Northwest Romantic Comedies: Boxed Set Books 1-6

by Lia London

  Antonio scooped up the silverware and cups and brought them to the sink. “I think he’s stressed about the project. I haven’t been helping him as much lately.” He couldn’t blame Zaira but knew she had been his primary distraction from parenting duties. “It’ll be nice when we’re all on vacation and can chill for a bit.”

  “Lucky you. I’ll still be working.”

  “Right. No school schedule for you.” He turned on the faucet and ran the handful of forks and spoons under the stream, his eyes following her as she reached under him to the garbage can under the sink. “Whoa!” Water hit the bowl of one of the spoons and splayed out in a fountain, dousing the front of his shirt and the back of Zaira’s.

  She squealed and then laughed. “I need you to stay out of the kitchen, A.”

  He turned off the water and dabbed at his shirt front with a dish towel. “But you’re here.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet.” She blushed and snatched the towel from him. “But you make a big old mess of things.”

  Antonio knew she meant the spraying water and his earlier mishaps, but the words carried a frightening message to his ears. Swallowing, he studied her face intently. “Did I make a big old mess of things?”

  She seemed to sense his meaning. “If there’s a mess, we both made it.” She shrugged. “But I don’t know what the future holds, so I don’t know if it’s a mess.”

  “Future!” He rustled in the plastic bag from the restaurant. “We forgot to find our future in the fortune cookies.”

  Zaira scoffed. “Mine always says something totally generic and then gives losing lottery numbers.”

  Antonio held up the handful of individually wrapped fortune cookies that came with the meal. “Choose one.”

  With obvious skepticism, she plucked one from his palm and unwrapped it. “You, too. We’ll crack them open at the same time.”

  “Okay.”

  They stood poised with their cookies. “One, two, three,” she said, snapping open the folds. She pulled out the slip of paper and read it. “Oh!”

  Antonio fumbled with the slip of paper from his cookie. “What does yours say?”

  “Well, it’s less vague than usual.”

  “Does it say, Stand far away from clumsy man in kitchen?”

  Zaira giggled but pressed her lips shut and held the paper to her chest. “Nope.”

  “What? What does it say?”

  She turned so he could read over her shoulder. Antonio’s throat tightened as he read. “You or someone close to you will get married soon.” Marriage? Was that in Zaira’s future? Could it be…?

  “It’s as if they knew about Sofia getting married,” she said.

  “Right. Sofia. Wow, cool.” How silly of him to even think it meant Zaira.

  “What does yours say?”

  He looked down at the tiny slip of paper with red lettering and read aloud. “You must learn when to follow your heart and when to follow your mind.” Their eyes connected, and the sound of his veins rushing matched the flowing water in the bathroom down the hall.

  “Generic,” said Zaira. “But true either way, huh?”

  Antonio drank in the vision of this woman who was fast changing his heart’s opinion about everything. “Yes. It’s definitely true.”

  “Water’s ready, and Gabi’s pulling off all her clothes,” announced Emilio, holding the toddler to his chest. She wore her pull-up, a single sock, and a very pleased expression. “She likes baths, huh?”

  Zaira stooped to take her daughter. “She likes making a big water fountain out of the bathroom, yes. Thanks, Emi. You’re a big help.”

  “Head on home now,” said Antonio, patting his brother on the back.

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  “In a minute.” Antonio’s eyes lingered on Zaira’s, and she wished she didn’t have to do the whole extended bedtime routine with Gabriela.

  “Okay.” Emilio waved good-bye to Gabi, who blew a kiss back at him, and left without protest.

  “He’s sure easy compared to Carlos,” observed Zaira.

  “Yes, lately that’s true. He even lets you call him Emi. If Carlos or I do that, he flips out.”

  “I’m all for simplifying names, right, A?” She noted the sexy lilt in her own voice and wondered if he would think she was crazy. What on earth could be sensuous about nicknames?”

  Antonio combed his fingers through her hair, his gaze fixed on her. “Shouldn’t that be A-plus?”

  Okay, maybe nicknames could be sexy. “Plus what?” She leaned in with a pout she hoped would tempt him into another kiss. To her dismay, Gabi took the movement as a cue to reach for Antonio, and the next thing she knew, her daughter latched on to his front and planted a slobbery kiss on his chin.

  “Hey, that was supposed to be mine,” whined Zaira playfully.

  Antonio nuzzled Gabi’s forehead with his nose. “Okay, hijita. Time for bed.”

  Gabi shook her head. “Baff!” she insisted, spraying his cheek with spit.

  He wiped it away good-naturedly and bobbed her up and down in his arms. “Are you teething? Is that why you’re so drooly?”

  Zaira snickered. “She’s staring at Antonio Seneca. Of course she’s drooling.”

  Antonio shook his head. “You flatter me.”

  “Don’t you know how attractive it is when handsome guys are good with babies?”

  “Huh, really? I wonder why they didn’t have me carry one around on Soap Star?”

  “Come on.” Zaira gently pushed him from behind toward the bathroom. “You can at least get her into the water before you go.”

  “You trust me in your bathroom?” Antonio feigned shock. “I’m probably worse than Gabi when it comes to making a big wet mess.”

  Zaira willed herself not to imagine him in the bathtub as she kneeled on the tile and checked the temperature. “Hey, good job Emi! Just right.” When she reached up for Gabi, she smirked. “And good job, A-plus. You got her undressed with one hand. That’s either really creepy or you’re secretly a professional babysitter.”

  Antonio laughed. “She kicked the other sock off in the hall, and the pull-up rips on the side, so it’s not that hard.”

  “It goes in that pail,” said Zaira, pointing to a white lidded bin for diapers.

  As she dipped Gabriela’s toes into the bathwater, she glanced over her shoulder and admired Antonio’s backside. Gabi shrieked with delight at the water, and Zaira gave her a knowing look. “I agree, hija. I agree.”

  Wriggling, Gabriela kicked up a spray of water, drenching the front of Zaira’s scrubs.

  Antonio bit his lip, unable to hide his adorable grin. “Need me to bring you an umbrella or a tarp or something?”

  “Ha ha,” she said, setting Gabi all the way down in the water. With a quick flick of her wrist, she splashed Antonio’s arm and pant leg.

  “Z, you don’t want to go there. I have brothers. We are the best water fighters on the West Coast.

  “Oh really?” She splashed him again, soaking a patch on the front of his shirt, and Gabriela burst into riotous giggles, slapping the bathwater with her palms over and over. “Wait, no, no, no! Gabi, no!”

  Antonio dropped onto his knees beside her, laughing. “Gabi’s on my team. You’re going down!” He snatched up a yellow ducky washcloth floating in the water and wrung it out over her head.

  Zaira half-laughed and half-squealed, straightening up to bat his hand away, and in that instant, Antonio wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a deep kiss. With her heart pounding and joy surging, she raked her fingers in his hair and squeezed him closer. Beside them, Gabi continued to splash and giggle.

  Antonio broke away, unable to keep himself from laughing. “It’s like kissing in the rain.”

  “But warmer.” Zaira settled a stabilizing hand on Gabi’s back even as her mouth found Antonio’s again. How crazy was it that she was huddled on a bathroom floor, dripping wet, giving her baby a bath, and enjoying the most satisfyingly sizzling kiss she’d eve
r experienced?

  Antonio’s hand joined hers on Gabriela’s back, and he placed a kiss on the top of her head. He stood up, appraising the situation with a wide grin.

  “Good night, ladies. I think I’d better go now before I flood your house.” He caressed Zaira’s cheek. “Please remember, Gabi started it.”

  “See you tomorrow, A.”

  “That’s A-plus,” he teased as he backed out of the bathroom.

  Zaira gave Gabi a soggy squeeze. “Plus plus plus plus.”

  Chapter 8 ~ Cold Feet for Christmas

  “What’s the matter with you?” Carlos yawned as he appeared in his pajamas.

  “It’s ten o’clock,” snapped Antonio. “How much sleep could you possibly need?”

  “I’m a teenager,” said Carlos, as if this explained everything.

  Antonio blinked. “So?”

  “Okay, let’s try this. It’s Christmas vacation. Every normal person who is on a school schedule sleeps in during vacations. It’s what vacations are for. We’re going through that awkward stage, and we need as much beauty rest as possible.”

  Antonio felt his mood cracking with a smile, but he pinched it between his fingertips. “When I was your age, I worked a job as a lechero every morning.”

  Carlos rolled his eyes. “Well, welcome to America. We don’t do milkmen anymore, and besides, it’s Christmas Day.”

  Antonio flopped onto the couch and dug the heels of his palms into his eye sockets. “I just thought we’d be up and opening presents by now.”

  “Like I can’t tell that’s a hoverboard over there,” said Carlos. “Thanks, and Merry Christmas.” Carlos opened the fridge and stared into its hypnotic light. “Why don’t we invite Z and Gabi over for games or movies or something?”

  “No, I don’t want to impose on their family time. It’s Christmas.”

  “What family? It’s just her and Gabi.” The corner of Carlos’ mouth ticked upwards with a surprisingly sophisticated smirk. “Put a bow on your head and tell her you’re her present from Santa. Go check if the mistletoe’s still hanging.”

  Antonio opened his mouth to protest but shut it quickly before he revealed how much Carlos’ words needled him. “Fine,” he said as calmly as he could. “I’ll go be a good neighbor and wish them a Merry Christmas.” He did have a present for her hiding in the back seat of his car. Maybe it was time to deliver it.

  Carlos gave him a knowing look. “Tell her I’ll be happy to babysit on New Year’s Eve if you two want to plan anything, you know … a date.”

  Antonio shook his head to clear the tempting visions floating through his mind and hurried outside, realizing three steps too late he’d left his coat inside. No way could he go back in and face any more of Carlos’ smug looks. That kid was getting too smart for his own good.

  Shuddering at the biting wind, he tromped to his car and opened the ice-glazed door with a crack. After grabbing the two presents he had for Zaira and Gabi, he got an idea. Fumbling through his glove compartment, he found a plastic Les Schwab ice scraper he’d picked up the last time he got new tires. The windows in Zaira’s apartment didn’t face the parking lot, so he figured he could clear the car of its frosty shell before she ever knew what happened. Leaning against the hood of her car, he set to work methodically chipping away at the icy film on her windshield. It wasn’t thick, and it broke away in satisfying strips. A half-baked idea to chisel a message into the ice heated his cheeks. What could he say to convey how he felt?

  He groaned at himself, wishing he could turn off his interest in the woman. Why had he let himself kiss her again and again until his whole being was mad with wanting her?

  “Gabi! No!” Zaira’s voice sounded panicked.

  Antonio spun around in time to see Gabriela dashing out of the apartment in her jammies as if running to his house. Dropping the ice scraper, he tore after her, sweeping her into his arms right before she tumbled in front of a large pick-up truck.

  “Hija, no!” he cried into her hair, squeezing her tight to his chest. “That truck could have hit you!”

  “Ca-lo!” she said, pointing to his house. Her cold, bare feet clung koala-like to his torso.

  “No, hija. Let’s get you back to Mami.” Still clutching her close, he turned and stopped short.

  Zaira stood barefooted in flannel penguin pajamas that matched Gabi’s. Her face held a mixture of terror and relief. Suddenly, she threw her arms around Antonio and Gabriela, kissing them each on the cheek. “Oh, my baby, I thought you were—Antonio, how can I ever thank you. It’s a miracle that you were right there to save her, and…” Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pulled her daughter into a protective embrace. “Hija, you can’t run outside without Mami!” Breathless, Zaira looked up at Antonio. “She just learned how to open the front door recently, and I went into the kitchen to make breakfast when she…” She released a trembling sigh and slipped her arm around Antonio’s waist, clutching him tightly. “Thank you!”

  Antonio became aware of his heart pounding in his ears, first for the adrenaline rush of rescuing Gabi, and now because Zaira held her cheek pressed against his chest as she squeezed him. Reeling from the surprise of it all, he wrapped his arm over her shoulder and ruffled Gabi’s curls. “Good morning and Merry Christmas,” he said softly.

  Zaira exhaled a laugh through a sob of relief. “Merry Christmas, indeed.” She blew a thin stream of wispy breath as she calmed herself and relaxed her grip.

  Antonio’s gaze went from Zaira’s teary eyes to her festively painted toenails. “Come on, you two. It’s freezing out here, and you both forgot your shoes.”

  They walked slowly back to her apartment, and when Zaira and Gabi broke away to enter, he hesitated, tossing a glance at the fallen ice scraper and presents sitting on the hood of her car.

  “Aren’t you coming in?”

  “You don’t mind?”

  She gestured with a shaky hand for him to enter. “You just saved my daughter’s life. I think I owe you some Christmas cocoa or something.”

  Catching the intensity of her gaze, he bit his lip shyly. “Hang on. Let me go get something.” He jogged to the car and pocketed the ice scraper, cradling the two presents in his arms. “I found some gifts Santa must have dropped outside,” he said with a wink.

  Zaira’s eyes sparkled. “You’re my hero.”

  “They’re just little things.”

  Her hands pressed into his cheeks, still cold and trembling. “I mean for saving Gabi.”

  “I was lucky to be there. Does that kind of thing happen a lot with her? Emilio wasn’t that adventurous.”

  “It’s called being a toddler. Accidents don’t come scheduled, but you can count on at least one a day.” She gestured with her chin at the door. “What happened out there could have been far worse. I’m grateful you were on watch.”

  Antonio’s head swam with all her words, but his focus settled on her earnest gaze. “Z, I missed you.”

  A smile quirked her lips, and she slid closer. “I missed you, too. It’s been two days.”

  He swallowed. “Did you have a merry Christmas?”

  She shook her head slowly. “It was terrible. I was expecting my best friend to come over.”

  Antonio blinked.

  Zaira let out a soft laugh and caressed his cheek with her thumb. “You, silly.”

  Antonio’s senses went on high alert. “Me? I’m your best friend?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  “Am I?”

  She raised her eyebrows like a mother coaxing the truth from a naughty child. “What do you think?”

  “Is this … I … Do you mean best friend like friend, like when it’s friends but not more because that’s the girl way of saying ‘So not interested’? Or do you mean—”

  Zaira nudged him under the mistletoe and silenced him with a cinnamon-flavored kiss that thawed every last piece of doubt or cold from his body. He dropped the presents on the floor and held her tightly, lifting her feet from the groun
d, but still the kiss continued.

  A shuffling sound alerted him that Gabriela was attempting another escape, but he simply backed up and leaned against the door, blocking her efforts while still wrapping Zaira in his arms. He thought about congratulating himself mentally for the smooth move when Zaira sputtered a laugh into his face.

  “Okay, you’re good,” she said, chuckling.

  “Thanks. You’re not bad yourself. We’re talking about the kisses, right?”

  “Your little toddler obstruction maneuver. Done like a pro.” She eyed Gabi and wagged a finger at her. “No, hija. Not now. Maybe we’ll go see Carlos and Emi later.”

  Gabriela glowered at her mother but stomped away down the hall.

  “Where were we?”

  Zaira sidled even closer, sending waves of heat through Antonio’s body. It took his breath and words away. In all the sexy scenes he’d acted for the show, he’d never experienced anything like this. Everything had been orchestrated for camera angles and protecting make-up. But this was real, and messy, and wonderful. Desire surged through his veins and scrambled his brain.

  “Wait, what were you doing outside anyway?” asked Zaira.

  Antonio couldn’t think straight if she kept interrupting kisses with dialogue. His tongue felt heavy and his feet light. “I … um. Breaking the ice on your car.”

  “Breaking the ice.” Was her voice extra sultry, or were his ears malfunctioning? With the speed of his pulse, the latter was a possibility.

  “On your car.”

  “My car.” Her suppressed smile made his hair stand on end. Why were they still talking and not doing something more important?

  “I thought you might like it,” he whispered, his hands rushing up into her hair.

  Her lips brushed his as she spoke. “I love it.” She mashed into him with surprising force.

  “Ow! Gabi!” whined Zaira shifting to scold her daughter. “What do you want now?”

  Antonio craned his neck to see Gabriela pushing on the back of Zaira’s legs, which explained how very close they were standing. She held up her mother’s keys. “Ca-lo, Emi!”

  Antonio laughed silently into Zaira’s hair, and when she let out a soft moan, his mirth became more vocal.