All It Takes (Romancing Manhattan 2)
“If I bring a woman here, she doesn’t stay the night.”
“I told you I’m happy to go home.”
“Until you.”
This makes her stop chewing and stare at me with a frown, then she swallows her bite and reaches for a Dorito.
“Why?”
“Why you?”
She nods.
“I enjoy you,” I begin as I close my own sandwich and take a bite, thinking about it as I chew. “But it’s more than that. I’ve started to crave my time with you, and when it’s interrupted, I’m pissed.”
“Well, that’s not a horrible thing to hear.”
“It puts me in a vulnerable position, and that’s not something I’m used to, Sienna.”
“Me either.”
I take a bite, watching her.
“I like your confidence. Your honesty. And your legs are fucking gold.”
She grins, walks her empty plate around the island to place in the sink, then looks at her fingers.
Without missing a beat, she drags her fingers, covered in Dorito cheese, down my cheek.
“Did you just do that?”
“They were dirty.”
I finish my sandwich, then haul her over my shoulder, stomping to the bathroom.
“Hey! Where are we going?”
“We need a shower.”
“I just need to wash my hands.” She giggles, slapping my ass.
“I need to fuck you in my shower,” I reply, and she stills.
“Carry on, then.”
“I’m so disgusted,” Sienna says the next day as we’re sitting in her grandfather’s dining room, sifting through more boxes.
“What’s up?”
“I’m just so disappointed in my family’s filing skills, or the lack thereof,” she says with a sigh and leans back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head. We swung by her place on our way over today so she could change into her own clothes. She chose a tight black T-shirt and cutoff denim shorts.
And now that I know what she looks like naked, well, that’s pretty much all I see when I look at her.
“I mean, I’m meticulous in how I file at the office and at home,” she continues as she stands and walks into the kitchen for a bottle of water. “It’s like my grandfather just randomly chucked papers into boxes as he was moving out of his office.”
“Maybe it wasn’t him,” I suggest. “He might have hired movers to do it. They don’t care about order.”
“True.” She returns to the table and sits, pulling another stack of papers over to look through. “But it makes the OCD in me twitchy.”
“I get it.” I chuckle and my phone rings. “It’s Finn. Hey, what’s up?”
“She said yes,” he says, his voice full of excitement.
“Of course she did,” I reply with a laugh. “The Cavanaugh men are quite a catch.”
Sienna rolls her eyes, and I raise a brow, making her giggle.
“I just wanted to call and give you the official news. And you and Carter were right. Proposing here was absolutely the right thing. It was meaningful and intimate.”
“Did you cry?” I demand.
“No, but she did.” I can hear the satisfaction in his voice, and it makes me happy for him. “She’s already talking about dates and venues.”
“Well, congratulations, big brother. I’m happy for you.”
“Congratulations from me too,” Sienna calls out.
“Tell her thanks. I really like her, Quinn.”
“Me too. Have fun, and I’ll see you in a few days.”
I hang up and set my phone aside.
“She said yes.”
“I hope so, since I congratulated him,” she says with a laugh. “That’s exciting. How long have they been together?”
“About a year,” I reply. “But we knew not long after they started dating that London was the one for Finn. She had him tied in knots. It was fun to watch.”
“I wish Louise would find a nice guy,” she says. “She always chooses guys who don’t have their shit together, you know? I don’t know how many times she’s started dating someone, and the next thing I know she’s loaning them money, or they’re staying at her place.”
“And what do you attract?” I ask her.
“No one.”
“That’s bullshit, Sienna.”
“No, it’s not. I work, I paint, and I spend a lot of time with my family. I haven’t had much time to date.”
I want to keep asking her questions about her past, yet at the same time, I don’t. I’m not a jealous man, but the thought of her fucking someone else fills me with rage, so it’s probably best to drop the subject.
Just as I’m about to ask her what she’d like for lunch, she jumps out of her chair and thrusts her fist in the air.
“Yes! I knew it!”
“What did you find?”
“Another receipt for five thousand dollars. See? He paid it back, Quinn.”
I take the letter from her and read it, nodding.
“At least half of it, anyway.”
“Oh, come on. We both know he paid it all back, we just have to find the other receipts.” She pushes her glasses on her face and reaches for another stack of papers with renewed energy.
I don’t mention that we don’t have proof that the rest of the money was paid back, but we’re off to a good start. It’s not good news for my client, who’s anxious to get his hands on that property.