How many times had he slept here without thought? Now the minute 5 p.m. arrived, he headed out the door. His personal assistant almost fainted when he announced his refusal to stay late and chair a meeting. Wolfe knew he wasn’t needed. He just liked being involved in all stages. Until a sexy brunette cast a spell on him.
He pushed back the worried thoughts ready to spring loose. Couldn’t last. He didn’t care. One full week had already passed and things were perfect. He decided to wring out every last ounce of pleasure until what they had slowly dissolved. Who would’ve thought this friends-with-benefits thing could work? But so far, it did. They spent their time together, engaged in mind-blowing sex most of the night, and enjoyed each other’s company. No questions, restrictions, or contracts. No promises. Just the moment, and a boatload of pleasure.
His cell buzzed and he quickly scooped it up. A smile curved his mouth immediately. “Hey, Sawyer. How the hell are you?”
A low laugh echoed over the receiver. “Was gonna ask you the same. Heard you beat out the Plaza in the Conway contract. Nice work.”
Wolfe shook his head in disbelief. “Who do you have planted here? The ink’s still wet and I planned to call you later to give you the good news.”
“I couldn’t wait. Listen, I wanted to ask you a favor.”
He clenched the phone. “Anything.”
“Think you can fly out here next week? Spend a few days with us?”
“Is everything okay? Julietta? Gabby? You?”
Another laugh. “Calm down, we’re all great. We just wanted to share something. Plus, Julietta misses you. So do I.”
The emotion surged hot and strong, enveloping him in the only comfort he’d ever had in his life. “I miss you, too. Yeah, I’ll wrap up in a few days and get out there.”
“Good. I want to catch up on things. Texting and Skype just aren’t the same. And Gabby needs to torture her big brother.”
Sawyer grinned. “Give me a break. You guys just want a sitter.”
“Busted. I already bought the tickets to La Scala, so don’t think you’re backing out now.”
“Looking forward to it.”
“The plane will take you when you’re ready. Just text me.”
“Done. See ya soon. Give the girls a kiss.”
“I will.”
The phone clicked.
Home. Funny, New York was the place he decided to settle and grow with his career, but Milan would always hold his heart. The first time he’d learned about family, and love, and respect. The first time he’d been given an opportunity to be more than a piece of garbage. He couldn’t wait.
The thought of leaving Gen even for a few days dimmed the joy, but he pushed it aside, refusing to deal with the hornet’s nest of emotion ready to sting.
His cell rang again. He picked it up. “Everything okay?”
Her soft sigh spilled into his ear. Instantly, he grew hard. Damn, she was a sorceress. “I forgot the Italian bread. Can you pick some up on the way home?”
“Of course. What’s for dinner?”
“Scampi with pasta.”
His stomach rumbled. He was getting spoiled by her cooking, and had begun making up for his lack of culinary skills by cleaning and fixing up her house. He’d sealed the cracks in the tub, fixed the broken front step, and painted the bathroom. The pleasure on her face made every drop of sweat worth it, and he enjoyed using his hands to make their home nice.
Her home.
He ignored the mental slip.
“Sounds great. I’ll snag a bottle of red to go with it. Hey, did you DVR Love It or List It last night?”
“Yep. Why?”
“No reason. Just figured you wanted to see if they ended up selling it. I thought she did great with the renovations, but the guy was kind of a jerk. I mean, how was she supposed to know once they ripped up the basement there’d be mold?”
“Oh, I wanted to see it, huh? Why can’t you admit I got you hooked?”
He snorted. “As if.”
“You’re sounding more like Nate. If you’re not interested, I can always watch it early and delete it before you get home.”
Damn. How was he gonna get out of this one? “Whatever,” he said. “Won’t bother me in the least.” He made a mental note to check the computer and see if they had the new episodes uploaded yet.
Her delighted laugh made him want to reach through the phone and touch her. Smooth back her hair. Trace the luscious curve of her lip. Kiss the freckles sprinkled across her nose.
“I won’t delete it. And I won’t tell either. Drive safe.”
“I will. See you in a bit.”
He clicked off and grinned. A great meal. A little TV. Intriguing conversation. And a lot of nakedness.