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“You should be selling this stuff, with this ice cream, and your fantastic nuts” She sucked on the tip of the spoon again “It’s like crack”

He stared at herthe air with sexual tension When he finally spoke, it was a relief “My uess you could say it’s in my blood”

She froze “She did?”

“Yes That’s why I work here occasionally” He scooped up h “It makes me feel closer to her, somehow”

Well, crap He had to go say so perfect, that it blew everything she thought she knew about him out of the water A man who missed his mother like that couldn’t be all that bad “How old were you when she died?”

“Twelve” He ate another bite of ice cream, but she could see he was in another place and another time—more than likely with his mother at his side He sood woreat queen An even better mother”

Reaching out, she squeezed his hand, locking eyes with hi it in as he held on to her hand And, though she didn’t want to ad the fact that she didn’t want hio “I bet she was”

“How old were you?” he asked softly

“Six I don’t really re her hand back She“She was shot on the subway on her way home”

They hadn’t spoken about this in New York They’d been too busy falling in love

“I’m so sorry” He set his spoon down “That’s awful”

“Yeah,” she said “Death always is”

He leaned in and brushed a s at the speed of light When he spoke, his voice was hypnotic “We’ve both lost too m

uch, Alicia Being here with you re to be honest and adain”

She touched her lip where he had, fear pulsing through her veins instead of blood She wanted to pull him closer, but was also well aware that she had to do the opposite, for the sake of her own heart A heart she wouldn’t let him break twice “Leo, I—”