Cinderella's Millionaire

“Joe?”

Ah, hell, he thought. He knew better. Why was he even looking at her this way? “Did a man give you this?”

“Yes,” she said huskily.

“A lover?”

Her pulse doubled. “No.”

Her pupils had dilated and he saw more than awareness in them. He saw the same hunger that was coursing through his veins. Her lips parted and the air around them seemed to stop moving.

He leaned forward. “Would anyone object if I kissed you?”

“Are you going to kiss me?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“There’s no man in my life,” she said. Holly watched him with feminine speculation in her eyes, and Joe knew he’d never be the same.

Two

Joe lifted her wrist slowly. Her heart beat so hard she thought it would jump out of her chest. Sensation trembled through her body, but she was helpless to stop it.

His breath brushed against her wrist, warming the gold chain her dad had given to her for her twenty-first birthday. Though Joe’s mouth didn’t touch her, she felt the humid warmth, and a sensual beating started deep in her center.

Holly’s experience with men outside her family had been limited. She’d worked during high school, which had left her little time to date. Then she’d skipped college and went instead to the Culinary Institute.

But that didn’t explain why she hadn’t dated in the past six months. The truth was, few guys wanted to wait for her to finish working two shifts at the bakery, and drive to her dad’s house to fix dinner for him and her brothers before getting to her place to get ready for a date. The men she had dated tended to be career-minded as she was, and ultimately more interested in their jobs than in her. None of them had had a tenth of the raw sexuality she sensed in Joe Barone.

His dark eyes blazed with a passion she’d read about but never experienced. His mouth on her inner wrist started a chain reaction that ended deep inside her. His hand on her arm forced her to remember she was more than a sister and chef.

Joe reminded her that she was a woman in every sense of the word. He called to her femininity and made her want to reach under the civilized facade and bring the elemental man to the surface. A man she sensed needed more than the solace he could find in her body.

Instincts she’d spent years ignoring forced her to take notice. Damn, she wasn’t sure she wanted him to wake her up now. There wasn’t time in her life for a man. Sure, this could be a little harmless flirting, but it felt like more.

She curled her fingers around his jaw. He was clean-shaven but she felt the fine stubble under her fingers. He turned his head in her palm and dropped one kiss in the center of it.

He nipped the fleshy part of her hand before lifting his head. He looked up into her eyes and she felt the world drop away. She wasn’t aware of where she was or what she was doing. She only knew that she wanted to bask in the intensity of his gaze for a long time.

Standing on tiptoe, she brought her face closer to his. His scent was spicy and outdoorsy. She shut her eyes and inhaled deeply, then leaned just the tiniest bit toward him.

His suit and hers should have provided a better barrier but didn’t. His heat and strength still surrounded her. His grip on her wrist changed and his hand slid around her waist, resting on the small of her back.

“Holly?” His voice was husky and deep.

She opened her eyes.

“I want more.”

She shivered, afraid to ask for what she wanted. But she’d always lived by the rule that honesty was the best policy. “Me too.”

“This could be complicated,” he said.

“It doesn’t have to be,” she said. She’d learned enough about life to know that you took what you wanted when it was offered because it seldom was presented to you again.

“I thought you were going to kiss me,” she said.

“I was.”

“Changed your mind?”

He shook his head.

“Then what?”

“We need privacy for the kind of kiss I want to give you.”

Holly forgot all about everything at his words. He’d shocked her. Not what he’d said but that she’d inspired it. She wasn’t really a lust-at-first-sight kind of girl. But he made her feel like one.

“Mr. Barone?” a woman called from the open doorway.

“Yes, Stella,” Joe said, turning toward the woman but not letting go of Holly.

Holly stood there watching him. The sound of his deep voice rushed over her. She didn’t listen to his words, just wondered what it would be like to curl up next to him in bed, her head resting on his shoulder while he murmured words in that baritone voice of his.

“I’ll meet you in the foyer for your building tour in ten minutes,” he said to Holly.

“What?” she asked.

“Stella needs me to sign a few papers upstairs,” he said.

“Oh. I wasn’t listening,” she said.

“What were you doing?” he asked, that teasing note back in his voice.

“Dreaming,” she said, which was the truth. Reality was that this man would probably never be in her bed letting her rest on his shoulder no matter how much passion was between them. Because that dream was one she’d sought for a long time and had never found. No matter whose shoulder she’d lain on, it had never made her feel safe the way she’d imagined it would.

“Dreaming about what?”

“Being someplace more private,” she said, then stepped away from him.

“Damn, if it wasn’t for my family, I’d sweep you off to my place.”

Ditto, she thought. Family obligations kept them both here when they’d rather be elsewhere. But Holly knew deep in her soul that family obligations would also keep them apart.

“Go do your business, Joe.”

“This conversation isn’t over.”

“It would be better if it was,” she said.

“Do you always do what’s best?” he asked.

“Don’t you?”

“You’ll have to try me and see,” he said, then pivoted and walked away.

Joe Barone was too sexy by half. A long time ago she’d promised herself that she’d live each moment to the fullest. For the first time she trod lightly on that vow because something in Joe made her doubt she could protect herself and remember her own rule. The rule that was more a vow she’d made to protect her heart from loss: Men were off-limits because she had her family to take care of.

Joe couldn’t believe how fast the day had gone. The day that had promised to be endless was flying by. Already they’d toured the warehouse, done a lunchtime give-away of Holly’s winning gelato at Faneuil Hall and granted interviews to the print media. The YMCA kids’ summer day camp was their second-to-last stop.

Holly looked cute with her apron and chef’s hat on. Too cute. He’d tried to retreat behind his wall of silence, but she’d seemed to sense what he was doing and hadn’t let him. She’d kept the conversation going all day and he’d realized he liked the person Holly was. She was a hard worker, which didn’t surprise him. Her days were as long as his, and her family loyalty couldn’t be questioned. She’d taken three calls from her brothers on her cell phone at various points during the day.

He thought more about what he had to offer a woman and realized that he didn’t want to hurt Holly. At best he could give her one night. That was all he had in him. All he’d allow himself to indulge in. And she deserved more.

He forced his thoughts back to the present. The kids at the day camp all got a kick out of asking her questions about baking. She was better with the kids than she’d been with the media.

“How did you come up with the winning flavor?” one of the teachers asked.

The reporters had asked Holly many times over, but still he was interested in hearing about how she’d devised Heavenly Berry.

“I just experimented with different combinations of fruit and chocolate until I found one I liked. Then I gave it to my harshest critics,” she said.

“What’s a critic?” asked a little girl in ponytails. He didn’t know many kids, so he wasn’t sure of her age, but she looked to be maybe five. Holly put her ice-cream scoop down and knelt in front of the child.

“Someone who gives you his opinion on something you’ve done.”

“Like a teacher?” the little girl asked.

“Kind of. In this case it was my brothers.”

“My brothers never like anything I do,” the girl said.

Holly brushed her hand over the child’s head. She wasn’t shy about touching others, except for him. She hadn’t touched him at all since their morning encounter. He wondered why.

“Brothers are like that. But mine are very honest about my cooking. So I welcome their comments,” Holly said.

“What’d your brothers say?” Joe asked. What would he have to do to get her to touch him again?

He wanted to know more about her family. Wanted to know details of her life so he could stop looking at her and seeing a feminine mystery and instead see someone whom he knew and understood. He doubted the questions would bring him that knowledge but at least they took his mind off the way her skirt pulled tight around her hips when she’d bent to talk to the child.

Holly glanced up at him. “That I’d found the right combination.”

“Really?” the girl asked.

“Yes,” Holly said, standing. She handed the child a cone Joe had scooped.

The line moved quickly and soon the children were gone. The empty gym felt strange with only him and Holly. Joe’s mind wasn’t on the sticky ice cream on his fingers but on the smudge of gelato on Holly’s cheek.

Ignore it, he advised himself, but he knew he wasn’t listening. He reached over and rubbed his thumb lightly over her cheek. She shivered.

Damn, it wasn’t fair that life should put in front of him this woman who reacted so quickly to his touch. Because though he’d lived a solitary life for a long time, he’d never been any good at denying himself. And it had been a long time since he’d seen a woman he’d wanted as much as he wanted Holly.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked as they cleaned up the gelato containers.

“Like what?” he asked, removing his apron and folding it with exaggerated precision. Somehow he couldn’t look into those clear blue eyes of hers for another minute without taking the kiss he’d wanted all day.

“Like you’re wondering if I’ll taste as good as the gelato,” she said.

“Because that’s what I’m thinking,” he said, taking a step toward her. He should be backing away but he was tired of living his life in solitary confinement. Even if he’d placed himself there. Holly reminded him what he was missing, and for this one day he wanted to wallow in it.

“Dangerous thoughts, Barone,” she said, knitting her fingers together.

“I know, Fitzgerald.” He wished he could banter with Holly the way he did with Gina, but he’d never once had the white-hot burning desire to kiss his sister.

A long minute passed and he knew he should just grab his suit jacket and walk out the door. Gina and Flint had already left to go ahead and get the press ready for the check presentation.

But he also knew Holly awakened something deep inside him that he couldn’t silence. “You’re a very touchy person.”

“Easily offended?” she asked.

“No, demonstrative. You’ve touched Flint’s arm every time you talk to him and Gina’s, as well,” he said.

“It’s part of how I communicate.”

“Why haven’t you touched me?”

Stark silence followed his question. He heard a car horn outside and the kids laughing on the playground. Even the sound of Holly’s breathing seemed loud.

“I hadn’t noticed I wasn’t.”

He knew the fine art of evasion when he saw it, and Holly Fitzgerald was doing her best to tap-dance out of his reach. He should let her go. Would if he had a lick of sense. But for some reason sense had deserted him. His body said he wouldn’t miss it. But experience promised he would. “I did.”

She shrugged. She tilted her head to one side and nibbled at that full lower lip of hers. “I’m not myself around you.”

“How’s that?” he asked.

She shook her head and looked away. “I can’t explain it.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

She glanced back and shrugged again. Why was she running scared? What had he done that had made her put up her shields and hide?

“All right, won’t,” she admitted.

She removed her chef’s hat and apron and picked up her purse. “If memory serves, our last stop is at the gelateria.”

“Yes,” he said.

“I’ll meet you there,” she said, pivoting on her heel.

“Holly?”

She glanced back at him, her red hair reflecting the late-afternoon sun that streamed in through the high windows.

“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” he said.

“I know. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just that…” She walked back to him. “You make me feel too much, and I’m not sure how to handle it.” She reached up and brushed her fingers against his jaw. “Does this make you feel better?”

“In a hundred ways,” he said.

“But we have someplace to be,” she said.

He nodded. She turned again and this time he let her go. He watched the sway of her hips with each step she took. He watched her leaving and knew deep in his soul that he should remember this picture of her. That he shouldn’t let himself get involved because she wasn’t going to stay in his life.

Holly had never been in the flagship Baronessa Gelateria. She had a pint of Baronessa’s Rocky Guava in her freezer at home. It was the one constant in her kitchen aside from cooking and baking staples.

Gina and Flint had the press stationed in one area and a few customers at the tables. Off to the side was a group of people clustered together. There had to be at least twenty-five of them looking on.

In came Joe. He had his suit jacket on and looked polished and professional. Holly wondered if that was the barrier he used to keep people at a distance.

She was relieved the day was over but she wished she’d had more time with Joe. Alone time.

But that was something she’d be better off without. He made her feel that human spontaneous combustion might be possible. He made her want things that she was used to living without. He made her ache with the knowledge that who she was and who she wanted to be still weren’t the same person.

She sighed.

“Hang in there. We’re almost through,” Joe said.

She smiled up at him. The drive to the gelateria had been in rush-hour traffic, which had been good. It had forced her mind off of this disturbing man.

But here he was filling the crowded room and making her want things she knew better than to ask for. The press had been trying, but his company had made it a nice day. Tonight when she went home she’d dream of him and what might have been.

“It has been a long day,” she said. Great, she’d gone from flirting to inane. He’d knocked her off balance and she was having a hard time finding her footing.

He reached for her and then dropped his hand, cursing under his breath.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

She didn’t understand why but she needed to know more about him. To probe those depths that he kept hidden. Though he’d been flirtatious and teasing with her most of the day, he’d protected himself carefully from her. She knew there was more to him than his civilized exterior showed her.

He was a tall, dark and brooding man who watched her with that keen sexual desire that made her ultra-aware of him. Yet he didn’t want to give her anything but the sexual awareness. She didn’t have to be a genius to figure that out. The part she didn’t understand was if it was only her or all women that he reacted to in that way.

He rubbed his jaw where a faint five o’clock shadow could be seen making him look rougher than he had earlier. It was as if the real man under the facade was starting to come to the surface. Her palms tingled and she wanted to cup his face in her hands and feel the roughness of his skin against hers.

“My family is here,” he said at last, nodding toward the large group she’d noticed earlier.

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Three brothers and four sisters, plus four cousins. It looks like most of them decided to put in an appearance.”

“And that’s bad?” she asked. She’d be flattered if her father and brothers ever showed up at something she did.

“Hell, yes,” he said.

“I think it’s sweet.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

She should have kept her mouth shut because there was no way to tell him why without revealing her vulnerability. She could only hope he wouldn’t notice. “Because it shows how much they care about you.”

He flushed at little. “Well, it might not mean that. This is a big Baronessa deal, and my dad is the CEO and Nick is the COO. So technically they have to be here.”

Holly glanced again at the group of Joe’s family. They were a city unto themselves, talking and laughing. And he had sisters. And maybe sisters-in-law. She’d always wanted a sister. And she envied him not only the support of his family but also his sisters.

“Why is it so hard to believe they’d want to be here for you?” she asked.

“It’s not. Except the last few years I haven’t been the easiest person to get along with.”

“You?” she asked, surprised.

“You don’t think so.”

“You’ve been… I’m afraid to say it in case you take it the wrong way.”

“You’ll have to take your chances,” he said, moving closer to her. Barely an inch of space separated them.

“I’m not a risk taker,” she admitted, taking a half step back.

“I am,” he said, and the words seemed to surprise him.

She didn’t want to be the only one revealing a weakness. Why didn’t she just make something up? She didn’t have to tell him that he reminded her of a fairy-tale prince. A white knight on a charger who’d ride to her rescue. She didn’t have to say the words out loud. Wouldn’t have to hear them and cringe. Wouldn’t have to acknowledge that he awakened dreams she’d buried deep and hoped to forget about for the rest of her life.

“If I tell you, you owe me an explanation about who I remind you of.”

“Stop stalling,” he said.

She glanced up at him and found him waiting patiently.

“You have been my white knight today,” she said softly.

Before he could speak, Gina came over. “Okay, you two, this is it. Joe, you’ll present the check. Holly, you’ll accept it. Then you’re free to go.”

Holly followed Gina to the front of the store, while Joe stood there. She knew he wanted to say something to her. Maybe it was for the best that he hadn’t. That way she could keep him hidden in her memory as a dream of what could have been.

Three

Holly placed the check from Baronessa carefully in her wallet. Joe’s family had been a little intimidating, almost more than the press, but now everything was over. She could return to being regular old Holly.

Tomorrow morning she’d be back in the bakery and Joe would be back to his life. She’d miss the feminine excitement that Joe had sparked, but apparently fate had given them only this one day.

She hadn’t even had a chance to try her winning flavor, which the Barones had decided to call Heavenly Berry. Holly was impressed with Baronessa’s savvy marketing and PR team. It was easy to see why they were the number one gelato company in the U.S.

She adjusted the strap on her purse and headed toward the door. Leaving without saying goodbye to Joe seemed weird to her, but, then, saying goodbye would be awkward.

She wondered if she could get to the bank before the drive-up teller closed. She glanced at her watch. Not unless traffic was light.

“Got a date?” Joe asked from behind her.

She turned and noticed the crowd had dispersed.

“No. Nothing that exciting. I was trying to decide if I could make it to the bank before it closed.”

His gaze met hers. She’d always thought brown eyes were kind of average, not very exciting, but something about Joe’s eyes made her react. Made her think of deep pools of rich warm chocolate. She licked her lips, sure he’d be just as yummy as the decadent dessert.

“What did you decide?” he asked.

“That the chances are slim.”

“Good.”

“Good?” she asked. Damn, he liked to tease her and she enjoyed it. Too much, she thought, because he made her want to be reckless.

He arched one eyebrow at her. “That’s what I said.”

“Why?” She smiled at him.

“I hoped you’d join me for dinner.”

She swallowed. “You move fast.”

“I wish we could move even faster.”

She didn’t know why, but that line of questioning seemed even more dangerous than his touch. A couple brushed by them to be seated. “We should get out of the way.”

Joe took her arm and led her outside. The late-summer evening was warm and the street traffic in the North End wasn’t too bad considering the hour. The sun lay low on the horizon.

His touch made her remember all the reasons she’d enjoyed his company. And all the reasons she’d been careful not to touch him all day. She didn’t want to have to feel alive in the way only he made her feel.

She took a tiny step away from him, to give herself some breathing room, but he just stepped closer. Damn, he smelled good.

“About dinner,” he said.

“What about it?” she asked, not trusting the excitement building inside her.

“Are you available?”

She had to choose whether she was going to take the chance of getting to know him better or return to her normal life without knowing what those lips of his felt like on hers. “Yes.”

“Great. We can go to the best Italian kitchen in Boston.”

“Antonio’s?”

“No. My place.”

“Your place? Do I look naive?”

“No, you look tempting.”

“Tempting? Not bad. But I’m still not going to your place on our first date.”

“Which number does it have to be?”

“I don’t know. Let me check my Dating in the New Millennium book.”

Pretending to withdraw a book from her purse, she studied the imaginary pages for a minute. “There’s no firm answer. It depends on the guy.”

Joe scooted even closer to her and she closed her eyes, afraid he’d see that she wasn’t the sophisticated, witty woman she’d been pretending to be.

“What are you looking for, Holly?”

“Tonight?”

He nodded.

“A nice dinner with a good-looking Italian.”

“I can get you the nice dinner. Would a surly Italian do?”

“I have yet to see surly but if he shows up, we’ll renegotiate.”

“Deal.”

“There’s a nice quiet little deli around the corner. Does that sound good?”

“Yes,” she said. They walked next to each other. His heat enveloped her and she wished she’d worn a blouse under her suit jacket so she could take it off and feel his touch on her skin.

“Do you have big plans for your money?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“What are you buying?”

She just shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about her father and his health problems.

“My sisters would spend it on clothes or shoes.”

“I’d love to spend it on shoes,” Holly said. In fact, she’d had her eye on a pair of strappy sandals since spring, but she didn’t really need them since she spent most of her time at the bakery or home.

“What is it with women and shoes?” he asked, but there was a teasing note in his voice.

His gaze skimmed down her legs, stopping at the Enzo pumps she’d bought on sale last summer. “Those look nice, by the way.”

“My legs or shoes?”

“Your legs,” he said.

“Thanks. I’d return the compliment but I haven’t seen yours yet.”

He laughed and it made her feel good deep inside. She wanted this day to never end. She thought maybe she’d been too hasty in telling him she couldn’t go to his place tonight, because suddenly she wanted to—very badly.

Marino’s reminded him of being a kid again. Until he walked in the front door he’d forgotten that it had been five years since he’d been in there. He’d suggested the Italian deli because it made sense and he was a logical guy most of the time.