“Nope.” The haughty tone was still there especially when referring to the holiday trysts but he nodded again feeling slightly better knowing this conversation could’ve gone a lot worse. “None at all.”

Her curious stare was now tinged with suspicion but the slight smugness of her curved lips gave him hope there would be a lift to the tension that so quickly engulfed the room and had begun to suffocate him. “Really? So since Thanksgiving, aside from the times you saw her at your work Christmas dinner and Christmas Eve you haven’t heard from her at all?”

He wished to hell she hadn’t been watching him so closely because she obviously picked up on the fact that he was suddenly scrambling for the perfect response. The curve of her lips was gone and there was a trace of fear in her eyes for just an instant before she looked away. “Just once and again it wasn’t planned.”

Roni’s face literally jerked back in his direction. Her expression was hard now. “What wasn’t planned?”

“Seeing her.”

“When?” As strange as it felt to hear Roni’s venomous demand he welcomed it. He wanted her to demand things—know that she had every right to know and leave the door wide open for him to do the same to her.

“New Year’s Day.” The second he said it he realized what she was thinking. He’d been so f**king caught up in and loving the fact that she was behaving like a jealous girlfriend—something that seemed so farfetched until now he didn’t even think about how bad this sounded but her eyes said it all. She was more than disgusted; she was hurt. “Gio’s uncle is her dad,” he said, rushing to her but she held her arms out, visibly upset now.

“You saw her the day after…”

“She was there at his house the day I went to help Gio out. I had no idea she would be but nothing happened, Roni I swear to you.” Roni backed away refusing to make eye contact with him, something he’d noticed now she only did when she wasn’t in complete control of her emotions. “She was in the house the whole time cooking. We all went in and had lunch after working on the yard for hours, then I left.”

She shook her head and Noah wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was she saying she didn’t believe him? Then she spoke as she began to walk out of the kitchen.

“You don’t owe me any explanations.”

Like hell he didn’t. He rushed to her taking her by the arm and backed her into the counter before she could protest. “Yes I do,” he said cradling her face in his hands as he stared into those solemn eyes of hers. “I do.” He whispered again before kissing her softly. “She was there but nothing happened and that’s the last I’ve seen or heard of her okay? I’ll even tell you the next time I hear or see her again.”

She started to shake her head in protest. “You don’t have to.”

“Stop saying that. I want to.” Rita was the only f**king thing at this point that could cast any doubt in Roni’s head about them. He felt it. She’d finally started giving in to everything else and he’d be damned if he was going to let someone as insignificant as Rita ruin it all. “I want to and I’m going to.”

He finally saw a trace of that beautiful smile he loved so much. “Okay,” she whispered then took a deep breath. “I need a shower.”

What he saw in her face at that moment was the very thing he was feeling. Relief. This conversation—Rita—had been a looming subject that he knew would eventually have to be discussed and as uncomfortable as it had been he was glad it was over.

Proof of what he had suspected way back on the day he’d taken that ride with Rita when it felt wrong had been confirmed tonight. He and Roni had made a connection Thanksgiving. He wasn’t the only one who felt it because even though she hadn’t said it, the fact was it hurt her. It all made sense now. Gio and Abel hadn’t imagined it when they said she appeared upset the night Hector brought it up.

Noah hugged her remembering that night again and the fact that she’d cried. They weren’t even officially together yet and he’d already caused her pain. He hugged her even tighter hoping she could feel how sorry he felt. As much as he wanted to apologize he hated to even go there anymore.

She pulled away gently and smiled. “I’ll meet you in the hallway after I’m showered and ready to go to bed?”

That excitement he felt over that one sentence made him feel like a little kid in a toy store and he didn’t even care that he was so blatant it made her laugh. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep if you didn’t.”

His attempt to sneak in one more kiss failed when she snuck under his arm and she rushed away with a giggle. He watched as she walked away, taking in those high-heeled boots that had driven him crazy New Year’s Eve. For an instant he had a vision of seeing her in them—and nothing else. Patience was a virtue but damn if it wasn’t also a torment to even wait for their hallway meeting in a few long minutes.

~*~

A week after their Rita conversation Roni was feeling as indecisive as ever about moving things forward with Noah. His admission about how and why things had happened the day after Thanksgiving and the fact that he gave her the go-ahead to question him—that she was entitled to explanations about his personal life should’ve have been a deciding factor. But ironically something else about that conversation had made her more aware of how frightening it was to put herself out there like that.