Dance With Destiny Read online

  “Dominic…” I call out, hoping he’ll turn around to acknowledge me, but he doesn’t. Because seems rather pointless, I make no further effort to smooth things over with him. He’s in the driver’s seat with the car shifted into reverse by the time Kennedy meets me at the back of her car.

  She wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist like a spider monkey. Before I moved, the two of us were practically inseparable and I think we both miss what we used to share. I brush my lips across hers, soaking in a bit of warmth and love after Dom’s frigid demeanor after he woke up.

  “Whoa, what was that all about?” she asks, watching as Dominic backs out of his stall and pulls out of my life. The tires lose traction on the wet snow, the spray giving me confirmation that he can’t get away fast enough.

  “Nothing I want to talk about right now. Let’s get someplace warm. Thanks for rescuing me yet again.” I wrap my arms around her, kissing the top of her head as the snow falls around us.

  Only I could turn my back on my convictions and get the world’s best hand-job by a guy who’s not only unavailable, but is involved with a woman. While I may not be the one who was cheating, I feel bad for the beautiful blonde who’s currently wrapped in Tony’s arms, feeling those plump lips on hers. I let my libido get the best of me and didn’t bother asking if he was involved with someone, and that’s something I’ll try to keep from beating myself up over because it sure as hell doesn’t seem to bother him at all.

  “Are we there?” a sleepy voice in the back seat asks. I pull the truck onto the freeway as Erin stretches behind me.

  “Soon. Where are you girls staying?” She gives me the name of a youth hostel and I enter it into my GPS. It’s a bit out of my way, but at this point, it’s not as if I have anything better to do. Sleep will be elusive because of how upset I am about what happened with Tony.

  The good thing about getting into town so late is that traffic isn’t a total nightmare. Still, it takes almost an hour to get there because the streets are a slushy mess. Maybe I don’t miss this part of the country as much as I once thought. I pull up in front of the hostel where the girls are staying and start unloading the bags out of the truck.

  Erin wraps her arms around my neck, delivering a quick peck to my cheek. “Don’t worry, everything will work out. You two are hot together.” She looks over her shoulder and winks at me as she walks away.

  As I make my way to my own hotel, I keep replaying Erin’s words. Did she hear what we were doing? Or worse, was she awake and we were so consumed by each other that we were oblivious to our audience?

  The hotel, located just off Times Square, isn’t where I would prefer to stay, but it’s where Andrew set me up because it’s the same hotel where their wedding reception will be held. To hear Andrew tell it, this isn’t where he and his bride-to-be wanted their reception, but they have very little say in the matter. Cara’s parents are all about putting on a show for their guests, and this was the best location available when Cara dug in her heels and refused to change the wedding date.

  By three in the morning, I head out for a walk just to see if that will help me unwind to the point where I can get a few hours of sleep before this meeting. Andrew is counting on me and I can’t let a momentary lapse in judgment screw that up.

  Sheer exhaustion allowed me to get a few hours of sleep, but now I almost wish I’d stayed up all night. My head is throbbing and my body aches, and I know it’s going to be one hell of a day. I send Andrew a quick message, asking if it’d be possible for him to call me after breakfast, and head to the shower.

  As the scalding hot water sluices over my body, I think about last night, trying to convince myself that it was all a hallucination. My cock stirs to life as I remember the way Tony played me like an instrument, knowing exactly how and where to touch to elicit the desired reaction. I try to shake the thoughts from my head, and when that doesn’t work, I pour some bodywash into my palm and relive every scandalous detail.

  Just as I’m about to come, the blonde’s face pops into my mind, immediately killing the moment. If only I could forget the catastrophic end of the night, I could use the memory of Tony as spank bank material for months to come.

  I turn off the water and take out my aggression by whipping open the shower curtain. I wipe away the condensation from the mirror and take a long, hard look at myself. The man staring back at me looks tired, and not from a restless night. There are frown lines etching their way onto my once clear complexion and dark, puffy bags under my eyes. In short, I look like hell.

  My phone ringing in the other room breaks up my pity party. I wrap a towel around my waist as I rush to the phone, saying hello right before it’d go to voicemail.

  “I’d ask if I woke you, but you’re the one who messaged me. Everything okay?” Andrew asks. Cara calls out a passing ‘hello’ in the background. “Cara says to tell you she says hi.”

  “Hi back,” I respond. “Hang on, I need to get some food and coffee ordered.” I pick up the room phone and place my order, relieved to know a jolt of caffeine will arrive shortly.

  “Did you make it in last night or did you have to stop along the way?” I probably should have called or texted when I got to my room, but I was a bit…distracted.

  “Yeah, I got to the hotel pretty late, otherwise I would have let you know. Sorry about that.” Cradling the phone between my shoulder and ear, I dig fresh clothes out of my suitcase, and begin unpacking the rest of my clothes so they don’t look like I slept in them. While I work, Andrew goes over the itinerary for the weekend, but I’m only half listening to him. I’m not in the wedding, so I figure it’s not imperative that I know how every minute is going to be spent.

  There’s a knock on the door and I smile when the room service attendant almost trips over himself while bringing my breakfast into the room. He’s trying to be sly about his appraisal of my bare chest and low-slung jeans, but he’s doing a poor job of it. Maybe I don’t look as awful as I think I do.

  “As much as I’d love to spend the day chatting, what’s up?” Andrew prods as I sit down to eat. I push the veggie omelet around on my plate, not as much of an appetite as I thought. “Cara’s mom is going to be here in about twenty minutes to start going over last minute crap that just has to be taken care of before noon, so you’ve got my undivided attention for the next eighteen.”

  I chuckle, knowing what Andrew thinks of his future mother-in-law. To say Cara’s parents are on their way to being the in-laws from hell is a gross understatement. They’re all about flaunting every penny of their wealth, and don’t appreciate the low-key lifestyle Cara and Andrew prefer.

  “I need you to tell me more about this bakery. From the P&L statements you sent me, I’m figuring there has to be something I’m not seeing.” I close my eyes as the first sip of coffee crosses my tongue, already feeling better.

  Andrew speaks quickly to tell me everything he knows about Patti’s Pastries, as well as why it’s a smart business decision for him to invest. Apparently, this is a classic case of a small business owner who has both the drive and the talent to succeed, but she’s lacking the capital to reach her full potential.

  “Okay, now that we have that out of the way, I have about ninety seconds for you to tell me about your trip. From your message last night, it sounded like it was going to be quite the adventure,” Andrew says, changing the subject right as I hear Cara in the background.

  I have no clue what to say. Even the short version will take longer than a minute, and most of it I’d prefer to keep to myself. “Adventure is one way to put it,” I respond. “And I might wind up telling you about it, but there’s no time for that particular story now. Go do what you need in order to keep the peace, and I’ll go see if maybe I can help close this deal as a wedding gift.”

  “That better not be all you plan on getting me, you cheap bastard.” Andrew laughs, knowing I’d never do something like that. We quickly end the call and I stare out the window, realizing how much I do
miss life up here.

  In college, Andrew and I picked on the chumps getting married at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on any given weekend. The pompous affairs are more showboating than celebrating a marriage and we always wondered if it was the bride and groom who wanted to marry there or if their parents demanded such a notable venue in order to flaunt their wealth. Now, my dear friend is one of those chumps.

  I send Andrew a text message, letting him know that I’ve arrived. I doubt he’ll have time to see me since it’s less than an hour before his nuptials, but he insisted on at least a text. That’s most likely because I slept through the rehearsal, as well as the dinner after.

  It probably makes me a lousy friend, but I laid down after the meeting, which was a success, intent on grabbing a quick nap before going to meet my friend and his family for dinner. Seven hours later, I woke up to a full voicemail box, ten text messages and three messages left at the front desk.

  To make matters worse, I felt no better upon waking as I did before going to sleep. It seems my mind refuses to let me forget about the night with Tony. I know my dick is still cursing at me for not inviting the man to my hotel room. Had I asked when the thought crossed my mind, he might have agreed and then he wouldn’t have called his girlfriend. We could have had our fun and then he could have taken the train back to Jersey, leaving me completely oblivious to her existence.

  Had Andrew pushed for me to freshen up and meet up with them when I finally reached him, I would have, but he assured me there was nothing fun going on and encouraged me to get some rest that I obviously needed. I feel like crap for not sending my buddy off into the married world with a killer party and an alcohol-related hangover, but I could have kissed him when he told me to get caught up on my sleep before today; a directive I tried to obey but failed. Knowing my luck, it’ll be the full mass that will finally lull me to sleep.

  Me: Hey, I’m here. You ready for this? There’s still time to jump on the subway and run away.

  Andrew: Very funny. Give me a few minutes and I’ll meet you outside.

  Me: K.

  Over the course of the past fifteen years, Andrew’s family has welcomed me as one of their own. Various aunts, uncles, and cousins greet me as they file into the cathedral, but there’s no sign of Andrew. I huddle near the front doors, trying to stay both warm and dry, but not yet ready to find my seat. Finally, his parents arrive in a stretch limousine and I can’t delay going inside much longer.

  “Dom, so glad you were able to make it,” Gus Rossi greets me with a firm handshake. “I was beginning to think you were going to be a no-show this weekend. Andrew told us you’d made it to town, but you weren’t at dinner so I wondered if he was covering for you.”

  “I’m sorry, sir. It was an ordeal to get here and I was pretty wiped out by the time I got done with a meeting I took for Andrew yesterday. It’s good to see you.” Gus pats me on the back, letting me know all is forgiven.

  His wife, Anna, pulls me into her arms, kissing me on both cheeks before cupping my face in her hands. “My dear, it’s so good to have you home again,” she greets me. I let Mama Rossi fuss over me, picking a piece of fuzz off my jacket, wiping an imaginary smudge off my cheek. It’s her thing, and it’s always been a small reminder that she’s there for me, even when I think I’m alone. “Don’t pay any attention to Gus, he’s been on edge all week. Why don’t you head in and we’ll be in shortly?”

  “Okay, Mama. It’s good to be back.” I kiss her cheek and walk down the long aisle of the cathedral alone. Every step closer to the front of the church leaves me longing for something I didn’t know I wanted a few days ago. No, I will never have any of this pomp and circumstance because of who I am, but I want the love that Andrew and Cara share. I got a taste of it once, just to have it snatched away from me. It’s taken a hell of a long time, but I might be ready to try again.

  Sitting by myself in the second pew, waiting for Gus and Mama Rossi to be escorted in, I find myself scanning the program. My heart drops when I read the first two lines.

  The marriage celebration of

  Caroline Elisa DeLuca and Andrew Giusseppe Rossi

  Somehow, I never knew that Cara’s full name is Caroline. I take a few deep breaths, trying to convince myself that this is some freak coincidence. There are likely hundreds of weddings taking place today in the city, not to mention the Tristate area, and more than one of them could include a bride named Caroline. The lump in my throat grows and I tug at the collar of my button-down shirt, certain that I’m going to pass out from lack of oxygen.

  The arrival of Andrew’s parents next to me serves as a welcome distraction. Gus pats my leg before turning his attention to the altar, offering a silent prayer for his son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Although I’ve never been a religious person, I follow his lead, offering up my own prayer. Mine isn’t asking God to bless Andrew and Cara’s marriage, it’s that a certain tall, well-built, sarcastic man with magic hands isn’t in the building right now. I turn my attention back to the program, anxious to find the list of attendants. And there, I see the name my suddenly-spiritual self has been praying to not see.

  Anthony DeLuca – brother of the bride

  Although it’s becoming more and more unlikely, I assure myself this is still all a fluke. After all, Anthony is almost as common in New York as John or James is in other parts of the country. My last thread of hope breaks as I watch Andrew and his wedding party enter the cathedral.

  “Oh, fuck,” I mutter, although it was supposed to be an internal thought only. Gus reaches down and pinches my leg. I look over to him and he’s glaring at me. I can’t blame him; I’m the one who just said one of the seven forbidden words, in a cathedral of all places.

  “Sorry, sir,” I mumble, hanging my head in shame. I’ve never understood why, but disappointing Gus is something I’ve gone out of my way to avoid ever since the first time Andrew brought me home to meet his family. And now, I’ve done it in spectacular fashion during his son’s wedding.

  Andrew nods as he passes me, raising an eyebrow at my contorted face. If it wouldn’t make a scene, I would rush out of the building before Tony notices me. When all of the groomsmen are in their places, the worst-case scenario gets even worse. I’m stuck sitting directly behind Tony, close enough that I can smell the same cologne he was wearing the night we met.

  So much for never seeing one another again. Had I known that I was going to see Dominic this weekend, I might have tried harder to make things right with him Thursday night. If I’d realized the Cara he mentioned was marrying his college roommate was my sister, who I’ve always called Caroline, I wouldn’t have touched him no matter how much I wanted to. Actually, that’s probably not true, because he’s damn fine and I’m not stupid enough to pass up an opportunity when it presents itself. But I definitely wouldn’t have walked away until I knew that neither of us had any regrets.

  I trip over my feet as I follow the rest of the groomsmen into the front of the cathedral, my attention focused on the man sitting next to Mr. and Mrs. Rossi, looking like he’s just been scolded.

  Dominic was gorgeous the night we met, but now, he’s downright breathtaking. I take my place in line and, because God has a twisted sense of humor, I’m going to be stuck knowing that Dominic is directly behind me for the next hour and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.

  As we wait for what seems like forever for all of Caroline’s bridesmaids to make the mile-long trek to the front of the cathedral, I try to catch Kennedy’s attention. Thursday night, I told her everything. After telling her about the sexy-as-fuck scene in the truck, I went on to tell her how much it annoyed me that Dominic and I parted on bad terms. She agreed with Dominic that there was no need to feel anything since we’d never see one another again. When Kennedy finally makes eye contact with me, I nod ever so slightly to my left and watch as her eyes threaten to bug out of her head. “Oh, my God. Is that him?” she mouths. I nod subtly. “Are you going to talk to him?” she asks. I shr
ug, and catch the attention of my older brother, who is standing directly behind me.

  “Anthony, quit talking to your girlfriend,” he hisses. “Caroline needs you to make her the priority for the next hour, then you can run off and find a quiet corner to do whatever it is the two of you do.” I close my eyes tightly before glancing at Dominic, finally realizing that he probably thinks the same thing I’ve led most of my family to believe all these years. The urge to elbow Peter in the gut to show him exactly what I think of his comment is strong, but I’ve already made enough of a scene. If he noticed, I’m sure other people have as well. And sure enough, Dominic is now glaring at me. He looks across the aisle and his entire body stiffens when he notices Kennedy sitting with my family. I need this wedding to hurry the fuck up so I can get a drink.

  The music changes and everyone stands and turns to see Caroline and our father walking down the aisle. I take the opportunity to admire the way Dominic’s suit jacket hangs off his shoulders. The subtle pinstripes act as beacons, drawing my eye down to his narrow hips, and suddenly I’m standing in the cathedral with a semi, thinking about the tight ass beneath those perfectly tailored pants. Go straight to Hell. Do not pass Go, do not collect two-hundred dollars.

  Finally, the priest instructs everyone to sit as he begins the service. As he drones on about the sanctity of marriage, I begin rehearsing what I’m going to say to Dominic later. Given the fact that he’s sitting with Andrew’s family, it’s safe to assume he’s more than just a buddy from college. That means we’re probably going to be spending plenty of time together over the next couple of days because my mother has turned Caroline’s wedding into a multiple day affair.

  My head whips around when I feel a hand make contact with the back of my skull. “Quit daydreaming and get up there,” Andrew’s father chastises. I look to the altar and see my sister trying to kill me with a single look while Andrew’s expression is a combination of amusement and confusion.