Tossed Into Love
Page 18

I don’t have time to ask her when she and Miss Ina became so close. I know I won’t be able to convince her to leave, so I sigh.
“Fine. I’ll be quick.”
I go into the bedroom and shut the door. I left the outfit for tonight on my bed. Taking off my robe, I put on a pair of sheer black panties and a matching bra, then I grab my high-waisted blue jeans that are so tight I have a hard time getting them on. I pair them with a black long-sleeve, body-hugging top that I tuck into my jeans. I weave a black belt through the belt loops, fastening the fancy designer buckle before I sit on the edge of my bed. I zip on my thigh-high suede boots with the pointy toe and four-inch heels, then grab a long camel-colored sweater. I don’t hear voices in the living room, so I go back into the bathroom to check myself out in the mirror.
I wonder what Antonio will think. I didn’t want to dress up, because he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would take me to a fancy restaurant. I still wanted to look put together and sexy, though.
I do look sexy, with my dark hair down around my shoulders in a mass of stylish waves, my makeup more dramatic than I wear it every day. I did a smoky eye and added false lashes to make my eyes pop even more. I added a light lip, lined and glossy. Nervousness starts to kick in, causing my heart to race. Tonight could either be the beginning of something that could be amazing or the end of my crush on Antonio.
God . . . I’m really hoping for the first.
Pulling in one breath after another, I take a step toward the mirror and look myself in the eyes.
“Libby Reed, you’ve gone on dates before. You know better than to get your hopes up,” I whisper to my reflection before I turn off the light in the bathroom and walk through my bedroom.
I swing open my door to find Antonio standing just inside my living room, wearing a black peacoat over a beige sweater. The high collar accentuates his strong jaw. He’s also sporting dark jeans that look great on him. And of course there are his ever-present boots. Seeing the amused smile that he’s giving my mom, I wonder what she’s been telling him.
“Sorry you had to wait,” I say.
His head turns my way, and his eyes scan me from boots to hair before they lock with mine. The moment they do, the intensity I see there makes my stomach do a different kind of twist. The space between my legs tingles.
“Oh, honey, you look beautiful! Doesn’t she look beautiful, Antonio?” Mom asks him with an elbow to his side.
I bite my lip.
“Yeah, Katie, she looks beautiful,” he agrees quietly.
I wonder if my mom can feel the sudden charge in the air around us—a charge I feel every time I’m around him.
“Thank you.”
I feel my cheeks get warm, and it takes everything in me to pull my eyes from him and look at my mom.
“You’re supposed to meet Miss Ina, Mom . . . ,” I remind her.
“Oh, right. I should do that and leave you two to your date.”
She hurries to the couch to grab her things. I pick up my coat, only to have Antonio take it from me and hold it out. Turning my back to him, I slip it on. My eyes meet my mom’s happy ones. I give my head a little shake, not wanting her to get her hopes up about this, but she just grins at me like the crazy woman she is.
“Antonio, it was so nice meeting you. You’ll have to come out to Long Island with Libby sometime for dinner.”
“Mom . . . ,” I warn, but she ignores me and continues on.
“Or brunch. Really, whatever works around your schedule.”
“Mom.”
“I’d like that, Katie,” he tells her.
I wonder if she told him to call her by her first name or if he just did that on his own.
“Well, then. It’s settled. The next time you both have time, we’ll plan for it,” Mom says.
My jaw clenches. This must be what Mac and Fawn felt when Mom was all up in their business.
“Sounds good,” Antonio agrees.
I grab my black slouchy leather bag with loads of tassels hanging from the seams and hook the strap over my shoulder.
“Good.” Mom moves around me to give Antonio a hug, and I roll my eyes at the back of her head. I hold back a sigh when she turns to face me. “Call me when you get home.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Maybe I should just stay here tonight. You know . . . we can have a sleepover. That would be fun. We’ve never done that before.”
Oh god.
“Mom, you need to get home to Dad. He would not be okay with you having a sleepover.”
“He would be fine with it.”
“When was the last time you slept in a bed without him?” I counter.
She looks up at the celling, trying to come up with an answer to that question.
“Right. Like I said . . . you need to get home to Dad after your dinner with Miss Ina.”
“Fine. But you still need to call me tonight when you get home.”
“Remember what we talked about earlier?” I ask quietly.
Her eyes narrow on mine, and she grits out, “Yes . . .”
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I say, repeating my earlier statement.
“Fine. Call me tomorrow.” She lets out a huff before putting a smile on her face that she aims at Antonio. “She can be a little hardheaded at times.”
“Mom!”
“What?” She turns to look at me, and I glare at her. “It’s the truth, honey. You’re sweet as can be, but you really are hardheaded.”
Hearing Antonio chuckle, I transfer my glare to him.
He grins at me.
Whatever.
“We should go,” I mutter.
He wraps his fingers around mine, giving them a squeeze before opening the door.
“Love you,” Mom says, stopping to kiss my cheek.
“I’m wondering if that’s true,” I grumble under my breath.
She smiles, then heads down the steps. Following her out, I wait until Antonio is out of my apartment before I lock the door and start down the steps with him at my back.
When we reach the first floor, he takes my hand. This startles me, and I look up at him.
“You really do look beautiful,” he says.
“Thank you.”
“And I really like your boots.”
The roughly spoken compliment sends a shiver down my spine—and a different kind of shiver though my girlie bits.
“Uh . . . thanks,” I repeat.
He shakes his head, smiling.
Hearing someone clear their throat, I look to the right and see Miss Ina and my mom waiting just inside of Miss Ina’s apartment. They’re both watching Antonio and me with completely opposite looks on their faces. Mom looks like she’s watching a real-life movie star leading his woman down the red carpet at a Hollywood event, and Miss Ina looks like she’s wishing she could rush across the space, snatch me from Antonio, take me into her apartment, and strap a chastity belt around me before throwing away the key.
“Have fun tonight, guys!” Mom calls out.
I fight the urge to roll my eyes at the overly chipper sound of her voice.
“Not too much fun, Libby Reed!” Miss Ina says.
Her eyes go to Antonio and narrow with a scary-old-lady look. Clearly, she would melt him into a puddle if she had that ability.
“Bye! Have a good dinner tonight.”
I wave at them over my shoulder while I tug hard on Antonio’s hand to get him to hurry up. I’ve already had to deal with him and my mom being in the same space—I don’t want to know what Miss Ina might say if she has a chance to talk to him.
“In a hurry?” he asks, chuckling.
When we make it outside, I look up at him once. I notice that, even in my heels, he’s still much, much taller than I am.
“You met my mom.”
“I did.” He smiles.
“That was bad—but not as bad as it could have been. Mom was on her best behavior.”
“All right.” His brows pull together slightly.
“Miss Ina is a wild card. If we had stopped to talk to her, she’d probably have demanded to chaperone dinner tonight—just so she can make sure I keep my virtue intact.”
“I see.”
His eyes change. Not in a bad way, but in a way that I don’t exactly understand—until he turns toward me, rests his hands on my waist, and pulls our hips closer together.