Alpha Me Not by Jianne Carlo Page B

Damn. The vibrator she’d so gleefully purchased on arrival in Hallie had gone up with the house. She was probably the only twenty-five-year-old woman on the planet who’d never experimented with one. Well, it would have to wait until she was on her own.
    “What brings such delightful color to your cheeks, Susie mia?”
    Azzo’s sly lip curl told her he had a good idea of exactly what she’d been thinking about. But she’d dealt with Azzo’s hot-rod type before. “Actually I was trying to figure out how much older I am than you. You’re what, fifteen?”
    That knowing, sexy smile blazed a trail across his lips. “I will be, how you say, legal in three weeks, Susie mia. I am, how you say, mature for my age.”
    Cheeky brat . Mature her foot. More like hornier than a ram. “I didn’t realize you were so young. I could be your mom. Is she in Italy?”
    A shadow dimmed his grin. “No. She has joined the Lord.”
    Crap . She chewed the inside of her cheek and reached over to squeeze his hand. “I’m sorry for your loss. Losing a parent is horrible.”
    Azzo nodded but averted his gaze. They traveled in silence after that, Susie regretting her words, Azzo staring out the far window.
    The vehicle shuddered to a halt. Susie grabbed her belongings and sped for the door.
    Glancing over her shoulder, she scowled. Azzo followed her at a lazy pace, his gaze fixed on her ass. She slowed to a crawl, forcing him to catch up, and hid a grin when he reluctantly lifted his glance to hers. Not having the heart to chastise him for his blatant ogling and preferring the smart-ass stud to the sad young man who’d lost his mother, she asked, “How long have you been in the US?”
    “Mama brought me back with her in time for Christmas.”
    “Only five and a half months? Your English is excellent.” Learning another language had been on her to-do list forever.
    “I learned in school in Italy.” He rolled a shoulder. “I am not so good at the slang yet.”
    It must have been a traumatic few months for Azzo. Lose a parent. Move to a new country. Struggle with a new language. Not to mention all the cultural differences. “I bet before the summer’s out, you’ll be teaching me English slang. So when do I get to meet your famous great-grandmother?”
    “I am thinking you and Mama will like each other very much. She can murder you with the look the way you do, you know?” He narrowed his eyes, planted his palms on lean hips, and glared.
    Susie chortled. “Trust me. That’s the mother, ‘you’re dead meat’ glare. All mothers and grandmothers have it. And big sisters.”
    “I am thinking you mean all women.” He folded his arms and halted in front of the restaurant. “I will not marry a woman who has such a look.”
    “Hate to bust your bubble, kiddo, but I’m pretty certain all women have such a look. I’ll catch you later. Have a good evening.” Susie gave Azzo a nod and a smile and spun around.
    The waning afternoon sun had lost its stinging bite, and a languid wind circled the wide boulevard. Empty wire baskets hanging from poles awaited their spring flower bounties. The acrid stench of smoke and burned plastic lingered in the air. It was masochistic, she knew, but Susie just had to check out what was left of Terri’s house.
    Not half a block after turning off Bonaventure, the dull roar of traffic receded, and by the time she rounded the corner to Birch Crescent, nature’s song had replaced the urban din. Above her, yattering blackbirds straddled the three thick electrical lines connecting two utility poles. A man dressed in a gray uniform dismounted from a truck with one of those cab-ladder thingies used for repairing and installing utility equipment.
    For an instant their glances met. He smiled and tipped his hard hat. “Evenin’, ma’am.”
    “Evening.” She adjusted the folders and bags. “Is the electricity restored to everyone?”
    “Just finished the last house. Number 8. Phone service is back on too,