctor and in the Mafia, a man in high demand. My body didn’t agree with sharing him in any capacity, though. I stepped back, and his jaw flexed. I didn’t like the separation, either, but our moment was interrupted. Perhaps it was for the best.
He answered and clipped out a response I didn’t bother to pay attention to. Once he hung up, he directed all that intensity at me again, stealing my breath and quickening my heart rate.
“I want you more than anything.” Trey’s desire-laden voice sent a surge of heat through me as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “I’d planned to come back and take you out to lunch. I don’t want to rush you into anything, and we’ve only been on one date.”
I grinned. Best first date ever. “In the Cayman Islands.”
“Do you want to go?” His eyes darkened. “Or we could stay here?”
Straightening my shirt, I put more distance between us as I went for my shoes, fighting my body the entire way. After I convinced him to take me to Justin’s, it would be nice to go to lunch. “No, let’s go out.”
Going out without worrying about Allen would be great. Trey had talked to him, so I didn’t have anything to stress about. Not that I would have, anyway.
We grabbed our coats. Trey’s hand was on the small of my back as we took the elevator down to his car. He had a few words with the head of his security team, Sam, and then we were off, one of the black SUVs following us with two guards inside. It was my chance. We exited the private underground garage, and I shifted in my seat to take in Trey’s chiseled profile. “Can we make a stop before lunch? I wanted to check in on Justin since he’s at home.” Or he had been when Sam took that picture, anyway. I knew his schedule, and he didn’t work that day.
“I’m assuming that you’re not going to let it go if we don’t stop?” Amused eyes met mine before he returned his attention to the road.
“You’re correct.” I grinned. I relaxed back in my seat, stretching my legs in front of me. It bothered me that I hadn’t talked to my best friend and that he probably blamed himself for messing up our plan to get the money back. But I wasn’t mad—he was looking out for me. It had been a mistake on my part not to contact him as soon as I knew I’d lost my phone. Maybe he’d been trying to reach me.
It didn’t take long until we turned into Justin’s neighborhood and found a parking spot on the street not far from his two-story brick bungalow. I shoved open the car door before Trey could come around, and the bitter cold slapped me in my face. Snow lined the narrow parkway before the sidewalk, and I plodded through it with him at my side. I tucked my hand in his, and we climbed the three cement steps to Justin’s, where I bent and rummaged around the base of a flower pot with daisies painted on it. The key was beneath the tiny pebbles lining the saucer of the pot. I unlocked the door then pushed it open with the key in hand. Trey closed it behind us as we stomped the loose snow from our shoes then slipped them from our feet to leave on the shoe mat.
“Justin! It’s me,” I called. “Justin?” The living room was bare as it always was. He’d never bothered to get furniture for it. Bypassing the basement stairs, I checked the kitchen. There was a bowl and spoon in the sink from breakfast. He had a weakness for sugary cereals. Case in point, a box of Fruit Loops was on the counter.
“Maybe he’s still sleeping.” I grabbed Trey’s hand and pulled him with me upstairs and into Justin’s room. The bed was a mess, as usual. He didn’t see the point in making it since he would be sleeping in it again at night. The rest of his room was immaculate. That was where the neat freak in him came out. He was never in the kitchen before noon, which we were closing in on, so I was surprised he hadn’t cleaned up his dishes and put the cereal away. It took him a while to be civil. He was an absolute bear and unfit for company before he’d had two cups of coffee.
The rest of the place was spotless. I checked his closet and bathroom. Nothing was missing. He’d been here. Maybe he’d run out for something.
We retraced our steps and went to the basement. A lone game controller was on the coffee table in front of the leather couch, but there was no sign of him. I worried my lower lip as we climbed the stairs and let ourselves out. After relocking the door and returning the key to its hiding place, we got in the car and headed to the restaurant.
“He’ll be back.” Trey squeezed my hand, steering with only one of his. “Are you worried because he hasn’t returned your call? You mentioned this wasn’t abnormal behavior for him.”
“Yeah, he will. And this isn’t unusual when he thinks he’s screwed up badly. It’s his process, and he’s done it before.” I pulled my hand free and rubbed my palms together, feeling shaken. “I don’t know. Something feels off.”
“I’ll have one of the guards keep an eye on the place and alert us when he’s back home.”
“Okay. That would be good.” Somewhat appeased, I tried to push the worry from my mind so I could enjoy our lunch date. A familiar thrill raced through me at the thought of spending time with Trey. I just wished I could share what was happening in my life with Justin. Trey had kissed me, and I wanted to dish to my best friend.
I messed around with the radio while Trey drove too fast down the highway then off the exit. After a few more turns, he pulled up to a fine dining restaurant named Bramare. I glanced at my dark jeans then back to Trey in his black pants as he rounded the car and opened the door for me. “Am I underdressed?” I’d heard of the place before, and I was positive that jeans weren’t included in the dress code. But when we walked through the entrance, warm air greeted us, as did the hostess.
“Welcome, Dr. La Rosa.”
“Gina.” Trey offered a closed-lip smile.
“Let me take your coats.” Trey helped me with my coat then handed both of ours to her. She then motioned to a coat attendant, who relieved her of our outerwear. “Table for two? Or are you expecting guests?”
“Just the two of us.”
“Very well. Please follow me.”
His hand settled on my lower back again, sending a jolt of awareness through me as we followed the hostess to a table situated by a roaring fire. Several plants were strategically placed, offering privacy. I fell in love with the dining establishment immediately.
“The Vitale family owns this restaurant. You can wear whatever you want.”
“This is Enzo and Sofia’s place?” I thought I had the right couple. Sofia, Trey’s sister, had married Enzo.
“Yes. I’m surprised you haven’t been here with Sofia.”