tingled. But knowing this was one of the things she was going to have to deal with, because he wasn’t going away permanently, she simply ignored it.
“Have you taught her payroll?”
Emory rose from his seat. “Yes. In fact, she explained a thing or two to me.”
Rafe frowned. “How so?”
“She understands the software. I’m a chef. I do not.”
Dani also rose from her chair. “I’ve worked with software before to record grades. Essentially, most spreadsheet programs run on the same type of system, the same theories. My boyfriend—” She stopped when the word boyfriend caught in her throat. Emory’s gaze slid over to her. But Rafe’s eyes narrowed.
She took a slow, calming breath. “My ex-boyfriend Paul is a computer genius. I picked up a few things from him.”
Rafe turned away. “Well, let us be glad for him, then.”
He said the words calmly, but Dani heard the tension in his voice. There were feelings there. Not just lust. So it wouldn’t be only her own feelings she’d be fighting. She’d also have to be able to handle his. And that might be a little trickier.
“I’ve been in touch with a Realtor in Rome. I go to see buildings tomorrow.”
A look passed between him and Emory.
Emory tucked the software manual into the bottom bin of an in basket. “Good. It’s time to get your second restaurant up and running.” He slid from behind the desk. “But right now I have to supervise dinner.”
He scampered out of the room and Rafe’s gaze roamed over to hers again. “I’d like for you to come to Rome with me.”
Heat suffused her and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. “Me?”
“I want you to help me scout locations.”
“Really?”
“I told you. You are the one who created the atmosphere of this Mancini’s. If I want to re-create it, I think you need to be in on choosing the site.”
Because that made sense and because she did have to learn to deal with him as a boss, owner of the restaurant for which she worked, she tucked away any inappropriate longings and smiled. “Okay.”
She could be all business because that’s what really worked for them.
* * *
The next day, after walking through an old, run-down building with their Realtor, Rafe and Dani stepped out into the bright end-of-February day.
“I could do with a coffee right now.”
He glanced at her. In her sapphire-blue coat and white mittens, she looked cuddly, huggable. And very, very, very off-limits. Her smiles had been cool. Her conversations stilted. But she’d warmed up a bit when they actually began looking at buildings.
“Haven’t you already had two cups of coffee?”
She slid her hand into the crook of his elbow, like a friend or a cousin, someone allowed innocent, meaningless touches.
“Don’t most Italians drink something like five cups a day?”
When he said, “Bah,” she laughed.
All morning, their conversation at his apartment two nights ago had played over and over and over in his head. She wanted a commitment and he didn’t. So he’d figured out a way they could be lovers and work together and she’d rejected it. He’d had to accept that.
But being with her this morning, without actually being allowed to touch her or even contemplate kissing her was making him think all kinds of insane things. Like how empty his life was. How much he would miss her when he stopped working at the original Mancini’s and headquartered himself in Rome.
So though he knew her hand at his elbow meant nothing, he savored the simple gesture. It was a safe, nonthreatening way to touch her and have her touch him. Even if he did know it would lead to nothing.
“Besides, I love coffee. It makes me warm inside.”
“True. And it is cold.” He slid his arm around her shoulders. Her thick coat might keep her toasty, but it was another excuse to touch her.
They continued down the quiet street, but as they approached a shop specializing in infant clothing, the wheels of a baby stroller came flying out the door and straight for Daniella’s leg. He caught her before she could as much as wobble and shifted her out of the way.
The apologetic mom said, “Scusi!”
Dani laughed. In flawless Italian she said, “No harm done.” Then she bent and chucked the chin of the baby inside the stroller. “Isn’t she adorable!”
The proud mom beamed. Rafe stole a quiet look at the kid and his lips involuntarily rose as a chuckle rumbled up from the deepest part of him. “She likes somebody’s cooking.”
The mom explained that the baby had her father’s love of all things sweet, but Rafe’s gaze stayed on the baby. She’d caught his eye and cooed at him, her voice a soft sound, almost a purr, and her eyes as shiny as a harvest moon.
A funny feeling invaded his chest.
Dani gave the baby a big, noisy kiss on the cheek, said goodbye to the mom and took his arm so they could resume their walk down the street.
They ducked into a coffeehouse and she inhaled deeply. “Mmm...this reminds me of being back in the States.”
He shook his head. “You Americans. You copy the idea of a coffeehouse from us, then come over here and act like we must meet your standards.”
With a laugh, she ordered two cups of coffee, remembering his choice of brews from earlier that morning. She also ordered two scones.
“I hope you’re hungry.”
She shrugged out of her coat before sitting on the chair he pulled out for her at a table near a window. “I just need something to take the edge off my growling stomach. The second scone is for you.”
“I don’t eat pastries from a vendor who sells in bulk.”
She pushed the second scone in front of him anyway. “Such a snob.”
He laughed. “All right. Fine. I will taste.” He bit into the thing and to his surprise it was very good. Even better with a sip or two of coffee. So tasty he ate the whole darned thing.
“Not quite the pastry snob anymore, are you?”
He sat back. He truly did not intend to pursue her. He respected her dreams, the way he respected his own. But that didn’t stop his feelings for her. With his belly full of coffee and scone, and Daniella happy beside him, these quiet minutes suddenly felt like spun gold.
She glanced around. “I’ll bet you’ve brought a woman or two here.”
That
