Chapter Two
Maddox held the door for Toni and they stepped into the restaurant’s kitchen. He was so impressed by how clean, neat, and organized it was. Dos Hermanos was one of the busiest restaurants in Dallas, but knowing how Miguel and Roberto ran things, he was not surprised that the kitchen was pristine, like brand-new.
Toni walked in front of him, allowing his eyes to enjoy an unfettered view of her backside. And what a backside. The slight swing of her hips back and forth called to his primal instinct, as always. There wasn’t anything about her he didn’t like. She was perfect. She was gorgeous. And she was like no other woman he’d ever met before.
He loved her long dark hair, blue eyes, perfect curves, and sassy personality. No one could ever get anything over on her. She had an answer for everything with her funny responses that made everyone laugh. Her sassiness wasn’t mean-spirited at all.
Toni was also loyal. He’d seen how protective she was with Cami and Izzy. The three women had known each other since they were children. They were like sisters. He’d witnessed what that meant to Toni when she’d cornered Jay and Clay with threats of cutting off their manhood if they ever hurt Izzy. And Maddox knew, though he’d not witnessed it himself, that she’d done the same with Roberto and Miguel concerning Cami, because they told him and Zane so.
“You should have seen Toni with her hands on her hips, blocking us from getting to Cami,” Roberto said. “She wasn’t going to let us pass until she said her piece. She reminded us that if we ever did Cami wrong, she would castrate us with a rusty knife.”
They all laughed.
“That girl can be scary,” Miguel said. “She only let us pass after Cami said it was okay.”
Zane grinned. “And you two want me and Maddox to take Toni out on a date?”
“Damn right we do. She’s perfect for you both, and we know you like her, too,” Roberto said. “Besides, she’s great. Miguel and I are glad Cami has such a wonderful friend.”
And Tony was just as protective about her two boys, Joel and Restin, according to Cami and Izzy. The two boys were away at college. He and Zane met the two young men at Izz
y, Jay, and Clay’s wedding when they were home for one of their breaks. At the reception, Joel and Restin had seemed like very nice young men, obviously due to how well she raised them.
He and Zane had been completely drawn to Toni the very first time they’d met her at Clay and Jay’s penthouse. For several months, he and Zane had been trying to get her to go on a date, but so far they’d had no luck. Why does she keep turning us down? I wonder what her story is.
He was fairly certain that she was attracted to him and his brother. One clue was how often he’d caught her glancing at him and Zane. And when their eyes did lock, the cute, shy smile that appeared on her face was another clue.
But was his belief that she was interested in him and Zane just wishful thinking? If she was attracted to them, as she seemed to be, what could be holding her back?
Could it be their age differences? He didn’t give a damn about that. Toni was the sexiest woman he’d ever known.
Was there another man in her life that she was keeping secret even from Cami and Izzy? He doubted that. Those three were tight. It didn’t seem likely they would keep anything from one another. If there had been another man, Cami and Izzy wouldn’t be so insistent on trying to fix him and Zane up with Toni.
Or could it be Toni just didn’t want to date anyone until her boys were out of college and on their own? She loved Joel and Restin, so that seemed possible. But wouldn’t this be the time, while her boys were away at college, for her to start dating? Perhaps it was because Joel and Restin were only twelve years younger than him and Zane, and she might feel her boys wouldn’t approve.
No matter what her reasons might be, Maddox believed he could convince her in time the excuses shouldn’t keep her from going on a date with him and Zane. One date. Once she agreed to that he felt like Toni would finally relax and start to enjoy herself with them. It would be smooth sailing from then on. He and Zane would pull out all the stops to make sure she had a good time. And there would be many more dates after that.
But what if the real reason Toni kept refusing was because she was nervous about being with two men? That made sense. The lifestyle was unusual. Sure, she seemed happy for Izzy and Cami, but maybe she was hesitant about it for herself.
Maybe Zane and I have been going about this the wrong way. Maybe we should ask her out individually first.
“Here we go.” She pointed to a shelf with neatly folded cloths. “This is what we need.”
“Yes, it is.” But he needed more than just something that could dry him off.
I need to wrap you in my arms. I need to taste those sweet lips.
One thing she might not understand about him and Zane was that they would never give up. Each time they asked her out, she seemed more interested in them, though so far she still had not accepted their invitation, which made them more determined than ever.
He wanted to get to know her better. Could she be the one he and Zane had been looking for their whole lives? Maybe. Jay and Clay had found Izzy. Roberto and Miguel had found Cami. He could imagine spending the rest of his life with Toni and his brother, building a future and family together. But before they got to do that the three of them needed to spend time together. Perhaps a good first start to getting there would be one-on-one dates. Me and her. And then Zane and her. Get her comfortable with them before moving to the next phase—a date with all three of them together.
“You know, Toni. This is the first time you and I have ever been alone.”
She didn’t respond, but grabbed several towels, turned and faced him, tossing a couple his way. “What a mess I made. Just look at your shirt. If you need it dry-cleaned, I’ll be happy to pay for it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It was just an accident, an accident we both caused. Not just you.”
She looked at him with her big blue eyes and shook her head. “It was me. You just called out my name.”