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live in a condo about five miles away. It’s corporate housing since I just moved into the area a few months ago.”
    “Oh, so you’re new to Alexandria? Where are you from originally?”
    “I grew up in New Jersey, but joined the Marines when I was eighteen. I’ve moved around quite a bit since then.” She knew there was more to his story, but did not think the ice cream aisle in the local grocery store was the place to probe.
    “Is your family still in Jersey?” Adele found that she was having a great conversation with him and wanted to prolong it as much as she could. She had all but forgotten they were standing in the middle of a grocery store. He had a friendly smile, and he seemed quite nice now that they were having a regular conversation. She was very glad they had crossed paths again.
    “Most of them. My mom and dad still live there in the house where I grew up. I try to visit Jersey as often as I can since it’s not too far away. My younger brother is in Boston living life as a carefree bachelor. My two cousins are up there in Boston as well and own a restaurant.” He’d walked closer to her and leaned against one of the grocery store shelves, as if settling in for a long visit.
    Staring up at him, Adele felt breathless all of a sudden and had to change the subject, “So, what exactly did they say to you the other day?”
    He gave her an intense stare, and she wondered if Ethan and Tony had been out of line. “Nothing. Well, nothing much anyway, other than what I said earlier. They warned me that you were off-limits and that if I had any ideas about talking with you, I’d better forget them.”
    Those damn men. She knew why they did it, but damn, they needed to back off a little. She was still a grown-ass woman. Maybe she had needed them to hover over her a bit at first, but not so much anymore. She had grown so much over the years and it was time she took the lead in her life. She’d show them just how grown she really was. Looking at the man standing in front of her, she could not help but appreciate how strikingly handsome he was, even more so than she had originally thought when she had seen him at the gym yesterday. His lean body was exactly the way she liked, with strong shoulders, a wide chest, and his torso tapered down in the shape of a “V.” His hips were lean and his muscled thighs were visible under his loose-fitting jeans. All in all, he was absolutely luscious, and she was ready to have some fun.
    She gave him a saucy grin and knew her eyes held a mischievous glint as she came up with the perfect plan to rattle the guys. “Well, Stefano, as I mentioned, I’m having a cookout today. You mentioned that you’re new in town and I would be happy to welcome you to our lovely city. Are you busy this afternoon?”
    Eyebrows raised, his grin became wider as he unfolded his frame and stood up straight. “Well, that depends on what you had in mind.”
    “If you’re free, why don’t you come over and hang out. Meet the guys in a more relaxed environment. They’re really quite nice once you get to know them.”
    “You mean the three guys who treated me as if they wanted nothing more than to rearrange my face? Those guys?” He laughed out loud, the sound causing her own smile to widen in return. “You’re not really serious, are you?” He had a devilish grin on his face and she knew he was game, even though he protested.
    “Actually, no, it’s not for the three of them. It’s for all five. Come on, Stefano, join the fun. This is my payback to them, since I know the three of them will have told the other two, Noah and Daniel, all about you already. This should be interesting.”
    He gave her wide grin, and she couldn’t help but laugh. A kindred spirit. She liked that.
    “So, there’s two more like the ones I met yesterday. You know, I think I’ll take you up on that invitation. What time do you want me there?”
    “Two o’clock okay?” At his nod, she reached into her purse