Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Boxed Set (9 page)

When Bianca had a reasonable amount beneath the slicer, she returned to the stove to check on the oil. Seeing that it was just right, she grabbed a wire fry basket, filled it with the slices, and set the basket down in the oil to fry, giving it a shake to separate the various slices.

She returned to the worktable and noted that Diana was making good progress on the
gazpacho
. The tomatoes were pureed and Diana was started to blend them together with the various other spices and liquids.

"Looks good," she said and patted her friend on the back.

"I'll need you to taste for me later," Diana replied.

Bianca nodded and returned to slicing and frying. Little by little a nice mound of finished chips began to grow on a plate by the kitchen stove.

It was about two hours later that Rey stuck his head in to check their progress.

Bianca walked over and wrinkled her nose at the state he was in. Plaster dust covered his clothes and all of the skin exposed by his tank top. Safety glasses and a paper face mask dangled around his neck from an elastic band and his hair was littered with bits of debris from the demolition.

"Rey, you are a mess," she said and ran her hand through the mane of his dark hair to remove the rubble.

He grinned and laid a hand on her shoulder. "A very hungry mess. Do you think we can start getting some grub soon? I set up some sawhorses and boards outside in the parking lot to act as tables."

"Do you want to get cleaned up in here?" she asked, gesturing to the one sink and then running her hand across his bare arm to wipe off the light coating of powder on his skin. His muscles were hard beneath her fingers. His skin hot from his exertions. Looking up, his gaze told her he was not unaffected by her touch and she abruptly pulled her hand away.

"I don't want to mess up the kitchen," he replied and ran a finger along her cheek, then tapped her nose playfully, grinning. "There's a hose outside we can use to wash most of the grit off. I'll send the guys to get cleaned up whenever you say."

"Half an hour," she replied.

He nodded and walked back out through the plastic sheeting into the restaurant.

She smiled and turned to face the women in the kitchen. They were all studying her intently and it was really uncomfortable.

"Ready to set up lunch?" she asked and walked to the back door of the kitchen which led out to the parking lot. She didn't wait for an answer as she went out the door, but lingered out of sight, worried that they'd be talking about her.

Daisy immediately started the discussion she'd been expecting. "Am I the only one who noticed?"

"Rey and Bianca. Like in maybe there was something more going on?" Maya quickly jumped in.

"Yeah, not quite fireworks. More like some smoke signals," Diana added. "But definitely more than what I've seen when she's with David."

Maya laughed harshly and said, "Well, I'm glad. David's a jerk."

Ouch, Bianca thought, but stayed out of sight.

"You think so, too?" Diana asked, her tone almost thankful. "I was worried that maybe Eduardo and I were misjudging him."

"No, you aren't. I mean, I guess he's not all that bad. But he's not what Bianca needs," Maya explained.

"And you think Rey is?" Daisy questioned, clearly worried about her brother.

"Think Rey is what?" Bianca asked as she decided it was time to return and end the talk.

"Ready for lunch," Daisy offered as all the women guiltily returned to work, but Samantha suddenly chimed in with, "Uncle Rey is really nice. He always plays with me and gives me piggyback rides. He's really strong and really cute."

There was a moment of dead silence and then everyone started chuckling.

Maya walked over, picked up her daughter, and placed her on her hip. "Jellybean, you are too young to be noticing things like that. Now how about some lunch?"

"I want to try the chips," Sammie piped up.

Bianca took Sammie from her sister-in-law to relieve the load on Maya's already burdened back. She balanced her niece on her hip much as Maya had done.

"You can have some chips with a piece of the sandwich and maybe some soup," Bianca said and the little girl smiled.

"Thank you, Aunt Bianca," Samantha said and bestowed a loud smoochy kiss that had become a routine with them on Bianca's cheek. Bianca reciprocated, burying her head against Samantha's neck and planting a sloppy raspberry of a kiss against her soft fragrant skin.

Sammie giggled and squirmed, trying to get away.

"Auntie," Sam protested, but it was clear she was enjoying Bianca's attention.

"Let's go, munchkin. Let's put out the food." She let Sammie slip down to the floor and gently grasped her hand. With her free hand, she snatched up a pile of paper tablecloths to place on the makeshift tables Rey had set up outside.

Maya followed her, and when they got into the parking lot, they quickly laid out the tablecloths. Diana and the other women followed soon after, bringing out the sandwiches, salads, and other foods as well as the plastic cups, napkins, cutlery, and paper plates.

The first wave of workers came out through the front door of the restaurant about ten minutes later, followed by Alex and Brad. While the workers hurried to the tables and the food, Brad and Alex walked to the back of Brad's Navigator. Brad popped open the back and together with Alex, they pulled out a large tub filled with ice and soda and lugged it over. Then they returned to the back of the car, pulled out another similar tub, and likewise placed it next to the food area.

The two men embraced their wives, walked with them away from the crowd of workers, and sat down beneath the shade of a large tree on the edge of the parking lot. She smiled at the way her brother cuddled his wife and daughter and shared the plate of food Maya had prepared. The love between them was all too clear, as was the passion between Daisy and her newlywed husband, Brad. The sizzle carried all the way across the parking lot as the couple kissed and exchanged a tight embrace before eating.

Both couples had that something extra Eduardo had hinted at, and as the first shift of workers finished eating and the next group emerged, Bianca saw the same loving and passion between Diana and Eduardo, who were in the second shift.

She had little time to think about it for long as she struggled to keep the tables full of food and other necessities and clear of the debris from those who had eaten. It seemed like forever until a third and final shift came out, but still no Rey. There was a moment of disappointment which she throttled back, telling herself she shouldn't be so eager to see him. Until he emerged through the front door a second later, pulling off his work gloves and tank top, and stopping at the hose to wash off the dirt and dust.

She did busywork at the table, straightening out the plates and napkins to avoid glancing over as he rinsed off his chest and arms, but it was a lost cause.

He was even more beautiful then she had imagined, with a broad muscled chest that was smooth and perfect, except for an angry looking ridge of a scar along his left side.

Bianca winced as she thought about how he had gotten it and the pain it must have caused. It was at that moment that he looked over and their gazes met and held. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him as he shook out his shirt and then used it to towel down his face, arms, and chest. He strolled over to her, bare-chested, and stopped when he was barely a foot away.

"It was nice of all of you to provide food for the crew today. Most people don't," he said and motioned to his guys as they walked past and started grabbing pieces of sandwich, chips, and salads, and cups of the gazpacho Diana had made.

"We thought it would be nice to get this project started off on the right foot," she answered and turned slightly, grabbed a plate and placed some food on there for him.

He reached past her to snag a handful of chips, and his chest brushed against the bare skin of her shoulder. She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, telling herself it was the heat of the sun making her burn and not the fire from his skin.

Rey closed his hand around the chips, struggling not to crush them as the shock of her smooth skin against his chest registered. The fragrance of her wafted to him from her nearness and he sucked in a breath. Feeling almost lightheaded from the sudden blast of desire, he reached out to steady himself and found his hand at her waist, beneath the hem of her shirt.

"Bianca," he murmured as her muscles trembled beneath his hand.

She looked up at him, her eyes questioning. Her pupils were wide despite the bright sun, her breath shaky. He realized she was experiencing the same desire he was, but this was neither the time nor the place.

"How about something cold to drink and some food?" he said in low tones, but he didn't move his hand from her waist. As she turned and handed him a plate of food, her free hand came to his side and caressed the warm smooth skin there, making him instantly hard.

She trembled beneath his hand and struggled to draw a breath. Shakily she said, "This isn't a good idea."

"It would be crazy," he said, but thought,
Crazy good.

He forced himself to step away, the plate in one hand while he reluctantly dragged the other hand off her waist.

Bianca grasped her hands tightly before her and looked down until he placed a finger beneath her chin and gently urged her to meet his gaze.

"Grab a plate and meet me over there. That is, if you want to," he said and motioned in the direction of the tree where the others had sat to share lunch. The shady area was vacant now that the men had returned to work.

Bianca nodded and he sauntered away. It was then and only then that she finally was able to take a long breath and calm the tremble in her body. For a moment she considered ignoring his request but she'd be damned if she ran away from this, whatever it was.

She had to confront it head-on as crazy as it was because she couldn't deny that Rey sparked a fire inside her that she couldn't ignore.

Chapter Seven

The sodas he had sucked down earlier hadn't been enough to quench Alex's thirst. Plus he wanted to make sure that with the heat of the summer sun, Maya wasn't overdoing it.

He exited the restaurant into the parking lot and stopped short as he noticed Bianca sitting underneath the shade of the tree along with Rey. They were eating together and he would have to be a fool not to see the attraction between them.

He had first sensed it when Bianca and Rey had been hammering the wall together, and had told himself his intuition was wrong. But his radar was humming again as he watched them. Bianca was smiling, a radiant, broad kind of smile. Rey's grin was just as inviting.

The pressure of a hand on his arm snared his attention. He looked down into his wife's amused face.

"They look good together, don't they?" she said and inclined her head in the direction of Bianca and Rey.

Alex took a deep breath and faced Maya. "I thought maybe I was imagining it," he said and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close enough to give a kiss. Well, as close as her growing belly would allow.

"We all noticed it before," Maya confessed and wiped a smudge of dirt from his cheek. "You're sweaty," she added.

"Which is why I need another soda," he replied and walked arm in arm with her to the tub with the soda, where he snagged a can from the melting ice. As he swigged down a mouthful, he turned and glanced at Rey and Bianca again. He motioned in their direction with the can. "Do you think that's such a good idea? The two of them getting involved?"

Maya shrugged and snuck a quick look at her sister-in-law and Rey. They were leaning toward one another, their heads close as they spoke. Rey must have said something funny to Bianca since she laughed and her face brightened. Maya had never seen Bianca so at ease around anyone in all the time she had known her. "She seems to really like him."

"But is that a good idea, Maya? After all, Rey's – "

"An ex-con? Is that the only way you see him, Alex?" Maya challenged, growing angry with her husband.

Alex had the good grace to look chagrined. "No, that's not the only way and you know it. Since getting to know Daisy and Rey, I've realized what good people they are. How hard they struggled to overcome a really bum rap in life."

Maya nodded and hugged him. "Bianca couldn't get a better man. Not to mention that he is really – "

"Don't say it," Alex jumped in and encircled her in his arms, squeezing her playfully. "I don't want to hear about how handsome you all find him."

Grinning, Maya bent close and whispered, "But in my book, you're still number one, Alex. You're the only one who rings my bell."

Alex smiled and tightened his hold on her. "I'll keep that in mind for later."

* * *

Rey leaned against the tree, ignoring how the bark bit into the skin of his bare back. The discomfort was worth the pleasure of sitting here with Bianca, watching her expressive face as he regaled her with stories of things gone wrong on one project or another.