Page 38 of Love at First Ink

Who was this tattooed entrepreneur with a kind soul? He was everything she had never allowed herself to want. Everything her mother despised. From a young age, Marisol had been pushed toward a specific kind of crowd: the sons of wealthy businessmen, heirs to old-money dynasties, men with influence in their communities. Politicians. Lawyers. She had met them all. Which was why her mother had loved Archie so much. He checked so many of the boxes she wanted in a son-in-law. But none of these men had ever made her heart race the way Cisco did.

She was raised to believe that her mother’s wants and needs were her own, and she didn’t try to fight it.Not when she broke her sister’s heart. Not when her own heart was breaking. She was just a doll to be used.

But this doll wasn’t made of porcelain any longer.

She was learning how to fight back and make her own path in life, even if she still felt like she had so much further to go. Cisco was a man she picked for herself, despite her fears and the voices in her head telling her this wasn’t what her mother wanted and would cause a fight. Cisco was worth the fallout of a relationship she wasn’t entirely certain she still wanted. A man she hadn’t known for long already knew the true her better than anyone else.

The thought was both scary and strangely exciting.

He continued to look at her like she was the only woman worth seeing. That did something to Marisol, stirred a feeling inside her she thought went dormant a long time ago. Her body was no longer her own. She felt like the world was moving in slow motion as she leaned up and closed the distance between them. Her lips molded to his, a current of electricity running through her body the moment they touched. She was hungry for more, and she didn’t want to deny herself.

Her lips parted, a low, needy sound leaving them. Cisco’s tongue found hers, mingling in a moment of heat. She wanted more. Needed more. She nearly deepened the kiss when she heard Savi somewhere behind her shouting directions at a couple. Reality hit her hard, and she pulled back as if shocked.

“Uh, sorry. I don’t know what came over?—”

“Get your ass back here, Princesa.” Cisco didn’t let her get far. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back, his lips slamming against hers. There was no hesitation on his behalf. He kissed her like this was the last time he would ever kiss her. His tongue brushed hers, and she moaned, though heswallowed it up. The room faded until there was nothing but her and Cisco.

Cisco, the man who was slowly breaking down her walls.

Heat pooled between her legs. Who knew she could get so turned on by a kiss? Granted, this wasn’t just any kiss. It left her panting and breathless, desperately wishing they were alone and not in the middle of a speakeasy with other couples.

Reluctantly, they broke away from each other. Marisol was seconds from stripping them both, consequences be damned, but the loss of his lips on hers was like a bucket of cold water. Effective, yet annoying.

A sly grin spread across his lips. “Why did I bring us here? Fucking stupid. Let’s go back to your house.”

“Cisco!” She laughed, swatting at him when he attempted to pull her away from the others dancing…or what they considered dancing. The jerky movements and questionable footwork made her wonder what tempo they were chasing. She felt much better about the small imperfections in her own footwork.

“And that’s our time, dancers!” María said cheerfully, her voice breaking through the music. Savi cut the sound and moved to stay at her side. “Everyone did amazing, but it’s most important that you had fun. Did everyone have fun today?”

Applause and cheers met her question. Cisco wrapped an arm around Marisol and pulled her close. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Now, can we leave?”

“Now we can leave,” she agreed, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her out of the speakeasy. Her body was still thrumming with pent-up energy. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt like this after a date. Hell, she couldn’t even remember the last date she went on before Cisco. Now she actually felt a pang of sadness it was coming to an end.

“Can we do this again?” she blurted when they got to his car.

Cisco opened her door, raising a brow. “Go on a date?”

“No. Well, yes, but I meant dancing. You’re really good at it. And it was…fun.”

“You don’t have to say ‘fun’ like you regret the word.” He laughed. “But I’ll take you whenever you want to go. You looked beautiful, and you were the best partner I’ve ever had.”

Marisol hid her blush by quickly getting into the car. The Sinner’s Web was playing softly on the radio. It helped ease the sudden nerves that took root inside her. They were going home. Cisco was dropping her off. Did he expect to come up with her? And if she agreed…what did he expect to do?

Her stomach churned. It wasn’t as if she had thought about…that. After all, she was seconds away from stripping him in the middle of a public place and having her way with him. But that was in the heat of the moment, and now she was back in reality.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. She did…maybe more than she cared to admit, but the thought still scared her. Happiness was in her reach, but was it truly attainable or just a moment in time that would end?

“Hey, Princesa, you okay?” Cisco’s hand reached for hers, and she jumped.

Marisol hadn’t even heard him get in. The concerned look on his face told her this wasn’t the first time he tried to get her attention. “I’m fine,” she lied. “Just tired.”

“You are a bad liar, Marisol,” Cisco said, but he didn’t sound upset. He sounded…almost understanding, which didn’t make sense since he didn’t know what she was thinking.

Before she could spiral any further, he quickly added, “Let me get you home so you can rest.”

Cisco pulled out of the parking lot and took off in the direction of her house. Unlike her, who had to GPS the Walgreens down the street, he had her home memorized. Their drive was quiet, though not awkward, as they listened to their favorite band.

Ten minutes later, he pulled up to the front of the building and reached over to unhook her belt. “Did you have fun tonight?” He searched her face for any signs of doubt.

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