Page 63 of Sombra
“This is sad. Everyone should know how to cook. Food is one of the pleasures of life.”
I smile, turning to slice some red peppers, and can’t help thinking of some other pleasures.
He stands behind me again, watching me cut the peppers. It’s not too close. It’s not close enough. I give an involuntarywiggle, and he places a hand on my waist.
I sigh. I wish I could allow this. I wish he could touch me like this. Because it feels good. So achingly good. I like him dominating me in the kitchen, and this fact scares me more than a little.
“My little conejo,” he murmurs. “You’re quite the chef. These look beautiful. Not as beautiful as you, though.”
“Conejo? A rabbit?” I setdown the knife and turn toward him.
“Your nose curls up. It twitches like a bunny.” He runs his finger down my nose.
And he leans down as if he’s going to kiss me. It’s driving me absolutely insane. He’s driven me insane since he stepped in the room.
We need to stop it.Right now.
“Tavo. We can’t do this. What about your novia?”
A perplexed look crosses overhis face. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“I saw you, Tavo. I saw you kissing Sonia. I don’t know why you have to deny it.”
“I’m not deny—” He sighs and puts his hands down. “Kim. Let me tell you something. Come here.” Pulling me over to the kitchen table, he gets a chair out for me and sits down in one on the opposite side, facing me. With earnest eyes on mine, he begins to tell mehow the girl next door has gone from being a kid who followed after him to one who has told her father to foreclose on the house if she doesn’t marry him.
And now my heart aches even more for him.
“She’s not my girlfriend. I don’t feel anything for her. I’m trying to figure out how to save my mother and our heritage without compromising my soul.”
“I saw you kiss her—”
“You sawherkissme—”
“And Guillermo said you fucked her.”
My words ring out and hang in the air, echoing through the kitchen.
He spits out a curse. “Yes. Once. About a month before you got here.”
“It wasn’t the other day?”
“No, guapa.”
“Then why did Guillermo make it sound like you were doing it? He told me way too much. He told me you weremirandopa’ Cuenca.” Tavo shudders. “I didn’t know what that meant and I had to Google it. How does your brother know you were doing it doggy-style?”
“Whatever he says, guapa, nothing’s happened since you’ve been here. He likes Sonia. For some reason, she has her sights on me, and he’s jealous.”
“She’s beautiful,” I offer. “You could do a lot worse than her.”
“But I could do a lotbetter. Unfortunately, you’re not available.”
My mind stutters, and my heart takes a leap. “What?”
He’s so earnest. So beautiful. So close. “You know.”
“I know what?”
“You know I’m attracted to you. And you’re attracted to me. But you’re taken by another man, and—”
