âI thought you might be cold out here.â He held up the shawl.
âWell, thank you,â she said as she reached for the pink material, âbut I can take care of myself.â
Drew didnât doubt it. Debbie had been on her own since her mother died. âI know you can. But once in a while, itâs nice to have someone take care of you.â
Sliding the shawl from her hands, he draped the material over her shoulders, keeping hold of both ends. âMaybe,â she conceded. âBut I donât needââ
âThis isnât about need,â he interrupted. âItâs about want.â
Debbie swallowed. âWant?â
âItâs like ⦠dessert. Not something you need but certainly something you crave.â
âAnd let me guess. Youâre craving something sweet.â The sardonic twist on the word told Drew what Debbie thought of that descriptionâone heâd been guilty of using in the past.
âI was thinking more along the lines of something rich, decadent, a little sinful even.â
Debbieâs eyes widened, huge and sparkling in the faint light streaming through the French doors. Heâd gone too far, he thought.
* * *
The Pirelli Brothers: These California boys know what love is all about!
Chapter One
âTo the newlywed and the two brides-to-be,â Debbie Mattson said as she raised her margarita to her friends. âMay you always be as lucky in life as you have been in love.â
Darcy Dawson, the bachelorette of their party, lifted her green-apple martini. âTo luck and life and love,â she echoed.
The four womenâDebbie, Darcy, Sophia Pirelli Cameron and the newest member of the group, Kara Starlingâhad gathered at The Clearville Bar and Grille for Darcyâs final send-off as a single woman. The rustic bar was a favorite locale for tourists and townies alike with its flat-screen televisions for the sports lovers and small dance floor for music lovers. Had Debbie been in charge of the bachelorette party, she might have tried for something a little more exciting than dinner and drinks, but Darcy was clearly having a good time, and that was all that mattered.
Six months pregnant, dark-haired Sophia sipped at her own cranberry juice. If Debbie had ever seen a woman with a pregnancy glow, it was her friend, who looked adorable in a floral skirt and long-sleeved pink peasant blouse draped over her round belly. Of course, it just as easily could have been a newlywed glow, as Sophia had married Jake Cameron the previous summer.
Love clearly agreed with Sophia and seemed to be first and foremost on her mind as she exchanged a glance with Darcy and Kara before looking over at Debbie. âWith the three of us already finding our guys, you know what that means, right? Itâs your turn now.â
Debbie held on to her smile even though she groaned inside. How many times had she heard that over the past few months? Ever since her friends had met their soul mates, theyâd set their sights on the only single member left in their circle. At times, she felt very much the lone sheep about to be set upon by wolves. Cunning, devious, matchmaking wolves.
Show no fear, she thought to herself, knowing if she wavered even slightly she was dead meat.
âIâm happy for all of you, I really am. But Iâm nowhere near ready to settle down. Iâm finally at a place in my life where I have time to look for a little adventure and excitement.â
âAnd romance?â Darcy chimed in slyly.
âI wouldnât be opposed to having, oh, say...a red-hot fling.â Debbie took another sip of her margarita, the salty, tart combination making her taste buds tingle while the alcohol warmed her to her subject. âWith a guy whoâs dark and mysterious and exciting, whoâll ride into town and sweep me off my feet. Someone whoâll take me completely by surprise and keep me on my toes.â
âNow youâre talking,â the gorgeous redhead said with a grin.
âExcuse me?â Kara protested, using a look her friends had dubbed her âprofessor glare.â âNeed I remind you that youâre getting married this weekend?â
Lifting up her hands in an innocent gesture she couldnât quite pull off while still holding her martini glass, the bride-to-be retorted, âAll the more reason to live vicariously through Debbieâs escapades. So tell us more about this mystery man.â