Unexpected Mr. Right (4 page)

"I'd do just about anything if you'd feed me.” Tabby sat on the white, wooden barstools in her kitchen, no longer interested in anything she had in her pantry.

"Do I really get to feed you? Now that would be a good time."

Oh God, he never stopped. Switching the phone to her left ear she asked, “I thought we were working on being friends” .

"This friendship thing is all kind of new to me, Slugger. You mean to tell me you, Bri and Kaylee don't sit around feeding each other? Damn, I'm going to have to rethink this whole friend thing.” He said in his usual playful tone.

"I didn't say that.” She didn't know what came over her but she wanted to be just as playful as him. This wasn't about love or relationships so she didn't have to worry about taking it too seriously. She'd never been much of a flirt with the men she went out with. She wanted them to know she was looking for something permanent, not just a flirtatious fling. “You're being awful quiet, Nico. I think this is the only time I've heard you at a loss for words."

He laughed. “It takes more than that to make me at a loss for words. I was just taking a minute to imagine a visual."

She was so out of her league trying to match Nico's teasing nature. But she'd work on it. Tabby didn't like not excelling at everything she tried to do. That included friendly flirting with Nico. As long as he knew it was only friendly and not sexual. “I thought it was pretty good. Isn't that supposed to be a guy's biggest fantasy? Women together."

"It's one of them, that's for sure. And I didn't say it wasn't hot, I just said it takes more than that to make me speechless."

"I'd imagine that's because you have so much experience with flirtatious women? I think you're somewhat of an expert on the subject."

"Ouch. You're always busting my balls, Slugger. I think you're somewhat an expert on that subject."

"Whatever,” Tabby said trying to hold back her smile. “Just get over here with my food. I'm starving."

"Be careful what you say. I can take that a couple different ways."

Tabby hung up the phone and headed towards the bathroom. She wanted to run a quick comb through her hair before Nico arrived. She didn't bother to change her clothes because hey, it was just Nico. If Kaylee or Bri were coming over she wouldn't change from her lounging clothes. Why should Nico be any different? Tabby curled up on her couch, her legs under her. Picking up the remote she flipped through the channels absent mindedly. Should she have tried to flirt with Nico on the phone earlier? The last thing she wanted was for him to get the wrong idea. She couldn't think about anything more than a harmless friendship with him.

She already liked him more than she should. Not that she was falling for him or anything, but he did make her laugh a lot. He was fun, outgoing, determined and seemed to like her. That was dangerous grounds. If she let herself get too wrapped up in this whole friendship thing, when he lost interest, she'd be the one left hurting. That was the opposite reason she decided to go along with all of this.

And he would lose interest. From what she saw of his other relationships, he always did. Usually pretty darn quickly too. Have I ever seen him with a woman more than once or twice? He was a confirmed bachelor and from what she could tell he liked that life. He was so different than her. Maybe that's what made him feel so exciting. Exciting didn't last a lifetime though. Dependable and serious, that's what lasted for the long haul.

Tabby got up and lit the cinnamon candles on her fireplace. She loved relaxing in the evening with candles lit around her room. Just like with her baths, it put her at ease. She loved different scents and the calming flutter of candle flames. Her home was littered with different candles, the scents and colors matching each room.

A knocked sounded at the door while she stood losing herself in the red and gold of the flame. She glanced at her watch. It had only been a few minutes since they got off the phone. He must live close by to have arrived so quickly. For the first time since he came over last week she wondered how he knew where she lived that first night. She hadn't thought to ask him before. She knew Kay wouldn't have told him without warning her first. Bri might just for fun but she would have eventually told her. Or at least asked how it went.

Her friends didn't trust her to make decisions for herself so she doubted either of them really would have given him her address. They treated her like she was fragile, like she would break if treated badly. It was because they loved her but she didn't want to be seen as weak. She wanted to prove to herself and to them as well that she was stronger than they thought.

Nico knocked again. Tabby walked over, this time peaking through her peephole to make sure it was him before she opened the door. His short, black hair was tousled on his head like he hadn't taken the time to comb it, but it didn't take away from his appeal. He was dressed in a pair of loose fitting jeans that rode low on his hips and a white t-shirt.

Before she had the chance to greet him, he spoke. “You cut your hair,” he said reaching out his free hand to touch her hair.

Tabby gestured for him to come in. When he did she closed and locked the door behind him. “Yep. Just today."

"What made you do that?” he asked.

She gave him a don't-go-there look, “Don't ever ask a woman that, Nico. Just smile and tell her she looks great.” Tabby led the way to the kitchen with Nico not far behind.

"Ah, but I didn't know if you'd take that the wrong way since we're working on just being friends. I told you I'm still learning about this. See, if I was picking you up for a date I'd tell you how well the shorter length frames your face. How sexy it is when you turn and this strand,” he grabbed her hair and pushed it behind her ear, “falls in front of your eyes bringing out the different colors and making me notice how round and welcoming they are. I'd tell you how it brings more attention to your plump, kissable lips making it damn hard to keep from tasting them."

Tabby sat in the chair before her legs gave out beneath her.

"But since we're just friends I wasn't sure if I was allowed to tell you all that."

Damn he's good. She looked at him trying to hold in her smile. He didn't bother, his right side rose in a crooked grin. “I'll make an exception this time,” she tried to hide the tremble in her voice, “since you're still learning and all” .

Nico set the brown paper bag containing their dinner on her kitchen counter. The first thing he noticed was like her living room, her kitchen was spotless. Second, that it suited her. He could tell she spent a lot of time decorating her home, making everything just right. The room was colored a dark green and cranberry. Everything matched, with not a lot of clutter. He could do some serious cooking here. Nothing felt as good as messing up a neat kitchen. Maybe he'd get to mess hers up. She needed a little bit of mess in her life.

"Where are the plates?” he asked after pulling the food from the bag. “I'll also need wine glasses and a corkscrew."

He watched her walk around the kitchen grabbing what he asked for, her hips swaying in the process. She was a slender woman, but she did have a few curves and they were all in the right places. Damn he wanted her. It was going to be tough to stick with the whole friend's thing but he'd gone and opened his mouth. Now there wasn't anything to do but follow through with it.

Even if he didn't understand why they were doing it. They wanted each other. He could see in her eyes that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Nico knew women well but he'd didn't understand them. They were both consenting adults. What was the problem with sating their desire for one another? They'd both go into it knowing he wasn't the kind of man for a serious relationship so how could she get hurt if she knew the score?

Tabby handed him two plates. Using the utensils he brought along he dished food out on each of the two plates while she grabbed wine glasses and a corkscrew. “I hope you like red wine,” he asked her when she set the glasses down in front of him.

"Yes, I do."

"I thought about bringing you apple martinis but I thought maybe we'd try something different. You'll have your martinis tomorrow."

She laughed. “We are predictable, aren't we?"

"No, you? Not that I'm complaining. I like that you spend your Friday nights at Luciano's.” He started to pour their drinks.

"If not, Kay and Luciano would have never met."

"Neither would we. And look, we're starting to build such a great friendship too. You can't forget about that.” He didn't. His body hadn't been able to forget her since that very first Friday night months ago.

"No, we can't forget about that. Otherwise I wouldn't have this delicious meal in front of me,” her eyes sparkled and a smile graced her plump lips.

"I see how you are. Just use me for my food. What do I get in return?"

"My friendship. That's what you're looking for, isn't it?"

He winked at her. “I'm looking for whatever you will give me, Slugger."

She smacked his arm teasingly. “Stop with the sweet talk and let's eat."

"Anyone ever tell you, you can be damn bossy when you want to be?” He liked that about her. It made things a little more interesting. Nico picked up the plates and brought them over to the small table in her kitchen. He noticed her apartment came with at formal dining room but thought they'd feel much more comfortable in her kitchen. He didn't want things to be formal. What he really wanted was wild, carefree, fun, sweaty sex but he knew he wouldn't get that. Not yet.

Tabby wanted friendship so that's what she would get. Of course if she changed her mind he could do that too. Well. He took a seat placing a plate in front of two of the four chairs at the table. Tabby was right behind with their glasses filled halfway with the deep red wine.

"This looks great, Nico.” She grabbed forks and knives out of a drawer then took the chair across from him.

He watched as her long, slender fingers grasped utensils. She cut into the chicken mixing it with a small fork full of pasta and took a bite. I've never wanted to be a fork so much in my life, he thought as she sensually pulled the utensil from her sexy lips. She didn't do it on purpose. He knew that. Hell, she probably didn't know he was getting a hard on under the table just from watching her eat. But he was. Just like a damn teenager he was growing hard just by watching a sexy woman enjoy her meal.

"Mmmm. This is orgasmic. I was even hungrier than I thought.” Her words made him pulse behind his zipper. As if realizing what she just said, Tabby put a hand up to her mouth like she could erase the words with her fingers. “I didn't mean ... oh God, can we forget I just brought up orgasms at the table. That's the last thing I need on my mind."

He liked the idea of Tabby having orgasms on her mind. They sure as hell were on his. “If you're thinking about orgasms maybe we should do something about it. If you think my cooking is good, the man behind the spatula is even better."

She shivered. From across the table he could see her body quake slightly. He wanted to do more than just make her shiver. He wanted to make her come. Over and over again. Just friend's remember? Yeah right. Since the first time he laid eyes on her he wanted to be more than friends with her. He wanted her.

"I don't have orgasms on the brain."

"I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep our conversation away from sex. I'm surprised, and excited that you're the one who brought it up.” If she agreed they could do more than just talk about it.

"Please. You're reachin'. I didn't bring up sex. It's a figure of speech."

"Well I figure you and I being together is inevitable. You're just delaying the process."

Her body felt the same way. He was fine and every time she looked at him she couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to be with him. The way women flocked around him, the way they looked at him he had to have something special between the sheets. Too bad she didn't go into sex lightly because her body wanted nothing more than to experience him. “You're determined."

"When I want something."

"I thought you wanted to be friends?"

"We can still be friends and enjoy one another. There aren't any rules against that."

Maybe not to him but to her, there were. She knew what she wanted and non-commitment sex wasn't what she had in mind. For now she didn't want anything, no men at all. Eventually, she'd find the one, a man who would commit to her wholeheartedly. “I'll stick to just friends. I wouldn't want to deny all the other women of San Francisco the chance to be with the famed Nico Valenti.” She said the words meaning them to be a joke but by the look in his eyes Nico didn't agree with her humor.

"There you go busting my balls again. I'm not that bad, you know?"

"I saw the writing on the bathroom wall in Luciano's."

He looked stunned but then surprised her when he said, “Well I hope it was at least something good."

She envied his easy-going, fun personality. He took everything in stride. Would he really not care if someone wrote about his sexual activities in a public place? “You are so bad, Nico. No one wrote about you on the wall. Not yet at least."

"Are you threatening me, Tabby? If you are I think you should at least test me out. You know, so you know what to write when you do,” he said with his easy going smile.

"Oh, I already know what to write."

"And how's that?” he looked intrigued.

"Women's intuition, Nico. Women's intuition.” She downed a drink of her wine, then smiled.

They finished their meal with easy conversation and a few more laughs along the way. Tabby was amazed at how comfortable she felt around him. Sure they'd known one another for months now but only within the walls of Luciano's and the majority of the time with Bri, Kaylee and Luciano as company as well. They'd never been alone together as long as they were tonight but she found she enjoyed it. She felt at ease with him. Probably because she didn't go into it expecting anything more than friendship.

Normally when she had dinner with a man it was with the prospect of something more, something serious. With Nico they were just two friends hanging out. She felt as if she would spending time with Brianna, Kaylee or even Luciano. Like she could be herself. She didn't have to impress anyone. Because of this, she didn't want it to end. “Do you want to go sit on the balcony for a little while? We can have another glass of wine."