by Erin Rylie
Carlos sucked in a sharp breath and pulled away from her, looking into her eyes to gauge her sincerity. His pupils were blown wide with lust and he was licking his lips. His eyes lingered on her face for a minute longer before he tipped his head back with a groan and began speaking in rapid Spanish. She couldn’t make out all of the words, but she could tell by the ones that she did understand that he was letting out a long string of expletives.
Gently, she placed her hands on his chest, letting them linger over his sculpted muscles for just a moment before pushing him back far enough for her to climb into the car and close the door. In response, he closed his eyes for a moment, his mouth still moving as he cursed away in Spanish. She barked out a laugh when he looked down at his crotch, pointing a finger at it as though he were scolding his dick. After giving the poor thing a firm talking to, he rounded the front of the car and climbed into the passenger seat.
“Feeling better?” she asked sweetly, starting the car and backing out of the driveway.
Carlos grumbled under his breath before responding, “You’re an evil woman, pure evil. Drive toward downtown. I’ll give you directions once we get closer.”
Kelsey couldn’t hide her confusion when Carlos had her pull her car into the valet at a nice hotel downtown. Did he really think she’d sleep with him tonight? Without an actual date before? Not even Carlos was that brazen, so she desperately hoped that he had another plan. When they’d gotten out of the car and she’d handed the keys to the valet, Carlos returned his hand to the small of her back and led her forward into the hotel lobby.
“I thought we could squeeze in a little quickie before dinner,” he whispered into her ear. She turned to face him, ready to rip the bastard a new asshole, when she noticed the glint in his eyes.
“Carlos Ramirez, you better be fucking joking right now, or I will cut off your favorite appendage.”
The sound of his laughter filled the hotel lobby, bouncing off of the walls and echoing through the room. More than one woman looked their way, taking in Carlos leisurely and ignoring Kelsey completely.
“I don’t know why you keep threatening my cock; we both know it’s your favorite part of my body too. Or is that particular privilege reserved for my tongue? You definitely seemed to be a fan of it the other day in the kitchen.”
Kelsey rolled her eyes at Carlos but couldn’t control the wave of heat that rushed through her body, pooling low in her belly. She’d never really been a fan of overly cocky men, but something about Carlos just really did it for her. Maybe it was the fact that she knew he could back up his words. The man was incredible in bed, possibly the best she’d ever had. She hadn’t slept with anyone else in the year since their night together because she knew that anyone she took to bed wouldn’t be able to compare.
Carlos lifted his hand and wiped at the corner of her mouth. “You’ve got a little drool here, Kels, and your eyes just glazed over. What are you thinking about, you naughty girl?”
She shrugged, doing her best to feign nonchalance that she didn’t feel. “You know, the usual—the Hemsworth brothers.”
“Pretend all you want, Kelsey, but you were just thinking about me. I’m willing to bet you were picturing me naked, maybe going down on you? Or were you thinking about my amazing dick?”
She looked around and realized that people were starting to listen to their conversation. “Do you really have to be so vulgar in public?”
Carlos scoffed. “You love my dirty mouth. Don’t pretend you don’t just because we’re in public. Now stop oogling me. People can see you, woman. Besides, we have a reservation and I don’t want to be late.”
Kelsey tried to trust Carlos as they got into the hotel elevator—she really did—but after what had happened in the kitchen, how was she supposed to believe him when he said he wasn’t bringing her here for sex? It was all very suspicious in her opinion. Though she needled him the entire elevator ride up, he didn’t give in, making her want to punch him.
However, when the elevator doors opened, she understood why he’d chosen to say nothing. Kelsey gasped as she took in the sight before her. Carlos had taken her to a spinning restaurant that overlooked all of downtown Houston. The restaurant boasted floor-to-ceiling windows giving a clear view of the surrounding area. She was still looking around, taking everything in, when Carlos led her to a hostess stand to be seated. He kept his hand on her lower back as someone led them to a table with red chairs and a white tablecloth.
When she was finally able to pull her eyes away from the stunning view before her, she looked to Carlos only to find him smiling softly and looking at her. With her attention on him, his soft smile turned wicked.
“I can’t believe you actually thought I would bring you to a hotel room for our first official date. Tsk tsk, Kelsey. Pull your head out of the gutter.”
“You were the one who said you’d brought me here for a quickie!”
Carlos shook his head at her. “I have no recollection of such a conversation. I am a gentleman.”
She leaned across the table, well aware that her shirt gaped when she did so. She could tell from the tightness of his expression that he was struggling not to look down her shirt, still trying to maintain the charade that he was a gentleman.
Kelsey pitched her voice low so that nobody else would overhear what she said but Carlos. “Would a gentleman go down on me in the kitchen?”
Carlos grinned. “Absolutely, that sounds like a very gentlemanly thing to do.” He winked at her, still managing to keep his gaze on her face when she knew he wanted to look down.
“Well, I can tell you want to look down my shirt. Trying to get a good look at my tits? What are you thinking about doing to them right now?”
The smile slid from his face and his eyes blazed with lust. He coughed and took a sip of the water she hadn’t even noticed a server pouring. “I’m not thinking about them, actually. I’m thinking about…um…baseball?” Carlos’s voice rose at the end, making his intended statement a question.
Poor guy. Kelsey knew that she was torturing him needlessly. “Just go ahead and look. I know you want to.”
Carlos eyed her suspiciously. “You won’t call me a pig?”
“Nope,” she replied, popping the “p.”
Before the word had entirely left her lips, Carlos had propped his elbows up on the table, rested his face in his hands, and was staring at her breasts with open adoration. He let out an audible sigh and just stared.
Their waiter chose that exact moment to walk over, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Sorry to um, interrupt, but did y’all want to order anything to drink besides water?”
“Not now, buddy. In the middle of something,” Carlos replied, not moving an inch, his eyes locked on her cleavage.
Kelsey sighed and looked at the waiter. The poor guy was clearly uncomfortable, torn between doing his job and running the hell away. “Sorry about him, I can’t take him anywhere, really. We would love a bottle of Malbec; which do you recommend?”
The waiter stuttered out a recommendation, which Kelsey accepted, and hurried off to get their bottle and some glasses.
“Are you proud of yourself? You’ve traumatized the wait staff. Next, the manager will come over and ask us to leave.”
Carlos waved his hand in the air as if the prospect of being thrown out of a fine-dining restaurant was of no consequence. “I’m a cop, they won’t throw me out.”
“Wow, so you use your power for evil?”
“No, definitely not. But I will absolutely use my power to get me more time with your breasts. I’m a boob man, remember?”
“I thought you were an ass man?”
“On you, I like it all.”
Kelsey leaned back in her seat and adjusted her shirt, hiding her cleavage from his view. Carlos put on his best hurt look.
“Bye ladies, I’ll miss you.”
She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t fight her smile. He was the most ridiculous man that she’d ever met. It was probably one o
f her favorite things about Carlos, actually. He didn’t give a shit what other people thought of him. He was always, unabashedly himself, no matter the situation or setting.
The waiter returned, looking relieved to see that Carlos was no longer openly gawking at Kelsey’s boobs, and poured their wine before taking their dinner order.
As they waited for their food, they slipped into an easy conversation, talking about work, Carlos’s physical therapy, and of course James. The clear affection Carlos had for her son warmed her heart. The two of them were definitely buddies. They frequently played a game they’d invented called “Zoo Keeper,” and Carlos had recently ordered a slew of board games for them to all play together. They actually had a board-game night planned for Sunday when Kyle brought James home.
All of Kelsey’s usual reticence disappeared when she was in the presence of Carlos. All of her relationship fears fled, chased away by the ease of their conversation, by the occasional heat in his eyes that did things to her body. It was the reason she’d been avoiding him in recent weeks—he was irresistible to her and she needed to remember why she avoided relationships. She was broken, and he deserved better. He deserved someone who could love and cherish him for the rest of their lives. She didn’t know that she could ever be that person for anyone, but damn, Carlos made her want to try.
Before long, the sun began to set, pulling Kelsey’s attention from their conversation. The light outside turned orange, bathing downtown Houston in a warm glow that took her breath away. She didn’t know that she’d ever truly appreciated the beauty of her city until now.
“Wow,” she breathed. “This view is breathtaking, Carlos.”
She glanced over to find him gazing at her, the open affection in his expression taking her by surprise. “Yes, it is.”
“Nope, no sir. You take that back. You will not use some cheesy movie line on me on our first date. Try again, please.”
Carlos laughed and nodded. “I meant it, but fair enough. Okay, let me dig in the vault and pull out some of my best lines. How about this one—I lost my rubber ducky, can I bathe with you instead?”
She chuckled and shook her head. “Try again.”
“Is your name winter? Because you’ll be coming soon.”
“Oh my God, no!”
“Your breasts remind me of Mount Rushmore, my face should be among them.”
Kelsey shook her head, her body quaking with laughter.
“The FBI wants to steal my penis. Can I hide it inside you?”
“Carlos! These are just getting worse.”
He looked thoughtful for a few moments before a wolfish expression crossed his face. “Okay, I’ve got it, I have THE pickup line. This one is definitely going to get me laid tonight.”
“Doubtful, but let’s hear it.”
“If it’s true that we are what we eat, I could be you by morning.”
Kelsey laughed so hard she was wiping tears from her eyes, and her cheeks hurt from the wide smile on her face. Before she could respond, the smile dropped from Carlos’s expression, his handsome face serious.
“I’ll try one more, deal?”
She nodded, unsure what to expect.
“This has already been the best date I’ve ever been on. I’ve been waiting all my life to meet a woman like you—you’re smart, funny, and full of fire. Even if this is all you can ever give me, this right here, this night with you? It will be something I cherish for the rest of my life.”
She was saved from responding by the arrival of their food, just in time. She had no idea what to say to such an incredibly sweet statement. She’d only ever seen Carlos act this sweet with her son, and while that warmed her heart, this stole the air from her lungs. Kelsey didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to resist Carlos if he kept this up.
After dinner, Carlos directed Kelsey to an old movie theater in Montrose. It was one of her favorite places to go for viewings of old and indie movies, and was frequently known for having quote-alongs and sing-alongs. He wouldn’t tell her which movie they would be seeing, but she was excited—there was something about quoting a movie you loved with hundreds of random strangers that was just so damn fun. How had he known that she loved this theater? Was it just a lucky guess?
“Are you going to tell me what we’re seeing now? I’ll hear the name of the movie when we get the tickets anyway, so you might as well tell me.”
“Wow, so impatient.”
Kelsey huffed. “Well, after you kept the dinner thing to yourself, I thought you might decide to be nice and tell me the name of the damn movie.”
She found a spot in a parking lot nearby and put the car into park, turning to Carlos. He looked so damn proud of himself, it was ridiculous. He reached out to cup her cheek, running his thumb lightly over her skin. “So you want to know what movie we’re seeing, huh?”
As he leaned closer, her breath left her in a whoosh and she nodded, unable to speak. His eyes were playful and somehow full of want at the same time. He put his face in the crook of her neck, his breath tickling her and making her shiver. He ran his lips up her neck, barely caressing her skin. When his lips reached her ear, he nipped on her earlobe lightly before whispering, “Do you still want to know?”
Lost in sensation, she couldn’t seem to remember what they’d been talking about. All she could think about was Carlos, his touch making her lose focus as everything around her fell away. There was only this moment, with this incredible man.
“Kelsey,” he said, his voice taking on an authoritative tone. “You wanna answer my question?”
She gasped as he made his way back down her neck with his lips. No longer merely grazing her skin, he was planting featherlight kisses on the skin there.
“What was the question?” Kelsey’s voice was breathy and she felt Carlos’s smile on her skin.
He chuckled and it sent shivers up her spine. Abruptly, the warmth of his body was gone as he opened the door and got out of her car. She closed her eyes, fighting to compose herself as he circled the car and opened the door for her. The moment she was out of the car, Carlos grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers. She looked down at the interlocked hands and back up at him, raising an eyebrow in question.
“This is a date, sweetheart; you’re holding my fucking hand. And you’re gonna like it. I have great hands, you’ll love them.”
“Wow, are you even conceited about your hands? Who says that?” She lowered her voice, doing her best to imitate his deep rumble. “I have great hands.”
“It’s not conceited if it’s true. I mean, really I’m just listing my assets.”
Kelsey rolled her eyes and kept walking in the direction of the River Oaks Theater, her hand still holding Carlos’s. Though she’d never admit it, he did have nice hands. She loved the way his callouses felt against her soft skin, and couldn’t help but remember how they felt on skin in more intimate parts of her body. When they were within reading distance of the marquee, she read the name of the movie showing tonight on the sign and laughed.
“You brought me to a Mean Girls quote-along?”
“Um, hell yes I did. Any woman who can’t quote Mean Girls is a woman I don’t want to be spending time with.”
She schooled her features, doing her best to look shy, and said in a soft voice, “I’ve never seen it.”
Carlos stopped in his tracks, using her hand to pull Kelsey into his body. “I’m sorry, what? How is that possible? The universe is not cruel enough to give me a woman who doesn’t love Mean Girls.”
She shrugged. “I mean, it doesn’t really sound all that great. Isn’t it just a silly high school flick?”
Carlos’s mouth gaped and she struggled to maintain her composure. The poor man looked like someone had just told him that Santa wasn’t real for the first time. “Excuse me? What did you just say?” He pulled his hand out of hers and began running his fingers through his hair.
Kelsey brought her hands up, cupping his face. “Can you still date me knowing I’ve ne
ver seen it?”
She stood on her tiptoes and brought her mouth to his neck, placing wet kisses on his skin. She felt his body’s reaction and smiled.
“I suppose I could consider making an exception,” he groaned when she scraped her teeth over the spot where his neck and shoulders met.
She kissed her way up his neck, giving it a teasing bite before whispering in his ear. “On October 3rd, he asked me what day it was.”
He reeled back, pulling out of her grip. “You fucking tease! You had me scared there for a second.”
“Payback, Carlos. It’s a bitch.”
He laughed and grabbed her hand, twining their fingers together once more. “You really are my dream girl, Kelsey Byrne. What in the world am I going to do with you?”
Keep me.
Walking through the front door of her house three hours later, Kelsey had to admit that her date with Carlos had been the best she’d ever been on. He’d been sweet and attentive, but also one hundred percent his ridiculous self. If there was a man more charismatic in Houston, she’d never met him. He had known almost every single line in Mean Girls and had absolutely no shame, yelling them out at the top of his lungs. It didn’t matter one bit to him that he’d been one of maybe five men in the theater—he was just Carlos.
Kelsey, on the other hand, had found herself losing focus during the movie. Instead of focusing on the screen, she found herself thinking about Carlos’s thick, muscular thighs in the jeans he was wearing. Her entire body shivered when he’d absentmindedly rubbed a thumb in circles on her hand. She was a fucking live wire, and she was positive her panties were drenched. She’d never reacted this way to a man, but Carlos was absolutely irresistible to her. He was her catnip.