Runaway Wolfes of Manhattan Three - Helen Hardt Page 0,29

grabbed my forearm. “Sit down, Mattie.” Her eyes were serious. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s don’t go chasing someone who doesn’t want you.”

I chuckled. “You haven’t learned that lesson with me.”

“Hey, I give it my best shot when we’re together. That’s just who I am. But I don’t chase you the way I did Luke.”

I couldn’t fault her observation.

Still…something about Riley called to me. It felt almost like…she needed me.

I pulled my arm away from Leena. “I’m just going to say hi.”

“She knows you’re here. If she wanted to say hi, she would.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to, but I do.” I walked to her table.

Riley swallowed a sip of wine and met my gaze.

“Hi,” I said.

“Hi.”

Neither of us spoke for what seemed like an hour.

Finally I cleared my throat. “I just wanted to say hi.”

She nodded. “Well, you did.”

Okay, then. This had been a huge mistake. I turned—

“Wait,” Riley said.

I turned back. “Yeah?”

“I’m… I’m really sorry. About the rose. I shouldn’t have thrown it down and stomped on it.”

“Oh. Sure. Okay.”

“I hope you’ll accept my apology.”

Something in her voice made me pause. She sounded sincere, but it was something more than that as well—something that made me sit down in the chair across from her.

“Listen,” I said, “I’m sorry too. I’m sorry I pushed you. We hardly know each other, and I had no right to—”

She reached forward and touched my hand.

Sparks shot through me at the subtle contact. Real tingles that I hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

“It’s okay,” she said. “In fact, it’s nice that you cared enough to prod a little.”

“Still, I shouldn’t have.”

She smiled, and the world was suddenly right again.

“You’re right. You probably shouldn’t have, but I shouldn’t have reacted so strongly. I loved the flower. Truly.”

I returned her smile. How could I not? Her smile was something amazing, and I got the feeling not everyone got to see it.

I felt privileged.

Even in the darkness of the restaurant, I could see her blush a little.

I couldn’t help myself. “You’re so damned beautiful,” I said.

Her smile widened. “So are you.”

I couldn’t help a chuckle. “I’m not sure anyone’s ever called me beautiful before.”

“You are. I could say handsome. It’s accurate. I could say gorgeous and magnificent. Also accurate. But beauty is the basis for all of those, and you are beautiful, Matt.”

Her hand still rested on mine, and I entwined my fingers with hers. I didn’t know what to say. I was having dinner with someone else, and I was a gentleman. I’d see the date to its conclusion. But I desperately wanted to see Riley later tonight. I didn’t care what we did. If I never got her into the sack, I didn’t care. I just wanted to be with her, in her presence.

“May I see you later?” I asked.

She frowned. “What about your date?”

“It’s not a date, really. I replaced a pipe for Leena and she’s buying me dinner.”

She smiled again. Was that relief in her eyes?

“I’m glad, but there’s something you should know.”

I shook my head. “I don’t need to know anything, Riley. I’m not pushing you for answers. I just want to be with you. We can do anything you want. Get a drink at the Stein. Go home and put a DVD in the player. Play a game of cards. Sit and do nothing. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“But—”

“Shh. It doesn’t matter.”

Adriano arrived with Riley’s pizza. “You eating over here now, Matt?” he asked.

“No. Just saying hi.” I laughed. “That’s a lot of pizza for one person.”

“I plan to make a big dent in it,” Riley said.

“I’ve no doubt.” I winked at her. “Let me finish my dinner and I’ll see you back at the cabin, okay?”

She nodded. “All right.”

19

Riley

Was it fair?

I’d tried to tell Matt I was leaving tomorrow, but he kept shushing me.

I supposed it didn’t matter. If it weren’t tomorrow, it would be several days later. Matt and I had no future, anyway.

I couldn’t escape my life, as much as I wanted to. My brothers deserved better. They were back in Manhattan dealing with the fallout of our bastard father’s death. They needed me. And truth be told, I needed them too. Now that they knew the truth about me, maybe we could become closer. They no longer had any reason to envy me.

Indeed, I had reason to envy them.

In the meantime, a pizza the size of the Titanic awaited me.

Yeah, it was only twelve inches in diameter, but the crust was thick and the