Page 2 of Never Again
And why not? She had nothing else going on in her life. She was dedicated to making sure the company her parents built from nothing was a success, and one day, her younger siblings would join her at the helm.
The SUV slowed to a stop at a red light, and Carmen idly surveyed her surroundings through the window. Up ahead to the left, her gaze rested on someone she hadn’t expected to see at all, and the world came to a standstill. She held her breath in disbelief and sat forward, eyes focused on the man standing on the sidewalk holding a yellow beverage can in his hand as he talked to a woman on the street.
If asked to describe the woman, Carmen couldn’t recount a single feature because her eyes remained focused onhim. A black muscle shirt showed off the breadth of his broad shoulders, which were achingly familiar. Was that really Carlos? Same build, same shoulder-length loose-curled hair secured at the back of his head.
He laughed, turning his head a little to the right. Yes, it was him!
The light turned green and the vehicle move forward.
Heart pounding at her ribcage, Carmen gripped the back of the driver’s seat. “Franklin, wait. Pull over. Pull over, now!”
“Is something wrong?” He slid into an empty space two car lengths away and met her eyes in the rear-view mirror.
“No. Wait here.” She shoved open the door.
“Miss Reeves!”
Carmen ignored him and rushed out of the vehicle, leaving the door wide open and heading back the way they’d come. Carlos had walked away, his back to her, so he didn’t see her coming. She hurried, wondering how he’d react when he did see her.
That sobering thought made her slow her stride. She was a mess, with no make-up on and her short hair pulled into a haphazard ponytail. Even worse, what if he didn’t want to see her?
She came to a stop about ten feet away, and with fear trembling in her heart, she took a chance. “Carlos.” She spoke his name in a way that was part question.
He turned, and immediately, recognition sparked in his eyes. He frowned, black eyebrows snapping lower over dark-brown eyes that appeared black. “Carmen?” He breathed her name in disbelief.
Had his voice deepened? It wasn’t fair how smooth and sensual it made every word sound, especially her name. Heat settled between her thighs and reminded her of how they’d been inseparable, how every time he came near she couldn’t keep from touching him.
Her hands started to shake, and she took a calming breath and hid them behind her back.
“Yes,” she replied, elated he’d immediately recognized her despite her appearance.
Carlos walked slowly forward, looking her up and down. Carlos—here, real, in the flesh. She took time to examine him, as well. His face was different—more mature and with a fine sprinkling of hair along the jawline as if he hadn’t shaved in a few days. He looked like a rock star instead of an artist, but that’s what he was. An artist with a gift for capturing people and landscapes in vivid colors on canvas using only his two hands as tools, no brushes.
He wore several black and silver rings on his fingers, and his wrists were adorned with leather and beaded bracelets. The black sleeveless shirt showed off his muscular arms and made his olive-toned skin, which he’d inherited from his Chilean father and Peruvian mother—a mestiza woman of Quechua descent—appear even brighter.
“What are you doing here?” Unlike his mother, he didn’t have an accent, having grown up in Toronto like Carmen after his parents emigrated from South America when he was only six years old.
“I’m here on business for my father.”
Immediately, his demeanor changed. His body tightened at the mention of the man who had never accepted him as a viable candidate for his daughter’s affection.
“I…Fit Body Gyms has expanded into the Atlanta market, and I’m responsible for opening two of our new locations.”
She briefly glanced away as she spoke, embarrassed that she had taken such an interest in the company, contrary to the conversations she’d held with Carlos in the past. Angry at her father’s dismissal of their relationship, she’d been adamant that she would walk away and forge her own way in life. A lot had changed in three years.
“Good for you.” His gaze lifted to a point over her shoulder. “I see you still have Franklin in tow.”
With a quick glance over her shoulder, she saw that Franklin waited and watched not too far away.
“Always.” She smiled faintly. Rubbing her hands together, she looked around the area. “You live nearby?”
Inman Park had been Atlanta’s first planned suburb. By blending old Victorian homes with splashy apartments and newly built lofts, renters and homeowners lived side by side and frequented the neighborhood bars and quaint little food spots.
Carlos nodded. “Up the street a bit. I have a studio in my loft…”
As his voice trailed off, she had the distinct impression he didn’t want to share any more information with her.
“Anyway, it was good seeing you,” he said.
