Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Boxed Set by Virna DePaul, Tawny Weber, Nina Bruhns, Charity Pineiro, Sophia Knightly, Susan Hatler, Kristin Miller Page A

taken off, they put up a large part of the money for the building in exchange for my doing the work to make it habitable. We co-own the place and each of us lives on one of the floors," he explained.
    "It must be weird having all those parents watching your every move," Bianca said, making a face.
    Rey groaned and rolled his eyes. "Let's just say that it's a good thing I don't have much of a personal life."
    Bianca looked at up at him quickly, grinning. "Is that so?"
    He realized how much he had inadvertently revealed and blushed, started to stammer out an explanation, but Bianca laid a hand on his lips to silence him.
    "Don't, Rey. There's nothing you need to explain," she said, inordinately pleased by what he had revealed.
    Rey ducked his head down and stood abruptly. He glanced at her, bent to pick up his tank top and slip it back on. It was darker in spots where it was still wet. "I need to get back to work. I'll see you later."
    Bianca nodded and admired the masculine swagger in his hips as he walked away and the brief sizzling look he tossed back over his shoulder at her. He was such a puzzle, she thought, wondering at the seemingly successful man who still kept an eye out for not only his own mom, but a friend's parents as well. If his mom and Maya's parents were anything like her own, poor Rey probably didn't stand a chance of having any kind of peace. Constant requests for a little something, but also visits and calls to make sure he was okay.
    Despite their little bargain that she would provide him the meals he missed when he worked late, she suspected that between both sets of parents, he rarely went without a home-cooked meal.
    Which made her wonder at the motivation behind their bargain.
    She had sensed interest on his part, as well as concern that he was attracted to her. Not that she was feeling any different. From the moment she had caught her first glimpse of him, there had definitely been lust, she admitted freely. She'd seen his body and his face and the animal in her had responded.
    But after that initial flare had come more.
    She was discovering that he was so much more than a great body and a pretty face. Although he tried to hide it, he was an artist, with depths she was eager to explore. To be fair to him, herself, and David, she knew there was one thing she had to do before she could go ahead with that exploration.
     
    * * *
     
    David sat across from her, sipping a spirited chardonnay he had ordered to accompany their meal, which was now almost finished.
    Bianca pushed around the peas on her plate, dreading the moment to come and what she would say. But she knew she had delayed long enough already. If they finished dessert and afterward got to the "Where are we going to go?" part of the night, she knew it might get even more complicated. Better to get the issue out in the open now.
    "David, we need to talk," she said softly, reached for own glass of wine, and took a sip to give herself some false courage.
    David bobbed his head sharply at the tone in her voice. "Bianca, you sound way too serious."
    She grabbed the glass with both hands. "You and me. . .I know that you've been wondering when we're going to take our relationship to the next level," she hedged.
    He shrugged and leaned back in his chair, an uncertain look on his face, as if he sensed the discussion to follow was not going to be what he expected. "I've been hoping that the two of us might, you know. . .I like you a lot, Bianca."
    Damn, this was going to be harder than she had thought. Placing her glass on the table, she laid her hand on David's and squeezed it gently. "I like you, too, David. But there's a big difference between like and love."
    "Love doesn't happen instantaneously."
    "Maybe it does and maybe it doesn't. The thing is, David. I just don't see love happening for us." She hesitated, but knew he deserved the whole truth. "I met someone else who I'm attracted to. Who I'm feeling things for that I've never felt before."
    "That