family cannoli recipe as soon as she laid eyes on her.
He snatched up his phone. He was such a sucker. His little sister had him wrapped around her finger, even from three thousand miles away. Not that he could really blame Sofia, it was Kamaria that had him tied in knots. Yes, he’d been a bastard lately, but only because he’d been hurting for any excuse to go after her. “Christ, fine. I’ll call.”
He didn’t need to look at the card. This wasn’t his first time dialing the number on it. But, this was the first time he stayed on the line long enough for someone to answer.
“Tough Ta-Tas Literary Management.”
Jack took a deep breath. “Chastity, it’s Jack Alderisi.”
“You say that like I should know who you are.” From the tone of her voice, she knew exactly who he was. And she didn’t sound too happy to hear from him. He steeled himself for an uphill battle.
“The security guy you hired,” he replied slowly. “From Vegas.”
Silence.
“Where is she?” Jack winced as he blurted out the question. He sounded desperate, even to himself.
“Oh, Mr. Alderisi. It’s been so long I figured you weren’t ever going to call.”
Her snarky jab hit him in the chest. “I deserve that.”
“Yes, you do. I was disappointed with how you handled my client at the end of that weekend. My gut told me you were the man for the job. I’ve never been wrong before… Too bad. ’Cause you have a really nice butt. Did Mari ever tell you that she has a thing for nice butts?”
Jack could tell that Chastity was smiling now. He released the breath he had been holding. “I know I fucked up. I have no idea how to fix it. I need your help.”
“I thought you’d never ask.” He could hear her ruffling through some papers on the other end. “Kamaria mentioned that you do home renovations. Is that true?”
“Yes, ma’am. But what does that have to do with Kamaria?”
“She’s at my family’s property in Arizona. The place could use some work. It’s several hours from Vegas by car. I doubt she’ll open the door for you if you’re only there to say you’re sorry. But she might if you tell her you’re there to do an estimate on the warped floor for me.”
“You don’t have to hire me for a job. If it’ll help me make things right with Kamaria, I’ll do the work for free.”
“Nice ass and you do freebies? Kamaria was right. You are the perfect man. Please don’t mess this up with her again.”
The traffic light changed. The cars in front of him started moving, giving Jack just enough space to turn off onto a less crowded side street.
“I won’t,” he promised. “Just text me the address. I’m on my way.”
K amaria stared off at the red rock formations in the distance. Being in Sedona usually gave her the peace of mind she needed to tackle huge chunks of writing. But not this time. Whenever she sat down at her laptop, all she could think about was Jack.
She pushed away from her desk, causing her chair to roll backward. Dammit. She didn’t know why she was so hung up on this guy. There were so many reasons why nothing long term could ever happen between them. But the fact that the last time she saw him, he had automatically assumed the worst of her… She wondered how something that should’ve been insignificant had the power to devastate her so much.
What happened in Vegas was supposed to stay in Vegas.
She looked out the window again. She saw a pickup truck pull into the driveway. It said Alderisi Home Renovations on the side. It couldn’t be… Kamaria snatched up her phone and called Chastity.
“Tough Ta-Tas Literary Management.”
“Chastity, tell me why Jack’s truck is parked in front of the house.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I have someone coming out to do an estimate for some renovations.”
Kamaria pinched the bridge of her nose. “Chastity, you don’t forget anything. And this isn’t a random someone outside.”
“I can’t help it if the fix-it guy
He snatched up his phone. He was such a sucker. His little sister had him wrapped around her finger, even from three thousand miles away. Not that he could really blame Sofia, it was Kamaria that had him tied in knots. Yes, he’d been a bastard lately, but only because he’d been hurting for any excuse to go after her. “Christ, fine. I’ll call.”
He didn’t need to look at the card. This wasn’t his first time dialing the number on it. But, this was the first time he stayed on the line long enough for someone to answer.
“Tough Ta-Tas Literary Management.”
Jack took a deep breath. “Chastity, it’s Jack Alderisi.”
“You say that like I should know who you are.” From the tone of her voice, she knew exactly who he was. And she didn’t sound too happy to hear from him. He steeled himself for an uphill battle.
“The security guy you hired,” he replied slowly. “From Vegas.”
Silence.
“Where is she?” Jack winced as he blurted out the question. He sounded desperate, even to himself.
“Oh, Mr. Alderisi. It’s been so long I figured you weren’t ever going to call.”
Her snarky jab hit him in the chest. “I deserve that.”
“Yes, you do. I was disappointed with how you handled my client at the end of that weekend. My gut told me you were the man for the job. I’ve never been wrong before… Too bad. ’Cause you have a really nice butt. Did Mari ever tell you that she has a thing for nice butts?”
Jack could tell that Chastity was smiling now. He released the breath he had been holding. “I know I fucked up. I have no idea how to fix it. I need your help.”
“I thought you’d never ask.” He could hear her ruffling through some papers on the other end. “Kamaria mentioned that you do home renovations. Is that true?”
“Yes, ma’am. But what does that have to do with Kamaria?”
“She’s at my family’s property in Arizona. The place could use some work. It’s several hours from Vegas by car. I doubt she’ll open the door for you if you’re only there to say you’re sorry. But she might if you tell her you’re there to do an estimate on the warped floor for me.”
“You don’t have to hire me for a job. If it’ll help me make things right with Kamaria, I’ll do the work for free.”
“Nice ass and you do freebies? Kamaria was right. You are the perfect man. Please don’t mess this up with her again.”
The traffic light changed. The cars in front of him started moving, giving Jack just enough space to turn off onto a less crowded side street.
“I won’t,” he promised. “Just text me the address. I’m on my way.”
K amaria stared off at the red rock formations in the distance. Being in Sedona usually gave her the peace of mind she needed to tackle huge chunks of writing. But not this time. Whenever she sat down at her laptop, all she could think about was Jack.
She pushed away from her desk, causing her chair to roll backward. Dammit. She didn’t know why she was so hung up on this guy. There were so many reasons why nothing long term could ever happen between them. But the fact that the last time she saw him, he had automatically assumed the worst of her… She wondered how something that should’ve been insignificant had the power to devastate her so much.
What happened in Vegas was supposed to stay in Vegas.
She looked out the window again. She saw a pickup truck pull into the driveway. It said Alderisi Home Renovations on the side. It couldn’t be… Kamaria snatched up her phone and called Chastity.
“Tough Ta-Tas Literary Management.”
“Chastity, tell me why Jack’s truck is parked in front of the house.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I have someone coming out to do an estimate for some renovations.”
Kamaria pinched the bridge of her nose. “Chastity, you don’t forget anything. And this isn’t a random someone outside.”
“I can’t help it if the fix-it guy
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