CHAPTER FOUR
DOMINIC
The days were flying by as I worked like a dog at Espo 2. An entire week had passed since Melanie Cruz walked in here and stumbled on a loose nail. I’d had to stop over at Espo 1 a few times, and she always cornered me to ask when her office space was going to be ready.
“No idea,” I told her yesterday, and even though her face didn’t bend into a scowl, she crossed her arms and seemed annoyed.
“Do you have an estimate?” she asked as she tapped her foot, which I noticed only because I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes off her legs.
“Frankly, it’s not my number one priority,” I said shortly and then left her standing there before she realized I’d been checking her out.
One thing was for sure. I really needed to stifle my impulses before Melanie was right here in front of me every day. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d felt such a formidable attraction to a woman I’d just met, and I almost cursed out loud the day she shook my hand and explained that she was my new employee.
But today I was trying not to picture what Melanie looked like without her clothes on.
Instead I was reaching into the depths of a century-old wall when I heard Christmas music. Not just any Christmas music, but a little-known, irreverent tune that someone in particular had been teasing me with for years.
“For god’s sake, get another opener, Jay,” I groaned as I withdrew my hand, shaking the chalky residue off. I looked up to see my best friend casually parked just inside the door, his iPhone blasting “Dominic the Donkey.”
Jason’s grin switched to mock seriousness, and he held up one finger. “Hold on, Dom,” he warned. “Don’t interrupt the chorus.”
I finished brushing a hundred years’ worth of Phoenix’s dust off my skin while Jason obnoxiously hummed along to the old song about an Italian Christmas donkey named Dominic.
“You don’t even have the season right,” I observed when he finally grew tired of his own joke and shut the music off. “Christmas is months away.”
“‘Dominic the Donkey’ transcends the holidays,” he told me. “Kind of like you.”
“That doesn’t make a damn bit of sense.”
Jason pointed at me. “You’re working too hard, buddy. Losing your sense of humor.” He came closer and peered at the wall I was just plundering. “What the hell are you doing anyway?”
I pointed to a box on the floor. “Trying to install these lighting fixtures without ruining the historic integrity of the building and bringing the crushing wrath of the Phoenix Landmark Society down on my head.”
Jason squinted at the hole in the wall. “Yeah, I ran into those ladies when I worked on the bank project up by the art museum. You’ve just got to know how to handle them. Start with sweet talk and then move up the ladder.”
“I’m not sure I want to know what ladder you’ve been climbing, my friend.”
He chuckled and then hopped up to sit on my very expensive quartz counter. “All I’m saying is that a few mimosas and an erotic foot rub work wonders with Bitsy Carlyle.”
Bitsy Carlyle was the uptight Scottsdale socialite who currently presided over the Phoenix Landmark Society. She seemed like she’d be about as eager to collect an erotic foot rub as a tiger would be to receive a perfumed bubble bath. Jason was something of a marathon womanizer, but he was also a bullshit artist.
“Jay, she’s like seventy years old.”
He shrugged and scrolled through his phone. “She’s got a nice ass.”
I snorted. “Dude, you did not fuck around with Bitsy Carlyle.”
“You don’t listen, Dom. I didn’t say I fucked her. I said I delivered her favorite alcoholic beverage and then indulged her fetish of choice.” Suddenly he held his phone out. “Photographic evidence. Take a look.”
I recoiled. “Hell, no.”
“Ah, never mind. Now that I examine it more closely, I see this is actually a photo I took beside the ostrich pen the last time I went to the zoo.”
Chuckling, I grabbed a broom to sweep up the mess I’d made. “What are you doing out here anyhow?”
He scowled. “You never have time for me anymore. You don’t answer half my texts, and you haven’t been out with me in months.” Suddenly he slapped his palm hard on the counter and jumped off. “Jesus, listen to me, I sound like a neglected woman.”
“Watch my counter there, pal. Yeah, I know I owe you about twenty rounds of drinks and a half dozen lunches. I swear I’ll catch up when we’re closer to opening.”
Jason looked around. “When’s that going to be? Looks like you’ve got a ways to go. And why the hell are you playing with electrical work yourself?”
“Because the last two electricians I hired never showed up.”
“Nothing as bad as unreliable contractors.” He snapped his fingers suddenly. “I know a guy I can send your way. He’s done a ton of work on my projects, and I know he’ll prioritize the job if I ask him for a favor.”
“Great. Give him my number.”
Jason grinned. “I will. If you come hang out right now and listen to my problems.”
“What problems?”
“I’ve got three equally voluptuous options taking turns in my bed, and I’m not sure which one I like best.”
I laughed out loud. In truth I had a to-do list a mile long, but I could use a break. Even though Jason could be trying at times, I really missed the guy. He was my age, and we’d been best friends for nearly ten years. The first time I met Jason Roma, he was standing at the curb in front of the house next door, moodily kicking the tires of a fairly new silver Lexus.
“Hey,” he shouted. “You the new renters?” He pointed to the Santa Fe–style house at my back.
“No,” I answered shortly, not really in the mood to socialize. Only a week had passed since Gio and I had moved all the way to the other side of the country with our grandmother. She’d owned the house for years, and luckily the place was between renters at the time, so we were able to move right in. I was still having some trouble getting my bearings and was not excited about finishing my senior year at an Arizona high school where I didn’t know a soul.
Luckily the kid next door wasn’t put off by my attitude. He approached with confident nonchalance, pushing his shaggy dark hair out of his eyes. I kept my arms crossed as he stopped two steps away and sized me up.
“Name’s Jason,” he said. “Jay for short. You like beer?”
I paused. “Yeah. I like beer.”
“Good.” He nodded approvingly and gestured that I ought to follow him. “Let’s go find some.”
“And then what?”
He smiled. “Then we’ll get shit-faced, you can tell me your life story, and I’ll supply intimate details about every fuck-worthy girl in the zip code.”
I hesitated only for a second. “Sounds good,” I said, deciding that any offer of friendship in a new place shouldn’t be turned down.
Jason had a clever kind of sensitivity, even when he was being a jackass, as well as a wide streak of loyalty. I was always grateful we were still friends. Too little of Jason Roma in my life left a void, and besides, too much of my time revolved around work these days.
“Give me a few minutes,” I finally told my old friend. “I want to get these boxes stacked up. Then I’ll pay for lunch at whatever hole-in-the-wall establishment you choose.”
“Excellent.” Jason clapped his hands together, then bent down to pick up two of the boxes I’d mentioned. When I stacked up a few and started carrying them away, he followed.
“They’re going in the office for now,” I said, heading down the short hallway and then turning left.
“Shit, Dom,” Jason said after he dropped the boxes off and looked around. “What the hell is all this?” He nudged a box with his shoe. “How many of these are empty?”
“A few,” I admitted, setting the boxes down.
“You want to stack them against the wall?”
“No. Middle of the floor is fine.”
Jason shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
I didn’t want to explain that I’d been deliberately using the office as a haphazard storage space to postpone setting it up for its real purpose. Gio was puzzled. He kept assuring me that Melanie was doing an excellent job, that she wouldn’t get in my way, that it would be wise to move her to Espo 2 where she could get all the staffing and administrative ducks in a row before we were down to the wire.
I knew he was right. Melanie was obviously smart and hard working. I sure didn’t want to be fucking around with invoices and human resources paperwork when I had a restaurant to get up and running. But the problem was I turned into a caveman whenever I was in the same room with her.
Melanie Cruz was my employee. I shouldn’t want her. But that didn’t matter much when it came to basic instincts.
“Are we going to stand here and stare at boxes all day, or are we going to eat?” Jason said.
“Stand here and stare at boxes.”
“Fuck you. Buy me lunch.”
Jason favored eclectic restaurants that were unknown to all but a handful of people. Today he’d decided on a tiny Cajun place in a half-empty strip mall on Indian School Road. Over plates of crayfish étouffée, Jason entertained me with tales of his revolving list of female companions, and it was exactly what I needed. It got my mind off Espo 2 and the new assistant manager.
When we were done, I figured Jason would just drop me off, but he said he wanted to take another look around.
“Hey, what’s your opening day again?” he asked as I fumbled for the keys.
“October third, but we’re doing a friends and family soft opening two days before that.”
“Great. I’ll be expecting an engraved invitation.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course you’re invited, Jay.”
Jason nodded with satisfaction.
“What’s wrong?” he asked a few seconds later as he noticed me scowling at the door. My key had turned without a telltale click, and I realized the door was unlocked. I was sure I’d locked it before we left. And I was pretty sure I knew who had come here and unlocked it.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I said. “We have a visitor, though, so behave yourself.”
She must have seen us approach from inside Espo 2. She was leaning against the counter, shapely legs in black heels crossed at the ankle, hands on her hips. I knew that Gio had told her casual attire was just fine, but for some reason she kept showing up every day, looking like a hot Wall Street executive.
“Hello, Dominic,” said Melanie. She was wearing glasses, and her long black hair was tied up in a bun, but that didn’t distract from the fact that her gray business outfit hugged every blessed curve like it had been painted on. The short-sleeved blazer buttoned underneath her full breasts, which were tucked primly behind a white blouse. The skirt wasn’t short, but its shape gave a mouthwatering view of her figure. I pictured her tugging this ensemble on this morning, probably congratulating herself on looking so practical and professional, not realizing her sicko boss would start running a pornographic movie through his sex-deprived mind at the sight of her.
I just want to tear that shit off with my teeth.
Damn, I was a fucking dog.
“Hey, Melanie,” I answered in a bored, casual voice. Jason, however, had a mind even dirtier than mine. I heard him let out a low whistle as he looked her over.
Melanie didn’t seem to hear him. She stepped forward with her hand out and a smile on her lips. “I’m Melanie Cruz,” she said, “bookkeeper and assistant manager extraordinaire.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jason said, and shook her hand a few seconds longer than necessary. I shot him a look, but he was too busy being enchanted. “I’m Jason Roma, Dominic’s oldest and best friend—no matter what he says. By the way is that your official title?”
She laughed and withdrew her hand. “Why, yes. I’ve asked for that exact language on the nameplate for my desk.” She raised an eyebrow in my direction. “Providing I ever get a desk.”
“It’s on order,” I said vaguely, trying not to look at her. I could smell her freaking perfume—floral and sexy—from where I was standing.
“Still, huh?” She took a step closer and peered up at me, eyes narrowing in a way that let me know she knew I was full of shit. “Must be some desk.”
I locked eyes with her and felt my pants tighten. “Must be.”
Melanie held my gaze for a couple of excruciatingly long seconds and then looked at Jason. “You know, Jason, the other Mr. Esposito sent me down here to find out what was going on. Looks like I’ll be returning with the bad news that the office is still cluttered with boxes and, alas, there is no room for me.” She cocked her head and glanced at me regretfully. “It’s a shame because I have a long list of things I’d like to start tackling, and it would be much easier to work if I wasn’t playing musical desks over at Espo 1. Hopefully soon there will be a place for me here because I really am eager to do a good job.”
“Really?” I could hear the amused interest in Jason’s voice and tried not to wince over it. He knew me too well. “Our Dom is guilty of being kind of a loner. I think the company of a colleague would be good for him.”
“I’m not a colleague, I’m her damn boss!” I snapped.
Jason snorted and then tried to cover it up with a cough.
“Of course you are,” Melanie said, looking at me a little funny. “Look, I’m really not trying to intrude. I know you have a lot to do in the next few weeks, and I promise not to get in your way.”
I felt like a first-class dipshit. Here was this smart, capable woman who was just trying to do her job, totally innocent of the fact that she worked for a lech who couldn’t stop imagining what her tits would feel like in his mouth.
“Well,” said Jason suddenly, “I’d love to stick around and help you guys mediate this little situation, but I’ve got a meeting to get to. Melanie, it was outstanding meeting you, and I’m hoping for a follow-up. Dominic, you owe me a hair-raising night on the town real soon, so I’ll be returning to collect. Hug the little brother for me, will you? He’s coming next time we go out.”
“See ya, Jay,” I muttered, picking up a nearby hammer for no reason at all. I searched for something meaningful to do with it, feeling Melanie’s eyes on me all the while.
“Well?” she said when Jason was gone.
“Well, what?” I snapped.
I looked up in time to see her smile slip off her face. She crossed her arms, looking openly annoyed. “Well, Mr. Esposito, do you have a status update on when I can expect the office to be furnished?”
I gestured around at the general disarray. “As you can see, we’re not exactly show ready, Ms. Cruz.”
Melanie looked around thoughtfully. I’d been practically working around the clock since she set foot in here over a week ago, but there was still a lot to be done. Plus there were tools and dust and drop cloths all over the place. I didn’t want to worry about her tripping all over stuff in those flimsy heels.
“Fair enough,” she finally said. “But don’t call me Ms. Cruz, or Mrs. Cruz. Call me Melanie.”
I paused, wondering if I’d somehow hit a nerve. Of course I’d never asked her marital status, and Gio wouldn’t have had any reason to mention it either. But I had noticed that she didn’t wear a ring on her finger, and somehow she didn’t have the air of someone who was smugly installed in a serious relationship.
“Sorry, Melanie,” I said pointedly. “I won’t call you Ms. Cruz or Mrs. Cruz. Doesn’t make a difference to me.”
She just stared at me, all wide blue eyes in a heart-shaped face. “No, I don’t suppose it does. But in the interest of developing an amiable working relationship, if there’s something you want to know about me, I’ll tell you.”
I wasn’t sure what kind of game this was, but I was getting tired of playing it, no matter how much fun it was to watch her soft pink lips as she spoke. “All right. I’ll ask. Are you married?”
Something passed over her face, something that looked curiously like pain. “Not lately,” she said quietly.
“All right,” I said, because it was the first thing that came to mind and I was kicking myself for asking her an inappropriate question in the first place. I didn’t want to open the door to some long-winded heart-to-heart chat. Then I would be obliged to pat her shoulder or maybe offer her a friendly hug, and she would sigh into my chest, and then my hand would wander down to—
STOP!!
“Do you want me to leave?” she asked suddenly.
I blinked. “Since there’s no desk for you yet, and we don’t even have Wi-Fi set up, you should probably head back to Espo 1 for the time being.”
She shook her head, a few pieces of hair coming loose from her bun. “That’s not what I mean.”
“What do you mean then?”
“I mean, do you have a problem with the fact that I’m working for you?”
“I don’t know where you got that idea.”
She glared at me and narrowed her eyes. This Melanie definitely had some spunk to her. And if everything Gio said was true, then she was already proving to be a valuable asset. I’d been managing a business long enough to understand the worth of a good employee. Plus Gio had lectured me the other day about being a control freak and trying to take everything on myself at Espo 2. He was right. We needed someone reliable in Melanie’s position, and replacing her right now would be a pain in the ass. No, I didn’t dislike the idea of her working for me. My hang-ups weren’t her problem.
“Listen,” I said, trying to soften my tone, “everything is kind of nuts at the moment, but I will make it a priority to get the office set up for you. You have my word. I’ll have a desk, Wi-Fi, the works. Give me two more days to get it all put together, okay?”
Melanie seemed to relax a little. She nodded and gave me a small smile. “Okay,” she said. Awkward silence ensued. I racked my brain, trying to think of a way to end it without sounding like a dick again.
“Gio told me you had a funny story,” I said. “About how you came to work here.”
The comment seemed to catch her off guard. She shot me a startled look. “I guess it seems funnier now than it did at the time.”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
Melanie shrugged and waved a manicured hand. “It’s fine. Maybe a little embarrassing. I was actually fired. First time in my life and hopefully the last.” She hesitated. “I accidentally destroyed the expensive nuptials of a semicelebrity.”
I was confused. “How’d you manage to do that from the finance department?”
Melanie looked embarrassed. “Multitasked my way in over my head. I managed to scar an innocent Minnesota family in the process when they witnessed a groomsman getting his knob polished by the bride’s stepmother. Don’t laugh,” she scolded, because I’d started doing exactly that. Then she giggled herself.
“Well,” I said when I was finished being amused, “I can’t say I’m sorry to hear it. Seems like everything worked out for the best because here you are in the Esposito’s family.”
“Yeah,” she said, and I could tell she was pleased by the comment. “I suppose it did work out.”
The conversation kind of stalled again, and Melanie reached for the mammoth purse she’d left on the counter.
“Guess I’ll head back to Espo 1 for the afternoon and take a look at the quarterly sales tax reports,” she said.
“You do that.” I paused, watching her rummage around in her purse. “And by the way, feel free to show up for work in jeans and a T-shirt. We don’t stand on ceremony at Esposito’s. Just putting that out there.”
Melanie glanced down at herself. “Ah, what can I say? I’m a dress-for-success kind of girl. But I’ll try to fit in.”
I couldn’t decide if she was insulted or not, but in any case I figured I should have kept my mouth shut about her clothes. I didn’t want to say anything else that would seem out of sorts, so I waved with the hand that wasn’t holding the hammer. “Sounds good. I’ll see you soon, Melanie.”
She nodded. “Two days, right?”
“Two days,” I confirmed and listened as the click-clack of her heels receded. I resisted the urge to follow her hungrily with my eyes. I’d have to find a way to keep my mind out of the gutter. And I would. I had to, no matter how much of a connection I felt with her. After all, I was the boss, and there were rules—rules that Gio and I had designed for a reason. Romantic entanglements didn’t belong in the workplace.
Melanie Cruz was off-limits, and that was all there was to it.