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  Never mind that she was a successful businesswoman who owned a very popular nightclub. In her family of academic highbrow professionals, her chosen professional path was nothing to be impressed by in comparison.

  Laney released another deep breath and plopped down in her office chair. No wonder she’d felt so attracted to a random stranger. She was looking for assurance that she was still attractive, that someone could still want her.

  She had to admit she was feeling dejected. She really hadn’t seen the breakup coming. That Joseph had told her she was boring just added jagged-edged rock salt into the open gaping wound.

  * * *

  It had started to feel awkward, with him just standing there getting dressed as she talked on the phone. If he were being completely honest with himself, he’d felt a little rattled at the way she affected him. So he made his escape. Some might call that cowardly. Or simple self-preservation. He was going to go with the latter.

  It was bad enough she had no clue who he was or why he was there. And as he pulled up into the parking of the twenty-four-hour boxing gym, he still hadn’t been able to put Laney out of his mind.

  A nagging sensation tickled the back of his mind. During her phone call, the person on the other end had been loud enough that he’d heard part of the conversation. He could have sworn the caller had called Laney “Elaine.”

  Pulling out his smartphone, he called up his business drive and opened the file on acquisitions to confirm. And there it was in black-and-white on the small screen, just as he’d suspected. Owner/proprietor of intended property: Elaine Taytum.

  Elaine. Laney. A quick online search of various local business pages verified his conclusion. She wasn’t a cocktail waitress at all. She was merely waitressing at her own establishment.

  Gianni bit out a sharp curse. Way to complicate things even further given the fierce attraction he felt toward her as soon as they’d met.

  All the better that he was here at the gym. A few rounds with a heavy punching bag would go far to settling some of the inexplicable frustration he was feeling.

  Something about the woman had triggered a need in him he hadn’t even realized he had. Less than ten minutes later, he was changed and pummeling the bag. Only two other men were also present, sparring in the center ring. Within no time, Gianni’s heart rate was pumping and sweat rolled down his face.

  Though it took a while, the exertion finally started to temper the storm of relentless angst he’d been feeling since he’d left the Carpe D.

  “Thought I’d find you here,” a familiar masculine voice bellowed behind him. “You’re not answering your phone.”

  Gianni stopped mid punch and turned to face his brother. Angelo was the complete opposite of him in every way. Fair where Gianni was tan, not exactly short but nowhere near Gianni’s six foot one. Angelo’s amber-hued eyes changed color with the light, whereas Gianni’s were perpetually dark. Angelo was a devoted family man. And Gianni would never follow that path, he was almost certain. Falling for someone meant opening yourself to humiliation and hurt. Hurt that could spread out toward others like ripples in a pond after a boulder fell into it. For two men who were brothers, the differences between them ran surface level as well as far deeper.

  They both knew the reason for that—a poorly kept secret that no one dared to talk about.

  Still, despite that damning secret and all their differences, they’d always been close as siblings. Gianni would trust his brother with his very life.

  “Planned on calling you as soon as I was done,” he told the other man, taking his gloves off and reaching for the towel at the nearby weight bench.

  “Did you scope the place out?”

  “I did. Even met the owner.”

  “And? Will it work? Dad’s going to want a full account in the morning.”

  Taking a swig from his ice-cold water bottle, Gianni nodded. “It’s perfect. The location, the building.” He poured a small amount of the water over his head. “Popular place though. Must do well. I don’t see her accepting just any offer.” He’d intentionally gone on a night he’d known would be busy, to stay as under the radar as possible. Just a regular guy out for a fun night of clubbing.

  Angelo shrugged. “Then we’ll just make her an offer she can’t refuse, won’t we?”

  Something told him things wouldn’t be that simple. From what little he’d seen of her tonight, Laney wasn’t going to fold easy about any kind of deal. She was obviously hands-on, to get into the grind of serving as a waitress. And she cared enough about her clientele that she made sure one of them didn’t go home in a soaking wet shirt. Efficient and prepared.

  What kind of man would have dumped such a dynamic, successful, attractive woman? It made no sense where he was standing. He gave his head a shake. He couldn’t go there again. He’d barely just managed to get inappropriate thoughts of her out his mind. “We’re going to have to.”

  His brother clapped him on the shoulder. “Sorry I couldn’t come with you. Had a pounding headache that’s only just receding.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Glad you’re feeling better.”

  “Probably coming down with what Marie and the kids had last week.”

  Gianni stepped back in exaggeration and used his fingers to make the sign of an x. “Stay back and keep your germs to yourself.”

  Angelo rolled his eyes. “Ha-ha. Really funny, bro.”

  “I’m not exactly sure if I’m really joking, man.”

  Angelo ignored him and continued, “So I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow at Mom and Pop’s, right?”

  Gianni couldn’t resist the temptation to tease him just a bit more. “I was thinking of skipping that. Seeing as those loud and bratty toddlers of yours will be there.”

  The statement couldn’t be further from the truth. Seeing Angelo and Marie’s two-year-old son, Gino, and four-year-old daughter, Gemma, was the highlight of Gianni’s week every Saturday. He loved being able to spoil them, then hand them right back when the visit was over.

  Angelo gave him a fake glare. “More funniness. You know, if working for the family business doesn’t pan out for you, you should go out on a comedy tour.”

  Now, that was the real joke. As if Gianni had any real choice in his place within the Martino empire of entertainment companies. His wasn’t the type of family where one of only two sons could easily walk away from the family business. His father valued loyalty and family above all else. Particularly when it came to his older son. Their empire included everything from gaming halls, to small-scale casinos, to fitness centers and gyms. And Franco wanted Laney’s location as the next Martino casino. “Maybe I will.”

  “You do that. In the meantime, you can give the old man a complete rundown of what you saw tonight when we see him at breakfast tomorrow.”

  Gianni figured he would leave out the part about having a cocktail thrown in his face. And all that transpired afterward with the club’s owner. If his brother and father ever got wind of any of that, he’d no doubt never hear the end of it.

  “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be there,” he answered and reached for his bag on the nearby weight bench.

  He’d have to get his thoughts in order before the morning when his father would undoubtedly have numerous questions about how to proceed with the acquisition. He’d also have to explain to his brother and father that Laney was probably going to be a tougher negotiator than they’d assumed.

  CHAPTER THREE

  SHE’D GOTTEN ZERO SLEEP.

  It didn’t help that the bridesmaid’s dress she’d laid out to steam the other day seemed to be mocking her from across the room. She was supposed to be wearing that dress while walking in the bridal procession on Joseph’s arm.

  How in the world was she supposed to break it to her sister that she’d be attending solo? Emily would have to find somebody to take Joseph’s place in the wedding party. Wayn
e, her soon-to-be brother-in-law, was probably going to have to ask one of his friends to step up. He’d have to explain that Emily’s boring sister had been dumped on the eve of her sibling’s wedding.

  Luckily, her sister had decided the groomsmen should be clad in black tie, which meant standard tuxes. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about scheduling a new fitting for someone.

  It was all so humiliating. Laney didn’t consider herself a particularly prideful person. But this was a bit too much to bear.

  Her ex’s words echoed through her head. I’m breaking up with you and your first response is to wonder how you’re going to break the news to others.

  Did Joseph have a point? What did it say about her that rather than experiencing loss or sorrow about the end of her long-term relationship, she felt anger more than anything else?

  Puffing out a frustrated sigh, she shifted to her side. There was no point in pondering any of it right now. She had things to do, decisions to make. Maybe she should just drop out of the wedding procession altogether. Let Em’s best friend Lea take over the duties as maid of honor. That thought had tears stinging her eyes. Even if they weren’t particularly close, Emily was still her only sibling.

  No, she wasn’t going to let a philandering ex mar her only sibling’s wedding for her.

  One thing was certain, as sleepless as she was, she was going to need a whole pot of coffee to get her through the morning. There was the exercise class to teach—Laney had gotten the idea a few months back that she could use the club dance floor for pop-up fitness classes, having been certified since college as an instructor. It didn’t provide for a huge revenue stream, but it made more sense than to let the club just sit empty all day. With the added benefit that she got some exercise and met so many more people.

  And she was still working on that cocktail recipe for tonight’s house special. She couldn’t continue to wallow in bed, no matter how groggy she felt.

  With a resigned sigh, she threw her covers off and sat up. In between all she had to do, she would have to somehow rehearse exactly what she was going to say to Emily and her parents.

  She could just imagine their distressed, yet somehow resigned, reactions. Here was Laney yet again disappointing everyone. Her parents kept expecting her to fail, and she kept proving them right.

  They’d undoubtedly ask if Laney had tried hard enough to make things work, especially given the close proximity to the big event. They’d wonder if she’d been the one to somehow mess things up between her and Joseph. She’d finally found someone they could approve of and she couldn’t hold on to him.

  At least the recipe for the cocktail was fairly close. A combination of elderflower, sparkling water and orange liqueur, she knew she needed just one more ingredient to bind it all together.

  Hopefully, it would be a hit and nobody would get splashed in the face with the concoction through the course of the evening, unlike last night. The scene from the previous evening came flooding back into her mind. Images of the tall dark stranger standing in her office as he took his shirt off. The electricity that seemed to hum between them.

  What might have happened if Emily hadn’t called when she did?

  Perhaps they would have exchanged numbers, and she’d be spending this morning wondering if he would call her today or if he would call her at all.

  Laney gave her head a brisk shake. She had to have been imagining the tension that seemed to have existed between them. No doubt her mind was grasping at random possibilities simply because she’d been dumped only hours before a handsome and very toned Adonis stood shirtless in her office. After all, if he’d really wanted to get in touch with her again, there were plenty of times he could have asked for her number up until Em’s phone call. Or he could have simply hung around afterward. But when she’d walked back out to the club, he was nowhere to be found.

  Laney couldn’t deny the disappointment she’d felt. She’d never met anyone quite so...well, like him. It was the only description that came to mind. He clearly wasn’t some kind of office desk jockey. If he was, the man must spend the rest of the hours of his day just working out. Maybe he was a fitness instructor himself only full time.

  Maybe he was a male model. Boston did have several marketing agencies that did business throughout the whole world.

  She chuckled out loud. The chances of an up-and-coming male model being interested in her would be considered slim to none. Those types wanted glamour and style. She was neither of those things. As she’d found out when she was rejected again and again from any kind of respected dance company.

  What was she thinking, anyway? She’d literally just gotten out of a long relationship. She had no business pondering the prospect of starting another one. Joseph’s betrayal was going to take time to heal from. She’d trusted him, only to have him drop her at the most inopportune time, when she needed him to be there for her. Not to mention the whole cheating thing. It would take a while to get past all that.

  And the risk of falling for a disastrous rebound fling was all too real, especially given her reaction to Gianni at the club.

  No, she had to accept the reality that she was single now and she had to get on with her life. And she had to forget about the dark and handsome stranger who had so briefly walked through it.

  * * *

  Having never gotten around to purchasing a washer and dryer for his own place after a relatively recent move, Gianni made sure to do his laundry at his parents’ home every Saturday when he went there for breakfast. That’s why he was in possession of a freshly washed borrowed shirt that one Laney Taytum had given him when he drove away from his family’s house close to noon. He’d tossed it in a paper bag and thrown it on the passenger seat.

  The sooner he returned the shirt, the sooner he could put the encounter with Laney out of his head. Maybe then he could finally start viewing her as the next businesswoman he’d be negotiating a deal with rather than the sexy server who’d knocked the wind out of him.

  Given the conversation he’d just had at breakfast with Angelo and his father, there was no doubt Martino Entertainment Enterprises was on a direct course to obtain the property and building that housed the nightclub she owned. It was the ideal spot for the gaming hall slash casino they’d had in development for the past year. Laney’s club was situated right off the water on a small peninsula that used to house a lighthouse.

  He’d been charged with making it happen.

  The Carpe D was certain to be closed this time of day. But he’d noticed a mail drop box mounted on the outside by the entrance when he’d been there last night, and it so happened the club wasn’t that far out of his way.

  A surprising number of cars sat in the parking lot when he arrived several minutes later. Which made no sense for a nightclub, seeing as it was barely lunchtime. Was she holding some kind of training for the staff?

  As he got out of the car, the pounding pulse of bass from a hip-hop song he recognized thumped through the air. A female voice sounded over the loud music.

  Curiosity piqued, he approached the entrance.

  He’d been mistaken. The club was definitely not closed. About twenty women in spandex and sneakers were bouncing on the dance floor in tandem—along with one solitary gentleman who appeared to be holding his own. Then they all started doing some complicated side-step move, which took them all around the dance floor.

  But Gianni’s focus was centered on one woman and her alone. And the sight of her made his gut tighten with desire.

  Laney stood in front of the group on a makeshift wooden stage about five-inches high. She wore a bright green tank top, which fit her like a glove and brought out the tan, golden hue of her skin. Her toned shapely legs kicked to the music as the others followed her lead.

  She was instructing some sort of fitness class and damned if it wasn’t the sexiest scene he’d ever laid eyes on.

  He stood
watching, mesmerized as she thrust her hips forward and back, then did a mini twirl. Gianni swallowed. Exercise classes like this one certainly didn’t happen at the boxing gyms his family owned and he frequently visited. Good thing too, since their usual clientele would no doubt drool all over the equipment if they were to witness something like this in the center ring, just like Gianni was on the verge of doing.

  He continued to watch as the group came to a stop and the music ended. The next song to come on was a much slower one. He could barely hear Laney’s voice but it sounded like she was congratulating everyone on a job well done before starting a cooldown.

  She bent down and touched her toes, perfectly bent at the waist. The woman was definitely flexible.

  Steady, fella. She’s simply exercising. Nothing to get worked up about.

  Gianni made himself look away and glanced around him. Thank the spirits above that no one else was nearby as he looked suspiciously like a solitary male in a parking lot gawking at a bunch of ladies—and one man—in tight fitness gear, bouncing around a dance floor.

  If he were smart, he’d make a break for it right now before anyone noticed him. The class was clearly about to end. He could always drop the shirt in the mail. He started to do just that, about to pivot on his heel and get back in the car, but he didn’t manage to move fast enough. As soon as Laney straightened, her eyes found his through the glass door of the entrance.

  She gave him a wide smile, one that seemed to spread through her whole face. He might even surmise that she was happy to see him. Then she lifted a finger in the universal sign that said, Give me a minute.

  What choice did he have?

  She wrapped up the class in under a minute while Gianni waited, leaning against the hood of his car. Now that he’d been spotted, he felt less like a sneaky voyeur and he allowed himself to fully indulge in the view of Laney going through the steps of her cooldown stretches. If he’d only known he’d be treated to such an entertaining scene when he woke up this morning, it definitely would have given him something to look forward to.