Something about Charlee and those thick red lashes she’d fluttered so flustered over those deep blue eyes yesterday said . . . romantic. Hector didn’t do romance. He didn’t have time for it. He learned from past experiences that you don’t get involved in any way with girls looking for the real deal without it getting messy, especially ones you’ll have to be around often. Even considering doing something with Charlee was out of the question. It couldn’t get any more cut and dry than this. But this was the first time he found himself having to build such a case against getting involved with any girl, and it was annoying as hell.
“Congrats,” Roni said as he reached her and Noah. She held up her camera in one hand and hugged his neck with the other. “Umm, you smell good,” she said as she pulled away.
“Yeah, yeah,” Noah frowned, taking her hand. “So he showered.”
Hector laughed. “You’re just saying that because it’s the cologne you two got me last Christmas.”
Roni’s eye’s brightened. “Is it really? No wonder. I gave everyone Armani. I just don’t remember who I gave which to. Gio’s is the only one easy to remember since it’s his own name. I love all his fragrances.”
“Code something or other,” Hector shrugged. “I’ve gotten enough compliments. I’ll probably buy another when it’s gone.”
“Your birthday’s coming up. Isn’t it?” Roni winked. “I got you.”
“Are we gonna do this or what?” Gio asked. “Because I’m ready to get B on the dance floor already.”
Gio pulled his fiancée, Bianca, to him, pressing his body against hers, and swayed to the music playing. Bianca swayed with him, giggling as he kissed her.
Hector rolled his eyes. Those two were insatiable. “What are we gonna do?” Hector asked.
Abel joined them. “All right, I’m here. Let’s get this over with. I still have lots of people I need to schmooze with.”
Suddenly Hector knew what was happening and he nearly groaned. “More photos? Didn’t we already take enough before the fight?”
“Just a few more.” Roni smiled at him sweetly. “You guys all look so handsome in your suits now, and this is for my 5th Street Journey page on my blog.”
Hector’s shoulders slumped in defeat, but he smiled, putting his arm around Roni’s shoulder then kissed her on the head. “You always get me with that. Anything for the journey page.”
She smiled smugly, motioning in the direction she wanted them all to stand. Ever since the original 5th Street gym had burned down last winter, Roni had started up the blog about the gym’s journey. Hector loved looking through all the pictures she posted on it, old and new. So even though he was an impatient model for all the photos she so loved taking, he was a sucker whenever she mentioned it was for the blog.
She lined them up against the back wall of the banquet room. It was a meeting room really and meant for press conferences that were taking place more often lately as more and more of the boxers training here were making their way up the ranks. It was big enough for parties, especially the exclusive ones like tonight’s that were kept on a smaller scale.
Nellie, Roni’s best friend and coordinator of tonight’s events, laughed as Roni adjusted the guys to stand just so. “And you call me the perfectionist,” she teased.
Roni smiled and continued to adjust them, moving Hector slightly to the right. He took the moment she continued to fuss over the other guys to allow himself to do what he’d been wanting to do for a while. Casually, he glanced back in the area where Charlee and the guys from the chess team had been standing. Walter was still there minus Leticia. She must have ditched him the moment she got a chance.
Also noticeably gone were Charlee and Drew. Scanning the room, he spotted them just as Roni’s camera began to flash. They were both on the dance floor, dancing with a couple of guys he didn’t recognize.
“Smile guys,” Roni said as she began to take the photos.
The guy dancing with Charlee pulled her closer, whispering something in her ear.
“Hector, the fight’s over now,” Roni said. “You won, remember? Now can you please smile for me? And I need you to look this way.” She lifted the camera to her face again.
Hector turned to the camera with a quick smile before turning back to Charlee on the dance floor. The guy was obviously taking advantage of the loud music to continue leaning into her neck area and speak closely into her ear. From her body language, Hector could tell she wasn’t digging it. The more he leaned in, the more she pulled back.
“Hector!” Both Noah and Abel said loudly.
Hector snapped out of his murderous thoughts and turned back to them. “What?”
“Turn this way, burro!” Abel said with a frown. “She asked you three times. What’s wrong with you?”
Noah and Gio shook their heads but laughed like they always did when Abel called him that. Roni winced, promising she was almost done. As soon as she was, Hector marched over to Abel’s side and held him by the arm before he could walk away to schmooze. “You know everyone here, right?”
Abel turned to him then glanced around. “Just about, except for your friends.”
“Who’s that?” Hector started to point at the guy with Charlee but dropped his hand when she looked up in his direction and nearly caught him pointing. “Fuck,” he said, turning in another direction.
“What?”
“Nothing, don’t look over there.” He tugged at Abel arms, attempting to turn him in a different direction.
“Over where?”
“Just shut up!” Hector squeezed his brother’s arm before glancing in her direction again. She wasn’t looking his way anymore, but the horny asshole she was dancing with was at it again, pulling her to him even as her hand lay flat on his chest, defensively keeping the distance between them. The song wasn’t even a slow one.
Hector let go of Abel’s arm and started toward them.
“Where you going?” Abel asked.
Ignoring his brother, Hector kept walking, already fisting his hand, slowing only when the song stopped. He stopped abruptly when they separated and watched them walk off the dance floor. Someone bumped into him from behind. Hector turned around ready to push whoever it was off him then frowned when he saw it was Abel. “What the hell?”
“You stopped all of sudden. What’s your problem?” Abel said, frowning right back at him then glanced in Charlee’s direction. “Who is she, and why do you look ready to kill that guy she’s with?”
Hector attempted to tone his adrenaline-pumped mood down. “Not ready to kill him.” He lied. “She’s a friend, and she looked like she might need some help. That’s all.” He took his eyes off Charlee, Drew, and the two guys with them, who were all headed back to where Walter and the other guys were and turned back to Abel. “You know him?”
“Nope,” Abel shook his head. “But I think I saw that other guy with him walk in with the D.J’s crew.”
Great. Hector turned back to Charlee and the guy. That’s all the D.J’s guests ever showed up for at these things. They could care less who or what the parties were for. They were just there for the free booze and to try to get laid. “Figures.”
“What figures?” Abel asked.
Hector turned back to Abel again. His brother had his usual imposing expression going: the one he always wore when he was on to Hector. “Nothing,” Hector tapped Abel on the arm, “I gotta get back to my friends.”
He started to take a step away when Abel caught his arm. The music was so loud Abel had to lean in. “No trouble, right?”
Hector pinched his brows. “No.” Then he smirked. “Did you see me in the ring today? No one’s starting trouble with this guy.”
Abel didn’t even flinch nor return the smile. “I’m not worried about anyone starting trouble with you. You’re the one I’m worried about.”
Hector glanced back at Charlee just as both guys walked away from her and Drew then turned back and smiled at Abel. “Dude, I’m not like that anymore, remember? I’m
all grown up now: mature, responsible, and all that shit.” Finally he got a little smirk out of his uptight brother. “Relax, I’ll be cool.”
At last free to walk away, Hector grabbed a beer at the bar before heading back toward Walter, who stood just feet away from Charlee and Drew. The feeling of ease only lasted so long, because as soon as he got there, he spotted the two guys on their way back from the bar on the other side of the room double fisting drinks.
If Hector really wanted to be an asshole, he’d card them, even though he wasn’t twenty-one yet either. This was his party, his damn gym. He could call the shots. But then Charlee and Drew weren’t drinking age either. Walter had mentioned she was about their age—nineteen. It’d be too obvious if he carded the guys but not the girls they’d bought drinks for.
He eyed the guys as they walked by them and stopped where Charlee and Drew stood. Hector didn’t miss it: Charlee’s surprised expression when the guy tried to hand her the drink. “Oh, thank you, but I said I was okay. I’ve had enough.”
The guy held it in front of her. “You’ll be fine with one more. C’mon, you can sip it.”
Charlee glanced at Drew before taking it with a strained smile. Hector turned to Walter, trying not to sound as irritated as he felt. “See what happens?” he whispered. “That should’ve been you out there dancing with her.”
Walter frowned but said nothing. Instead, he glanced in Charlee’s direction before taking a sip of the purple drink he was having. Hector had seen it earlier when the waitress brought it to him with a kiwi slice wedged on the rim and an umbrella. Even Walter’s fruity looking drink was annoying him now. “What is that?”
Walter looked down at his drink and lifted it. “It’s called a Fruit Tingle. You wanna try it? It’s good.”
“No, I don’t wanna try it.” Hector didn’t even try to hide the disgust. “You couldn’t just order a beer?”
“I don’t like beer,” Walter said, looking down at his drink again. “What’s wrong with this?”
Hector lowered his voice, but even then couldn’t hide the annoyance in his words. “Because you’re here to try and impress her, not stand there hiding behind your girlie drink while someone else dances with her.” Hector shook his head. “Fruit Tingle? Seriously? You hold your pinky out when you drink that too?”
Walter started whispering something back, but Hector didn’t hear any of it. He was too busy trying catch what Horny Toad was saying to Charlee. With the music so damn loud, it was hard to catch every word. The good thing was she held her drink in front of her strategically so the guy couldn’t lean in as close as he had on the dance floor, giving him no choice but to speak loudly.
“It’s really cool. I have a sound system in my front room, and since we don’t use the dining room, we have a pool table in there instead. My roommate’s gone tonight. We’d have the place to ourselves. I can show you how to play pool.”
Charlee smiled but shook her head. She was further away and spoke softer than the guy, so Hector couldn’t hear what she said, but based on what he was saying now, she’d obviously turned him down.
“That’s too bad,” the guy said. “Well, you at least have to dance a few more with me.”
Charlee shook her head again, saying something that was inaudible to Hector, but she looked uncomfortable. “Go ask her to dance,” Hector whispered at Walter, reaching for his drink.
“What? No!” Walter pulled back his drink before Hector could take it. “She’s with that guy.”
“Trust me.” Hector whispered a little more urgently. “That guy’s annoying as shit. She’ll thank you.” Walter shook his head again defiantly, the panic already all over his face as if Hector were going to force him.
“C’mon just one more dance,” the guy said, reaching for Charlee, who seemed almost as alarmed as Walter.
No shit she looked alarmed. The guy was a pushy ass. Hector was glad she didn’t seem willing at all to get back on the dance floor and have him pushing himself on her again. To make things worse, the song playing now was a slow one.
“Damn it, Walter,” Hector whispered through his teeth. “If you don’t ask her, I will.”
Just looking at Walter’s annoyingly terrified face, Hector knew Walter wasn’t going to. Glancing back in Charlee’s direction, he saw the guy had repositioned himself on the other side of her so he could now lean in again close to her ear. There was no way Hector could hear what he was saying now, but one thing was clear from the way she kept pulling back away from the guy’s face, Charlee was as uncomfortable as she had been on the dance floor.
“Here,” He handed his beer bottle to Walter roughly. “You’re seriously gonna have to man up. You should be doing this.”
Who was Hector kidding? There was no way Walter would do what he was about to. He took the few steps to reach Charlee and smiled at her, ignoring the guy. “Dance with me?” Without waiting for an answer, he took her drink and handed it to the asshole. “Hold this.”
They both seemed stunned, but neither said a word, and to Hector’s relief, she didn’t say no or protest his taking her hand in his as he walked her onto the dance floor.
Chapter 10
Before Charlee could wrap her head around what just happened, she was on the dance floor, pressed up against Hector’s hard body, taking in the glorious scent of his cologne. His big arms wrapped around her waist felt nothing like when Roger had held her earlier. Just as she’d imagined, her body trembled in reaction to him inhaling deeply against her ear.
“I didn’t mean to startle you or disrespect your friend,” he whispered against the side of her face. “But you looked uncomfortable. I didn’t like seeing you like that.”
Like magic, his words warmed her insides instantly. He’d been watching her with Roger, and he hadn’t liked it. Drew had been right. It was practically an admission of interest. Why else would he be watching her? Why else would he have whisked her away the way he had.
“Thank you. He did make me a little uncomfortable,” she admitted. “I didn’t realize it was so obvious.”
Hector pulled back to look her in the eyes. His brows pulled together with that same hardened expression he wore when he’d taken her hand and shoved her drink at Roger. “He was the obvious one,” he said, sounding a little more than annoyed. “Your reaction to him was to be expected. You just met him, right?”
Charlee nodded, swallowing hard and trying to stay poised. Standing this close to him was a reminder of yesterday, and just like yesterday, she was suddenly at a loss for words. What he did to her was unreal. It rattled her yesterday, but it really scared her tonight, because after being held by another guy so recently, she knew now nothing compared to this. Just feeling Hector’s warm hard body against hers did things to her she couldn’t even begin to understand—explain. It felt as nerve-racking as it did amazing. Even though she could barely comprehend it, the feeling was everything she imagined it would be. Taking a deep breath, she hoped he didn’t notice the trembling manner in which she slowly let it out. Her entire body felt as if it could go into spasms at any moment.
“I can say something to him if you want me to.”
Charlee smiled, trying to hide the excitement his offer made her. “I think you already made a statement back there. I doubt he’ll even be there when I get back.”
His rigid stare softened a bit, and he smiled playfully. “Did you want him to be?”
Fighting the urge to run her finger over the scar on his brow, the only imperfection she’d noticed the first time she’d been close enough to see it on his otherwise flawless face, she shook her head.
The playful smile vanished, and he was suddenly serious again. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen eyes as blue as yours. They’re . . .” He looked so deeply into her eyes she had to remind herself to breathe. “They’re beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she heard herself say but really had no idea how she managed.
It wasn’t what he said but how he said it that made Charlee nearly
quiver. Again it was something she couldn’t begin to explain. What she was seeing in his eyes was the very thing she was feeling. Impossible.
Neither of them noticed the song had ended until the D.J. started talking about giving away prizes: 5th Street t-shirts, tickets to upcoming bouts, and more. Hector cleared his throat, and to Charlee’s relief, he seemed as embarrassed as she felt about not having noticed they were the only two still dancing even after the music had stopped.
He stepped away from her, leaving her body yearning to be pressed against his again. He even dropped her hand, which he’d held from the moment he took it in his and led her onto the dance floor.
Everyone’s attention was suddenly averted to the entryway of the banquet room. A group of people were arriving, and the D.J. announced that Felix Sanchez had entered the building. The people around them began talking and whispering all at once.
“You wanna meet him?” Hector asked. “I know Walter does.”
Drew was suddenly at her side, smiling. Charlee didn’t even get a chance to answer Hector’s question. He informed her and Drew that he would bring Felix over to introduce him to them and the rest of the people from the chess club.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Drew began the inquisition. “What was that all about?”
Since Charlee didn’t know what to make of it either and the pulse in her ears was still humming too loudly to try to make sense of it yet, she shrugged as they made their way back toward Walter and the rest of their group. “I’m not sure. He just said I looked uncomfortable with Roger and he didn’t like it.”
“Really?” Drew smiled. “Roger was kind of pissed.”
“Was he?”
“Yeah,” Drew nodded then laughed. “He said someone should’ve told him you were Hector’s property.” She rolled her eyes. “I told the idiot you were no one’s property. Although it was kind of hard to say it with a whole lot of conviction, considering the way Hector held you on the dance floor,” she lifted an eyebrow with a smirk, “even after the music was over. What else did he say to you?”
Hector Page 12
