I could do that would ever make up for the mistakes I made. I put you in danger, and I nearly lost you.”
Natalie felt chills despite the morning sun. “You said that you used to think that, what changed your mind?”
A ghost of a smile crossed Julio’s face. “Do you remember my cousin Jennings?”
Natalie’s brows knit together. “Vaguely. He works out of New York, an assassin if I remember right.”
Julio nodded, “Yes, that was what he did.”
Natalie raised her brow, “Was?”
“His last job involved a woman that he was in love with. He brought her to Italy to keep her safe, and I met one of the most amazing people I have ever known.”
Jealousy, thick and hot, coated her insides. Whoever this woman was, it sounded like Julio loved her.
“Well,” Natalie made a dismissive motion. “How awkward for you to care so deeply about your cousin’s girl. If that makes you think of me somehow, you can go ahead and…”
Julio dropped the brush and had her against the wall in seconds. The heat of his body pressing into the soft curves of Natalie’s. His breath brushed her cheek, and she couldn’t help the shudder that ran through her. Her body remembered him, craved him.
“Let me go,” she said in a low voice.
“Not until I finish telling you about Mandy,” Julio insisted. “She was finishing up a twelve-step program, recovering from drugs and alcohol. She spent a year in prison and did some pretty terrible things.”
“She sounds lovely,” Natalie said flippantly, and Julio pressed her harder against the bricks.
“She is lovely,” he stared into Natale’s eyes, insisting she hear the words he was saying. “Mandy did some terrible things in the past. But she pulled herself out of that world. She paid her time, and she overcame great obstacles. And through it all, she couldn’t forgive herself. She thought she was beyond redemption. I saw how much she loved my cousin and how he felt for her.”
“Sometimes, people change Natalie. Sometimes, people become so much more than they once were. That is why I wanted to tell you about her. Yes, she is the reason I came looking for you. But not for some misguided love affair. I have changed. And I hope that you can someday forgive me. It’s time to let it go.”
He moved away so suddenly that Natalie stumbled forward. Julio steadied her, but as soon as she had her bearings, he moved away and started climbing the ladder again.
“Reena is waiting for you,” he said gruffly, then began to paint the trim as if he hadn’t just had his body smashed against hers.
Natalie nodded, although he wasn’t looking, and she moved toward the front door. She heard the bell as she opened it and noticed that the place smelled of new carpet. She looked around and saw several new improvements.
Julio had to have worked fast to get some of these things in. Natalie had been told that Sutton was footing the bill. It didn’t make any sense. Nothing made sense anymore.
“Do you want to tell me what that was all about?”
Natalie turned to see Reena coming toward her with a steaming cup of coffee.
“What?” Natalie asked defensively.
“Child, the windows are open, and it wasn’t like you two were very quiet. How did the man risk your life? Did he hold a gun to your head?”
Natalie shook her head. “Of course not!”
“Well?” Reena handed her the cup and motioned for Natalie to join her at the lounge's new tables.
She noticed they were sturdy and much harder to tip over. The last ones had been rather flimsy and really did need replacing.
“There was a job that went wrong. Someone broke into our home and held me hostage.”
As the words tumbled out of her, Natalie felt oddly detached from them. It wasn’t a story that she shared often. And after that terrible moment, she vowed that she would never feel vulnerable like that again. Hours upon hours at the gun range and years of self-defense lessons had brought her to where she was today. A damn fine private investigator, and one badass chick.
A badass chick with a huge chip on her shoulder.
23
Brian swallowed hard and tried to get the image of Katie butchering her hydrangeas out of his mind. She was wearing a cut-off shirt that showed her pale stomach and fell off one dainty shoulder. Her shorts barely covered the curve of her ass, and when he looked closer, he realized she was in flip-flops.
Shit.
Brian dropped the curtain and