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  I push to my tiptoes and wrap my arms around his neck. “That’s right. I’m all yours, Fireboy.”

  He claims my mouth in a long, deep kiss that pales in comparison to the one before. By the time he pulls back, I’m unsteady on my feet.

  “So what do we need to talk about?” he asks.

  “Talk about?” I repeat, having a hard time grasping reality. My mind and heart are still stuck in that kiss.

  His lips kick up in a sinful smirk. “You said we needed to talk. Or did you just come here for a kiss? I’m fine with either one.”

  I shake my head, trying to get rid of the fog clouding my mind. “Right, I came for both but the main reason for my visit is to give you this.” I reach into my bag then hand him the sealed black envelope.

  “What’s this?” he asks, taking it from me.

  “Your personal invite to my launch party. I need a hot date. Any chance you can help me out?”

  “Hell, yeah. There’s no way anyone else is going to be by your side.”

  His possessive words dance along my skin, creating a flock of butterflies in my tummy.

  “When is it?” he asks.

  “This Saturday. I was thinking you could invite your mom, too. Do you think she would come?”

  He shrugs. “I don’t see why not. How fancy is it? My mom is simple and so am I. We don’t own anything worth three thousand dollars.”

  I refrain from rolling my eyes. I swear he is never going to get over that Vera dress. “You don’t need to worry about that. Some people will be dressed up and others more casual, but I got you covered.”

  Uncertainty masks his expression. “What does that mean?”

  “It means, I’m hoping you will wear one of the suits from my new line and show it off for me…” I say, looking up at him hopefully.

  “I don’t know, Blondie. I’m not much of a suit guy. I’m more of a jeans and T-shirt kind of dude.”

  “And I love that about you but no one will look as good as you in the suit I have picked out. For me…please?” I add, batting my lashes at him.

  “Fine,” he groans.

  I launch myself at him, planting a hard smooch on his cheek. “Thank you.”

  “Anything for you.”

  This man does all sorts of beautiful things to my heart.

  “So what are these dinner plans you have going on tonight?” he asks, setting me back down to my feet.

  “Actually, I’m meeting my mother,” I tell him, happiness soaring through me all over again.

  “I thought she didn’t get back until next week?”

  “Me too, but turns out she took an earlier flight. She couldn’t wait any longer to see me.” My voice softens along with my smile.

  He reaches up, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. “Glad to hear. I know how much you’ve missed her.”

  “I have, and I told her all about you. She will be at the party.”

  “Good. I’m glad I’ll finally get to meet her.”

  We gaze back at one another, our need rivaling the other’s as my fingers clutch the starch material of his uniform shirt.

  “Come over after your shift tonight,” I whisper.

  His chocolate eyes darken further, arms tightening around me. “It’ll be late. After midnight.”

  “I don’t care. I miss you and I want to sleep in your arms.”

  “I miss you too, baby.” He pulls me in closer and there’s no denying the feel of his erection against my stomach. “I’ll be there. Give me a key so I don’t have to wake you.”

  I give him the spare one I have on my keychain. Afterward, he leaves me with another spellbinding kiss before strutting his sexy ass back into the station.

  My heart is full as I drive to meet my mother at the restaurant and the night only gets better. We have a wonderful dinner together that lasts for hours. I tell her more about Gabe and what’s been going on at the boutique. She fills me in on her trip and the crazy shenanigans she and my aunts got into. But best of all, we talk about my dad. Sharing some of our favorite memories of him. It’s the best medicine for our healing hearts.

  Later that evening, I crawl into bed wearing the sexiest pair of bra and panties I own. A red lace set with a jeweled clasp between my breasts and matching rhinestones at my hips. It takes a good hour before I’m able to fall asleep, my body and mind racing in anticipation for what’s to come.

  The next thing I know, a noise startles me awake, yanking me from sleep.

  “It’s just me, Bella.” Gabe’s deep voice washes over me, soothing my frantic heart.

  He switches on the lamp next to my bed, the soft glow illuminating his handsome face. He reaches out, skimming his fingers across my cheek in a gesture that has my heart fluttering in my chest.

  I cover his hand with my own and turn my face to the side, pressing a kiss to his palm before shifting the blankets off me and revealing what I have beneath.

  His sharp inhale penetrates the room as his eyes turn to liquid fire, traveling down my half naked body. He removes his shirt then pants, his eyes never leaving mine as he climbs on top of me. Every bit of air is stolen from my lungs, the hot feel of his darker skin upon mine altering my world.

  His hands are painstakingly slow as he removes the garments from my body. He spends time loving me with his mouth, bringing me to a mind-blowing orgasm before he enters me, claiming not only my body but my soul as well.

  Grabbing my hand, he interlocks our fingers before bringing it over my head, his eyes never straying from mine as he makes love to me like never before.

  It’s gentle and intimate, every stroke more heart stealing than the last.

  His lips brush the shell of my ear as he whispers phrases in Spanish. They roll off his tongue in the most beautiful way. I have no idea what he says but I don’t need to because his touch says it all.

  In this moment, I know without a doubt that I have irrevocably fallen in love with Gabriel Martinez, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him forever.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Gabe

  My truck rolls down my childhood street as I drive to my mother’s house, feeling ridiculous in this stupid monkey suit I agreed to wear. It’s restricting and not at all what I’m used to but I’ll shut my mouth and put a smile on my face because it’s for CeCe, and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.

  The red sports car parked in my mother’s driveway has a scowl forming on my face. Not only do I not recognize it but it also looks completely out of place on this street. My confusion turns to concern when I find Luis sitting on the front steps, his head cast down and shoulders slumped.

  What did the little shit do now?

  Parking across the street, I climb out of my truck and slam the door. Luis’s head snaps up at my approach. His eyes are wide as he jumps to his feet. The fear in his gaze has alarm bells banging around inside of me.

  “Hey,” I greet him, walking up the driveway.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to pick up Ma for CeCe’s party.”

  He swallows hard. “I don’t think she’s going anymore.”

  The nervous glance he tosses over his shoulder only ramps up the uneasiness coiling inside of me.

  “What’s going on? Whose car is that?” I ask.

  His silence has me pushing forward.

  He steps in front of me, his hand pressing on my chest. “Don’t go in there, Gabe. Trust me.”

  Anger begins to surface and I throw his hand off me, pushing him back a step. “Get your hands off me. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “I’m tellin’ you, man, you don’t want to go in there!”

  The look on his face has dread sinking into my gut, heavy and hard. “Get the fuck out of my way, Luis.”

  When he makes no move to comply, I shove him to the side and charge into the house only to come to a cold, hard stop.

  Blood rushes in my ears, a million emotions slamming into me as I stare at the man sitting at the k
itchen table with my mother. A man I haven’t seen in fifteen years.

  One I hate most in this world.

  My mother quickly stands. “Mijo!” The endearment purges past her trembling lips but I don’t look her way. I can’t. My narrowed eyes are glued on the man before me.

  He pushes to his feet, slowly standing. “Son.” He nods the greeting.

  “Don’t you fucking call me that,” I bite out, my blood pumping hotter. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  He shifts nervously, clearing his throat. “I know this must be a shock to you but if you’ll let me explain.”

  “The hell I will. Get out of this house before I throw you out.”

  “Mijo, please,” my mother pleads.

  My attention finally shifts to her and I see she’s been crying, tears of devastation streaming down her cheeks. It conjures memories of the past, of all the nights I watched her fall apart because of this asshole.

  My eyes snap back to him, my rage spinning with a force so powerful it shreds any control I’ve managed up until this point. Reaching out, I grab his throat and throw him up against the wall. “What did you do to her?”

  “Gabriel, stop!”

  I ignore my mother’s terrified plea, my fingers gripping. The man before me claws at my hand, desperate for release. I stare back into his bulging eyes. Eyes that are the same color as mine, ones I used to cry for as a child after he walked away and never looked back.

  “You aren’t welcome here,” I grind out.

  My mother fights to pull me back but has no success. “Luis, help me!”

  My brother manages to get between us and shoves me back with enough force that has me releasing the bastard’s throat.

  He keels over, coughing and sputtering as he tries to pull in air.

  “What the hell are you doing, man?” Luis bellows, directing his anger at me instead of the piece of shit who deserves it.

  “What am I doing?” I repeat in outrage. “What the fuck are you doing? Why would you let him into this house?”

  “Because he wants to talk to her. He’s trying to make things right, Gabe.”

  I blink at him, unbelieving the shit I’m hearing. “Are you really that stupid? He walked out, Luis, because he doesn’t give a shit about us. Not me, you, and definitely not Ma!”

  “That’s not true.” My father straightens, his fingers massaging his throat. “I made a mistake. I know that but I’m here to right my wrongs.”

  My eyes travel back to his. “Why? Did the whore get tired of you and trade you in for the next gardener?”

  The truth in his eyes says it all.

  A bitter laugh escapes me, a complete contradiction to the hot rage battling inside of me. “You’re crazy if you think you can make any of this right. This is not your home or your family and it never will be. Now get the fuck out of here before you leave in a body bag.”

  “Gabriel, stop this. Please.”

  My attention reverts to my mother where she stands with her arms wrapped around herself, her eyes anchored on the floor.

  “What are you thinking, Ma? Huh!” I ask, leaning down to look at her face. “Are you seriously considering listening to what he has to say? Have you forgotten what he put us through?”

  She says nothing, only continues to cry.

  Luis steps in front of me, blocking her from my view. “Back off, Gabe. It’s her right if she wants to hear what he has to say. You need to leave. You’re making things worse.”

  Betrayal pumps furiously through my veins as I stare back at my brother. “You all have lost your fucking minds.” Backing away, I turn around and kick open the front door. It flies off its hinges and barrels out onto the front lawn.

  My mother’s sobs sound behind me as I storm across the yard to my truck.

  “Gabe, wait!” Luis calls, charging out of the house.

  I continue forward, my shoes pounding the grass. If I don’t leave now I won’t be able to control what happens next. My emotions are too strong, suffocating me, threatening to explode.

  My brother doesn’t take the hint.

  “Will you just listen for one fucking second?”

  When he reaches for my shoulder, I grab him by the front of his shirt and pin him against my truck. “I don’t want to hear a goddamn word. Nothing you say will make me forgive him.”

  His eyes are hard but there’s no denying the emotion in them. “People make mistakes, Gabe.”

  “A mistake?” I repeat, disbelief coursing through me. “You don’t get it. You were just a baby. You didn’t watch him walk past every room in that house with his suitcase in hand and not look back. You didn’t listen to Ma fucking cry every single night until there were no tears left. And you sure as hell didn’t know what it was like to feel hungry and bust your ass to make sure your family could eat while he was off fucking some rich whore and building a new life with her!”

  His lips press together tightly but in the end it’s not enough to hold back the emotion he’s desperately trying to keep in. It pours out of him through the tears streaming down his face.

  Releasing his shirt, I step back. “That, my brother, is not a fucking mistake. That’s—unforgivable.”

  Those are the last words I leave him with before hopping in my truck and peeling away. It’s not until I turn the corner that the knot stuck in my throat tightens unbearably and my eyes burn like hell. Locking my jaw down tight, I try to keep the pain buried.

  I haven’t cried since I was eleven years old and I’ll be damned if I shed a single fucking tear for him now.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CeCe

  My boutique is a flurry of activity as workers move about, setting up for the party. I stand amongst the chaos, my nerves frayed, and I begin to worry I bit off more than I can chew by hosting this damn thing.

  Deep breaths, CeCe, you got this.

  Of all weekends, why did Jill have to go out of town? I could use her calm, collected personality to help me through this evening.

  A commotion happens at my front entrance, yanking me from my inner turmoil.

  “Watch where you’re going, asshole. You almost knocked into my wife.”

  My head snaps up at the hard voice that belongs to my best friend’s husband. A huge smile takes over my face, my heart exploding at the sight of Ryder and Emily standing in the doorway.

  Emily places her hand on Ryder’s chest, calming him before offering the worker an apologetic smile. Eventually, her eyes wander over the boutique until they land on me, a matching smile forming on her face.

  We move at the same time, our heels tearing up the ceramic tile until we are locked in a tight hug.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” I whisper, holding her close.

  “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  Because she knows the definition of loyalty. That’s why she’s my best friend.

  When we break apart, I shift my attention over to her brooding husband. “Lookin’ sharp, Secret Agent. Very GQ.”

  “Kensington, always a pleasure.” His dry tone states otherwise and makes both Emily and me laugh.

  “Where’s my sweet little Rosa?” I ask.

  “We left her with Nick and Katelyn for the night,” Emily says, talking about Ryder’s partner and wife. “We weren’t sure how well she’d do with the car ride and this way we have a night to ourselves.” She wraps her arms around her husband’s waist, love shining bright in her eyes.

  “I also didn’t want her corrupted by Aunt CeCe’s purse addiction,” Ryder adds with a smirk.

  “Aw, what’s wrong? Is seeing all these fabulous handbags bringing back bad memories for you?”

  He grunts. “They are fucking lethal.”

  “All the more reason why Rosa should have one.”

  “She doesn’t need protection. She has her dad for that,” he counters.

  I can’t argue there. I never thought I would ever see him look at another person the way he looks at my best friend but I was wrong. That litt
le girl has him wrapped around her finger. I’m so proud of her.

  “How about I hook you up with daddy daughter purses?” I suggest. “I bet Michael and Louis would make great friends.”

  The unimpressed look that adorns his face has me cutting into laughter.

  “Oh come on, I’m just teasing,” I say, giving him a gentle elbow to the ribs. “I’m glad you came, even if it’s only for my best friend.”

  “I didn’t just come for her.”

  I stare back at him with a dubious look, waiting for whatever insult he’s going to toss my way, but it never comes.

  “All joking aside, Kensington, you’ve done good. The place is great, even if it’s not my style.”

  My heart warms, surprised by his touching words.

  “It is,” Emily adds, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “We’re really proud of you and I know this line is going to be successful just like everything else has been so far.”

  Such few words can do wonders for the soul.

  “Thanks, guys,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion.

  At that moment, my mom comes striding in the door, looking as radiant as ever in the turquoise Marc Jacobs dress I loaned her to show off for the night.

  “There’s my beautiful daughter.” She pulls me into a hug and greets me with a kiss on the cheek.

  “Hey, Mom. You look great.”

  “Thank you and so do you, but that’s nothing new.”

  She’s so modest, I think to myself with a smile.

  “Emily, it’s good to see you,” she says, gathering my best friend into her arms.

  “You too. It’s been a long time.”

  “Too long,” my mother agrees.

  They embrace each other for a little longer than necessary and it has emotion welling up inside of me again. For a long time, Emily worried my mother blamed her for my father’s death but it was just the opposite. As sad as we are to have lost my dad, we’re proud that he fought for what’s right and saved my best friend’s life in the process.

  My mother moves to Ryder next, shaking his hand. “Mr. Jameson. It’s nice to see you again.”

  “You too.”

  She turns back to me, grasping my shoulders. “How are you holding up?”