Never in her life would she have imagined saying such vulgar words, but this night with this man, she became a different woman. One who deserved passion and release.
“Todo lo que quiera.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Whatever you wish.”
Chapter Nine
Diego’s phone call two days later was a pleasant surprise and a bit mysterious. Yet another example of how their time together perplexed her. So far, nothing had been simple. It wasn’t ordinary nor a one-night shindig. She wasn’t quite sure of Diego’s intentions, but he kept calling and she couldn’t say no. He captivated her.
To prove her point, Diego made her promise to meet at six o’clock on the corner of 5th and 59th. Right on time, she sat on a bench in Grand Army Plaza and watched the passersby, hoping he wouldn’t stand her up.
He didn’t disappoint. Only a few minutes after six, he stood in front of her with a big wool coat, jeans, and a smile to knock her loafers off. The things those lips did to her the night before … mama mia.
“You made it.”
“I told you I would.” She pulled her purse higher on her shoulder while checking out her attire. Damn, she wished she hadn’t chosen the drab suit set this morning. She thought she’d have time to go home to change, but making it to Central Park from Midtown during rush hour didn’t allow her the luxury.
Diego wrapped his arms around her, pulled her to him, and kissed her WWII sailor style. She could definitely get used to this.
“You look great. Come on.” Grabbing her hand, he led her across the traffic.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“God, I love your surprises.”
His wicked grin energized her to walk in step with his fast gait. Wherever they were going must be good. If it was anything like the restaurant excursions, she couldn’t wait either.
After a block, he turned and held her shoulders with his large hands, the angel tattoo peeking out of his woolen sleeve. People pushed around them, jostling them, and horns beeped from the street. Before she had a chance to ask what they were doing, he held her face in his palms and bowed down to kiss her. A soft, sensuous kiss that sent an electrical current through her body. She stepped closer to bridge the gap between them and smashed her breasts against his chest, but he let go abruptly.
“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”
A man like Diego couldn’t stop himself from kissing her. What had the world come to?
“Is this our date?”
“We’re there.”
“What do you mean?” She looked around the sidewalk. They had just passed the Apple store and on the left stood the iconic FAO Schwarz.
Diego jerked his chin to indicate the toy store. “Our adventure awaits.”
“At the toy store?”
“Absolutely.” He nodded slowly and laced his fingers with hers. “I wanted to do something different. FAO Schwarz is the biggest toy store in New York City. Not only that, it’s the first toy store in America.”
“Well, you know a lot about toys, apparently. Show me what you have up your sleeve.”
“Come on.”
The toy-soldier employee opened the door for them. Colored lights gleamed from the ceiling. The enormous plush animals erected on top of the counters called her name. She’d always loved stuffed animals when she was young.
“You’ve been here before, right?” Diego brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Funny how his every move ignited something inside her. Even at a toy store.
“As a little girl. And I think I came here last year to buy a gift for my nephew.”
“You think? How can you not remember? Look at this place.” His eyes glowed with excitement, and Veronica swallowed the laughter that formed in her throat.
“You’re cute.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Cute? I haven’t been called cute in a long time.”
“Nothing’s wrong with cute. You called me cute the other night.”
“But you’re a woman.”
“Men can be called cute, too.” She pulled him closer. “Especially since some men never grow up. You’re like a little boy in a … well, a toy store.”
He wrapped his hands around her and his fingers stroked her back. “Why do we have to grow up? It’s so much fun just to play.”
“Mmmm.”
“Don’t look at me like that. We’re going to play in the toy store, mujer.” He pulled her to the side to get out of people’s way. “So, it’s been a while since you’ve been here. Let’s take a look and then I’ll tell you what I have planned.”
Diego led her down a few steps to the smells of heaven, where bins and bins of colorful candies were displayed in every corner. Stacks of bliss. “I like this place.”
“I knew you’d like the candy section. Every candy you could imagine.”
“Look! Bacon mints.”
He pulled her back and frowned. “You like bacon candy? You take sweets to a whole new level. Come on. Upstairs is the good stuff.”
“I don’t think I’ve even been to the second floor.”
“What kind of childhood did you have?”
“One with servants and caretakers who did everything for me.”
He stopped in his tracks. “Seriously?”
She rolled her eyes and pulled him onto the escalator. “Yeah. I was spoiled.”
“Interesting. See, here is where we learn the most about a person.”
“At a toy store?”
“Most definitely.”
Upstairs was crammed with colorful Lego statues, stuffed animals in all shapes and sizes, a doll section her seven-year-old self would’ve died for, a Muppet workshop—were Muppets still popular with kids?—and every toy a kid could dream of. She could hear music in the back as kids rushed by her holding their parents’ hands. It was a madhouse. A fun madhouse.
Diego escorted her around but stopped in front of a working train set moving along a little village. Then he looked up at her and smiled. “What do you think?”
“It’s so much.”
He pushed his hands into his pockets and bounced on the soles of his shoes. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to play a little game.”
“I love games.”
“We’re going to pick three toys, any toys, that represent who we are. Something we don’t really know about each other.”
Veronica observed around her, trying to decide how to choose from a gazillion options. “Only three?”
“The three that show the most about ourselves.”
“I can’t even pick an appropriate gift for my nephew.”
“How old is he?”
“I think three, or maybe two.”
“You think? Ay yi yi, what am I going to do with you?”
She shrugged. “My brother and I aren’t very close.”
“Why?”
“He’s older by six years. A big gap.”
“So you grew up like an only child.”
“Told you I was spoiled.” Did she really just admit that to her handsome sex god? She didn’t want him to know where she came from or what she was really about. But he didn’t seem taken aback. He seemed happy. Really happy—the smile never left his face.
“See, these are the kinds of things I want to learn about you. Just normal Veronica.”
“It’s not the most interesting of topics.”
“Yes, it is. Now, go find your three toys. We have five minutes and then we’ll meet at the Big Piano.” He nodded in the direction of the enormous carpet piano that was spotlighted in the old Tom Hanks movie Big.
“Five minutes? Make it seven.”
“Okay. Seven. And no candies, Vero. Toys.” His brown eyes danced.
“Awww.”
“Go.”
The two ran off in opposite directions and she actually felt a laugh bubble in her throat. She’d never guessed that Diego would take her to a toy store on a date. She usually end
ed up at the movies, a Broadway show, or dinner—and those were okay, but this was out-of-the-ballpark original. A date she’d never forget.
She ran in circles trying to find the perfect items. It was difficult to decide what to get. What would a fashion buyer choose? A doll’s dress? An “I Love New York” T-shirt? She could easily pick up just anything and pretend she liked it, but Diego had a motive to this game. To get to know each other. If he was going to put his heart into it, so would she. She’d select toys that truly embodied who she was. That way she’d get a feel for what he thought.
After grabbing her items, she ran off, with twenty seconds to spare, to the meeting place.
There stood Diego—or rather there played Diego—on the Big Piano. He had his shoes off, his jeans rolled up, and he held a little girl’s hand as they pounced on the keys of the piano trying to make a tune. Diego and the girl laughed, his fluid movements helping the girl play an actual song. He had won the child over, too.
When he finished, Veronica found him tying his shoes, chatting with the girl and her mother. “There you are.”
“Did you see that?”
“You two make good music.”
The little girl giggled and pulled on Veronica’s sleeve. “I want to be a seenger.”
“You’ll make a really good one, but you should also play piano. I loved the song,” Veronica replied.
The girl beamed a gapped-tooth smile and clapped her hands. “I’m gonna be a pweeano player.”
Her mother smiled and led her off after thanking them. Veronica waved, and Diego studied her, his face serious. “You’re really good with kids.”
A laugh erupted from her throat this time. “Are you crazy? I have no idea how kids act or what they think.”
“You just made that little girl happy.”
“I think it was your doing.”
He grabbed her elbow, his eyes searching her face. “Both of us then.”
It was a silent moment full of promise and hope and it scared the living daylights out of her. What did all this mean? He wanted to get to know her and she him, but this could not last. What the hell was she doing?
He pulled her out of her thoughts. “Let’s go downstairs to the café.”
“With the toys?”
“Yep.” He hauled a big wooden toy of some kind but tried to hide it behind his jacket.
After buying a few treats at the café, they were lucky to find a table available. They bit into their delectable chocolate delights, laughing at their escapades of finding toys. Turned out Diego knew exactly what he would choose, and that’s why he had time to pounce on the piano.
Diego’s eyes lit up as he placed his toys on the table. “Okay, you first.”
Her face and neck warmed as she placed her three items next to his. “So, it was difficult, but I think these three represent me.”
Diego reached over and rubbed her hand. “You’re nervous. This is supposed to be an adventure. Think of it that way.”
“It is. I’m just … Tell me what you think.”
“No, you tell me why you chose those particular items.”
She swallowed and cleared her throat. “Okay, first, I have a Hello Kitty doll.”
Diego nodded his head and rubbed his chin. “I didn’t think you’d be into that Japanese character, but I can see an international buyer might like that.”
“Well, it’s not because of that. I have a cat at home … Sachi … Japanese name.”
He pointed at her. “See. I did not know that.”
“Now you know.”
“So, you’re a cat woman.” Diego picked up the next toy, a Rubik’s Cube. “A puzzle, huh?”
“Not just a puzzle, but a 3D combination puzzle. It’s more complicated. It’s also very mathematical. There are eight ways to arrange the corners. Seven can be oriented independently, but the eighth depends on the seventh.” She stopped talking when Diego frowned. Crap. There she went babbling off about her numbers again. “You know, I heard that somewhere.”
“Very impressive.” He picked up the cube and tried to twist and turn it. “I’d like to see you solve it.”
She could solve it in one minute, five seconds, but she would never tell him that. “It’d probably take me days to figure it out.”
“What’s your third toy?”
She held up a Dr. Seuss book. “Does this count?”
“Sure it does. Out of all the toys in this building, you chose a book.”
She opened it, her fingers caressing the page. She remembered her mother reading her this book. The good ol’ days before all the expectations were dropped in her lap. “Not just any book, but Green Eggs and Ham. I loved Dr. Seuss when I was younger. How all the words rhyme and sound out a rhythm.”
Diego toyed with the hard cover with his fingers. “Your reasons aren’t some made-up, fake explanation. I can tell you’re being sincere. I really like that.”
She really liked that he liked that. Meaning, he liked her. She sighed as she stared at him. Now it was time to learn something new about the man who was quickly becoming more than just a sex god. “Let me see yours.”
He pushed a golden harmonica in her direction.
“Hey, I could guess this about you. Harmonica equals music equals musician equals Diego.”
“There’s more to it.” He picked up the instrument and tossed it in his hand. “This was the first instrument I ever played. My dad gave me one when I was five, and I used to sit at the picnic table near a river at our farmhouse and play until I could figure out every note. If it wasn’t for that harmonica, who knows where I would’ve ended up.” He blew a note through it and winced when it came out too loud.
“Will you play something for me?”
“Later.” He pushed over the big stuffed animal in front of him. “Here’s the second.”
“A horse?”
“I love horses. I used to ride them all the time in Argentina. In fact, I still have a horse, Pepito. My older brother takes care of him for me, but when I go back, I always ride him.”
She pet the horse’s mane. “Pepito. I’ve never ridden a horse. My mom used to think it was too dangerous.”
“Sounds exaggerated to me. Kids ride horses.”
“But she didn’t want it, so it didn’t happen.”
“You’ll ride a horse. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Will that be our next date?”
“Not sure if it’ll be soon, but sometime in the future.”
Wait. Future? This was supposed to be a quick thrill together and here he was talking about the prospect of a future. She should make things clear. Let him know that couldn’t happen. But she didn’t want to. Look at the fun they had, and she was starting to really get to know him.
“And last, I have this.” He reached by his feet for a wooden instrument. “A baby piano.”
“Music again? I’m sure you have an explanation far from the obvious.”
“This was the first toy I ever bought.” His lips pressed together and he rubbed his forehead. “For a … baby.”
Why the change in mood? Veronica pushed a key down and smiled at him, trying to get the glow back in his eyes. “That’s a thoughtful gift, since you play.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.” He shifted in his chair. “And I know that the baby loved it. Still does.”
“I wish I had your skill with kids.”
“It’s not a skill. It’s the heart.”
“And there you go with your words.” She pulled his lapels and kissed him, then sat back. “You’re too good to be true.”
“I think the same about you. You’re you. Truer than true.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Dr. Seuss?”
He smiled at her, rubbing her hand with his own, and squeezed. “I mean it.” He stood up and grabbed the toys. “We need to get out of here. I have a red-eye flight to Miami and I haven’t even packed.”
“You’re not actually buying these, are you?”
“Hell yeah. W
e have to have memories of our toy date.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Sweet and cute? Madre de Dios.”
“Let’s switch one toy to keep with us while you’re gone. I’ll keep the horse.”
“I’ll take the Rubik’s Cube and try to solve it while I figure you out. Now let’s go get some bacon candy.”
“A man after my own heart.”
Chapter Ten
Veronica hummed to herself as she prepared her report for the Marc Jacobs collection. She hadn’t been this upbeat in a long time—probably since she made straight As a senior at NYU three years ago.
As she typed up her final numbers, her cell phone vibrated. Half expecting Chloe to bother her, she was pleasantly surprised it was Diego’s picture smiling at her, taken from his bed with the early-morning sunlight streaming through the window. His sexy five o’clock shadow and that naughty smirk beamed at her. He texted her one line:
PapaGuitarra: It’s been two days and I can’t stop thinking about you, cariño.
She wanted to hug her phone to feel closer to him. Instead, her fingers tapped back a reply:
VeronicaBass7: I’ve thought about you too. How’s Miami?
PapaGuitarra: Great. Spent the day composing in the studio. All the words and notes are tumbling … it’s you.
She bit her lip and pinched herself. This had to be a dream.
VeronicaBass7: That’s what great sex does to u.
PapaGuitarra: It’s more than great sex, V.
Damn, he tugged her heart in all directions.
VeronicaBass7: U really are good with words.
PapaGuitarra: I mean it. Gotta run, but wanted you to know I’m thinking of you … and pastries.
She’d never eat a pastry in the same way again, not after their middle-of-the-night rendezvous with the French pastries in his bedroom.
VeronicaBass7: Mmm. U & cream puffs. See you in a week.
PapaGuitarra: Hasta luego, amor.
How was she supposed to work after a chat like that? She swiveled her chair around, like she was riding her favorite Coney Island amusement park ride. In only a few days, her existence had turned into the ride of her life. Each day became more exciting, like advancing up the hill of a roller coaster, slowly, the anticipation growing … waiting for the high to drop. The man brought an adventure and zeal to her life. Hell, she’d never experienced any of it before. When would that change? When would the ride drop and drive away? She didn’t even want to think about it.
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