“Now, is it clear, Amelia?”
She was dazed, her glasses slightly askew, her body limp. “Huh?”
His mouth curled in smugness. “Is it clear, Amelia, how much I fucking want you? How much I want to fuck you? How I’d do anything for you, if it’s in my power to do it?”
“It, it was just a kiss.”
He leaned close until their foreheads touched, his breath mingling with hers. “With you, it’s never just a kiss. It’s always more.”
She sighed and dropped her head to his shoulder, her nose nuzzling his throat.
Fuck, but he loved that.
Her eyes met his, emotion swirling in them. Her hands fisted tighter at his waist. “Hector, I—”
“Whee!”
They both turned to see Liz fall with a thump to the ground and they rushed over to help her stand.
Liz’s words were starting to slur. “Hey, Heck-thor! Y-you dun kissssing-ing Mil-leee?”
Amelia blushed. “Oh God.”
“What’s wrong? Is it your arm?”
Amelia shook her head. “She knows.”
Irritation started to itch inside him. “So?”
“So, she knows.”
They could share a kiss like that and nothing changed? Was she ashamed to be seen with him? “And you don’t want anyone to know. You want to keep me your little secret.”
Amelia started shaking her head.
“Fine. She’s drunk. She won’t remember this anyway. So, your secret’s still safe.”
“Hector—”
He hefted Liz up some more and started walking them towards her place. Amelia grabbed Liz’s purse and scrambled to keep up.
He couldn’t believe how he’d fucked up. He’d finally kissed her the way he’d been dreaming of, but did it in the most half-assed way possible and at the worst time. They should have been alone. He should have waited until they got near her place to kiss her, goddamn it. Then maybe she’d start to realize where his head was at.
Not to mention, maybe, if they’d kissed near her place, she might not have regretted it, something she clearly did now. Her reaction must mean she wished he hadn’t done it.
But she’d liked it. She’d participated, kissing him back with as much fervor as he’d had.
Shit.
Amelia walked at his side. “Hector, we should talk.”
Even though he knew he’d screwed up with his timing, he couldn’t help it when his irritation morphed into anger. “Oh? Should we? Now, you want to talk?”
She frowned. “What does that mean?”
He paused. They were only a couple blocks from Liz’s building, the cab was probably waiting and, this time of night, wouldn’t wait long, but he had to say this. “Do you understand what I want from you?”
She pursed her lips. “Sometimes.”
His brows shot up. “Sometimes? Not all the time?”
She shook her head. “You’re confusing.”
Had he been giving her mixed messages? “I’m sorry if that’s been the case. Let me make something clear. I want everything from you.”
Her eyes went wide, and he swore she stopped breathing.
“What?”
He leaned closer and whispered. “Everything, baby.”
“Oh.”
“Now, what is it that you want from me?”
She tensed. “I…what?”
“You heard me. Think about it. I’m going to give you a week to think about it. Then, we’re making a decision.”
He started walking again.
Amelia stood dazed for a moment, then followed. “Decision?”
“About us. I mean, there’s not really a decision to make, but I’ll give you a week to get to the same place as me, which is wanting to move forward in this relationship.”
“That’s not a decision, Hector. That’s forcing your decision on me.”
He whirled towards her, not easy with Liz floating in drunkenness besides him. “I would never force you to do anything, babe. Not one goddamn thing. If you don’t want a relationship with me, say it, and we’ll just be boss and employee.”
Her shoulders curled in as she clutched Liz’s purse tighter to her.
“I’ve been following your lead, baby. You wanted to take it slow, I’ve taken it slow.” He leaned toward her again. “I’m still willing to follow your lead as far as how fast or slow we go, but I’m done with hiding us, baby. I’m proud of you.”
She inhaled sharply.
“I’m proud to call you my woman. If you really didn’t want me, didn’t want a relationship with me, you shouldn’t have encouraged me.”
“I did that? How?”
“You took my calls nearly every day, calling me back if you couldn’t answer.”
“But that doesn’t—”
“Nearly every night that we’re both off work, you invite me into your home.”
Her mouth shut.
“You didn’t want me, baby, all you had to do was close the door. You kept it open.”
“Heeeecccck-ttthhhhhhoorrrrrr.” Liz reached out for something but ended up smacking his shoulder lightly instead.
“Shit.” He shifted Liz’s body. “Let’s pick this conversation up later. We need to get her home and then get you home.”
Amelia nodded, and they continued walking until they reached Liz’s.
“Can you grab her keys from her purse?”
“Heeeyyyy.” Liz tried to reach for the purse. “Thas miiinnne.”
“Gotta get your keys out. We’re home.”
Liz lurched and tried to push away. “No! No go home.”
“Liz.”
“He’s there.” She pointed at a house not her own. “I doan like him.”
“He doesn’t seem to like you much, either,” he muttered.
“But I missssss himmmmm.” Her lips trembled. “Fwank!”
Amelia tried to calm her. “Liz, please lower your voice.”
“Fwwaaaannnnk!”
“What the fuck?” a voice came out from a second-story window.
Hector glanced up and saw her boyfriend Frank leaning out the window. “Open the door, man.”
“Who the fuck are you? Why the fuck is Liz with you?”
Asshole had met him before but seemed to forget every time. “I’m her boss, and this is another of my staff, Millie. Liz came by the pub and had a few. Now, open the door and let us in.”
“Fuck.” Frank disappeared from view.
“You just called me Millie.”
Hector glanced over at her. “Yeah.”
She toyed with the corner of Liz’s purse. “Why?”
It’s true he called her Amelia nearly all the time—even at work in front of the staff, but everyone at the pub was like a family to him—yet now he’d called her Millie for a specific reason.
He leaned over. “Because Amelia’s mine, baby. No one, especially not that fuckwit, gets that but me.”
He thought she might have stopped breathing again, but Frank opened the door, distracting him.
Frank’s lip was curled as he stared at Liz. “Can’t you do anything right? Getting drunk? Waking me up at four-thirty in the morning? You know I have to be at my internship at six.”
He yanked her from Hector’s grip, and Amelia gasped.
Frank was shaking his head at Liz. “Could’ve gotten an extra hour of sleep if not for your shit.”
Hector’s eyes narrowed on Frank’s grip on Liz. “Hey, man, take it easy with her.”
Frank scoffed. “Is she your woman? I didn’t think so. I suggest you shut the fuck up, you Mexican piece of shit.”
“Oh my God,” Amelia breathed.
Hector stilled at the slur, but a growl grew in his throat. “What the fuck did you call me?”
“You heard me. Go back where you come from. You don’t belong in Valleria.”
“Liz know you say shit like that?”
“No, and she wouldn’t believe you if you told her. She doesn’t give a shit.”
&n
bsp; Hector shook his head. “Do you actually think that if she were a racist asshole like you, she would work for me? She’s not racist.”
Frank grabbed the purse in Amelia’s hand. “This is hers? Great. I’m done with you.” He shut the door in their face. Hector heard Frank berating her some more before his voice drifted away.
Shit. He’d suspected Frank was a bastard, but until now he hadn’t confirmed just what a motherfucking asshole he was. He’d have to keep an eye on Liz, maybe have a talk with her soon.
He turned to Amelia. “You all right?”
She nodded and opened her mouth to speak just as the cab pulled up. They got inside, and he told the cabby her address.
He slumped in the back of the cab and, despite the dark, his gaze sought hers.
She tugged her long, baggy cardigan around her tightly. She turned her head away, then to him. “It was wrong what he said…what he called you.”
He wanted to reach over and take her hand. “Yeah, baby, it was.”
“Does that happen to you a lot?”
He shrugged, not wanting to tell her how it really felt to have darker skin.
“What does that mean?”
He stayed silent.
She huffed and turned her head to the window. “You know, you keep wanting me to share, but you haven’t shared all that much with me. If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to, but then I don’t either. Just because you want us to have a relationship doesn’t mean we’re in one, or that we’re going to be in one. Or even that—”
In the midst of her ramble, he slid closer, then wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry.”
She stiffened. “You are?”
“You’re right.”
“I am?”
She sounded so surprised, and that was fucking cute.
Just like her.
He leaned his forehead against her temple, his mouth whispering low in her ear. “You are. It’s something my therapist has been trying to explain to me, but I guess I didn’t really get it until tonight.”
“You…see a therapist?”
“Have for years. Never really did any work until over a year ago, when I finally came to terms with losing my legs. I guess I was trying to become the man I was before: the man with two whole legs who issued orders, was confident, and never questioned. It’s been hard to accept that he’s gone. I’ll never be that man again, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still be me.”
She curled into him a little, which he really fucking liked. “You are still you. I just—”
“I know why you were upset, baby. Relationships go two ways. I think I’m always going to be a pushy bastard sometimes. Thanks for calling me on it.”
“You’re welcome?”
He grinned against her skin, then it faded. “So, let me share some more. What Frank said? Your question? Yes, the name calling does happen, but not a lot. Even though my skin’s a deep tan—something seen often enough along the Mediterranean—I’m always looked at differently. Looks I get often, sometimes stares and comments, too. All of them make me fucking uncomfortable, as if I don’t belong.”
She turned some more, her lips coming dangerously close to his. “You do belong here.”
He brushed his nose against hers. “I do?”
“Yes.”
His hand slid along her hip. “Right here?”
Her breath hitched. “Yes.”
His hand shifted to the small of her back. “Here in your arms? Or just generally in Valleria?”
Her head tilted up as her back arched under his hand. “Both?”
He chuckled against her neck. “Then you still only have a week to get on board with this relationship.”
She pushed back a little. “A week? But we just had this whole conversation about you being pushy.”
“Yes, and during that conversation I mentioned I’d probably still be pushy. But this isn’t me being pushy. This is me trying to get you to realize that I’m not going anywhere, that you can trust me, and that you can trust what I feel for you.”
“Hector, I—”
The taxi jerked to a stop, jarring them out of their moment.
She reached for her purse, but he stopped her. “I got it, babe. He’s got to take me home after this, I’ll pay then.”
She pursed her lips, then nodded.
He turned to the driver. “Just walking her in, then you can take me to my place.”
The driver gave him a side-eye but nodded. “Pay first.”
He knew what that meant. The driver was going to take off if he got paid now. “No, man. All at once, after you take me home.”
The driver wrinkled his nose and nodded.
Hector slid out, then held out a hand for her. He held onto her hand as they walked up to the gate of her building.
She stopped and turned, and this time his breath hitched.
There was a courtyard just beyond the gate, with a fountain and soft lights. The light bathed her from behind, giving her a soft halo.
She was lovely. She wasn’t perfect; neither was he. Yet together, they could have something beautiful.
He’d make her see.
One week. Then they’d see.
Chapter Nine
Millie let go of his hand and pulled out her keys. “You don’t have to walk me in if you don’t want to.”
He stepped closer, into the low lights of the street and courtyard. Something was working in his eyes. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it made her feel really warm in a good way.
“I’m walking you to the door, baby.”
She nodded and turned back. She unlocked the wrought-iron gate, entered, and he closed it behind them. They walked through the small courtyard, which she’d loved the instant she’d seen it. She’d loved the price of the apartment more, though. The building itself was old and not in the safest neighborhood—hence the gate they kept locked at night—but the rent was cheap, and her tiny apartment was more than enough for her.
She hurried up the steps to the second landing and down the hall to her door. There were five other units on this floor, though not all of them were currently rented.
She stopped at her door and turned back to him. “It’s late.”
He quirked a smile. “Or really early.”
“Will you let me know when you get home?”
He smiled.
God, she loved that smile. It was just a little crooked, and she loved it that much more because it was.
Not to mention the dimples.
Good God, those dimples.
“Yeah, baby. I’ll let you know.”
He moved to her, and she stepped back against the door. “I’m going to kiss you, Amelia.”
“You don’t have to announce it,” she blurted out.
His smile got broader. “Good to know. I’ll surprise you next time.”
Oh, what had she just done? “Maybe—oh!”
His mouth fell on hers, and she moaned. Moaned! Her! Millie Asti! She couldn’t help it; he tasted so damn good.
He drew back, then pressed one, two soft kisses on her lips. “Sleep well, baby.” Another kiss and he stepped back. “Go inside. I’ll wait.”
Slightly dazed—from his kiss or just plain exhaustion, she didn’t know—she turned and unlocked her door. She gave him a shy smile.
“Night, Amelia.”
“Night, Hector.”
He put his hands on either side of the door and leaned in. “One week, baby. Think about it.”
He drew back again, and she closed and locked the door. She waited until she heard him walking away before turning to face her apartment.
One week to accept they were in a relationship or call it off entirely.
She didn’t want to call it off. She wanted to get to the same place as him. She was just terrified to do it.
Trust me, baby.
Trust. After their talk tonight, maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to trust him or depend upon him.
Shaking her head to set thoughts
of him aside, she walked further into her apartment and took in the state of her things.
Her sofa bed was pulled out and currently covered with plastic containers, her dining table was littered with handmade bracelets ready for pricing, while others sat waiting to be finished. Several pairs of earrings were waiting to be boxed, too.
She had a show the next morning, in a city an hour or so away, and she wasn’t ready. She didn’t sell high-end jewelry with stones, but it was handmade with fun beads, charms, and pendants. She did a lot of custom work through her website, too, which helped. Yet, she made much more money at shows.
She’d hoped to get some sleep, but there was still so much to do.
She threw her purse and keys on a table, prioritized what needed to be done, and planned to work for at least an hour. Instead, moments after she sat down at the dining table, she fell asleep.
Hector ran his hands through his hair, then turned and walked back in the direction of the cab. He walked through the gate and made sure it locked securely behind him. When he got to the street, the cab was gone. It wasn’t the first time a cab hadn’t waited for him. Dark skin tended to make some cabbies—not all, but some—disappear.
Motherfucker. Now, he’d have to walk home.
He glanced back through the courtyard and up to Amelia’s apartment. Her lights were still on; he hoped she wasn’t planning on doing any jewelry work. Should he have stayed a while? Made sure she took care of herself?
A crunching sound nearby made him whirl around, but he only saw a shadow streaking away.
Damn it. If someone was lurking around, he wanted to catch them.
A siren buzzed twice behind him and he turned, squinting against a flash of headlights. He held a hand up to block it and saw the distinctive car.
Cops.
An officer stepped out of the passenger side. “Mind telling me what you’re doing out here this early in the morning?”
Recognizing the voice, Hector asked, “Sully? That you? It’s Hector, man.”
“Hey, Hector. Sorry, didn’t recognize you. Something going on around here?”
Sully’s partner, Officer Bodhi, stepped out of the driver’s side and walked over. “Everything good at the Seashell? What are you doing here?”
“Pub’s fine.” He thumbed a hand behind him. “Amelia lives here. We closed late, and I just brought her home. You two on patrol tonight?”
Rush_Hector & Millie Page 13
