Tempted In The City

Tony frowned. “Did you try to remove any paint?”

“Not really. I read that there was a good chance the paint had lead in it. I didn’t have the right safety gear, which I’ve since taken care of. But I did scrape a bit. It looks like it’ll be worth the work, at least to see if it’s cast iron.”

“That’s great. Good thinking.” He pulled out his cell phone. “Are you interested in doing some of the restoration work yourself?”

“I am. Nothing too taxing. I’ve never done anything like it. I’m not all that good with my hands, but it would be nice to know I had a small part.”

Tony met her gaze, and from where she was standing, he looked pleased. Although it could have been the light.

Then, he went right back to typing something on his phone.

“Are you texting Fred or George?”

“No. I’ve got an app where I keep all my notes and plans. I’ve already put in the basic layout of the house, so I’ll be able to mark it up as we find pieces we want to investigate.”

Tony pulled out a Swiss Army knife from his back pocket, went to the fireplace and crouched by the side of the unit. Catherine crouched next to him, watching what he did. The first thing she noticed was he scraped a lot harder than she had.

His next move was to cut the linoleum that butted up against the painted surround. A moment later, he found something that made his face light up.

“What is it?”

“Tile. I can’t promise all of it will be intact, but all we really need is one.”

“You can get it duplicated?”

“Again, it’s costly, but yes, we can.”

“Okay, one thing you should know. You don’t have to be concerned with the budget. While I appreciate your warnings, I think it will make things easier for both of us if we just wait until the full estimate is complete. Then I’ll make my choices. Okay?”

He nodded as he stood up, and once again they were standing too close for politeness’s sake. It wouldn’t have been a problem if they were in Tokyo. But New Yorkers needed at least a thousand square feet of personal space to be truly comfortable. No, this was Manila close.

“You’ll have to show me your safety gear. I’ll let you know if everything comes up to code,” he said, those damnable dark eyes capturing her own once more.

The sentence was benign, the look wasn’t. Seconds ticked by as heat circled through her while he stared. It grew stronger when he let out a breath that reached her, minty fresh. Maybe this whole thing was all about scent, but then why had the swirling heat started the second she’d opened the front door?

None of this was okay. It was bad enough she couldn’t read him, but now she couldn’t even make sense of herself.

After he inhaled—something that should have given her a hundred clues—he stepped back. Walked to the other side of the room to inspect the crown molding.

Great. Now she was making him uncomfortable.

Catherine shook herself out of her trance. “Would it bother you if I had a glass of wine?”

“Not at all.”

She made sure she downed half a glass before she rejoined him. She also promised herself that she would focus on learning about her new home, not her general contractor.

It was an education, walking through each room with him. He welcomed her questions, even though she knew she was going a bit overboard. But with each move, he stepped in closer. First, just their shoulders touched. A brush. Insignificant, but for how aware of it she was. The rooms were small. The physical contact would have happened between any two adults. But by the time they hit the downstairs powder room they squeezed into the tight space as if they were old hands at this touching business.

“I’m pretty sure that if you want to enlarge this bathroom we can keep to the original aesthetic,” Tony said, his voice a couple notches above a whisper. “But I need to know more about the plumbing before we can make any decisions.”

“I don’t mind this bathroom being small, if it allows me to open up the living and dining rooms.”

Tony continued to look directly into her eyes. His lips parted as if he was going to say something. But he didn’t, and it was all she could do not to lean those few inches forward. Unlock his words with a touch of her tongue.

A honking horn out on the street brought her back to reality and she gained control quickly and moved out of the powder room. “It’s the bathroom upstairs that has me worried.”

He added a few more notes to his app before they climbed back up the old staircase. He went to the fireplace and picked up her wineglass. “That covers the big things,” he said. “But there are lots of details that we haven’t cataloged.” His gaze skated over the mess, where before there had at least been chairs. Then he took a sip.

She cleared her throat, not minding that he’d taken a sip of her wine, but worried he’d feel embarrassed. “Sorry about the accommodations. The only place I seem to have left for company is the staircase or my bedroom.”

Tony blinked at the wineglass, a brief look of shock on his face. “Uh, it’s no problem,” he said. He put the glass back on the mantel, a slight blush warming his cheeks. “Sorry about that. Look, I’ve got something I have to do tomorrow evening, and I’m sure you’ll want some peace and quiet on Sunday, but I could come back Monday. After the others have left.”

“You?”

“Or Fred,” he said, taking half a step back.

“No, that’s... While I’ve got you here, there are a few more pictures I wanted you to see, if you have time...”

“I’ve got a few minutes.”

She went first to the kitchen area and poured him a glass of his own. Then she handed it to him as she segued into her bedroom. Her queen mattress barely fit in the space, but at least they could sit side by side. She picked up her binder, which was lying atop a box of hardbacked books.

Tony stood at the door.

“Come. Sit,” she said, patting the bed. It wasn’t a problem. They’d have the whole binder between them. “I know we’re trying to save as much of the old as we can, but when we were looking at the staircase, I was underwhelmed.”

As they discussed alternatives, Catherine reminded herself it would be wise to remember that Tony wasn’t part of her dreams for this house. Even if the spark she felt was reciprocated, which seemed unlikely. She’d never been attracted to a man like Tony before, and she had no idea if it was against any rules for them to have anything but a working relationship.

“There’s a metalwork artist in Connecticut that does meticulous work on railings and more. In fact, I planned on asking him to come down and go over the fireplaces, anyway.”

“Perfect,” she said, as her stomach rumbled so loudly it made him choke back a laugh.

“Sorry,” she said. “I haven’t had dinner. I’m probably going to order something in. Would you like to join me?”

His head tilted about five degrees to the right, and his gaze moved from hers to his lower arm, where, she realized, she was touching him.

“That’s very nice of you, but—”

She moved her hand away with lightning speed. “Since I seem to be monopolizing your time I figured I should at least offer...”

“No problem.” Tony nodded, staring just past her left ear.

She stood up, aware he’d know what an arm touch meant. “I’ve been wanting some decent Chinese, is all. No big deal.”

“There’s a great place not too far from here.”

Her grin must have looked ridiculous. Jesus. Seconds after she’d just finished thinking he was off-limits. And probably married. Not all men wore wedding rings. Especially those who did construction work. “Really? I don’t know much about the local hotspots. Too much work and not enough time for exploring.”

“I can help out with that,” he said, standing up himself. Taking a step closer to her. “At least steer you away from some dubious choices.”

She blinked at him. Was he this helpful to all his clients? If so, that would explain why his company had such a great reputation.

He did something on his cell phone, and then handed it to her. On the screen was a menu for a Szechuan restaurant at an address she wasn’t familiar with.

“They’re a little slow on the delivery, but they’re worth it. I’ve never had a bad meal from them. I think you’ll be pleased.”

“So, was that a no to joining me?”

“Don’t think I can.”

“Okay, but the thing I wanted to talk to you about. It’s kind of a big deal.”

“Shoot.”

“I’m considering a rooftop garden. A decent-sized one, maybe one some of the neighbors could use, as well.” She flipped to the back pages and handed him the binder. While he glanced at the sample gardens, she grabbed her iPhone off her dresser and called the restaurant. Her order was large, but that was what she got for waiting until she was this hungry.

Or Tony could change his mind. No, she had to stop that sort of thinking.

By the time she’d finished giving her address, Tony was seated again, and watching her, a slight smile tugging at his mouth.

“What?”

“You must really like Chinese food.”

“I do.” She laughed. “I even like it for breakfast.”

His brows rose. “Good thing.”

“Don’t knock it until you try it.”

“Hey, I’m the same way. I’ll eat the stuff any time of the day—” He’d been about to say more but stopped himself.

She’d wager anything she’d surprised him. Which wasn’t a bad thing.

Not a bad thing at all.

With her own secret smile, she sat down again. Too late, she realized it might’ve been better for her to have remained standing. They weren’t sitting indecently close or anything—she’d left some space between them—but she could feel the warmth of his body pulling at her, distracting her from the point of the conversation.

She cleared her throat. “I volunteer at the community gardens at the UN,” she said, relieved her voice sounded normal. “Where I work. Obviously, this wouldn’t be as large, but my roof is flat and I’m pretty sure there’s room enough for what I have in mind. What I don’t know is if it’s possible.”

“That’s...a big job. A very... There’s a lot to consider. We’ve done a few, all on restaurant rooftops.”

“I know. I saw on your website.”

He hesitated again and got that inscrutable look on his face. “There are so many things that all have to work for it to be possible. The weight of a garden can be tremendous. We’d need to call in a structural engineer to begin with. Then there are permits, including using a crane on a street that isn’t very wide.”

“I understand. But I’d like to find out if it’s possible before I fall too far in love with the idea.”

“I’ll look into it.”

Something was clearly bothering him. She didn’t think she should ask. It was just as likely to be her imagination. But when he abruptly got to his feet, she knew it wasn’t.

“But now, I really do have to leave.”

Disappointed, Catherine accompanied him downstairs, and when she opened the front door, there was a kid sitting on the bottom step of her stoop. She couldn’t imagine what he was doing there.

He jumped to his feet and looked at Tony. “Hey, Mr. Paladino. Nonna wants you to come over. She’s got something wrong with—” his face, pale under the unflattering outdoor light, scrunched with thought “—something in the kitchen.”

Tony frowned. “When did your grandma send you over? It’s almost seven o’clock.”

The kid, who looked to be around ten, shrugged. “I dunno. She and my mom were arguing about something. Then I was supposed to come here. Wait to catch you before you went home.”

Tony turned to Catherine. “Sorry. This is Ricky Alberti. His grandmother is your neighbor.”

She smiled at the boy. “Nice to meet you.”

When Tony stepped outside, his frown looked even more doleful in the bad light. “You tell your grandma that she should call Gina for an appointment. No. Have her call me. I’ll tell her myself.”

Ricky shrugged again. “’Kay.” Then he was off like a shot.

“I’m sorry about that,” Tony said, sounding irritated despite the easy smile. “He shouldn’t have been hanging around your stoop.”

“It’s no problem. I find it kind of charming, actually. The sign of a tight neighborhood.”

The brief glance toward the neighbor’s house indicated he didn’t agree. Huh. “Well, I’m not thrilled at being at everyone’s beck and call. Anyway, I’ll be going now.” He took two steps down before turning to her again. “Hope you like the dumplings. They’re my favorite.”

Grateful the tension had vanished, she almost asked him to stay and have some of hers, but she stopped herself just in time. “Good night, Tony. Thank you. For tonight.”

He smiled, nodded, but didn’t look at her again. He just hurried away.

She closed the door, and wished very hard that he’d forgotten something. His cell phone. A jacket. To kiss her.

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