Page 64 of Sombra
“Another man I broke up with,” I mutter, standing up to go back to cutting peppers.
NowTavo rises. It’s his turn to say, “What?”
My back to him, I start slicing the vegetable again. “If he’d only answer the Dear John email I sent, I’d be running after you.”
No sooner are those words out of my mouth than the knife clatters to the floor, and Tavo lifts me up to an empty part of the counter. His lips on mine, his hands on my lower back, and mine are on his ass, pullinghim between my legs. He kisses me with red hot passion and power I can feel down to my bones. Irrevocable. Life-altering. His kisses are deep and fervent. Body to body. We’re tongue-wrestling in the most electric way possible.
And I am lost in his kiss. I am nothing. I am one with him. We’re creating something new together.
We are dancing with our tongues, our hands grasping eachother, clutching to each other like we’re scared the other one will let go. I never want to let him go. This is where I belong.
Wherewebelong.
I pull back and slap him. Hard. “I can’t!”
Oh my God, I just slapped Tavo.I’ve never slapped anyone. I’m out of control. I can’t handle this. I can’t, I won’t, I must … I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to hurt him, he just surprisedme, and I’m mad that I want him.
The hurt in his eyes is so scary, not because he’s dangerous, but because he’s turning me on. And it’s dangerous that he’s turning me on. “Why did you slap me?”
“Because I want you. I want you so bad,” I whisper-yell, holding him to me, wrapping my legs around him.
Tavo’s beautiful face is in mine, his lips so close and swollen from our kiss.“Kim. I want you, too. Since the moment I saw you. Can’t you feel it? Can’t you feel how good we are together?”
“Yes.” A tear runs down my cheek, and I turn away from him. “But what if the rest of the world won’t let us be together?”
His finger wipes my tears, and his lips are against the top of my head. I press my cheek to his chest and almost have a heart attack, he feels so good.“The rest of the world doesn’t have to know.”
I’m breathing so hard. “We can’t do this.”
“I couldn’t … I can’t stay away,” he mutters.
My hands fold behind his neck, pulling him closer to me, his mouth inches from mine. “My parents wouldn’t like this.”
Dark eyes lock on mine. “Neither will my family.”
I’m searching for a reason not to do this. “I’m promised toanother, still. Technically. Since he hasn’t said anything back, I don’t have closure.”
“My family wants me to be with Sonia.”
“Everything is messed up,” I whisper.
He kisses me again. This time I’m scrambling to hold every part of him.
“It’s not messed up. It’s perfect.”
I’m licking his lips, my hair messed, wanting to do nothing else but touch him. Touch everypart of him. He’s kissing the soft part behind my ear, murmuring, “I want you. I want you so badly.”
“I want you, too. But we can’t. We need to … we need to do something about the other people—”
“Yes.”
Against his skin, I can’t help but ask, “This isn’t just because it’s forbidden, right? I mean, would we still want to be together if nothing prevented us from doing so?”
“Yes. That’s my answer. What’s yours?”
“Yes.”
He kisses me yet another time in response. When we break away, I say, “Tavo. I feel like we’re going to the edge, and we’re pushing ourselves off. What’s going to happen?”
“It’ll either crush us, or we’ll fly.”
I press my lips to him. “How does that feel on your conscience?”
His eyes go the ceiling full of driedherbs and garlic, and then to mine. “I’m happy. How does it feel on yours?”
“All I know is that I’m tired of living my life for everyone else. It’s time for me to listen to myself.”
He leans in and kisses me fiercely.
We’re in the shadows. I never liked having secrets, but I don’t want to share Tavo with the outside world yet either. I like this secret corner only he and Ishare. Right now, all I feel is finally belonging. I belong in his arms always.
