Twist of Fate: A Heartbreaker Bay Novella Read online

  She lifted her gaze and found his in the mirror.

  His brows rose. “You were just staring at my ass.”

  Since there was amusement in his gaze and tone, and since she’d been caught ogling, there was no sense in playing coy. She shrugged. “So?”

  His smile came out to play. “Like what you see?”

  He was teasing her, and that easygoing side of him was the one she’d once fallen for. “I think we can all agree,” she said to the tailor, “this is the suit.”

  “I’ll make the adjustments,” the tailor said with a nod. Removing the measuring tape from around his neck, he stepped close to Diego.

  Diego slid him a look that had the poor tailor swallowing hard as he crouched low to measure for the hem.

  Daisy shook her head at Diego.

  Over the tailor’s head, he grinned. Grinned. Good Lord. He was in flirt mode, lighting up her world like he used to.

  The tailor was still crouched in front of Diego, a few pins in his mouth, eyes narrowed in concentration as he fiddled with the fit of the pants.

  All while Daisy’s gaze was held prisoner by Diego’s.

  “You never answered the question,” he said, tone casual, eyes not at all relaxed.

  Did she like what she saw?

  She waited until the tailor moved away so that Diego could get out of the suit.

  But he didn’t move. He was waiting for an answer.

  “You know I do,” she said quietly. “Just as I know you like what you see.”

  His smile was real now. “I definitely do. You grew up real nice, Princess. I especially like the new…”

  He paused, and she narrowed her eyes. If he said boobs or butt—which were all hers by the way—she was going to have to slug him.

  “Confidence.” He cocked his head and studied her. “I think that’s my favorite part.”

  And while she was still gaping at him, he turned and walked into the dressing room.

  When he came out in his street clothes a few minutes later, he pulled out a credit card for the tailor and looked at Daisy. “I need dinner after that nightmare.”

  The tailor looked startled at the nightmare part but finished ringing them up and then let them go with what appeared to be relief.

  Diego looked at Daisy.

  “I could eat,” she admitted.

  They got back onto the bike. Diego handled the evening traffic with ease, and she relaxed against him, letting the long day catch up to her. She was lost in the sensation of his easy strength and warmth and the rumble of the engine when she realized that he’d parked.

  In front of Weener Works on the pier.

  Weener Works created the best and most original gourmet hotdogs on the planet, and…it’d been their choice of place to eat back when they were together. They had memories here. They’d played pinball here. They’d competed at all the games, in fact, and she’d held her own. They’d made out in the back booth. He’d asked her to be his girlfriend at the front window table…

  “Problem?” he asked when she hesitated to get off the bike.

  “Nope.” She ordered double cheese fries and a loaded hotdog.

  He doubled the order and added a large chocolate milkshake, to go. It was crowded, so while they waited to be served, they hit pinball.

  She won.

  He took it good-naturedly, laughing and giving her an easy, one-armed celebratory hug that hit her like a bolt of lightning. She froze.

  So did he.

  They stared at each other, and before she could get control of her limbs, both of her arms slid around his broad shoulders. She let herself have the moment of victory, pushing close in a full-body hug. Her face pressed into his throat, his several-day-old scruff scraping deliciously against her skin. He smelled like Heaven.

  When she pulled back, he was looking into her face like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with her.

  He could join her club.

  When their food came, they did what they’d always done. They walked down the pier and found a quiet place to eat while looking out over the water.

  It was like a security blanket, the bay sprawled out in front of her, eating her favorite takeout, and sitting next to the one person who’d always gotten her. “I haven’t been here since…” She tried to remember and then closed her mouth. The last time she’d been at the pier had been with him.

  “Me either,” he said quietly.

  She looked at him. “Do you miss it here?”

  Holding her gaze, he shook his head. “I didn’t let myself think about it. When I left, I…” He shrugged. “Left. Mentally and physically.”

  She nodded. She got that. She just wished it hadn’t happened like it did.

  She took her last bite and pushed away her basket, leaning back in satisfaction before realizing that he was watching her. “What?”

  He smiled. “Nothing.”

  That was a lie, so she looked down at herself. When Diego first picked her up, she’d been work-ready. Now, hours later, she’d shucked her blazer, the top few buttons of her blouse were undone, her hair was down, and…her face felt achy from all the smiling and laughing.

  When she looked up again, he was still watching her in that way he did, like he was both happy to be with her and surprised at feeling that way.

  “You lost the stick up your ass,” he said. “You let yourself relax around me. I like it.”

  She’d opened her mouth at the stick comment, but his next words disarmed her.

  “We’re still attracted to each other.”

  And he was still blunt as always. But Daisy saw no use denying it. “But we both know that physical chemistry, no matter how off the charts, isn’t what’s important.”

  “What is important?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “Honesty. Communication. Real friendship.”

  “Are you saying we didn’t have that?” he asked.

  “I thought we did, but…” She shook her head. “At the end of the day, no, we didn’t have that.”

  “We didn’t even stay friends.”

  She laughed mirthlessly. “I didn’t want to be your friend. I wanted to run you over with a car.” Needing a distraction, she gathered up their trash. “So, you’re not staying at Rocco’s.”

  He let her change the subject with a small shake of his head. “Didn’t want to ruin anything for him, not this week.”

  She cocked her head and studied him. “You grew up.”

  He shrugged. “By trial and error, maybe. Mostly error. Like a shitload of error.” He smiled when she laughed again. “I’m staying on my boat.” Standing, he pulled her up and turned her to the railing. Moving in behind her, he pointed at the marina. “See that dock? Third one on the right?”

  “You always wanted to live on a boat,” she breathed, incredibly aware of his body behind hers, guarding it against the chilly wind.

  “I did.” He took his eyes off the water and looked down at her. “So. A wedding planner, huh?”

  “An event planner.”

  “It fits you,” he said. “You were always the one putting together all the parties and bonfires.”

  “And you’re working on boats instead of at the family business.”

  “You know I never wanted to carry on my dad’s legacy.”

  Daisy did know that. But Diego had been pressured. Big time. “I’d love to see your boat.”

  They got there in ten minutes. He helped her aboard and then moved ahead of her to give her the tour. At the bow, he helped her climb up to the upper deck, where they lay back to stare up at the gorgeous sky.

  “It’s been a while,” she murmured.

  He came up on an elbow and looked down at her and not up at the sky. “Yeah,” he agreed softly. “Too long of a while.”

  She slid her gaze to him, and at the look in his eyes, her entire body tingled with awareness and anticipation and desire. “Diego?” she whispered.

  “Yeah?”

  “There’s something else I want you to show me