His Sexy Bad Habit (9 page)

After breakfast, Antonio decided he and Serena needed to do something that didn’t involve the bed—as much as he wanted to take her upstairs and feast on her some more. But hearing about her view of men and how she watched her father use women for his pleasure, he knew he had to show her something else.

They headed to Freedom Park to take a walk and talk. Antonio smiled as they pulled into the parking lot. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a simple date like this. Maybe in high school when he and Marian had started seeing each other.

“This place is pretty,” Serena said.

“I keep forgetting you’re not from Charlotte,” he said. “I’m going to have to give you a tour of some of Charlotte’s best kept secrets.”

“Sounds fun,” she said. “And one day we’re going to have to hit Atlanta.”

“Works for me,” he said as they climbed out of
his truck. Antonio held Serena’s hand and they walked along the cement path leading to the pond. Antonio pointed out the soundstage where there were free concerts in the summer and the places where people played on the lawns.

“This place is huge,” she said as they finally made it to the pond.

“You should see it during Festival in the Park—in September. A.J. and I come out here and eat junk food for a few hours and look at art that he doesn’t like.”

Serena stroked his forearm. “That sounds like fun. You seem like a wonderful father.”

“I try,” he said.

“Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”

Antonio turned to her and nodded. “Seems like that’s the tone of the day.”

“How did your wife die?”

He felt his heart drop to his stomach. Sure, he knew that question would come up one day, but today?

“Car accident on I-485,” he said. “She was hit by a drunk driver going the wrong way.”

“Oh my goodness,” she said. “What happened to the driver?”

“He died about two days later in the hospital, but Marian was killed instantly.”

She shook her head and said, “That must have been so hard to lose her like that.”

“It was extremely hard because we were having some problems and …” Antonio’s voice trailed off.

Serena squeezed his hand. “Wow,” she said
quietly. “That had to be more than hard.” Part of her wondered if he and his wife were going to work on their problems before her death. Was that why he’d shut himself off from other women after all of this time? Serena knew about shutting down after heartbreak, but losing his wife—was that something he was truly over?

“The worst part is that her family had no idea what was going on and as much as I mourned the loss of my wife, I had to put up this front of everything being all right. That’s why Casey is so clingy to me. She thinks I need her to be Marian’s replacement sometimes.”

They fell into an uncomfortable silence as they walked around the pond.

Antonio sighed. “I thought about telling Marian’s family what was really going on, but I didn’t want to sully her memory.”

“That’s very honorable, but how would the truth sully her memory?”

“Let’s change the subject,” he said as they headed over to a bench.

Serena nodded as they took a seat. She leaned against Antonio’s broad shoulder and said, “Well, since today is about honesty and sharing, I have something else I should tell you.”

“What’s that? You have husband in Atlanta?”

“No, silly, I don’t have a husband in Atlanta.” She poked him with her elbow. “I really can’t cook,” she said hoping to inject levity into their conversation. “Dinner was actually cooked at my best friend’s house and I brought it home and heated it up.”

Antonio laughed, pulled Serena against his chest, and kissed her forehead. “We’re going to have to work on your cooking skills,” he said.

“Who said I want to improve?” she joked.

“I’m a true southern boy and I like a home-cooked meal every now and then. Besides, I’ll teach you. If I can learn to cook, trust me you can, too.”

Serena relaxed in Antonio’s arms, feeling good about being with him and looking forward to seeing where things would go. She hadn’t felt like that since Emerson, and in the back of her mind, she was afraid. But she brushed those feelings aside and enjoyed the sunlight and Antonio’s touch.

They sat on the bench in a comfortable silence watching a flock of ducks floating in the pond, then a jogger stopped in front of them. Antonio and Serena looked up at the woman.

“Antonio, what’s going on here?” she asked.

“Casey,” he said. “Hello to you, too.”

She placed her hands on her hips as sweat poured down her face. Cocking her head to the side, Casey gave Serena a hostile once-over and Serena raised her eyebrow at Antonio’s sister-in-law.

“So, who’s your friend?” Casey asked.

Antonio sighed. “Casey, this is Serena Jacobs.”

Neither woman attempted to shake hands with the other. “So,” Casey said. “I guess that’s why we couldn’t have breakfast this morning. Is she the reason you sent A.J. camping this weekend?”

“Do I need to give you two some privacy?” Serena asked as she rolled her eyes.

“No,” Antonio said. “Casey, you’re out of line.”

“I apologize,” she said insincerely. “I guess I knew this day would come, but I’m not used to seeing you with someone other than
my sister.
It was nice to meet you, Serena.” Casey offered them a weak smile and jogged off.

“Your sister-in-law seems a bit possessive,” Serena said when Casey was out of earshot. “Are you sure you’re not married to another one of her sisters?”

Antonio sighed. “I don’t know what’s going through her head at times,” he said. “But I’ll handle it. She has no right to be rude to you.”

“It’s no big deal,” Serena said. “What do you say you show me some more of this park?”

“I have an even better idea,” he said as they rose from the bench. “Let’s get started on your tour of Charlotte.”

Serena nodded. “Sounds like a good plan and then I’ll spring for lunch.”

“No, then we’re going to Trader Joe’s. We’ll go back to your place and you can get your first cooking lesson.”

“All right,” she said. “I guess I’m ready to learn.”

“You have to do more than guess,” he said as they headed for his truck. When Antonio glanced over his shoulder, he saw Casey watching him and Serena walk away. Suddenly, he heard Norman’s voice in his head telling him that Casey wanted more than to stay connected with her sister by being around him.

He would definitely have to have a talk with her and let her know that his life was his own and he was going to date.

As Serena and Antonio headed to Marshall Park in Uptown Charlotte—the beginning of her tour—Serena’s cell phone rang. She looked down at the screen and saw that it was Alicia calling.

“I have to take this,” she told Antonio before answering the phone. “Nice of you to call,” she said into the phone.

“Oh stop it. From what I hear, you’re not missing me,” Alicia said with a laugh. “I’m going to be back in Charlotte next week. But I need you to tell me how the work is coming along with the contractor. Have you cracked that nut?”

“I can’t get into that right now, but the restaurant looks great.”

“Oh my goodness, you’re with him. Please tell me you’re not going to spit him out before we get everything we need for the reopening.”

Serena sighed and swiftly changed the subject. “How’s the seminar coming along?”

“Oh, you must be really close to him because I told you about that yesterday. Are you in bed or out of bed? That was a silly question, you wouldn’t have picked up if you were in bed with that man.”

Serena gripped her cell phone wishing she’d rolled her nosy friend into voicemail instead of answering.

“Serena?” Alicia asked. “Are you still there?”

“I thought you wanted something important,” Serena said in an irritated tone.

Antonio glanced over at her and smiled, then said, “We’re here.”

“Alicia, I have to go. We’ll talk later.” She hung up the phone and climbed out of the truck.

“Business?” Antonio asked as they walked toward the park.

Serena nodded. “The best thing about being business partners with your friends is that you can hang up on them without worrying about hurting their feelings.”

Antonio smiled. “So, that conversation was more about your personal life than the restaurant?”

“You got it.”

“What do your friends know about us?”

Serena ran her fingers through her hair and smiled. “That I wanted you from the moment I saw you and I usually get what I want. They just want to make sure I don’t mess up your working relationship with the restaurant.”

Antonio stopped walking and turned to Serena with a smirk on his lips. “From the moment you saw me? Was it worth the wait?”

“Definitely.”

“Just so you know, it wasn’t a one-sided thing.”

Serena took his face in her hands and laid a searing kiss on him that made their knees shake. Pulling back, Antonio thought about piling into the truck and going back to her place and taking that kiss to another level. She’d awakened a desire in him he’d thought died the moment he found out his wife was having an affair. Serena
made him feel wanted, made him feel as if he was desired and needed.

“If you do that again, we’re never going to finish this tour,” he said when he caught his breath.

“All right,” she said, then slipped her hand in his. “I’ll try to be good.”

“Don’t try too hard,” he said, then brushed his lips against her neck.

They walked over to a patch of grass near the man-made waterfall in the center of the park. Antonio reached into his pocket and pulled out two pennies. He handed one to Serena and said, “Make a wish.”

She closed her eyes and tossed the penny into the water, then laughed. “You’re bringing the kid out in me,” she said after Antonio tossed his coin in.

“Everybody needs to take some time and have fun every now and then.”

“I haven’t had fun in a while. Maybe it’s time that we change that.”

“Yes, it is time to change that. Let’s go,” he said, then they headed to his truck.

Serena expected that Antonio would drive to Trader Joe’s, but he headed back to her place. She looked at him with questions dancing in her eyes.

Antonio smiled. “I know you have a swimsuit up there.”

“Yes, but what do I need it for?”

“For the next phase of the tour,” he said with a
sly smile. “Tick tock, we still have to go to Trader Joe’s so you can get your cooking lesson.”

Serena pressed her chest against Antonio’s and asked, “Are you sure you’re not just trying to get me all wet? Because you don’t have to take me to water to do that.”

He slipped his hand around her waist and grinned at her. “Um, keep talking like that and the tour might end right here. Or you could go upstairs and change and we can see just how wet you can get later.” Antonio brushed his lips against hers then stepped back. “Now, go get that swimsuit.”

Serena headed upstairs and fished her purple bandeau bathing suit out of her dresser drawer. She changed out of the strapless romper she’d been wearing and put the suit on. Looking at herself in the mirror, Serena thought about Antonio’s smile and the fun they’d been having all day, but in the back of her mind reality tugged at her thoughts. It wasn’t always going to be like this. His sister-in-law’s reaction to her made her feel as if there would be problems. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind as she pulled her romper over her swimsuit and headed to the closet to grab a couple towels.

“All right. I’m ready,” she called from the top of the stairs.

Antonio smiled at her. “Let’s go.”

Serena walked downstairs and linked arms with him. As they walked to the truck, she sighed and turned Antonio and took his face in her hands and kissed him gently.

“What was that for?” he asked when she broke the kiss.

“For all the fun we’re having,” she said. “For you being such a nice guy.”

“A nice guy? That isn’t a bad thing, is it? Women don’t normally go for the ‘nice guy.’”

Serena squeezed his cheek. “Most nice guys aren’t built like you either,” she joked. “Besides, at some point, bad boys get old and boring.”

“So, nice guys are a consolation prize?” he asked as he playfully swatted her bottom.

“Not at all,” she said. “It’s just that some women, myself included, take a while to recognize just how fun a nice guy can be.”

Antonio let her go and opened the passenger door for Serena. “Got to keep up the good guy image,” he said as she slipped into the truck.

As he started the truck, Serena snapped her seat belt on, then asked, “So, where are we going?”

“First, to my place so I can grab some swim trunks, then we’re going to my favorite place,” he said.

“And that place is?”

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t know, so sit back and enjoy the ride.”

Serena raised her hand in mock salute. “All right. I’m going to sit back and let you take me away.”

About ten minutes later, they pulled into the driveway of Antonio’s two-story home. Serena was struck by the beauty of the woodwork on the outside of the house. The front door was adorned with wood-carved flowers that reminded
her of work she’d seen in art books. They got out of the truck and walked up to the front door. Before Antonio unlocked it, Serena ran her hand across the smooth wood.

“Did you do this?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said wistfully as if her question struck a nerve.

Serena dropped her hand and stepped aside so Antonio could unlock the door. She watched him as he cast a glance at the door and wondered what the significance of the door was.

“The place is a little messy,” he said as he pushed the door open. Serena shook her head as she took a glance at the foyer. It wasn’t messy, just lived in. Dusty work boots were lined near the door and a few pairs of small sneakers. A winding staircase led upstairs and a crystal chandelier hung in the center of the high ceiling. The walls were painted a chocolate brown but there were telltale signs of a child living there—a few nicks and smudges on the walls.

The house had a comfortable feel to it and Serena could almost hear the sound of a little boy laughing. Warmth and love seemed to radiate from the walls. She smiled at Antonio and said, “This house is nice.”