His Millionaire Maid(26)

“She’s a nice girl, your friend,” she said to Joe. “But much too thin. She doesn’t eat enough.”

Neither do you, Nina thought with concern. Joe’s grandmother was painfully thin, though she seemed in good spirits. Joe had told her his nonna had always been a ball of energy, an active, typical Italian grandmother who’d doted on Joe and his sister, but the car accident had left her permanently altered. She didn’t recognize many of her old friends and was afraid of sudden changes, so Joe’s regular visits were vital to her.

“Don’t worry, Nonna,” Joe said. “She eats plenty.”

“Oh?” Nonna Lina cocked her head. “Bring her to dinner next time. I’ll make her my rigatoni beef ragù. Your favorite dish.”

“I’m sure she’ll love it.” Joe smiled, but when he met Nina’s gaze his eyes were sad. Nonna Lina didn’t realize it, but her days of making rigatoni beef ragù were long gone.

“Why doesn’t Deanne visit?” Nonna Lina suddenly asked Joe.

“I broke up with Deanne a while ago, Nonna,” he said quietly. It was plain that his grandmother had asked him this question many times before.

“Broke up?” Nonna Lina’s hands trembled. “But who’ll look after you?”

“I can look after myself. I’m fine, Nonna.”

It took Joe a while to reassure her.

A few minutes later, their visit was over. Joe was silent as they walked out of the nursing home.

“She seems well cared for there,” Nina said, wishing there was more she could say to comfort him.

Joe gave her an absentminded smile as they got into his truck. “She’s been at Pine Groves four years now. I can’t move her.” He started the engine and looked at Nina, his expression dark. “If I can’t get my investment loan soon, I’ll have to sell to Beaumont. I can’t afford not to.”

Guilt knotted her stomach at the mention of her dad. How she hated lying to Joe. Maybe there was a way of telling him the truth without losing his respect, but as yet she hadn’t found it.

And somehow she had to help him get that loan and achieve his dream. How, she didn’t know, either. Nina reached for his hand. “You’ll get your loan. I’m sure of it.”

He didn’t speak, but he held her hand until they reached Hartley.

…

“Joe? What do you think?”

Prying open his blurry eyes, Joe blinked at Patty Williams, one of the committee members, who was tapping him on the forearm. “Hmm?”

“Did you fall asleep?” The older woman frowned.

Joe pushed himself upright in his chair and became aware of the others around the table staring at him in surprise. Damn, had he just nodded off during a meeting with the festival committee? He rubbed a hand over his face, suppressing a yawn. “Sorry. You were saying?”

Patty cocked her head to one side. “Are you all right, Joe? I’ve never seen you drop off like that. Had a late night, did you?”

He sure had. Last night he’d taken Nina home with him. His bed was definitely more comfortable to sleep in than hers, but they hadn’t done much sleeping. They’d stayed up late again, then caught a few hours of exhausted sleep before he’d driven her back to the Comet Inn before dawn broke. He’d returned home, collapsed in bed again for an hour, and somehow managed to drag himself to the festival committee meeting, only to succumb to fatigue once he’d sat down.

“I’m fine,” he said even as the muscles in his lower back twinged. Three late nights in a row. Three nights of incredible, hot sex. Now he was paying for it.

“Okay.” Patty didn’t look convinced. She pushed a printout toward him, her expression still concerned. “Think you’ll have time to review the financial statements? We really need your input.”

Some of last night’s euphoria ebbed away as guilt took over. He had a responsibility to the town, and he shouldn’t allow this affair to distract him from his duties. The Food and Wine Festival was a huge deal for Hartley, and it deserved his proper attention. Instead, he was falling asleep on the job daydreaming about Nina.

He took the printed spreadsheet from Patty and assured everyone that he would go over the numbers before the end of the day. Soon after, the meeting broke up, and Joe headed to the Comet Inn, determined to be his professional best.

But his resolve was tested as soon as he encountered Nina in the hotel lobby chatting with Vince. When she spotted him, she flashed him a dimpled smile that tied his stomach and sent lust shooting through his veins.

“Hi,” she murmured, a dreamy, sleepy look to her eyes as she twisted the mop handle.

“Hi,” he replied, sounding husky.

Belatedly he realized Vince was studying them. Was it obvious that he and Nina couldn’t stay away from each other? If Vince suspected, then it wouldn’t take long for the others to notice it too, and he didn’t want to have to deal with the possible fallout right now.

He schooled his face into a bland mask. “Hey, Vince. Everything okay here?”

“Sure,” Vince replied. “Everything’s fine here.”

Damn, Vince did suspect something.

Nina gathered up her mop and bucket. “Better get going with my chores,” she said, hurrying up the stairs.

It took an almighty effort for Joe not to stare after her. Vince was still eyeing him. Joe cleared his throat. “I’m going to Fort Bragg this afternoon. Got a meeting with another bank.”

“Good. Maybe that’ll keep your mind occupied.” Vince walked off, leaving Joe to frown after him.

…

“And this is my spatchcock with sage and wild mushroom,” Sarah announced as she laid a platter on the table where Nina was sitting with Vince and the other kitchen staff.

Vince sat up. “Let’s see how it goes with the old ale, then.”

Nina and the others had just finished the staff dinner, but Vince had saved his appetite to sample Sarah’s dishes for the festival. Sarah placed some clean plates on the table.

“It looks delicious,” Nina said, “but I’ll let you experts try it first.”

“Suit yourself.” Sarah shrugged. She swiveled round and waved at Joe, who’d just entered the restaurant. “Come and try my spatchcock.”

As Joe walked toward them, Nina couldn’t keep her eyes off him. After three late nights spent with him she’d been lethargic all day, but suddenly she was wide-awake.

Joe wore a business suit because of his bank meeting in Fort Bragg. His jacket was slung over his arm, revealing a soft gray dress shirt and close-fitting charcoal pants. Joe in corporate attire was just as smoking hot as Joe in jeans and a T-shirt. Nina’s brain turned woozy as she imagined running her hands over his shirt and pants, feeling his muscles bunch up beneath the fabric. She curled her fingers into her palms as she struggled to contain her fantasies.

“How did your meeting at the bank go?” Vince asked Joe.

“Don’t ask.” A vexed look passed over Joe’s face but was quickly gone. “I need food. Looks like I arrived at the right time.”

Sarah motioned for Joe to sit next to her, but instead he rounded the table and slid into the chair beside Nina. His nearness set her body humming, the attraction sparking and pulling her into his thrall. She drew in a breath to steady herself, but instead inhaled a whiff of Joe’s crisp cologne that went straight to her head.

Sarah frowned but continued to divide the spatchcock into three portions. She passed plates to Vince and Joe. When Joe saw Nina had been left out, he turned to her, his eyebrows lifted in query.

“I’ll let you three be the judge,” she said, striving to sound normal.

Joe sampled the spatchcock and nodded at Sarah. “This is incredible.” He ate another mouthful and sipped at the old ale beer. “Amazing how the beer complements all the flavors.” He nodded at Sarah and Vince. “Great work, guys. Sarah, I think this is going to be one of your signature dishes.”

Sarah went pink. “Thanks. I’ve been working really hard to get it right.”

Joe turned to Nina. “You should taste this, seeing as it was all your idea.” He forked up a morsel of meat and held it to her. “Here, have some of mine.”

Nina blinked at him in surprise. Beneath the table, his knee nudged against hers, causing her thigh to quiver. The glint in his eyes told her it was no accident. So, Joe wanted to tease her in front of his staff? Well, two could play that game.

Angling forward, she wrapped her fingers around his hand and guided his fork into her mouth. She let the fork slowly glide out past her lips, all the while keeping her gaze locked on Joe, her provocation deliberate. A spark flared in his eyes. He pressed the length of his thigh against hers, and she almost choked on her mouthful of food. Oh, Joe was too good at this game. As she leaned back in her chair, flushed and aroused, she realized everyone at the table was staring at them.

Sarah pulled a face. “Are you two finished?”

Vince coughed uncomfortably. “I’d better get back to the bar.” He pushed to his feet and hurried out of the restaurant. The other staff members scattered, too, except for Sarah.

Nina swallowed her mouthful of spatchcock. “It’s, er, delicious.”

“Really?” Sarah was giving her the stink eye again. “How could you tell when you gulped it down in one second?”