frown,
his eyes squinting. “I see.”
In fairness to him, Monica suspected he
didn’t hear those words very often, at least not from a woman.
His study of her continued. “I guess I got
the impression when you …. When we …” He cleared his throat and
gave his head a shake again.
She felt her face warming as she remembered
their kiss on the picnic table. She had to admit it was rather
strange. How many times had she dreamed of going out with Carlos?
Although most of her daydreams didn’t involve tame, civilized dates
with Carlos – more hot carnal moments than anything else. Her face
and neck grew hot as her daydreams and the reality of the man
himself, intersected.
She swept her gaze across his face, landing
on his eyes. “It’s just that I’m Luisa’s Big Sister. You’re, of
course, her brother. It wouldn’t be right if we developed a dating
relationship. We need to keep it platonic, you know, for her
sake.”
There, she’d done it. She rejected Carlos’s
request for a date. And it even sounded reasonable, too.
Professional.
He looked at her with an amused expression.
“You’re turning me down because you think my little hermana wouldn’t approve of us?”
Monica nodded. “Not only that. It’s really
important to me to do a good job with this. I don’t want to break
the Big Sister rules and mess up the rapport I have with Luisa by
going out with her brother.”
Carlos eyed her. “You’re a real by-the-rules
type, huh?”
Monica felt a heat develop in her cheeks and
she knew the embarrassing flush of red would soon follow. “Yes.
Always. You’re not though, I suppose?”
Carlos’ laughter was so deep and wicked it
brought to mind some unbidden visions of her and Carlos, alone in a
sweat-soaked bed, breaking all the rules of her guarded and
sheltered life. She mumbled, “I wouldn’t want to do anything your
mother would disapprove of either.”
He let out a breath in an amused snort. “My
sister? My mother? I’m a grown man, Monica. I’ve been making my own
decisions for a while now.”
Emotions battled within her. Didn’t he
realize it was difficult for her to say no to him? To turn her back
on her fantasies and let her responsible side be front and
center?
He reached out and locked her hands, now
trembling with uncertainty in his own. He lifted them to his face
and kissed them while he stared into her eyes. “I’d like to take
you out to dinner. Talk awhile. Get to know you better. I’m not
asking for a commitment, and I’m not asking my family for
permission.” He brushed his lips over the backs of her knuckles,
and she felt a trail of desire dive-bomb to her stomach. “What’s
the harm in saying yes?”
Before she knew what her traitorous mouth was
doing, she whispered, “Yes,” and leaned in for a kiss, which Carlos
was only too happy, by all appearances, to deliver. Her heart
responded by doubling its pace, and her knees grew shaky,
threatening not to hold her weight.
“Saturday night,” he whispered while their
faces were still close. She nodded. He walked her to her car,
waited till she buckled her seatbelt, then he leaned in for one
last pulse-racing kiss. He pushed the door closed with a wave.
When had it happened? When had her common
sense left her? True, she didn’t want to upset Mrs. Garcia or
Luisa. True, she didn’t want to break the rules of her volunteer
organization and harm the job she was doing. But those weren’t the
only reasons she’d said no in the first place.
She had never been out with a man like
Carlos. Dark, handsome, dangerous. Not even close. Their worlds
were universes apart. She had no experience in her tame, calm
existence with the Carloses of the world. And the thought of
spending an entire evening with him put her out of her comfort
zone.
Would she be safe with him? Or, once she was
out with him, would she want to throw safe out the window?
Black. White. Khaki. An occasional red.
Monica never realized her wardrobe was
his eyes squinting. “I see.”
In fairness to him, Monica suspected he
didn’t hear those words very often, at least not from a woman.
His study of her continued. “I guess I got
the impression when you …. When we …” He cleared his throat and
gave his head a shake again.
She felt her face warming as she remembered
their kiss on the picnic table. She had to admit it was rather
strange. How many times had she dreamed of going out with Carlos?
Although most of her daydreams didn’t involve tame, civilized dates
with Carlos – more hot carnal moments than anything else. Her face
and neck grew hot as her daydreams and the reality of the man
himself, intersected.
She swept her gaze across his face, landing
on his eyes. “It’s just that I’m Luisa’s Big Sister. You’re, of
course, her brother. It wouldn’t be right if we developed a dating
relationship. We need to keep it platonic, you know, for her
sake.”
There, she’d done it. She rejected Carlos’s
request for a date. And it even sounded reasonable, too.
Professional.
He looked at her with an amused expression.
“You’re turning me down because you think my little hermana wouldn’t approve of us?”
Monica nodded. “Not only that. It’s really
important to me to do a good job with this. I don’t want to break
the Big Sister rules and mess up the rapport I have with Luisa by
going out with her brother.”
Carlos eyed her. “You’re a real by-the-rules
type, huh?”
Monica felt a heat develop in her cheeks and
she knew the embarrassing flush of red would soon follow. “Yes.
Always. You’re not though, I suppose?”
Carlos’ laughter was so deep and wicked it
brought to mind some unbidden visions of her and Carlos, alone in a
sweat-soaked bed, breaking all the rules of her guarded and
sheltered life. She mumbled, “I wouldn’t want to do anything your
mother would disapprove of either.”
He let out a breath in an amused snort. “My
sister? My mother? I’m a grown man, Monica. I’ve been making my own
decisions for a while now.”
Emotions battled within her. Didn’t he
realize it was difficult for her to say no to him? To turn her back
on her fantasies and let her responsible side be front and
center?
He reached out and locked her hands, now
trembling with uncertainty in his own. He lifted them to his face
and kissed them while he stared into her eyes. “I’d like to take
you out to dinner. Talk awhile. Get to know you better. I’m not
asking for a commitment, and I’m not asking my family for
permission.” He brushed his lips over the backs of her knuckles,
and she felt a trail of desire dive-bomb to her stomach. “What’s
the harm in saying yes?”
Before she knew what her traitorous mouth was
doing, she whispered, “Yes,” and leaned in for a kiss, which Carlos
was only too happy, by all appearances, to deliver. Her heart
responded by doubling its pace, and her knees grew shaky,
threatening not to hold her weight.
“Saturday night,” he whispered while their
faces were still close. She nodded. He walked her to her car,
waited till she buckled her seatbelt, then he leaned in for one
last pulse-racing kiss. He pushed the door closed with a wave.
When had it happened? When had her common
sense left her? True, she didn’t want to upset Mrs. Garcia or
Luisa. True, she didn’t want to break the rules of her volunteer
organization and harm the job she was doing. But those weren’t the
only reasons she’d said no in the first place.
She had never been out with a man like
Carlos. Dark, handsome, dangerous. Not even close. Their worlds
were universes apart. She had no experience in her tame, calm
existence with the Carloses of the world. And the thought of
spending an entire evening with him put her out of her comfort
zone.
Would she be safe with him? Or, once she was
out with him, would she want to throw safe out the window?
Black. White. Khaki. An occasional red.
Monica never realized her wardrobe was
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