Blind Love Read online

  Minutes later, Catherine jumped into the pool. A soft blue glow illuminated the water. In the coolness of the evening and the warmth of the water, with the stars sprinkled in the sky above her, she felt the tension start to leave her shoulders. She loved to swim, especially after the sun went down. Her sensitive skin couldn’t take much sun.

  Tony jumped in, already wet from the cabana shower. She couldn’t take her eyes off the muscles in his arms and chest. He was a great looking guy with his shirt on, but without it, she couldn’t look away. “Do you work out every day?”

  “When I’m not working.” He cocked his head and his dark eyes sparkled. “Still think I’m magnificent?”

  She rolled her eyes. Tony definitely had an ego problem, and he liked to flirt. If they could capture that on camera, every hot-blooded woman in the country would watch.

  He grabbed her legs and pulled her under and then pushed her up and out of the water. His eyes scanned her breasts and came back to her face. “Wow. One of these days, I may have to find out if they’re natural or man-made.” He tossed her back into the water as if she were a ball and then grabbed her foot and reeled her in. “Are you sure you don’t want to skinny dip?”

  She pushed away. It was always about boobs, and she couldn’t deal with it now.

  “It was a compliment, Catherine. Like you asking me if I work out.”

  “I know.” She wanted him to like her for herself, not for the two blobs of tissue on her chest. She’d considered breast reduction, but Cara had talked her out of it. They were nineteen at the time, and Catherine was tired of hearing the same tired Dolly Parton jokes. Some of the guys at school called her the Boobsie Twins or Tits Timmons. They were just teasing, but it hurt her feelings. Why couldn’t they look at her face? Why couldn’t men recognize her intelligence and business skills? Why couldn’t Tony like her for her personality instead of her breasts?

  Piece by piece, the life she’d struggled to build for herself was coming apart. Her father sold the hotel chain because he didn’t trust her to run it. She’d worked hard to be successful in Henry’s production company, but by the time she got her father settled, her television show would be someone else’s project. She’d worked on other shows, of course, but this one was hers. Or it had been hers. When Mitzi finished with it, it probably wouldn’t even resemble the original concept. Mitzi thought it was stupid for a guy to eliminate any of the women without knowing what they looked like first, but that was the hook, the reason viewers would tune in week after week to watch the show.

  <>

  Most women would have taken Tony’s remark as a compliment, but for some reason, Catherine was sensitive about her body. He didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. Had he spent so much of his life flirting and teasing that he didn’t know how to be a friend when a woman needed one?

  He’d never been attracted to a redhead, but there was something different about this one. If he’d met her in a bar, he probably wouldn’t have given her a second look, especially if she looked like she had when she picked him up from the airport. The yellow dress was a different story. When Catherine wanted to be attractive, she did a dynamite job of it.

  <>

  Catherine walked down to the kitchen the next morning feeling down. A blanket of fog had settled over the city below, and lacy wisps clung to the hillside and floated over the pool. Fog always depressed her, since it was one of the essential elements of smog, the bane of her existence.

  Tony stood at the stove, flipping pancakes. “Good morning. I hope you’re hungry.”

  “Starving.”

  Sanchez tapped on the kitchen door and opened it. “Delivery for Miss Catherine Timmons.”

  It was a florist box filled with delicate pink rosebuds nestled in a bed of baby’s breath. The card said, Please forgive me.

  She was twenty-nine years old, and, aside from her prom date, it was the first time anyone had ever given her roses. It was a touching gesture, and she didn’t know quite what to say, except, “Thank you, Tony, but you didn’t have to—”

  “Yes, I did.” Tony slid the pan off the burner and filled their plates with pancakes and bacon. “I called Cara this morning, and she said this was your favorite breakfast. Sit down and eat before it gets cold.” He poured two cups of coffee and set a bottle of syrup on the breakfast table.

  “I should do something with the flowers first.”

  “Eat first, and I’ll try real hard not to put my foot in my mouth again.”

  A smile pulled at her lips. “You’re going to spoil me.”

  “I hope so,” he said, and the sound of his voice slid inside her like warm brandy. She had to remind herself that he was there as a favor to Cara, because at that moment it felt like he was there because he wanted to be with her.

  She was tempted to use the fireman and keep Tony for herself, but they had to start off this new show with a strong bachelor, a man who would draw viewers and keep them watching every week. A man with Tony’s looks and charm would guarantee a successful start to their new show.

  While Tony worked, Catherine called Henry and told him a little about Tony, holding back Tony’s last name and his relationship with Cara. If Henry knew, he’d want to use it for publicity, and Tony wouldn’t want that.

  “Mitzi wants to use the fireman, and she has ten girls lined up. I asked her to send you email reports.”

  Mitzi acted like it was her show. “Henry, Cara said we could use her estate, but she has conditions. One is using Tony as the bachelor. She also wants everyone who’s going to be there to be pre-screened, security check, the whole bit. The other condition is having me there to keep an eye on things.”

  “Sounds good to me, Cat. We’ll use the fireman next time.”

  Tony hadn’t agreed to do the show yet, but he would. He had a big ego, and he was proud of the way he looked. Structuring a show around him would inflate that ego even more.

  <>

  Tony worked long hours on the renovations, and three days later, the tile man finished up in the bathroom, and Tony had the structural work done in the bedroom. The tiles they’d chosen were perfect in the shower. No more gas station restroom. This looked classy, like the rest of the house.

  Catherine had chosen dark green textured papers for the bedroom, one for above the chair rail and another for below. It coordinated with the green tile trim in the bathroom.

  “I ordered an adjustable bed,” she said.

  “I wouldn’t put too much furniture in the room until you see what kind of medical equipment he’ll need.”

  “Medical equipment? I hadn’t thought of that.”

  “My mother had a stroke a few weeks ago. These things come to mind when you’re bringing someone home from the hospital.”

  “How is your mother now?”

  “She’s doing well. It was a minor stroke, but it shook up the whole family. She’s the one who took care of all of us when my father passed away. She raised six kids on Social Security and baby-sitting, seven kids with Nick. We didn’t have much, but we never felt deprived.” They all knew they were loved, and that was what really mattered. They still had a tight family.

  Tony was only eight when his father died in an accident at work. Losing his father was a crushing blow, but Ma brought them all through it in one piece.

  He didn’t mind taking care of his mother. The only thing he didn’t like about living at home was the lack of privacy. If he brought a woman home, Ma would undoubtedly be talking to the priest and making wedding plans.

  He pictured Catherine in a fancy white dress, walking down the aisle toward him. He shook away the thought. When he married, it would be to a blonde with long legs and a serene smile. He’d never been attracted to redheads. Except Catherine, a voice in the back of his head whispered.

  Tony hung the new doors and finished painting the trim. The wallpaper should be in tomorrow. Catherine couldn’t find anyone to hang it for her, so she was planning to do it herself. Both patterns were small, so it should be fairl
y easy to match up.

  Catherine came in and looked around. “You’ve done a nice job in here, Tony.”

  “Tomorrow it’s your turn. I’ve never hung wallpaper.”

  “Neither have I. I guess we’ll learn together.”

  “What are you going to do with the windows?”

  “I was going to buy plantation shutters, but I forgot to look when we went out.”

  Tony closed the lid on the paint can. “I’ll clean up and take you shopping and out to dinner.”

  “Okay, but it’s my turn to pay.”

  He carried his brush to the sink in the laundry room, which backed up to her father’s new bathroom. “Okay. Burger King?”

  She laughed a little. “I had a guy take me there once. I think he just wanted to see my reaction.”

  He turned on the water and twisted around to face her. “Like ordering beer in a ritzy restaurant?”

  She shrugged. “I like beer.”

  “Burger King and beer. My kinda girl. Do you like Rambo movies, too?”

  “Ugh! God, no.”

  He laughed. “Okay, so you’re not my kinda girl.”

  “I know,” she said so softly he barely heard her. When he turned to look again, she was gone.

  “Aw, shit,” he muttered to himself. He’d hurt her feelings again.

  <>

  After buying the shutters, Tony took Catherine out for pizza and pinball. He stood behind her at the first machine. “I can’t believe you’ve never done this before.”

  She turned toward him and gazed at him with a look of longing, and when she said, “Teach me to play,” he was sure she wasn’t talking about pinball.

  He dipped his head to give her a light kiss on the lips and then put his arms around her to guide her hands. He couldn’t help brushing against her breasts, but she didn’t protest or pull away. She’d started wearing a little makeup, but her hair was a shaggy tangle of wild curls, and she still wore those baggy, oversized shirts.

  They played a game together, and he was so distracted by her silky skin and sweet-smelling curls, they blew it right away. He had an urge to take her home and make love to her in every room in that big house. Sometimes he caught her looking at him like she wanted that, too. Other times she didn’t seem so sure what she wanted. Did Catherine want him for herself or for her television show?

  She tried a game by herself and lost about the time their pizza was ready. Her eyes sparkled. “I could get addicted to that.”

  He wondered if she meant him or pinball.

  They sat at the table and he poured her a glass of beer from the frosty pitcher. She was like a little kid discovering things for the first time. “You’ve led a sheltered life.”

  “Yes, I have.”

  She devoured a piece of pizza. “I’d weigh two hundred pounds if I ate like this all the time.”

  “I eat what I want and work it off. You could stand to gain a little weight. My mother would say you’re too skinny.”

  She nibbled at another piece of pizza. “I love your mother.”

  “She’d love you, too, and she’d feed you until you gained enough weight to be a proper Italian. That’s the first thing she did with Nick when he showed up on our doorstep. Fed him until he filled out. That kid was so skinny you could almost see through him.”

  “Did she adopt him?”

  “Nah, but he belongs to us anyway. He’s my cousin, a Donatelli.” Nick was also Tony’s best friend and boss.

  <>

  Catherine liked this side of Tony, the side that loved his family and wasn’t embarrassed to show it. Cara loved them, too. That was why she and Nick decided to live in Gig Harbor instead of at the estate in California. She wanted their kids to grow up with a grandmother, aunts and uncles, and cousins.

  After her mother left, Catherine visited her now and then, but Megan never came to Santa Barbara. Father traveled a lot for the hotel chain, so a lonely little girl spent a lot of time by herself. She couldn’t imagine growing up in a big family like Tony’s. Her family had money and his didn’t, but she had a feeling he was really the rich kid.

  The message light was flashing when they got home. Catherine pushed the button and listened to the message: Cathy, this is Megan. I’m on my way to Santa Barbara now. I should arrive around ten or so, depending on traffic. Please leave the gate open for me.

  “It’s only eight-thirty. Why don’t we have a swim before she gets here?” said Tony. “I promise not to make any remarks about your anatomy, and I’ll help you hang the wallpaper tomorrow.”

  She lifted her chin and stuck out her hand. “Deal.”

  Tony bypassed her hand, grabbed her by the waist, and threw her over his shoulder. She laughed and beat on his back. If he was trying to distract her, he was doing a good job of it. “Unhand me, you brute.”

  He lifted her off his shoulder and set her on the floor. “Playtime, Catherine. You can’t be serious all the time or it’ll drain your spirit.”

  “Is that an Italian rule?”

  “That’s a Tony Donatelli rule. Get your bathing suit on.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Or not.”

  She playfully punched his arm, but she couldn’t stop smiling. He wasn’t gay, he didn’t want to talk to her about another woman, and he wasn’t after her money. Tony had turned into a good friend, but when she looked at his handsome face, she knew she’d never be satisfied with mere friendship.

  She wanted so much more.

  <>

  Looking at Catherine standing beside the pool in a green bikini that matched her eyes, her red hair wild around her head, Tony had the urge to do more than swim and play. When she took off those baggy shirts and smiled, she was cute and sexy as hell.

  She jumped in beside him. “What are you thinking about?”

  “You, of course. Who can think of anything else when you’re around?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re full of it. Are you this charming with all women?”

  “Are you this charming with all men?”

  She swam away. Over her shoulder, she said, “Just the ugly ones.”

  “Hey!” He caught her before she got to the other end of the pool. Her smile disappeared and her eyes darkened with longing. When she looked at him that way, he couldn’t turn away. He brushed his lips over hers, teasing and tasting. She opened her mouth and kissed him back, a lusty kiss that did more than surprise him. It snaked through his body and left him hard as a rock.

  He gazed into her eyes and all his resolve to keep this on a friendship level dissolved in the water of the pool. Intense longing slammed into his body as he pulled her close and lowered his head for another kiss. He was about to suggest more when a car horn beeped down the hill.

  She groaned. “I forgot to open the gate.”

  “Hold that thought. Where’s the button?”

  “By the kitchen door.”

  Tony gave Catherine another kiss, then reluctantly climbed out of the pool, wrapped a towel around his waist, and walked into the kitchen. He pushed the button and waited outside the kitchen door for Catherine’s mother.

  Megan Timmons had red hair a shade darker than Catherine’s, bright blue eyes, and a warm smile.

  She waved toward the pool. “Hi, Cathy.”

  “Hi, Megan. This is Tony.”

  She’d only brought one bag. Tony pulled it out of the trunk of her car and carried it upstairs. “There’s no household staff, so if you need something—”

  “I’ll take care of it myself.”

  He nodded and went back outside, but Catherine was out of the pool and on her way inside. The mood they’d created earlier had vanished with the arrival of her mother. Disappointed, Tony walked Catherine upstairs to her room, kissed her goodnight, and went to bed. Alone.

  When had he decided to go beyond friendship with Cara’s friend? Was it the way she looked in that yellow dress, the way she gazed at him when they were playing pinball, or the way she kissed him tonight?

  The only thing he knew for certain
was that he wanted more than a kiss.

  A whole lot more.

  Chapter Four

  When Catherine woke the next morning, Megan was gone. The coffee was on, and she’d left a note on the kitchen counter saying she’d gone to the hospital to see Walt.

  Tony said, “She took her bag. I don’t think she intends to come back.”

  “I don’t blame her. She and my father had some nasty fights before she divorced him. She hasn’t been back to this house since I was twelve. I go to San Diego to see her now and then, but my father would never allow her to come here to visit me. That’s why I was so surprised when he said he wanted to see her.”

  After breakfast, Catherine and Tony walked down the hospital corridor and overheard Father say, “I’d like you to stay, Megan.”

  Maybe they’d both changed enough that they could get along now, but Catherine had her doubts. If Megan would stay and if they could get along while he recuperated, Catherine could go back to LA and back to work on the show.

  Catherine glanced at Tony. It was just as well that Megan interrupted them in the pool last night. Although she spent a restless night dreaming about what might have been, Catherine didn’t want a one-night stand with a guy she’d have to watch flirting with other women. And Tony would flirt. He’d probably been doing it since he discovered girls were different.

  The nurse chased them out of the room, and the three of them walked down to the waiting room. “I can’t stay more than a few days,” said Megan. “I can’t afford to lose my job.”

  “Well, I can’t stay with him.” Catherine’s words came out a little louder than she’d intended. “I’ve worked hard to build a career. I don’t want to throw that away.” She had something to prove, and she couldn’t do it without a job. “We’re filming a new television show this summer. If I don’t get back to work, someone else will take over my show.”

  Megan’s forehead creased in a look of concentration. “If I can find a job here, I suppose I could stay with your father, as long as there’s someone with him while I’m at work.”