glanced at the place card at the seat to her other side.
Anthony Travati.
Her heart leapt, and tingles trailed through her body. Memories of the previous night flitted through her mind, turning her core to molten heat. Last night Anthony had filled her with pleasure, and then again in the darkness this morning, when he’d awakened her with a kiss and a caress down her thigh. They’d pleased each other a bit more in the early morning hours, until the sun crept over the horizon and she’d scurried up the stairs to her bedroom before Nonna got up for the day.
Being with Anthony, kissing Anthony, his hands on her body, was everything she had remembered. She wanted more, she wanted all of him. This morning, when she’d awakened beside him, his defenses were down. The wall he’d built around his heart had cracked and he was the same guy she remembered from the neighborhood. The guy she’d fallen for, the guy she’d loved…the guy she’d left.
Icy fear trickled through her heart. Who would Anthony be when he arrived at the Travati Teddy Bear Luncheon? Would he be the heartless King of Cold, or the man with the warm heart and the long kisses? All his brothers were meant to be here, as well as Aubrey, her sister, and Max. Would Anthony go back to being stiff and stoic, the man who seemed unfeeling and unloving?
She didn’t like the cold version of Anthony. She preferred the guy she’d fallen in love with, the guy he’d been this morning, the guy who smiled, soft and kind and full of joy and love.
The man filled with warmth was her Anthony, her Tony.
“Shelly, can we get your grandmother anything?” Gwen, with her perfect hair, perfect makeup, and the just-right dress, stood beside Shelly. This woman was too together. Not a flaw to be found. Not only was she damn near perfect, but she wasn’t condescending or patronizing either. Couldn’t she at least have a pimple on her nose?
“I think we’re fine for now. We’ve got water and there will be cookies. Nonna loves cookies.”
“I do love cookies,” Nonna echoed.
Gwen pressed her fingertips to the earpiece of the headset she wore. “Kids in three minutes. In fact, I think I hear the pounding of little feet now.”
Shelly turned toward the main doors just as they burst open. One hundred children, aged six, seven, and eight, flew into the room. The hall went from nearly silent to deafening instantly. Parents trailed behind, but no one could keep up with the wound-for-sound noise machine of kids who scattered gleefully.
“Wow, they’re excited.” Shelly blinked.
Aubrey rubbed her belly. “Most of the families come all three years so that the kids can really feel like this is their party.” Her gaze met Shelly’s eyes, and a soft smile curved over her lips. “The event was originally Anthony’s idea.”
Shelly’s heart swelled and warm pride burst through her body. Of course this event had been Anthony’s idea. He’d always been the brother who wanted to marry, to have a family, to remain close to his community. At his core Anthony was the warm guy, not a cold businessman.
“The guys better get here.” Aubrey glanced at her phone. “Santa arrives in thirty minutes, and then we’re really underway.”
A server placed a cup of coffee and a plate of cookies in front of Nonna.
“I’m set, girls. I can see everything from here. I’ve got my coffee and my cookies. Go do what you do. I’ll flag one of you down if I need anything.”
Shelly looked at Aubrey. “How can I help?”
Aubrey turned toward the cookie-decorating station.
“I’m going to get some of the kids from the cookie station and bring them over to where they can make their own Christmas stocking. Could you go over there with Nina and the volunteers, just to make certain no one gets overwhelmed?”
“You got it.” Shelly wove through the room. Kids darted and dodged around tables and grownups, ignoring adult after adult who asked them to please walk and use inside
Anthony Travati.
Her heart leapt, and tingles trailed through her body. Memories of the previous night flitted through her mind, turning her core to molten heat. Last night Anthony had filled her with pleasure, and then again in the darkness this morning, when he’d awakened her with a kiss and a caress down her thigh. They’d pleased each other a bit more in the early morning hours, until the sun crept over the horizon and she’d scurried up the stairs to her bedroom before Nonna got up for the day.
Being with Anthony, kissing Anthony, his hands on her body, was everything she had remembered. She wanted more, she wanted all of him. This morning, when she’d awakened beside him, his defenses were down. The wall he’d built around his heart had cracked and he was the same guy she remembered from the neighborhood. The guy she’d fallen for, the guy she’d loved…the guy she’d left.
Icy fear trickled through her heart. Who would Anthony be when he arrived at the Travati Teddy Bear Luncheon? Would he be the heartless King of Cold, or the man with the warm heart and the long kisses? All his brothers were meant to be here, as well as Aubrey, her sister, and Max. Would Anthony go back to being stiff and stoic, the man who seemed unfeeling and unloving?
She didn’t like the cold version of Anthony. She preferred the guy she’d fallen in love with, the guy he’d been this morning, the guy who smiled, soft and kind and full of joy and love.
The man filled with warmth was her Anthony, her Tony.
“Shelly, can we get your grandmother anything?” Gwen, with her perfect hair, perfect makeup, and the just-right dress, stood beside Shelly. This woman was too together. Not a flaw to be found. Not only was she damn near perfect, but she wasn’t condescending or patronizing either. Couldn’t she at least have a pimple on her nose?
“I think we’re fine for now. We’ve got water and there will be cookies. Nonna loves cookies.”
“I do love cookies,” Nonna echoed.
Gwen pressed her fingertips to the earpiece of the headset she wore. “Kids in three minutes. In fact, I think I hear the pounding of little feet now.”
Shelly turned toward the main doors just as they burst open. One hundred children, aged six, seven, and eight, flew into the room. The hall went from nearly silent to deafening instantly. Parents trailed behind, but no one could keep up with the wound-for-sound noise machine of kids who scattered gleefully.
“Wow, they’re excited.” Shelly blinked.
Aubrey rubbed her belly. “Most of the families come all three years so that the kids can really feel like this is their party.” Her gaze met Shelly’s eyes, and a soft smile curved over her lips. “The event was originally Anthony’s idea.”
Shelly’s heart swelled and warm pride burst through her body. Of course this event had been Anthony’s idea. He’d always been the brother who wanted to marry, to have a family, to remain close to his community. At his core Anthony was the warm guy, not a cold businessman.
“The guys better get here.” Aubrey glanced at her phone. “Santa arrives in thirty minutes, and then we’re really underway.”
A server placed a cup of coffee and a plate of cookies in front of Nonna.
“I’m set, girls. I can see everything from here. I’ve got my coffee and my cookies. Go do what you do. I’ll flag one of you down if I need anything.”
Shelly looked at Aubrey. “How can I help?”
Aubrey turned toward the cookie-decorating station.
“I’m going to get some of the kids from the cookie station and bring them over to where they can make their own Christmas stocking. Could you go over there with Nina and the volunteers, just to make certain no one gets overwhelmed?”
“You got it.” Shelly wove through the room. Kids darted and dodged around tables and grownups, ignoring adult after adult who asked them to please walk and use inside
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