Buch lesen: «Seduced In The City»

1

ELLIE, SARA MORETTI’S little sister, hung up the phone and twirled around as if she’d just won the lottery. “The Paladinos want their regular order,” she called back into the kitchen. “Two large, one pepperoni, one veggie, one order of ziti.” She turned to Sara, her smile so broad it must have hurt. “I think Dom’s coming to pick it up.”

Dom.

The tray slipped out of Sara’s hands and bounced on the linoleum floor with a loud clang.

Laughing, Ellie scooped it up for her. “Butterfingers.”

Jeanette stuck her head out from the kitchen. “Everyone okay?”

“Fine.” Sara took the tray from her sister and went straight to the sink to wash it.

She hadn’t thought about Dominic Paladino in a long while. And clearly she couldn’t afford to think about him now. Her pulse had ratcheted up. Her heart was trying out for the gymnastics team, and so was her stomach.

The last time she’d seen him was right there at Moretti’s Pizza Parlor the day before she’d left for George Washington University, seven years ago. He’d been sitting at a table with two of his jock friends, his dark hair slicked back, his damp T-shirt straining across his broad shoulders and clinging to his lightly muscled chest. They’d just come from a soccer game after trampling their opponents, a team from the next block over. Sara had hid in the back while Jeanette waited on their table.

She glanced around, wondering what Ellie was up to. Was she staring? Had she already moved on? Of course she had. To her, Sara had dropped a tray. That’s all. Ellie didn’t know about Sara’s long-ago crush on Dom, or what he’d said to shatter her young heart into a million pieces. No one had known about any of it because Sara had kept it to herself. Sort of... Years later she’d let her temper get the better of her and made a mistake that had cost her more than she could’ve imagined.

Ellie was checking on her table and laughing with the customers, so Sara relaxed. The place had barely changed. The old redbrick walls still looked as if they’d been put together by a bunch of drunks, the family-style tables still had red-checkered cloths, although she’d hoped they’d been replaced.

But it was home, and although she’d made more money serving cocktails in Washington, DC, in one night than she’d make here in a week, she was glad to be back in Little Italy.

“Bet you’re surprised Dom is still here,” Jeanette said from behind her.

“I hadn’t really thought about it.” She shrugged. “I guess I figured he’d be living out in Hollywood or someplace.”

“Nah,” Jeannette said, staring at the tray. Probably wondering if Sara had washed the aluminum off by now. The woman wasn’t related by blood, but she’d been working there for over twenty years, so she was practically a Moretti. “The whole family’s been sticking close to home since the old man had a second heart attack.”

“Second? Oh, that’s too bad,” Sara said, meaning it. She’d known the Paladinos since she was a little kid. Her mom and Dom’s mom had been friends since childhood, but Sara mostly knew them from church.

Jeanette smiled. “Joe’s a tough old bird.”

“I’m surprised my mom didn’t mention it.”

Jeanette took the tray to dry it. In a hushed voice she asked, “If Dom comes in, are you gonna hide in the back?”

Sara looked at her and laughed. “I was a shy nerd back then. Let him try pissing me off now.”

Jeanette chuckled. “I might pay to see that.”

“Who are you talking about?” Ellie popped up out of nowhere.

“No one you know,” Sara said, drying her hands.

“Bet I do.”

“Then let me rephrase. None of your business.”

Jeanette grinned and shook her head.

Ellie huffed, grabbed some napkins and went back to her table.

Up until ninth grade Sara had gone to an all-girls Catholic school and hadn’t seen much of Dom. But that had in no way stopped her from having a major crush on him, just like most of the girls in her class. Hell, the whole school. Every guy had wanted to be Dom, and all the girls had wanted him.

“His brother Tony’s getting married,” Ellie said, joining them behind the counter again.

“Whose brother?”

“Excuse me, ladies,” Jeanette said with a little smile. “Gotta go back to the kitchen before Carlo starts yelling.”

“Dom.” Ellie stared at Sara as if she’d finally lost her last brain cell.

“Oh, of course. Silly me.”

Ellie ignored the sarcasm. “I wonder if Dom is going to be the best man. Can you imagine him in a tux?”

“Oh, sweetie,” Sara said, not surprised, really. “Tell me you don’t have a thing for that guy. For God’s sake, he’s a year older than me, and you think I’m the Crypt Keeper.”

“You’re almost thirty.” Lifting her chin, Ellie left to go wipe down table five, where a gang of slobs, also known as high school kids, had left their mark everywhere from the tablecloth to the floor.

“I’m twenty-seven, thank you. But I believe I’ve made my point.”

Ellie sighed. “Have you met any seventeen-year-old boys? They’re disgusting.”

“You think that changes when they turn twenty-eight?”

“He’s hot. And he doesn’t look old.” Ellie’s cheeks got splotchy. Poor kid had a blush like a rash. Although she was so pretty it didn’t really make a difference. With her waist-length brown hair and her big green eyes, she was the beauty of the family.

Sara had been the brainy one, but all that had gotten her was an almost-completed master’s degree and a load of student debt.

“So, I assume he’s still single?” Sara said, and got another funny look from Ellie. “Since you’re shamelessly mooning over him.”

Her sister broke out in laughter. “Mooning? Jeez, Sara, you sound like Nonna.”

Sara came out from behind the counter and snatched a pair of salt-and-pepper shakers that needed refilling. “Don’t change the subject.”

“What, like you did when I asked about you and Robert?”

“Oh, my God. Why did I come back here?” Sara heard a call from the kitchen and she went to get the order ready for the Cho family. Chinatown pretty much surrounded Little Italy now. Most of their customers lived there, or in Nolita or SoHo. At least people still kept coming to their place, even if they had other pizza joints closer. Thank goodness they kept getting those “Best in New York” awards.

Not that they were making a lot of money. Enough to keep up with the cost of living, but that was about it. Fortunately, their rent was still amazingly cheap, so they weren’t about to make any changes. What would her parents do if they didn’t run this place? As the sign above the marquee proudly proclaimed, Moretti’s had been in the family since 1931.

She thought about Robert as she sliced the large Sicilian pie, then closed the box. He’d been in Rome for two months now, and while they talked two or three times a week, she wasn’t quite sure where that left their relationship. For the three years she’d known Robert, he’d wanted to work for Inside the Vatican. More than he wanted anything, including her. Oh, he’d argue otherwise, but she knew better.

There were two salads to go, which she put in the cold bag, along with the liter of soda. Then she stuck it all on the pickup counter and turned to the next pizza while Jeannette caught another phone order. The dinner hour had just begun and they were already slammed. Especially with that birthday party for twelve coming up.

The bell above the door rang, but instead of Mike Cho, it was Dominic who walked into the restaurant.

Sara stilled, and in the span of a second she was thirteen years old again, a geeky, flat-chested, mousy little girl who’d cried for two whole nights, convinced her life was over.

He’d changed. Broader chest, a hint of a five o’clock shadow on his strong jaw, his swagger more assured. He’d been the best-looking guy in school, but now he might just be the best-looking guy in New York. His eyes seemed darker, and his hair looked like her fingers would get lost in those thick brown waves, and for heaven’s sake, even his smile had gotten more charming.

As if she didn’t dislike him enough already.

But it certainly made sense that Ellie had a crush on him. One quick glance at Jeannette, and yep, she wasn’t immune either. Sara remembered how she’d written Mrs. Dominic Paladino, Mrs. Sara Paladino and Mrs. Sarafina Paladino ad nauseum on a half dozen notebooks starting at age twelve. Which stopped abruptly at age thirteen, after that day. She’d destroyed notebooks, journal entries, anything that mentioned him, purging him from her life.

The next year it was time to make the big switch to high school. Even though she’d begged her parents to let her go to the all-girls Catholic school in Midtown, they’d sent her to Loyola. The school ruled by Dom and all his jock friends.

Lucky for her, he’d barely acknowledged that she was alive.

At least now she could return the favor.

* * *

DOM PALADINO HAD been grateful to get out of his folks’ house for a little while. The conversation had turned to Tony’s wedding. Again. Even with Catherine’s parents all the way in Europe, everyone, including them, felt compelled to throw in their two cents.

Poor Catherine had been getting it from both sides. She was trying her best to keep the affair to a manageable size but her folks—both diplomats who had about a million political “friends” that had to be invited—didn’t seem to know the meaning of compromise. At this rate, they’d have to get St. Patrick’s Cathedral to hold them all. Dom had told Tony to elope a dozen times, but had his eldest brother listened? Fine. His business, his problem. Just as Dom had left the house, the discussion had turned to the relatives who still lived in Italy that should be on the guest—

His thoughts skidded to a halt. Was that Sara?

Holy shit, she’d...blossomed.

He greeted Ellie and Jeannette in his usual manner, but his gaze was magnetically drawn to Sara Moretti. He hadn’t seen her in years and damn, she looked hot. Gorgeous light brown hair that hit just below her shoulders. And those eyes of hers. If he’d had any doubt she was Sara, those big hazel eyes would’ve confirmed it. He tried to imagine that skinny, shy kid with braces from his past, but her transformation was too impressive. Probably still smart as could be, though. “Sara?”

She gave him an abrupt nod, then turned her back to slice a large pizza.

Above the piped-in Italian music, he heard Ellie gasp.

He didn’t get it. Why had Sara been so curt? He tried to remember if he’d done anything bad to her back in the day. He didn’t think so. Yeah, at times he’d been an arrogant little shit in high school, but not usually. Mostly out of rebellion, considering he had his older brothers’ reputations to live up to.

Dom honestly couldn’t remember having much interaction with Sara, not even at church functions or here in her family’s pizza parlor.

“How are the wedding plans coming along?” Ellie asked.

“Oh, man. I don’t want to even hear the word wedding. The whole thing is insane. If I ever start talking about that, remind me, would you?”

“I bet Tony’s excited.” Ellie blushed as she went over to the soda machine. She poured him a cola, squeezed a piece of lime, put a lid on it, slid in a straw and handed the cup to Dom. “Here you go.”

“Thanks, Ellie. The boys at school still driving you crazy? Say the word and I’ll make sure they behave.”

“Stop it,” she said, the pink on her cheeks looking a little spotted. “They’re all stupid.”

“Still no one special then?”

“Ew, no.”

He laughed, just as Mike Cho, a guy he knew from Loyola, then the local gym, came into the restaurant.

“Dominic,” Mike said. “What’s the matter? You don’t lift anymore?”

“I moved. I’m living in the Cast Iron District now.”

“That’s not far.”

“No,” Dom said. “But I’ve been going to Body Space Fitness in Union Square.”

“I heard that’s a good place. They have a pool, right?”

“And killer instructors.”

“Can you hook me up with a pass? I might be willing to take the bus for a pool.”

“Sure. I’ll give you a call.”

Sara came to the counter, carrying a big take-out bag for Mike along with his pizza. “That’ll be twenty-six fifty.”

“You new here?” Mike asked, his voice dropping half an octave as he forgot that her eyes were above her chest.

“That’s Sara Moretti,” Dom said. “She’s been away at college. Studying...journalism?”

Sara glanced at him as if she hadn’t realized he could speak full sentences. “That’s right.” Then she looked at Mike again. “I remember you from Loyola. You wrote for the paper a couple of times.”

“You’re that Sara? Wow. You’ve changed.”

“I hope so.” Sara smiled. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah, same here. How long have you been back?”

“Just a week.”

“So, you here to stay?” Mike asked.

“I’m not sure,” she said with a small shrug that drew Dom’s attention to her breasts straining the fabric of her T-shirt. “I’m working on my master’s thesis so I’ll be here long enough to finish it.”

Dom realized he was behaving as badly as Mike had, and he snapped his attention up to her face. Her lips were moving but Dom hadn’t heard a thing she’d said.

She and Mike laughed about something, and then Sara asked, “Will that be cash?”

Cho whipped out his wallet, fumbled with his credit card, then smiled at her with such eagerness, Dom debated getting him that gym pass.

While Sara swiped Mike’s card, he looked at Dom, lifting his brows in what was supposed to be a guy-bonding moment. Dom ignored it. He wasn’t sure why he was irritable. Mike was a good guy. They’d competed in track.

As Sara handed him back his card, Mike grinned. “You made that paper a decent read,” he said. “Much better than Billy Calabrini.”

“Thanks. That’s nice of you, but if you’ll excuse me. I have to—” She nodded her chin in the direction of the kitchen and drifted toward the prep counter.

Mike’s grin faded with every step she took. But that didn’t stop him from eyeing how those worn jeans cupped her ass. “Well, can’t win ’em all,” he said. He turned for the door. “Later.”

“Yeah, later.” Of course Dom had been checking her out also. But that was different. He took a sip of his soda, then got out his wallet when he saw Sara packing up his order. He put cash on the counter, then a tip in the jar. Like always. When she came with his stuff, he smiled—not as enthusiastically as Mike had. “You never asked me to write for the paper.”

“Mike volunteered,” she said, not meeting his gaze.

“I didn’t know that was an option.”

“It was,” she said, as she stared at his soda. A moment later, he watched her add the cost to his bill before she rang it up. “Besides, as I recall, you were always too busy.”

“Uh-oh. I think I must have done something to you back in school.”

She didn’t answer at first, just stared down. “What do you mean?”

“Charging for the soda?” he said, joking. Trying to get her to lighten up. Maybe she’d caught him checking her out and was pissed. “I mean, I’m happy to pay for it, but...”

Ellie rushed over to her sister’s side and bumped Sara’s shoulder. “I’m sure you never did anything bad to her. She’s just been gone too long and doesn’t know the routine anymore.”

Dom smiled, trying to figure out the expression on Sara’s face. Was she really annoyed about the buck seventy-five, or was this about something else? He hadn’t seen Sara in years and—

Jesus. The long-ago memory flashed like lightning through his brain. How could he have forgotten? This wasn’t about anything Dom had done to her. It had been the other way around. As the editor of the school paper, Sara had practically eviscerated him in an op-ed piece, and he’d never been more insulted in his entire life.

“I know the routine,” Sara told her sister. “I’ve worked here more years than you.”

“Sara,” Ellie said, her voice a little condescending. “Not now, okay?”

Sara glared at her. “I don’t remember Dad saying anything ever about giving out freebies. And surely Mr. Hotshot can afford to pay for it.”

Ellie, looking shocked and embarrassed, cleared her throat. “I’ll just charge the order to your family account, okay?” Then she spun around on Sara and in a hushed voice muttered, “What is your problem?”

Dom could still hear, though, and clearly this was the perfect opening. He could’ve taken the high road—after all, they’d been kids. But with her acting like this? “Ellie, why don’t you ask Sara about the article she wrote my last year at Loyola?” he said, gathering his order and holding Sara’s gaze captive.

She should’ve looked embarrassed. Maybe even blushed. Not look as if she wanted to give him a third nostril.

“Yeah?” she said with an accusing smile. “And ask Dom what he said about—” She stopped short and blinked. “Never mind.”

“Go ahead,” he said, honestly drawing a blank. “About what? I’d like to hear this.”

Her inhale was sharp, and her cheeks flushed dark pink. Without a word she turned around and disappeared into the kitchen.