not and say we did.”
“Do you know who I am?”
Jariah sputtered a laugh. “No, should I?”
“I think so.” Bragging was usually beneath him, but to impress the saucy fitness instructor, he was willing to use every trick in the book. “I’m well-known around these parts. My picture is always in the newspapers and on TV.”
She stared at him for a moment, as if trying to place his face, then fervently nodded her head. “Oh, wow,” she gushed, pointing a finger at him. “I thought you looked familiar.”
A grin overwhelmed Nicco’s mouth. Finally. Now that Jariah recognized him—and knew that he was one of the most successful restaurateurs in the nation—they could skip the preamble and head straight to the penthouse suite at his favorite, luxury hotel. He had plans for Jariah, plans that involved whip cream, Cristal, and a box of Magnum condoms, and the sooner they got to his suite at the Hilton Bentley the better.
“You were on last night’s episode of Cheaters, weren’t you?”
Hanging his head, Nicco clutched his shirt, as if wounded by the dig, but deep down he was amused. Aroused actually. He loved their playful banter. Much like her stunning looks, Jariah’s cheeky wit was a turn-on. But what Nicco liked most about the mocha-brown was her mouth. Her lips were thick, moist and plump, and looked incredibly inviting.
“Sorry, but I’m not interested.”
“Not interested?” Nicco chuckled a laugh. “Can’t say I’ve ever heard that one before.”
“There’s a first time for everything,” she said in a sing-song voice.
“Are you married?”
“Why?” she quipped. “Are you looking for your one true love?”
Nicco choked on his tongue. Hell, no! he thought, sliding his hands into the back pocket of his blue Levi’s jeans. I’m only thirty-four and besides I’m far too smart to ever do something as stupid as tying the knot! Nicco caught himself, just as he felt a tidal wave of guilt. Not everyone who fell in love and got married was foolish. His kid brother, Demetri, had found love with news reporter Angela Kelly—and he’d never seen a happier, more loving couple. Since popping the question last month on live TV, Demetri and Angela had become the newest celebrity “it” couple, and every time Nicco talked to his brother he waxed poetic about his new fiancée and their upcoming wedding.
Happily ever after isn’t for everyone, and it certainly isn’t for me. Nicco didn’t do relationships, and rarely saw the same woman twice, but he was willing to make an exception for Jariah-Curves-Galore-Brooks. One night with the saucy beauty wouldn’t be enough. He’d need a week with her, shoot, maybe even two or three.
Nicco couldn’t think straight. It was hard for him to stay present in the moment. He felt unsteady on his feet, as if he’d been smacked upside the head by a Roger Clemons fastball. This had never happened to him before. Ever. No one had ever affected him like this. Over the years he’d hooked up with a wide assortment of red-carpet darlings, but Jariah Brooks was the first and only woman to ever take his breath away.
His heart roared like the engine of his Harley Davidson, and when Jariah moistened her lips with her tongue, Nicco strangled a groan. I don’t know how much more of this I can take, he thought, raking a hand through his short, curly hair.
“Mommy!”
Nicco felt someone bump the back of his legs and a cold liquid splash onto his sandals. A chubby, wide-eyed girl with pigtails jumped into Jariah’s arms and giggled with delight. Her hands swung wildly, and every time she moved her drink splashed onto him.
Stepping back, Nicco snatched a wad of napkins off the breakfast counter along the front window and dabbed at the front of his black V-neck T-shirt.
“Mommy, can we go to the beach? Please? Pretty please?” the girl whined, tugging on her mother’s tank top. “I promise to be a good listener.”
“Not today, Ava. You have a dentist appointment at ten forty-five.”
The girl stamped her foot. “But I don’t want to go to the stinky dentist. I want to go to the beach! You promised I could go swimming!”
Intrigued by the exchange, Nicco glanced up. The little girl was the splitting image of Jariah. Mother and daughter shared the same dark brown complexion, wide, expressive eyes, and delicate button nose. A tanned, stocky man joined them, and kissed Jariah on each cheek. He wore a lopsided smile, and was so smitten with the fitness instructor he had stars in his eyes.
Feeling dumb for hitting on her, Nicco mentally berated himself for publicly making a fool of himself. He watched the trio exit the café, and as Jariah strode past the front window, hand-in-hand with her daughter, their eyes met. She caught him staring at her—again—but this time Nicco didn’t flash his trademark grin. There was nothing to smile about. Jariah had a kid, and at least two men in her life. And since children and drama were a turn-off Nicco tore his gaze away from her pretty face and studied his diamond Montblanc wristwatch instead.
Nicco dumped his napkins in the garbage. He had to hurry or he’d be late. He had an eleven o’clock meeting with the head of his security team, Gerald Stanley, and was anxious to hear if the former navy SEAL had garnered any new information about the break-in at his downtown restaurant. The perpetrators had caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage, but two months later the police still had no leads. He suspected deep in his gut that his ex-assistant, Gracie O’Connor, was involved, but he wasn’t ready to share his thoughts with anyone. He was going to handle it his way, and no one was going to stop him—not even his brothers.
How had things come to this? How had things gone so bad, so quickly? Nicco wondered, expelling a deep, troubled breath. A year ago, he’d been on top of the world, living the good life, but the day before his thirty-fourth birthday his whole world had fallen apart. Twelve months later, he was still picking up the pieces.
Slipping on his aviator sunglasses, he strode purposefully through the café doors. Outside, at the intersection of Ocean Drive and First Street, Nicco spotted Jariah and her daughter. The little girl was cute, every bit as beautiful as her mother, and Nicco couldn’t help thinking what a great-looking family they were.
Nicco shook his head, dismissed the unsolicited thought that rose in his mind. Jariah Brooks is a stunner, but I definitely dodged a bullet there. Kids weren’t his thing, but playing the field definitely was, and as soon as he finished his workday he was making a move on the full-figured brunette at his favorite spa. The masseuse wasn’t as witty as Jariah Brooks was, but she was the ready, willing, down-for-whatever-in-the-bedroom type, and tonight, that was all that mattered to Nicco Morretti.
Jariah sat at the conference room table inside Morretti Inc. mentally preparing for her interview. Her heart was beating so loud and fast she feared she would collapse. As Jariah waited for the Human Resources Director to arrive, she straightened her dress and assessed her look. Jariah was excited about the account manager position, but worried her nerves would get the best of her and she’d trip all over her words.
Glancing around the conference room, she took in the tasteful paintings, the leafy plants positioned beside the window and the low-hanging lights. I
