Sunset In Central Park (From Manhattan with Love 2)

“I’m fine.”

She leaned against the counter, her gaze fixed on his face. “One of the things I love about our relationship is that we can talk about anything and everything.”

That was true up to a point. They had talked about everything, from growing up on Puffin Island to their dreams for the future.

The only thing they’d never talked about were his feelings for her. Those, he kept carefully locked inside.

And it was starting to drive him crazy.

He had enough self-awareness to know that the intensity of his anger had its roots in the depth of his feelings for her.

He felt out of control and it unsettled him.

Aware that she was waiting for him to respond, he put a lid on the saucepan. “I love that we talk about everything, too.”

And he loved her.

So why the hell wasn’t he just telling her that?

He turned to her, saw the quizzical look in her eyes and lost his nerve.

What if telling her made her panic? What if she rejected him?

He had to wait for the right moment.

The roof garden was finished a week later, and Frankie stood back and admired their handiwork. They’d all put in extra long days and as a result they’d finished before their deadline.

Matt was hauling the last of the log seats into place and she wondered how watching him work could be so sexy. Maybe it was the way his well-worn jeans hugged his thighs, or it could have been something to do with the way his shirt pulled against hard muscle as he hefted slabs into position.

He glanced up and his gaze met hers. His smile was intimate and personal, and she blushed slightly.

He was always looking at her, but that wasn’t what unsettled her. It was the way he looked at her. As if they were the only two people on the planet. As if she was beautiful.

He made her feel beautiful.

Roxy strolled across the terrace. “Just makes you want to stop and gaze, doesn’t it?”

For a moment Frankie thought she was talking about Matt’s body, and then she realized she was talking about the roof terrace.

“Yes.” Her voice was croaky. “It does. It’s looking good. We’ve done a good job.”

“Good?” Roxy stood next to her. “We’re not just good, we’re brilliant.” In the past week she’d settled into Frankie’s old apartment. There had been no sign of her ex.

James, who watched over her like a hawk, grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler. “The best there is.”

But all three of them knew the real genius behind the roof garden was Matt. After working with him all summer, Frankie understood exactly how he had managed to build such a successful business at such a young age. He took jobs he knew he excelled at and he always exceeded expectations. If there was fault to be found, he found it himself and fixed it, and as a result he had happy clients and a rapidly growing business.

“Thanks, team.” Matt opened his bag and took out his camera. He handed it to Roxy. “You have the best eye. Take some photos for our website.”

Pleased to be asked, Roxy walked away and James followed her.

“So that’s it. We’re done.” Frankie felt a little pang. No more roof terrace.

From next week she’d be back in the office with Paige and Eva. She loved her friends and she loved Urban Genie, but she was going to miss working with Matt nearly every day.

“We are done. And thank you.” He offered her a bottle of water and she took it gratefully.

“What are you thanking me for?”