Page 36 of XOXO, Valentina

I stood in silence, giving her a moment to pull herself together. When she was finished, I cleared my throat and said as gently as possible, “I need to keep my outside life and my inside life separate. You understand?”

She sniffed back tears. “Your personal life?”

I nodded. “You understand.”

She dabbed her eyes. Ms. Taylor’s theatrics didn’t work on me. I had two sisters. Rosa and Ava weren’t above using waterworks to win a fight. I’d seen enough fake tears to form an immunity. I stepped into the hall, blocking the view of the rest of the apartment from Ms. Taylor’s prying eyes.

Gabriella was just down the hall, and she was terrified of being discovered. I could still feel her on my skin and taste her on my tongue.

I rubbed my tattoo out of habit. The thin material of my shirt stuck to my chest with syrup, which made me think of Gabriella. Usually, my tattoo reminded me why I kept my affairs casual and didn’t get into relationships. At this moment, my tattoo wasn’t working, because I wanted more with Gabriella. One morning of sex wasn’t enough.

“I haven’t done much baking since my divorce,” Ms. Taylor said.

I nodded absently and steered her toward the door.

Ms. Taylor spun around so quickly I hadn’t seen it coming and put her hand on my arm. “Do you like baking?” She blinked up at me, batting her spidery-long lashes so rapidly they stuck together, forcing her to blink even faster.

I waited until she got her lashes under control before nodding. “Sure. Everyone likes baking.” Stepping away from her, I looked toward the kitchen. “¡Es suficiente! ¡Frodo! ¡Vamos!”

Frodo came trotting down the hall, reluctantly obedient. He’d definitely had more than his share of treats. I knew the feeling. I’d been greedy with Gabriella, and I wasn’t ready to stop, either.

“¡Muy bien!”I bent and scratched Frodo’s head.

“Your cat thinks he’s a dog,” Kaylee squealed. “Does he walk on a leash?”

I imagined walking Frodo at Ginger Cake Acres among the dog owners. I had a strange feeling Frodo might be into it.

“I haven’t tried that yet,” I said. “He’s not really my cat. He just came with the apartment.”

“But he speaks Spanish,” Kaylee said, rubbing behind Frodo’s small ears. “He must be yours.”

If I had a pet, he would be one like Frodo: a big muscular beast with a showy tail and a confident attitude. Frodo was a pretty cool cat who didn’t know he was a cat, and he was popular with the ladies.

I stepped around the pile of clothes on the floor and opened the door. “Thanks again for the brownies,” I said.

Kaylee went into the hall. “Bye, Frodo!”

Ms. Taylor stopped with one foot in the hall. “Go on down to the car, Kaylee. I’ll be right there.” Her gaze dropped to the women’s shoes and shorts on the floor just, naked curiosity on her face. “You have company?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “I’m enjoying my day off.” I put my hand on the door. “I hope you will as well.”

“You’re allowed to have a life, Mr. Morales. I’m not judging you.” Her eyes roamed over me. “After my divorce, it took me a while to want a man in my life again.”

It was all I could do to keep my eyes from rolling. In my mind, I was already back in my bedroom with Gabriella. “Uh-huh.” I eased the door closed, trying to shut her out. “Good luck with that.”

“It’s not about luck.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “It’s about opportunity.”

I nodded. Anything to get her out of here. “Right. Of course.”

“Don’t miss out on life’s opportunities,” she said.

“Couldn’t agree more.” The opportunity in my bedroom was waiting. “See you later.” I shut the door before something rude slipped out of my mouth. I wanted to tell her to fuck herself and her brownies, but she wasn’t worth it.

When I got back to my bedroom, Gabriella was standing at the door, wrapped in the towel. Her eyes were wild, and her hair looked like a tornado had whipped through it. She was gorgeous.

“Was that Chelsea Taylor?” Gabriella was ready to bolt. Lucky for me, her clothes were in the living room, so she would have to pass me to grab them. “What was she doing here?”

I blocked Gabriella’s exit by leaning against the doorframe. “I got rid of her. Don’t worry about it.”

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