Ringing in Love (12 page)

“My Uncle Tony told me about that program. He said it was the best in Philly but it was really tough to get into unless you'd been sent there by the court.”

From the expression on Noah's face, Dominic knew he'd scored by aligning himself with Catherine's brother, who the boy adored. He almost did an entirely out of character fist pump at his luck.

“Your Uncle Tony is correct on both counts. But I think I can make it happen for you. Take a look at the website. Think about it. Talk to your mom or your uncle. Decide what you want to do then give me a call.” He pulled a business card from his jacket pocket and handed it to Noah.

“You're not gonna tell my mom what you think I should do?”

“This is not my decision, it's yours. If you or your mom have questions, I can try to answer them, but you have to decide this on your own.” He pursed his lips for a moment. “But there's one thing I will do. If you seriously consider this program, seriously enough to convince your mom you mean it, I'll see if I can get her to lift the ban on soccer. You don't have to enter the program if you decide it's not right for you, but you do have to give it a fair chance.”

“Can you make her do that?”

“No one can make her do it. All I can do is try to convince her she should think about it.” He glanced over at the coffee bar, nodded, and rose from the chair. “Your order's ready. How about I walk with you and call the elevator so you don't have to juggle everything while you push the button.”

Dominic knew intervening in Noah's life was risky. He was not a relative. The boy was a vulnerable teenager. A kid who resented his mother dating. A son who still wanted his parents back together and who was willing to court trouble to get their attention. But as he told Noah, Dominic owed it to the counselor who'd helped him to pass the help along. He'd taken the chance, and now he waited to see what the fallout of his coffee shop intervention would be.

He got a phone call the Monday after his conversation with Noah that relieved him of most of his concerns about what he'd done.

“Hi, Dominic? This is … ah … this is Noah. Noah Bennett.”

“Noah. How's it going?”

“Okay, I guess.” Long pause. “You said to call when, you know, I'd talked to Mom and everything. I did. Yesterday. We looked at the Kid-2-Kid website. I think I want to try it. We talked to Uncle Tony and he's really in favor of it.”

“I'm glad you took it seriously. I'll contact the director today and tell him you're interested. When I talked to him before, I didn't give him details, only said I might have a good candidate for the program. Is it okay if I give him your name and home phone number so he can call and get the ball rolling?”

“Yeah, sure. That's okay.” There was silence on the other end of the line for a long moment. “About the other thing …”

“As soon as we're finished here, I'll go down to your mother's office and talk to her about soccer. Like I said before, I can't promise she'll agree, but I'll try my best.”

“Thanks.”

“You're welcome.”

More silence. Noah didn't hang up. He seemed to have something more to say but didn't know how to say it.

“Anything else we need to talk about?” Dominic prodded.

“No. Well, yeah. I guess so.” Dominic heard a deep intake of breath on the other end of the line before Noah continued. “I'm sorry I was rude to you. You know, before.”

“Apology accepted.”

“You haven't been around since then, and I kinda wondered if it was because of me.”

“Not in the way you mean, Noah, it isn't. Your mom's been worried about you and needed to make sure things got straightened out before she thought about going out again. I agreed with her.”

“Well, if you want to, you know, take her to dinner or something, it would be okay with me. I promised Uncle Tony and her I wouldn't be an asshat again.”

Dominic was glad this was a phone call and not a face-to-face conversation. He was having a hard time not smiling at the earnestness in the teen's voice. “Thanks. If she's interested, I'm sure she'll let me know.”

“And if you take her out, I could, you know, say thank you in person when you came to pick her up.”

“Just stick it out with Kid-2-Kid. That's all the thanks I want.”

• • •

“I just talked to Noah—he said he told you he's going to give the program a try.” Catherine came from behind her desk with a huge smile on her face. She threw her arms around him. “Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me. To Noah and me.”

“He got to you faster than I could run the steps.” Dominic ducked his head and kissed her.
Lord, this woman tasted good. If he didn't make this kiss short and sweet, he'd forget he was here for Noah, not for himself.
“I think it'll be good for him.”

“My brother thinks you walk on water. He says it's exactly where Noah belongs, and he's grateful to you for making it happen.” She looked up at him with a curious expression on her face. “Noah said you have to do a favor for the board of directors in exchange for getting him in—what is it?”

“Nothing much. Don't worry about it.”

She planted the flat of her hands on his chest and pushed away from him a little. “Dominic, what did you promise? Tell me.”

“Some pro bono work.” He tried pulling her back into an embrace but she resisted.

“Doing?”

“Raising money.”

“You might as well spill the whole thing, Russo. I'll keep asking until you do.”

Accompanied with a shoulder shrug he said, “I agreed to raise three quarters of a million in the next month to shore up their sagging capital expansion drive.”

She whistled softly. “A lot to raise in a short time. Can I help?”

“You don't have to, but I wouldn't turn help down. However, just so you know …”

“I understand what pro bono means, Dominic.”

“No, I was about to say, just so you know, there's another price for you to pay.” Dominic tried to look sinister and mysterious.

“What price? Are you going to auction me off or something to help with the fundraising?”

“Interesting idea. One I hadn't thought of. I'd probably get a damn good price for you, and if some rich foreigner won the bid for you and whisked you to parts unknown, I'd get rid of my competition all in one transaction.” He paused as if actually considering it. “No, I'll go with my other idea. It's a little less dramatic and definitely more legal. I want you to reconsider your decision to make Noah give up soccer this fall.”

He wasn't sure if she looked confused or angry. “Why would I? It's the only thing I can do to punish him that matters to him.”

“I know, but he needs to run off the energy every kid his age has. He'll be happier and so will you if you let him.”

“Was this some kind of deal he made with you? He told you if you'd talk me into letting him play, he'd go into the Kid-2-Kid program?”

“No, other way around. I told him I'd make a run at you if he'd consider the program. He didn't have to sign up. He only had to take an honest look at it. He did so I'm here.”

“Relying on your legendary charm, were you, to make me buckle?”

“Legendary, huh? I knew I was good, but I had no idea I'd reached legendary status.”

“Your attempt at modesty is impressive if not exactly believable.”

“So can I get you to lighten up on the soccer ban, or do I have to use more of that charm you mentioned? I can be very persuasive when I put my mind to it, as you might recall.”

She blushed, and he realized she might be remembering their first kiss when he had said something similar.

“I only meant I still have the florist's number,” he said, enjoying the blush now getting redder by the moment.

“Please, not roses again. And I didn't say I wasn't going to listen to you. I was only trying to appear as though I have some ability to resist you. Which apparently I don't. If you really think it matters so much, I'll let him start practice. But if he gets in trouble one more time, or if his grades drop, or if he screws up working with the program …”

“I understand and so will he, I'm sure.”

“Well, shall I tell him or will you?”

“You're the one changing the rules. You tell him.” He dropped another kiss on her forehead and was about to leave.

“And, uh, Dominic? Is the invitation still open for the opera next Friday?”

“Absolutely.” He hoped the relief he felt didn't show in his voice.

“I have a new dress and a pair of Louboutins I want to wear.” She was grinning now.

“So it's about the clothes, not the opera itself?”

“Well, maybe a little to do with the opera.”

“Or going out with me?”

“It has a lot to do with that.”

“Pick you up at seven.”

Catherine inspected herself in a full-length mirror, turning first one way, then the other.
Oh, yeah. This is the dress for tonight.
The top of her sleeveless, red dress draped in a crisscross over her chest, forming a V emphasizing but not displaying too much of her breasts. The formfitting skirt, which ended in a hem like a mermaid's tail, barely reached her knees. Last but not least expensive, were black-and-white-striped Louboutins, the soles the same color as her dress. She'd bought them as a reward for moving into the new office space with the big guns in her industry, and this was the first chance she'd had to wear them.

Her hair was blown out into waves framing her face and drifting onto her shoulders. Dangly earrings with tiny crystals on fine gold chains brushed her neck.

She'd spent more time than she wanted to admit planning what she would wear, wanting everything about the evening to be perfect. Going to the opera gala was like something from a fairy tale and she was Cinderella. It all had to be just right, which she knew was “Goldilocks,” not “Cinderella,” but she was in such a good mood, mixing fairy tales didn't bother her.

Even Noah had gotten into the act, surprising her by giving her advice on which earrings he liked best. His opposition to her seeing Dominic seemed to have withered away, probably because Dominic had gone to bat for him over the ban on soccer. In truth, she didn't care why her son was so cooperative. She was just relieved he was.

The doorbell rang as she was about to put on lipstick. Dominic was early, as if he were as eager for the evening to begin as she was. Tucking the tube of lipstick into her evening purse, she hurried down the steps as fast as her shoes would let her.

When she opened the door, she was unprepared for what she saw. Dominic in a business suit was impressive; Dominic in jeans was hot. But Dominic in black tie was magnificent, George Clooney gorgeous. No, better than George. George was off someplace with his wife, and Dominic was standing in front of her.

She gulped, licked her lips, trying to moisten her mouth so she could speak, and made an attempt to get her brain circuits firing enough to find words—any words—someplace in her overheated brain.

“Oh, my God,” she said when she could put words together coherently. “Now I know why black tie was invented. The tailors were waiting for you to come along to wear it.”

Stunned by how handsome he looked, she'd been blocking his way into the house. But when she stepped back to allow him to enter, he didn't move. Belatedly she realized he had been staring as hard at her as she'd been at him. With his intense dark eyes, he swept down her body, lingering on her neck, then on her breasts, on her legs, then back up to her face. All the while grinning in that sinfully sensuous way he had, melting the core of her into something hot and squishy.

When he finally did move, it was to put one hand on her face and an arm around her waist so he could pull her against him. “I think black tie was invented as a backdrop for a beautiful woman in a red dress who takes my breath away.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip. “Mother of God, never in my life have I wanted to kiss anyone so badly.”

“Then why don't you?”

He didn't wait to be asked twice.

• • •

It seemed like it had been months since he'd kissed her, really kissed her, not just some sweet peck on the cheek when they parted after having coffee or a reassuring kiss on the forehead to try and smooth away the frown lines. He'd been thinking about this moment ever since she'd said yes to accompanying him tonight. Knew at some point he'd have the chance to cup the back of her neck, run his hand down her spine, hold her tight against his body. He'd thought he'd have to wait until the end of the evening, but here she was demanding he kiss her now. Just as he wanted to do.

Her mouth was soft and sweet, tasting of mint and possibilities. When she sighed against his mouth, he began to slowly stroke her tongue with his, reveling in the feel of her response. He nipped at her lower lip, and she did the same to his. Pulling her closer to him, he hugged her hips against the erection beginning to push against his zipper.

Her dress was cut low in the back; he could touch her soft, warm skin. He wanted to find out if her skin was that smooth, that hot, every place. She had insinuated her arms under his jacket and was holding him tight. If they kissed for a few more moments, maybe she would pop the studs in his shirt so her hands could touch his bare chest. He could press his hands to her breasts, then they could …

The moment of insanity passed. He reluctantly ended the kiss, turned her face away from his, and held her with her head on his chest for a few moments before saying, “We better stop now or we'll never get to the opera.”

She giggled. It was a lovely sound, one he didn't think very many people heard. He loved being one of those lucky people.

“You're right. Let me get my wrap and purse, and I'll be ready to go.”