She pressed her lips together but a smile snuck out. “Sorry, I’m a little...excited about our weekend.”
He ran his knuckle down her neck and across her chest. “Me, too.”
The heat! It was going to kill her. If they kept going like this, she’d combust or jump him again in her small kitchen.
“Not in front of Henry,” she whispered to herself more than him.
“Okay, but that means you can’t kiss me like that. Or look so damned sexy.”
She looked sexy? She met his eyes and became lost in them. “I’ll try not to.”
He chuckled. “Sorry, sweetheart, but you’re going to have to try harder. Looking at me like that turns me on.”
She was turned on, too.
He winked. “I won’t mess anything up between you and your son. I can sit on my hands, or something, maybe count from one thousand backward. You got any coffee made?”
“Yes, I’ve already had three cups.”
“Three? You’re drinking me under the table. What time did you get up this morning?”
“Two thirty. I couldn’t sleep.”
“I should’ve come over to start our breakfast date early.” He rubbed her shoulders. Had he noticed how tense she was?
She gently touched his shiner. “I’m sorry. Maria told me what happened. She’s pretty protective of me and does have a mean right hook. Does it hurt?”
He puffed up his chest. “This little thing? I’ve had worse.”
She remembered bruises on his teenage body. It hurt her to think about what he’d been through.
“Hi!” Henry popped into the kitchen.
“Henry!” she said. The little rascal was shirtless.
He shrugged his skinny shoulders. “Can’t find anything to wear.”
“Doesn’t bother me to see a pair of guns.” Matt offered his hand and Henry pumped it like crazy. “See? Look at those muscles. Nearly ripped my arm out of the socket.”
Henry laughed. “Maybe if you had bigger guns you’d be able to block a girl when she aims for your face.”
“Henry! Don’t be rude.”
Henry’s cheeks went red. “Sorry. Just kidding.”
Matt smiled. “No problem. You’re right. I need to work out more. But you should’ve seen the girl. She was really tough.”
Henry giggled. “Yeah, you should see Tía Nona when she gets mad. Stay out of the way.”
She poured Matt a cup of coffee and a glass of horchata for Henry.
Henry scratched his bare belly. “What happened to the flowers?”
Nice manners, kid of mine.
Matt shrugged. “They got a little messed up. Next time I’ll pick sturdier ones that can take a real smashing.”
Julia snorted and both pairs of eyes were on her. “I don’t need flowers, Matt.”
“I know. I just want to give you things.”
Her eyes misted. “You already have. You’re here.”
Henry’s gaze ping-ponged between the adults as he slurped his drink. “So, uh, how do you know my mama?”
Julia bit her lip, debating. Should she go for the moment of truth, or deflection?
Matt spoke up. “Your mom is...how do you say sweetheart in Spanish?”
Henry’s eyebrows knit together and he cocked his head. “Querida. I think. Is that right, Mama?”
Julia nodded slowly, waiting to see if Henry understood the implications of the word.
“Care-ida.” Matt completely butchered the word. His Spanish accent had always been terrible.
“Just stick to English, Matt. No offense but your accent—”
“Stinks.” Henry waved his hand in front of his face. “Like really bad.”
Matt laughed and ruffled Henry’s hair. “Thanks a lot. Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“Smells worse than Mama’s breakfast.”
“What?” Julia jumped to her feet. Smoke was pouring out through the cracks of the old oven. “Oh, no! The baked frittata.”
“Watch out, sweetheart.” Matt motioned for her to step back. Taking the fire extinguisher off the wall, he opened the oven and pulled the trigger. Her baked frittata became a black charred mess covered in white foam.
“Oh, no.” She let out a little cry. “Our breakfast.”
Henry hugged her waist from the back. “It’s okay, Mama. I hate that frittata thing. Especially the mushrooms.”
“What? You always act like you like it.”
Henry shook his head, the curl sticking up on the top of his head flipping back and forth. “Just, you know, didn’t want you to get sad or anything over it.”
“Mushrooms are not my thing, either, kid.” Matt made a disgusted face.
Huh, she hadn’t known that.
“I’m sure I would’ve loved your mom’s but I messed it up with foam. So, I get to take you two out to breakfast. My treat.” Matt took out his cell. “Give me a sec to call Alfred to bring one of the Batmobiles.”
“Wait. You know Batman?” Henry asked. “I thought he was a made-up guy. Like SpongeBob.”
Matt leaned closer and whispered, “Today, you get to be Robin.”
“Woot!” Henry’s fist pumped the air. “I’m going to put on my green shirt. If I can find it.” He raced back to his room.
“Good luck with that. Maybe if you cleaned up your room once in a while.” She leaned her head on Matt’s shoulder. “Sorry. I had this whole meal planned for us, which apparently Henry hates.”
Matt wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. “You don’t have to cook for me, sweetheart. Let me take care of you. And that Henry...”
She momentarily stopped breathing waiting to hear what he’d say.
“...is a blast. Love that kid.”
She pressed a hand to her heart. “You do?”
He kissed her forehead. “How could I not? He’s just like his mom.”
Her heart melted. He was wrong, of course. No kid alive had ever been so much like his father—her lips quirked—down to keeping mushroom-hating a secret so as to not hurt her feelings.
She wasn’t going to tell Matt the truth about Henry. Not yet. It was better to wait and assess the situation. He used to say he didn’t want kids after the terrible relationship with his own father. Henry was far too important to thrust on a man who wouldn’t, or simply couldn’t, love him. She’d rather keep his paternity a secret than have him get hurt. She didn’t know her own father and that had worked out okay. Sort of.
Matt called the driver and she aired out her smoky kitchen. Standing on her tippy toes, she reached as high as she could to open the tiny window by the stove. Couldn’t quite get it. Normally she used a step stool but didn’t have time to go search for one. Trying one more time, she was startled to feel his hand on her butt.
“Need a lift?”
“Yes?” she squeaked.
He kept his hand where it was, rubbing and squeezing her glutes, while reaching the other over her head to open the window. She was still on her toes when he shifted and reached around and dragged his hand up her inner thigh. Slowly, he pulled up her skirt.
“Matt,” she whispered. Henry could come in any min—Her thought was cut off when he cupped her through her panties.
Oh. That’s...oh.
She swayed on her toes.
His free hand held her around the waist, locking her to him. “I’ve got you,” he whispered in her ear, sending electric waves up her spine. “Don’t. Move.”
His hand held her in place. When his thumb started to rub, lightning bolts shot through her. She couldn’t hold still. Her back arched against him. Her breathing came fast, hard. She gripped the countertop and started to rock.
“That’s right, come for me, Julia. Let go.”
She tipped her head back, resting on his chest. He released he
r waist and turned her head toward his. Taking her mouth, he plunged his tongue inside even as he continued the relentless rubbing. The lightning bolts went off everywhere. She cried into his mouth as the orgasm rolled through her, over her.
He pulled his hand out from under her skirt and just held her.
She blinked. What just happened? She’d never come so fast or felt anything like that before. She was still fully clothed. He was clothed, too. And yet that was...
“Amazing,” she said in a voice she barely recognized. It was so breathy and came from a woman wholly satiated at 7:00 a.m.
“It doesn’t count,” Matt said.
“What?”
“It wasn’t one of the four I promised you. I just had to touch you, that’s all. Consider it a warm-up.”
She swallowed hard. “Sure, that’s, um, fine.”
Fine? Could she be any more of a tonta? The man had just exploded her world in her own kitchen and it didn’t count. What would he do next?
Henry came into the kitchen wearing his dark green shirt. “Found it! Will this work for Robin?”
Matt gripped Henry’s shoulder. “Dude, you’re the best-looking Boy Wonder I’ve ever seen. Alfred has brought the Batmobile to us.”
Henry scrambled to look out the window. “Whoa. What kind of car is that?”
Matt peeked, too. “That, dear Robin, is an Aston Martin Rapide. It’s not the most expensive car Mr. Harper owns, but it’s not the cheapest, either. Want to sit up front?”
“Could I?” Henry looked at Matt and then her.
“Sure. Why not?” she replied.
Henry was out the door before she could change her mind.
“You okay?” Matt asked.
She held his gaze. “Better than okay. Matt, that was...” She didn’t have the words to describe how he made her feel. And seeing him with Henry melted her insides.
“I can do better, I swear.” He seemed so sincere, like a kid who’d run the race but didn’t get his best time.
She lifted her eyebrow. “I’ll hold you to it.”
He rubbed his hands together, accepting the challenge as they followed Henry outside.
She nodded to the driver holding the door for her.
“Sir, where would you like to go?” the driver asked.
“Juanita’s. She’s got the best ham and eggs in a hundred-mile radius,” Matt said. “Plus, I was sort of hoping to catch her.”
“Juanita’s? We could’ve walked there,” Julia said.
“Yeah, but then Robin wouldn’t get to ride shotgun and I wouldn’t get to nibble on your earlobe in the back seat.” He took her hand and laced her fingers with his.
She glanced at Henry. He was busily staring at all the technology in the car and asking the driver a hundred questions.
“Relax,” Matt said.
She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. He smelled so good and felt even better. He was here, kissing her jawline.
Best two-minute car ride ever.
Ten
The driver dropped them off in front of Juanita’s. Two old guys sitting out front admired the car.
“Do you want me to wait, Master Harper?” Alfred laid the formalities on thick for Henry’s benefit.
“We’ll walk back. Thanks.”
Alfred started the engine. “That is a fine young man,” he said, referencing Henry. “His mother raised him right.”
Matt took an extra couple of seconds to watch Julia and her son walk up the sidewalk. Mostly arms and legs, Henry was a year or two from passing Julia in height. A few years after that he might turn into a hellion like most teenage boys do, but for now they were shoulder-to-shoulder and damned cute together. He wished he belonged in the picture.
Where the hell had that thought come from? He was not here to create a family with Julia. This was a weekend of “closure,” nothing more. Even so, he pulled out his cell and snapped a memory he could keep forever.
He ran to catch up.
It was a warm summer morning with just the right amount of ocean breeze in the air. They sat at a three-person table outside. Before he put his cell phone on the edge of the table he said, “Hey, can I take a picture?”
“A selfie?” Henry asked.
“Not just of me. Of the three of us.” He looked into Julia’s eyes. She made a strange sound, like a choked cry. She covered it with a cough. Followed by two long sips of water.
“You okay?”
She nodded. Another sip. She wasn’t okay but he didn’t press her.
Henry rubbed his hair down on the side. “I’m ready. Take the picture!”
“Okay. Move in close.” They both did and he tucked them in under his arms. He stretched over Henry’s head and snapped another keeper.
“Made a fresh batch of churros. Not that any of you would be interested.” Juanita herself came up to their table and deposited a plate of warm churros.
“No, we aren’t interested. And that is not my tongue hanging out.” Matt grinned, rising to his feet. “Glad to see you. I was worried I’d miss you before I left. But mostly I worried you’d run out of churros.” Teasing Juanita came naturally. She was the one person on the planet, other than Julia, who let him be himself. Not RW Harper’s son. Not a troublemaker. Not a pilot. Just Matt.
“Really?” Juanita tsked. “In that case, you don’t get any. Here, Henry, these are all for you.” She pushed the plate toward the kid.
“Whoa. Just kidding!” Matt lifted her off her feet and swung her around, kissing both cheeks before releasing her.
She cupped his face, her eyes misty. “Silly boy. Why’d you stay away so long?”
His gaze cut toward Julia. “Things happened.”
Juanita scrunched her nose like she used to do. How was it that his old friend looked just the same? She was still a beautiful woman with thick dark hair and brown eyes that could see straight into a person and know when he was talking bull.
“Whatever happened, I’m happy to see you here, Matt Harper. You’re looking good. All grown up. And still trouble.”
Julia nodded. “Truer words never spoken.”
Juanita pinned him with her gaze. “You are leaving soon?”
“In a few days. I have to get back to work.”
“I see. That’s a shame. Looks like you are right where you belong.” Her voice was cloaked in meaning.
She had seen Matt fall in love with Julia from the beginning. More times than not, Matt had snuck out his bedroom window to secretly meet Julia right here, at this very table. Or at the back of the market where he could kiss her without anyone seeing. But Juanita had seen them and kept their secret. He would always love her for it.
To Henry she said, “I met this young man when he was about your age. He used to work for me and eat all my candy.”
“The white ones? I like those the best,” Henry hinted.
“Is that so? Perhaps I can find some for you to take home if you eat all of your breakfast.”
“Woot!” Henry pumped the air. It seemed to be a favorite way to express his joy. Matt liked it.
“Woot!” He punched the air, too.
They both laughed and, without any thought, Matt lifted his hand at the exact same time Henry did. They high-fived each other across the table.
Julia’s mouth fell open.
Juanita said softly, “¡Dios mio! It’s like looking in a time-travel mirror.”
“Excuse me.” Julia pushed her chair back, making a scraping noise across the patio. She fast-walked through the café and market toward the restrooms.
“I’ll be right back,” Juanita said, following Julia.
* * *
Julia blew her nose and splashed water on her face. Stop. This is not helping. But the tears flowed anyway.
There was a knock on the door. �
�Julia? It’s me. Can I come in?”
Sniffling, she unlocked the door and let Juanita in.
“Oh, cariña. This must be very hard on you. Seeing Matt after all these years.” Juanita wrapped her arms around Julia.
Julia sobbed on the woman’s shoulder. “That’s not it.” She blubbered. “I’m...happy. Really. It’s seeing them. Together.”
Juanita looked into Julia’s face. Even through the tears, she could see the intensity in the woman’s eyes searching into the depths of her heart. Juanita had a gift for drawing out a person’s deepest feelings. “You haven’t told him Henry is his son.”
Julia couldn’t answer. Tears flew off her cheeks when she shook her head.
Juanita pulled a paper towel out of the canister and dampened it. Gently she wiped Julia’s tears. “Why not? That boy was smitten the first day he saw you. The look on his face is the same.”
Juanita had always been such a kind person. Julia was grateful for the support now. She needed someone to talk to about this situation, preferably someone who wasn’t a fist-throwing relative.
“He’s leaving, Juanita. At the end of the weekend, he’ll be gone. He’s starting the life he always wanted on the other side of the world. I can’t take that away from him.”
Juanita frowned. “What if he wants to change everything? If you don’t tell him the whole truth, he won’t be able to make the right decision for himself. For all of you.”
“What is the right decision?” Julia sighed. “I was so happy when I found out I was pregnant. A part of Matt grew inside me when I believed I’d lost him. That stinky little lovebug saved me. Gave me a future to live for. But I didn’t have to think about how Matt would react to having a son. I didn’t have to face his reaction. Now I do.”
Juanita cocked her head. “Why wouldn’t he be thrilled? Henry is the best kid around.”
“He’s not perfect. And it might not matter anyway.” Anguish was a knot twisting around her throat. “Once, after a bad fight with his dad, Matt told me he never wanted kids because he refused to turn out like his dad. He was afraid that could really happen. And now I just drop Henry on him? Surprise, you’re a daddy! How can I do that to him? To Henry?”
Forbidden Lovers Page 7
