made him feel so bad, he had to tear his gaze away from the photo. It also made him resolve not to add to the grim expression—ever!
I’m not looking for anything serious.
That was good. It would be easier to keep the relationship upbeat if they hadpleasant, no-strings-attached times together. At least she wouldn’t get hurt that way.
Chapter 6
Her brother, Lukasz, stood on the blacktop in the backyard of the Ludzecky home, a basketball poised in his hands, ready to shoot. His smile was cocky and his muscular body exuded self-confidence. “So, catch me up on your life, sis.”
Paulina waited under the basket, ready to rebound. “Is that why you dragged me out here? To grill me?”
“Uh-huh. The others’lltease you. I just want to know what’s goin’ on.”
She glanced toward the house. Since the guys had died, the Ludzecky siblings tried to have dinner once a week. Luke was farthest away, so he didn’t get here every time, but today he’d given his wife a break and brought his girls down for an overnight. Magdalena didn’t attend regularly, either. She was often brokering seven figure deals or workinguntil the wee hours of the morning. Tonight, five of them had come
.
She watched Luke. She trusted him as much as she’d trusted Donnie, and she could use some advice. “I had a date. With a guy in our softball league.”
Her brother took the shot, and from under the basket, Paulina caught the ball and threw it back
.
“He nice?”
She thought of Steve Lowden, and how he’d been a perfectgentleman, how he liked to talk about sports and television shows and his kid. They’d had fun, but Paulina hadn’t felt any chemistry with him. Not like her response to Adam.
“Yeah, you know, easy.”
Luke growled in his throat. “
Easy
is the kiss of death for a guy. We wanna be mysterious, difficult to read.” He took another shot. “It lures women to come back for more.”
She wrinkled hernose. “Not what I felt with Steve.”
“He kiss you?”
“TMI, Luke.”
“The hell it is.” He threw the ball down and crossed to her. He was taller than her and always made her fell small, protected. Gently, he grasped her upper arms. “You’ve mourned long enough and you deserve to have a full life. That includes lots of kissing and what comes after it.”
She deflated. They all did when Lukewent soft on them. Poor Kelsey, his wife. She didn’t stand a chance when he was in this coaxing mode. “Truthfully, I want that, too.” She peered up at him. “A lot.”
He led her to the picnic table off the blacktop. It reminded her of sitting on the one at the music hall property with Adam. Who’d kissed her senseless. “Talk to me, honey.”
“I have another date. With someone else.”
Blondisheyebrows arched. “You work fast. Maybe you don’t need my advice.”
“No, I do. He’s the architect on the new music hall.”
“Conflict of interest?”
“I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“So, what’s got you concerned?”
“He seems interested sometimes and sometimes not. Plus we’re from two different worlds.”
“I assume you’re talkin’ about wealth and status. Does that bother you?”
“No, I don’t care about that crap. I am who I am. But a couple of times, I got the feeling that our differences were important to him.”
“Is he nice to you?”
“Very. And flattering.” She thought of the expression on his face when he’d seen her hair down. “And
he’s
not easy.”
“Paulina, I love you dearly, but that doesn’t color my view of you. Any man would be lucky to have you in hislife. You’re kind to everybody, and good-hearted, even in your grief. To hell with different life styles. Go after what you want.”
She gave him a little sister grin. “Like you went after Kelsey?”
A former Secret Service agent, Luke had been undercover as a high school student and his now wife had been his
teacher
. “Once she knew my real identity, yep, that’s exactly what I
I’m not looking for anything serious.
That was good. It would be easier to keep the relationship upbeat if they hadpleasant, no-strings-attached times together. At least she wouldn’t get hurt that way.
Chapter 6
Her brother, Lukasz, stood on the blacktop in the backyard of the Ludzecky home, a basketball poised in his hands, ready to shoot. His smile was cocky and his muscular body exuded self-confidence. “So, catch me up on your life, sis.”
Paulina waited under the basket, ready to rebound. “Is that why you dragged me out here? To grill me?”
“Uh-huh. The others’lltease you. I just want to know what’s goin’ on.”
She glanced toward the house. Since the guys had died, the Ludzecky siblings tried to have dinner once a week. Luke was farthest away, so he didn’t get here every time, but today he’d given his wife a break and brought his girls down for an overnight. Magdalena didn’t attend regularly, either. She was often brokering seven figure deals or workinguntil the wee hours of the morning. Tonight, five of them had come
.
She watched Luke. She trusted him as much as she’d trusted Donnie, and she could use some advice. “I had a date. With a guy in our softball league.”
Her brother took the shot, and from under the basket, Paulina caught the ball and threw it back
.
“He nice?”
She thought of Steve Lowden, and how he’d been a perfectgentleman, how he liked to talk about sports and television shows and his kid. They’d had fun, but Paulina hadn’t felt any chemistry with him. Not like her response to Adam.
“Yeah, you know, easy.”
Luke growled in his throat. “
Easy
is the kiss of death for a guy. We wanna be mysterious, difficult to read.” He took another shot. “It lures women to come back for more.”
She wrinkled hernose. “Not what I felt with Steve.”
“He kiss you?”
“TMI, Luke.”
“The hell it is.” He threw the ball down and crossed to her. He was taller than her and always made her fell small, protected. Gently, he grasped her upper arms. “You’ve mourned long enough and you deserve to have a full life. That includes lots of kissing and what comes after it.”
She deflated. They all did when Lukewent soft on them. Poor Kelsey, his wife. She didn’t stand a chance when he was in this coaxing mode. “Truthfully, I want that, too.” She peered up at him. “A lot.”
He led her to the picnic table off the blacktop. It reminded her of sitting on the one at the music hall property with Adam. Who’d kissed her senseless. “Talk to me, honey.”
“I have another date. With someone else.”
Blondisheyebrows arched. “You work fast. Maybe you don’t need my advice.”
“No, I do. He’s the architect on the new music hall.”
“Conflict of interest?”
“I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“So, what’s got you concerned?”
“He seems interested sometimes and sometimes not. Plus we’re from two different worlds.”
“I assume you’re talkin’ about wealth and status. Does that bother you?”
“No, I don’t care about that crap. I am who I am. But a couple of times, I got the feeling that our differences were important to him.”
“Is he nice to you?”
“Very. And flattering.” She thought of the expression on his face when he’d seen her hair down. “And
he’s
not easy.”
“Paulina, I love you dearly, but that doesn’t color my view of you. Any man would be lucky to have you in hislife. You’re kind to everybody, and good-hearted, even in your grief. To hell with different life styles. Go after what you want.”
She gave him a little sister grin. “Like you went after Kelsey?”
A former Secret Service agent, Luke had been undercover as a high school student and his now wife had been his
teacher
. “Once she knew my real identity, yep, that’s exactly what I
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