A Little Slice of Heaven Read Online Free PDF Page B

loll out of her mouth like one of those Chinese dog statues at the antique shop down the road.
    This morning, Kyle Hayden’s appearance surprised her out of her wits. How could she not have seen how gorgeous this guy was? Okay, he’d washed up and shaved since she’d met him, but could dirt and stubble hide a man’s finest qualities?
    His hair, indiscernible last night, was a deep glossy brown with a hint of curl. Clean-shaven, his face resembled a Greek god’s, lots of angular lines and a cleft chin that brought to mind images of Hollywood’s gorgeous screen legends.
    Of course, the first thing she’d noticed was his height, but now she realized that height carried a broad frame of sculpted sinew and muscle. He wore some of Joey’s clothing, and she’d known the fit would be tight. But the extra large shirt and size thirty-two jeans fit him like a second skin, accentuating every bulge and camber.
    The change between the hesitant man of last evening and the confident stranger who stood in the apartment this morning pushed her off-balance. With shoulders thrown back and posture ramrod straight, he looked more like a captain of industry than a fledgling pizza man.
    In fact, only his eyes hadn’t undergone a drastic change in the last twelve hours. They were still hazel and clear, framing an aquiline nose. Everything about him whispered of nobility and breeding. She continued to stare, saying nothing, until his eyebrow arched.
    Oh, God! He probably thinks I’m staring.
    You are staring , her brain reminded her.
    Yeah, but I don’t want him to know!
    Well, then, stop.
    Ha! Easier said than done.
    Get a grip, Gi. He’s just a man—a good-looking man, but a man nonetheless. And you know exactly what’ll happen. If you give a good-looking man your heart, he’ll trample all over it, then find someone else. Don’t let that happen. Again.
    With effort, she managed to tear her gaze away from his piercing eyes. Tracing an old knife cut in the countertop, she mumbled, “Um, I think we should get back downstairs. Claudio and Sal will be wondering what happened to us.”
    ****
    For two hours, Kyle worked alongside Claudio’s son, a genial thirty-something named Sal. Hard to imagine the two DeNunzios shared any DNA. Where Claudio grumped all day, Sal wore a constant smile. Within ten minutes of meeting him, Kyle had seen photos of all four of Sal’s kids and his lovely missus. Clearly, this guy was thrilled with the life of suburban husband and father. Kyle tamped down shivers of revulsion and feigned interest in Sal’s boasts about his son’s soccer team and daughter’s dance recital.
    “ We no here to chat, Salvatore,” Claudio interjected.
    Kyle shot him a look of undying gratitude.
    Claudio ignored him. “We here to work, yes?”
    “ Some of us can do both,” Sal replied with a grin, and then whispered to Kyle, “Pop’s giving you a hard time, huh?”
    Kyle shrugged. “He’s not too thrilled with my working here, especially since I have no experience.”
    “ Nobody cares about your lack of experience,” Sal replied with a chuckle. “Wolfgang Puck’s kitchen staff isn’t exactly lining up to work out here in the sticks. The Randazzos generally hire temps and part-timers. Or their own family members. Every May we go through a hazing period—with the inexperienced newbies dropping plates, losing silverware in the garbage, screwing up orders. If my father’s not thrilled with you, it’s not because you don’t have experience.”
    “ So what do you think it is?”
    “ Beats me. If you want to find out, you should ask him.”
    Kyle frowned. “No thanks. He doesn’t seem the chatty type.”
    Apparently, though, Claudio had overheard enough of the conversation to grab the gist. He sidled over, eyes narrowed, dripping tomato sauce from the ladle in his hand. “I no like-a you because you take advantage of Gianna.” He waved the long-handled ladle like a proctor’s pointer, aiming at Kyle. “Big