“You and me both,” Tomás grumbled, his chuckle softening his dry tone. “I thought she was kidding when she told me.”
His humble words and easygoing charm were at odds with the man Yaz had envisioned during the weeks of his no-show routine.
“This dance class stuff isn’t really my forte,” Tomás muttered.
“Don’t worry about the recital. If you’re serious about practicing, you’ll catch on. You did a decent job today.”
“But there’s room for improvement?”
“Yeah.”
He threw back his head and laughed, a rich sound that swirled around her, enticing her to join in.
“You don’t pull any punches, do you?” he asked.
“I get the impression you can take it. Though, I guess, I probably overstepped my bounds earlier . . .”
“Man, that apology is killing you. Isn’t it?” He moved quickly, stepping in front of her to block her path.
Keep walking, she warned herself, unnerved that he seemed to read her so easily. That didn’t bode well for a girl with secrets she didn’t want to share.
“You just can’t bring yourself to say the words if you don’t mean them, can you?” The note of respect in his voice intrigued her.
“No, not really.”
“Good. I’d rather hear the truth than some candy-coated lie. I’m a big boy.”
It was like a hand-delivered invitation, but she stopped herself, barely, from letting her gaze travel the length of him.
What she would give for this man’s level of self-confidence. But she was great at pretending. “I take every aspect of dance seriously. Even the father-daughter Christmas routine.”
“And it’s important to Maria, so that makes it important to me. Maybe we have more in common than we realized.”
His naughty grin widened and Yaz gulped. Between his cleft chin, hide-and-seek dimple, and smiling eyes, she could get in some serious trouble with this guy.
The truth was, after her farce of an engagement to Victor had ended, she knew her life had no room for personal relationships. She understood well the sacrifices needed for her to be successful in New York. Papi had given up his dreams of stardom for their family. She owed it to him to see his dream for her come true.
Her heart heavy with the fear of disappointing her loved ones, Yaz edged away from Tomás Garcia’s distraction. “Like I said, as long as you keep practicing and make it to class, you’ll catch on, Mr. Garcia.”
“Tomás.” He placed a hand on her arm to stop her. Heat surged through her at his touch. “My name is Tomás. Encantado de cono-certe.”
Dios mío, he was pleased to meet her?
The man stood less than a foot away, close enough that she could see his five o’clock shadow. Tempting enough to make her wonder if she pressed a hand to his starched, white shirt, would she find his heart pounding as fast as hers?
Ay bendito, she was undeniably losing it.
“Well, uh, Tomás, we’ll see you after the Thanksgiving break.” That gave her plenty of time to get her head screwed back on straight.
“Oh, you will certainly see me after the holiday. You can count on it.” He gave her a cheeky wink, then strode out of the studio.
Her knees wobbled. Those words coming from any other parent wouldn’t have made her think twice. Coming from Tomás Garcia, they made her think about a lot more than what should have been a harmless dance class.
Photo courtesy of Michael A. Eaddy
PRISCILLA OLIVERAS is a USA Today bestselling author and 2018 RWA® RITA® double finalist who writes contemporary romance with a Latinx flavor. Proud of her Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage, she strives to bring authenticity to her novels by sharing her Latinx culture with readers. She and her work have earned praise from the Washington Post, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, among others. Priscilla earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and currently serves as adjunct faculty in the program and teaches the online class Romance Writing for ed2go. While she’s a devotee of the romance genre, Priscilla is also a sports fan, beach lover, and Zumba aficionada who often practices the art of napping in her backyard hammock.
To follow along on her fun-filled and hectic life, visit her on the web at https://prisoliveras.com/books/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prisoliveras, or on Twitter and Instagram via@prisoliveras.
HIS PERFECT PARTNER
Ad executive Tomás Garcia shouldn’t even be thinking about his daughter’s alluring dance teacher, Yazmine Fernandez. Burned by a shattering divorce, he’s laser-focused on his career—and giving his young daughter, Maria, the secure home she deserves. Plus, he’s certain that with her talent, Yaz will be leaving Chicago and heading back to Broadway as soon as she can. But Yaz’s generous spirit and caring concern are sparking a desire Tomás can’t resist—and doesn’t want to let go . . .
For Yaz, good-looking workaholics like Tomás simply can’t be part of her life ever again. She owes it to herself to get back her confidence and fulfill the dreams her papá could not. She’s glad to spend time with Maria—and taste the family life she feels she can never have. And she’s sure that she and Tomás can keep their attraction under control because there’s so much at stake. But each unexpected intimacy, each self-revelation, makes the fire between them grow hotter with every step—and every risk to their hearts . . .
A SEASON TO CELEBRATE
Make it a merry Christmas with four stories of the special way the holidays warm our hearts . . .
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Widower Billy Morgan wishes his grown children still needed him.
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CHRISTMAS IN BLUE HOLLOW FALLS * Donna Kauffman
Attorney Moira Brogan expects her brother’s Christmas wedding to be a peaceful affair. She doesn’t expect to be cornered by an unwanted lothario, rescued by a gorgeous Aussie chef—or be swept off her feet by said chef. Nursing a broken heart, the last thing she wants is a new romance. But Hudson Walker has other ideas...
HOLIDAY HOMERUN * Priscilla Oliveras
Event planner Julia Louisa Fernandez dreams of a life in Chicago. But her family in Puerto Rico expects her to take over the catering business. Former pro baseball player Ben Thomas knows what that’s like—and when they meet, he might be the one to inspire a winning strategy, just in time for the holidays . . .
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