An Unexpected Attraction (Love Unexpected Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

sparkled with a teasing light. Was it any wonder his spirits lifted as soon as he saw her?
    “You, signorina , have an uncanny ability for finding the best bakeries.”
    She laughed, a husky sound filled with warmth and sensuality that sent shivers down his spine.
    Calm down, Jacopo.
    “I’m here to pick up snacks for a meeting I have later, but you’re one to talk. Let me guess.” She screwed up her face into a thoughtful frown and looked up at him from behind a veil of thick lashes. “The cannolis must be exceptional here.”
    “Cannoli—no “s” at the end,” he corrected. “It’s already plural.”
    “You mean I’ve been saying it wrong all these years?” Her eyes widened in mock distress.
    “Afraid so,” he said with the appropriate amount of gravity in his voice. “And that completes today’s lesson in italiano .”
    She giggled, a lighter sound this time that still generated tiny tremors on his skin.
    “But you’re right, they do have really good cannoli here,” Jay confessed.
    “Uh-huh, I knew it!” She wagged a finger at him. “I know your M.O., too, mister. You’re craving comfort food and came to where you knew you’d get it. You really need to learn self-control.”
    She looked mighty pleased with herself that she’d called him out. Eyes bright, full lips curved up. He had brought that animated expression to her face.
    “I don’t seem to have any self-control when it comes to certain things,” he said in a low voice.
    The words had slipped out. In response, her smile dimmed with uncertainty for a nanosecond.
    The line moved forward and they moved with it.
    Jay scanned the menu board. Different colored chalk scrawled across the blackboard announced a fifty-percent off sale on focaccia bread. He’d buy a couple of loaves and place one in the freezer for later.
    “Did you finally unpack?” he asked.
    The day of Charlie’s funeral, Brenda had confessed that after a year, she still had unpacked boxes lying around.
    “Finally. Charlie’s death made me think about all the things I’d left undone that needed to be completed. No more putting off until tomorrow what could be done today.”
    He’d had similar thoughts. Charlie had postponed marrying his high school sweetheart for years, too focused on his job and the projects he’d worked on. Only when she’d threatened to finally leave him did he give in to the pressure of setting a date. They’d planned to have a civil ceremony at the courthouse, but all too soon he was gone.
    Brenda turned halfway toward him. “How about you? How’s the house coming?”
    “They estimate it’ll be completed by the fall.”
    Having lived close to the city for years, Jay had decided to build a five-bedroom home with a full basement in Alpharetta, close to good schools and right in the middle of suburban life. The move had been precipitated by the fact that his boys were moving from Bradenton, Florida to live with him in Atlanta next year. They’d be at the age when he felt they needed more of a male influence as they grew into young men. He couldn’t wait to play a more active role in their lives.
    “My office is in Alpharetta,” Brenda said.
    “Right off the parkway, right?”
    She nodded. “I’m so happy for you. So it’ll be you and the boys in a bachelor pad, huh? Watch out, Atlanta.”
    He chuckled. “It won’t be that bad.”
    To be honest, he hadn’t thought the move would ever happen. When he’d first broached the topic to Jenna a few years ago, she’d expressed reservations. Eventually she’d come around to his way of thinking, but in typical fashion, she’d backpedaled when he’d walked her out to the car at the Italian restaurant. She’d claimed she couldn’t let her “babies” go. An argument had ensued, but Jay had been adamant the boys were coming to live with him. They were excited, he was excited. End of story.
    “Once the house is completed, I promised they could pick their own bedroom colors and decorate any