Page 61 of Above ’N’ Beyond

Lying on her side on the bed, she tucked Gnocchi against her, urging the pup to settle and hoping he didn’t pee on the comforter in the middle of the night. He made an adorable little sigh, then closed his eyes.

The air conditioner kicked on, whirring softly. After a rough night at the Bistro, the gentle hum normally lulled her to sleep. Tonight, sleep refused to come. Being thoroughly exhausted—body and mind—wasn’t enough to keep her from playing out the endless loop of scenarios her actions tonight might have kicked off. None of those scenarios ended pleasantly.

Through the open blinds, a full moon hung over the river, glowing in the darkness like a giant round lightbulb. Somewhere, she’d read that a full moon marked a big build-up of energy, both light and dark.

She laughed to herself. The only energy pulsing through her house tonight was dark. Definitely dark.

Headlights glinted off the window. A moment later, they shut off. Jimmy was home. She and Sierra had been closing up for the night when Paola had left. Jimmy and the others had gone down the street to a tavern. Knowing her cousin, Tony had probably picked up a buxom blonde, his favorite taste in one-night stands since dumping Misty Morris, the bank teller.

What kind of woman did Jimmy prefer?

Probably a supermodel type of woman. The antithesis of her slightly overweight, five-foot-three frame.

Bella turned again to her other side and whacked the pillow with her fist. Just because he’d kissed her didn’t mean a thing. Guys kissed women all the time, and both times he’d kissed her, she’d been upset. First, right after being attacked at the lake, then after having it out with Tony.

She turned her face into the pillow and groaned. Was that all she was good for—a pity kiss? And why couldn’t she stop thinking about him? She didn’t do mobsters.

Seconds later, the basement apartment door opened, then closed, only to open and close yet again. Jimmy must be taking Jax for a walk. He and Jax probably made quite an impression in the neighborhood. Jax was a big, beautiful German shepherd. Jimmy’s long, muscular legs filled out his jeans and slacks perfectly. And the way all those polo shirts clung to his upper body, outlining his rock-hard pecs and abs…

She flipped onto her back and clapped a hand to her forehead. Lust. She had to stop lusting after the man. There was absolutely nothing good that would come of it.

The doorbell rang. Bella tensed, fisting the sheets in her hands.

Gnocchi yipped, then leaped off the bed and raced from the room.

Bella threw back the sheet, then followed Gnocchi. She looked through the peephole. Jimmy and Jax stood on her porch. She drew back, her heart racing. Should she let him in? Did she want to let him in?

No. Yes. Maybe. Bad idea.

She looked down at Gnocchi, as if the puppy held the answers. Gnocchi cracked his jaw, wagging his tail faster. Had she somehow transmitted the identities of who was out there? Relying on Gnocchi’s clear preference could be another mistake. Of course, technically, she didn’t have to let them in. Whatever he’d come to say he could say right there on her porch. A compromise.

Bella grabbed a blanket from the back of the sofa and draped it over her shoulders before throwing open the deadbolt and opening the door.

For a moment, Jimmy didn’t say anything. Jax’s tail whipped back and forth, but he stayed at Jimmy’s side. Seeing Jax, Gnocchi barked with glee and rushed to him, begging for attention.

“May we come in?”

Both dogs’ heads turned to look up at her, neither making a sound.

No fair. Three against one.

The moment of truth had arrived. Although she’d known the answer to Jimmy’s question when she’d unwisely opened the door.

She stepped aside, waited for them to come in, then closed the door. The blanket slipped off one shoulder, and she caught it just before it would have hit the floor, but not in time to prevent giving Jimmy a quick glimpse of how her favorite silk nightie was perhaps a size too small to gracefully accommodate the fullness of her curves.

Sure enough, his gaze dipped briefly, although she couldn’t be certain if the clenching of his jaw was a sign of genuine appreciation or merely an auto-response at the prospect of catching a woman wearing nothing but a thin scrap of clothing.

A flash of heat warmed her, and she hugged the blanket tighter, being careful to cloak every inch of her body from the tops of her thighs to her neck.

Jax trotted into the kitchen, sniffing every corner. Gnocchi followed Jax, as if he were the bigger dog’s shadow.

Bella readjusted the blanket. Aside from crossing his arms, Jimmy hadn’t budged. Now it was her turn to ogle his thick biceps and the flexing of his forearms.

She swallowed, praying he didn’t pick up on the subtle vibration of energy humming through her veins and lighting up every one of her nerve endings. “What do you want?”

“To talk,” he said in a low voice laden with warning.

“About what?” Duh. The giant elephant in the room.