Page 60 of Blood Money

He shoved his legs into a pair of old, gray NYPD sweatpants and a black T-shirt then padded into the kitchen in his bare feet to find Alex plating up spaghetti and salad.

“I hope you like spaghetti.” She sent him an apologetic look. “It represents my full repertoire of Italian cuisine. Plus, it was all I had that was quick to fix.”

“Spaghetti’s perfect.” Gray watched Alex’s perfectly rounded backside as she opened a cabinet and tried unsuccessfully to reach for wineglasses, telling him she must not be in the habit of drinking wine or the glasses would be more accessible.

He came up behind her, placing his hands gently at her waist to move her aside. “I’ll get them.”

She turned abruptly at his touch. They stood with their bodies pressed lightly together. Chest to chest. Thigh to thigh.

So much for not touching her again.

Gray’s breath grew heavier. His chin brushed against Alex’s hair, and she lifted her face to him with parted lips. He couldn’t stop himself. Leaning down, his lips brushed hers, and she gasped. That brief, utterly feminine sound brought him to his senses. He leaned around her and reached for the wineglasses.

Tonight really will be the longest of my life.

As he set the glasses on the counter, Alex struggled to open a bottle of wine. “It’s an old bottle, so I hope it’s still okay.”

“Aging will only make it taste that much better.” Her hands were shaking, and Gray covered them with his. “I’ve got this.” He was relieved that she was as affected by what had just nearly happened as he was.

The bottle was indeed dusty. Alcohol might be just what they both needed to take the edge off today’s drama. He poured them each some Cabernet and set the glasses on the table.

Alex smiled so tightly her lips looked pinched. Her voice shook when she spoke. “Let’s eat.”

The tension in the little kitchen was as thick as a desert dust storm. “Tell me more about Nicky.” Gray sat down, hoping he could lighten things up.

Alex sat across from him, her smile so genuine, Gray knew instantly he’d touched on the right topic to turn the mood around.

“He’s the most wonderful boy in the world. He’s smart, funny, and makes friends easily.”

Gray took a sip of wine. “I could tell that the first time we met. Shy, he’s not.”

“It’s more than that. He likes you.” Alex took a bite of spaghetti, and he watched in fascination as her lips puckered and she sucked in a wayward strand of pasta dangling from her mouth.

Unable to stop the image of those luscious lips sucking on something else, Gray’s dick hardened painfully. Keep talking and don’t look at her mouth. “His illness doesn’t seem to have made him sad.”

“At times he is. Others not.” Alex bit her lower lip, which again drew Gray’s attention to her incredibly pink, majorly kissable mouth. “Children with serious illnesses often learn to hide their pain. They get used to it at such a young age.”

“I can’t imagine going through that. As a parent or a child.” Gray’s admiration of both Alex and Nicky was growing exponentially. Despite the hardships, theirs was a solid bond.

Again Alex smiled. “As a gift for everything he’s been through lately, I promised I’d take him to Yankee Stadium. You should hear how excited he is about it.”

Attending a Yankee game once a year was a Yates family tradition. It was on the tip of Gray’s tongue to say he’d like to take both of them to a game. “How did he get to be such a big Bronx Bomber fan?”

“Some of his friends from school hooked him on the game. But I think it was this book I got him the first time he had to go into the hospital. The Littlest Yankee. It really helped him through his first treatment.”

Gray tipped his head in the direction of the living room. “You’ve got an impressive collection.”

She paused in the middle of twirling spaghetti around her fork. “Not what you were expecting, I’m guessing.”

Gray smiled. “No. Not at all. Except for the interior decorating books. After the job you did for the commissioner last Christmas, that didn’t surprise me at all. You have a gift.”

“Thank you.” She smiled back. “Your sister may be my first client. Not my first paying client, though. I won’t take a dime from her. But she may be able to garner some other clients for me in Hopewell Springs and right here in the city.”

“How did someone with your engineering and architectural degrees get into interior decorating?” Gray asked.

The look she gave him now was one of resignation. “So you did peek in my box.”

“Yup.” He nodded. “Sorry. Snooping’s what I do.”