Aced (Blocked #2)

by Jennifer Lane

  I nodded. He circled behind me and grasped the collar of my coat as I shrugged out of the sleeves. When his fingers brushed my neck, a shiver crept up my back. His hands stilled—he must have noticed—and I froze too.

  He leaned over my shoulder, my coat collar still in his hands and the sleeves halfway off. His bright eyes burned into me. “Cold out there, hmm?”

  I took a deep breath to steady my racing pulse, and his spicy scent wafted over me. He stood so close that I could feel his warmth. His presence overwhelmed me, sent trembles down my spine into my legs. Without thinking, I lunged for his sweater and pulled him to me. I noticed the shock in his eyes just before I tilted up to press my lips to his.

  His mouth was firm at first—hard like the rest of him—but I coaxed his lips open with persistent kisses. As I molded my lips to his, I knew the moment he yielded to me. His mouth softened, then pressed back with a heated urgency, building a bonfire inside of me.

  Once he fully engaged, he directed the show. One hand cradled the back of my head while the other slid down my spine, tracing a line of fire as it descended to the small of my back. My breasts pushed against his chest, drawing a soft moan from somewhere deep inside of me. His mouth was hot and frantic on mine.

  The kiss was rushed, desperate, and inelegant. It was perfect. At some point my coat crumpled to the floor. And I couldn’t care less.

  I relished our contact as his kiss slowed to a sensual burn. He smelled so good and felt so real. But I knew good things didn’t last.

  With a sigh, he unlatched his mouth from mine and looked down at me. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Then he pressed me flat against him, his hands clasping my head and back, tucking me into his chest. I melted into his firm body. He was taller than me, which I liked, and we fit together seamlessly. I listened to his heartbeat, a galloping pulse that matched my own. The fine knit of his sweater felt soft against my cheek, and damn, I loved his aftershave. My breathing evened out as he held me. He was someone to hold onto, someone to steady me. I needed that.

  When Lucia’s laugh echoed from the kitchen, we broke apart. His eyes darted around the foyer, flashing alarm. Lucia hadn’t wanted her brother to interfere in her life, and her best friend mauling him with kisses portended major interference. My cheeks flushed.

  “Was that okay?” My voice came out in a whisper, and I cleared my throat. “What I just did?”

  “Are you kidding me? I’ve been fantasizing about kissing you for a month now.”

  Relief and joy filled me.

  He picked up my wrinkled coat and draped it over his arm. “I just don’t know what Lucy will think of this.”

  We were a this? I hoped so. I already knew how my sibling would react. Braxton would be pissed. But Nana would probably like Alejandro’s smarts and his gentlemanly ways. Wait—I was already thinking how my family would like him, after one kiss? That had been some kiss. My body still thrummed.

  “Well, dessert’s a disaster, but—”

  Lucia stopped short after rounding the corner. She gave us a curious look. “Everything okay?”

  “Sure, Rez.” More than okay.

  “But…?” Alejandro asked.

  Lucia stared at him.

  “What were you about to say?” he prompted.

  “Oh!” She smiled. “Dinner’s ready.”

  “Good, ’cause I’m starved.” I turned to Alejandro, whose eyes flared.

  “I’m hungry too,” he said.

  Lord, have mercy.

  “Guys, listen…” Lucia began.

  I glanced at her. “What?”

  “Dane’s trying some new dishes tonight, and he’s not very confident about them. Go easy on him, okay?” She grabbed my hand and led me into the house. I felt Alejandro’s quiet presence behind me.

  As we entered the kitchen, Dane hovered by the oven. “Fucking shit,” he muttered.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day to you too, GD,” I said.

  He spun around. “Glad you made it, Maddie. But you might not be so glad once you taste this.”

  “Aw, c’mon,” Alejandro said. “Lucy told me you make a mean fajita.”

  “Yeah, but tonight I wanted to make my family’s dishes.” Dane lifted his chin. “White people have culture too, you know.”

  I laughed. “This should be good. What’re you serving—McDonald’s cheeseburgers?”

  “Don’t be a hater.” He scowled at me. “Sit your ass down and get ready for a cultural experience.”

  I smirked at Alejandro, who slid into the chair next to me at the round kitchen table. “Those are beautiful flowers,” I said, admiring the centerpiece of orange and red tiger lilies.

  “Dane got them for me today.” Lucia sat across from her brother. “¡Qué bonitas!”

  I nodded, and noticed Alejandro’s frown. Was he still upset about Lucia’s relationship with Dane? He’d seemed more accepting.

  “Okay.” Dane removed the vase of flowers and replaced it with an oval plate filled with a mélange of pink and green. His hands clasped together like a little boy’s. “To represent my maternal grandmother’s Danish heritage, I made a smoked salmon appetizer.” He gestured to the plate as he sat. “Our guests, please begin.”

  “So we’ll die first, then?” Alejandro asked with a gleam in his eye.

  “Alex!” Lucia chided.

  Alejandro nodded for me to go first, and I slid a cucumber slice topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and a sprig of dill onto my plate. I took a tentative bite, and crisp flavor flooded my mouth. “This is actually kind of good.”

  “I told you!” Lucia shoved Dane’s shoulder. They both helped themselves.

  When I reached for another one, my hand collided with Alejandro’s. He yanked his back and smiled at me. “Really good,” he said.

  “I tried to recreate an appetizer we had in Copenhagen,” Dane said. He popped a cucumber slice in his mouth.

  For the entrée, he served us plates with two dark red balls atop asparagus and turnip greens, with a side of mashed potatoes. What the hell was this? “Allow me,” Dane said, and he cut open one of the balls on my plate to reveal a white circle with a yellow middle…maybe an egg?

  “Scotch eggs?” Alejandro guessed.

  “To represent Grandpa Monroe, from Scotland.” Dane sat up a little taller.

  I leaned toward Alejandro and whispered, “What’s around the egg?”

  “Sausage.” He chuckled. “Try it, you’ll like it. We had these at the governor’s mansion once.”

  The first bite was interesting, and not my favorite. Still, I managed to finish one of the balls and all of the potatoes and vegetables. When Lucia stood to help Dane clear the plates, Alejandro’s foot brushed mine. He leaned closer and scooped up my hand under the table.

  “Thank God Lucy didn’t tell Dane how much she liked his balls,” he whispered.

  I laughed, which earned me a questioning look from Lucia. But Dane’s swearing soon drew her attention back to him. Alejandro’s stroking my hand and the talk about balls had me on edge, hot and bothered.

  Dane brought over ramekins filled with some sort of chocolate topped with raspberries. “Soufflé fail,” he muttered. “To represent my father’s French heritage.”

  “Patrick DuPont,” Lucia supplied.

  “The berries are supposed to surround the peak of the soufflé,” Dane explained. “Not fall into the crater.”

  “An ambitious dessert,” Alejandro said.

  Dane looked at him. “I’m an ambitious guy.”

  “That you are.”

  Alejandro was ambitious, too. His ambition was one of many traits that drew me to him.

  Lucia took a bite. “I think it’s delicious.”

  “My egg whites didn’t get stiff enough,” Dane complained.

  Stiff? God, this dinner was torture. My hand squeezed Alejandro’s, and a little smile broke over his face.

  Dane shook his head. “Figures I’d screw up the part of the meal representing my dad.”
/>
  “Why’s that?” I asked him.

  “I’m not that close to my dad. He has his jerkoff moments.” He sighed. “My mom deserves better.”

  I hadn’t known that—I felt sad for Dane. But at least he had a good relationship with his mother. Braxton thought Senator Monroe would’ve made an awesome president, and she seemed like a strong, admirable woman the few times I’d seen her on TV.

  “Well, maybe your soufflé needs more practice, but I’m impressed by this entire meal,” Alejandro said. Dane seemed surprised, but smiled.

  “I agree!” I added. “Thanks for inviting us to dinner.”

  Alejandro nodded. “Maddie and I will do the dishes, of course.”

  We will? He winked at me as he stood and picked up my plate. My legs squeezed together.

  “But we want to play euchre,” Lucia said. “Let’s wait to do the dish—”

  Dane cut her off when he grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet. He whispered something in her ear—I thought I heard the word stiff—and she giggled.

  “You guys do the dishes, yeah,” he said, pulling her close. “Luz had something to show me.” He whispered again, and her cheeks turned pink. Then he laughed and led her out of the kitchen.

  I looked at Alejandro, who held our plates aloft near the sink, a grim look on his face. I gathered he was imagining exactly what Lucia planned to “show” Dane.

  “How ’bout some cleaning music?” I asked to distract him.

  He blinked. “Huh?” He set the plates in the sink.

  “Nana says music makes cleaning go faster. I’ll get my phone—it’s in the other room.”

  “Or do you want to hear my brother’s songs? I coaxed him to send me a few.”

  I paused. “Oh, right, Mateo plays guitar.”

  “Yep, and he writes his own songs. Kid’s got mad talent.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and aimed it at the wall. “Lucia showed me the sweet sound system in this place. Check this out.”

  A thumping salsa beat filled the kitchen, reminding me of Pitbull’s latest single. My body began moving of its own accord to the infectious drums. Alejandro grinned as I bounced my head from one side to the other. He shimmied his shoulders on his way to the table. I’d never seen him so at ease. His dancing wasn’t flashy, but his moves were smooth, fluid, and intimately connected to the music.

  He danced some glasses over to the sink, and I grabbed Lucia’s and Dane’s plates to follow him. His shoulder plunged to the beat as he lowered the dishwasher door, and Mateo’s voice rang out, strong and full of pep.

  Hey, chica! Where did you go?

  Don’t wanna do this thing solo

  But you’re running away like a track star

  Leaving me all alone in my black car

  Your pace is fast; it’s so blazing

  Can’t keep up, girl; you’re amazing

  I’d follow you to the end of the state

  If only my life didn’t always frustrate

  “Wow,” I said when the drums kicked up again. “He can really sing.”

  “You think so?” Alejandro shrugged but I could see him hiding a smile. I retrieved a fork from the table as Mateo started his third verse.

  Hey, chica! Come conmigo

  And baby, why don’t we go

  Down under the bridge to the water

  With you it can only get hotter

  Alejandro placed a plate in the dishwasher. When I handed him a fork, he clasped his hand around mine. My skin tingled as he guided our hands higher. “Hey, chica, come conmigo,” he sang into the fork-turned-microphone. “Come with me, Maddie,” he said softly. His dark eyes glimmered.

  “Where we going, chico?”

  “Down under the bridge to the water.”

  My heart thumped faster than the pulsing drumbeat. “With you it can only get hotter.”

  The fork dropped to the floor with a clang, and he grabbed my hips, drawing me into him. His scorching mouth landed on mine, searching and insistent. My lips devoured him as I clutched the back of his head, massaging my hands through his thick black hair. He tasted like chocolate and smelled like spice, and my body burned for him.

  Damn, he was hot. Hot Jandro. “Hotajandro,” I murmured against his mouth. A giggle bubbled up my throat. That had to be his new nickname.

  “Ready for euchre, guys?”

  Oh, shit! I jumped out of his arms as Lucia came around the corner.

  Chapter Fourteen

  MADDIE’S ABRUPT DEPARTURE from my arms left a cold vacancy, but Lucia’s fiery glare soon filled that space. I grabbed my phone to pause Mateo’s song, and uneasy silence hung between us.

  “How could you kiss her?” Lucia hissed. “She’s my friend.”

  Maddie blanched. “That upsets you?”

  “Of course it does!” She glowered at me. “You take over everything in my life—just like at St. John’s.”

  I cringed hearing the name of our private high school in Houston. Mateo had already complained about how my “spotless legacy” there had led to exhaustive comparisons.

  “Oh, you’re Alejandro’s sister.” Lucia mocked one of our teachers. “No wonder you’re such a good athlete. But why don’t you excel in science? You must not study very much. Or maybe you’re not as smart, hmm?”

  “Lucy.” My voice was stern, but she kept going.

  “Why can’t you be like him? Alejandro was a National Merit Finalist. Alejandro was all state in two sports. Alejandro stayed in Texas for college. Blah, blah, blah, gag.”

  Dane frowned as he entered the kitchen. “What’s got you all riled up, Luz?”

  “You were right. I just caught them kissing!” She gestured at us with a disgusted wave of her hand.

  He started laughing.

  I tilted my head toward Dane. “You knew?”

  “I’ve suspected for a while now. You’ve been totally jonesing for Maddie, dude.” He shook his head with a chuckle.

  “It’s not funny!” Lucia said.

  “Sorry.” Dane wrapped his arm around her. I looked at Maddie, wishing to do the same. I wanted to pull her to me, smell her fresh, beguiling scent. But Lucia’s narrowed eyes stopped me.

  Maddie stared at Lucia. “I thought you were off, ah, showing something to Dane.”

  “I was.” My sister squirmed. “But hearing your baby brother sing about lust kind of kills the mood.”

  “I thought I only played that in the kitchen,” I said.

  “Try the whole house,” Dane said. “Your agents are now singing ‘Hey, Chica!’”

  Oh, no. Would China and Brad tease me about Maddie? Thankfully they’d stayed in their rooms during our little discussion. “Look, Lucy…” I crossed my arms. “I’m sorry you’re upset. I didn’t mean to cause problems for you at St. John’s, or anywhere for that matter.” I looked into Maddie’s eyes and melted a little. “We didn’t plan this.”

  Maddie beamed at me. “It just happened; I promise.”

  “C’mon, Luz,” Dane said as he tucked her in closer. “Don’t you want your teammate and your brother to be happy?”

  “That’s not fair. Of course I do. It’s just…” She frowned. “It’s a lot to take in.”

  “Well, take it in while we school them in euchre,” Dane said. He looked at Maddie and me. “You two are going down.” He led Lucia out of the kitchen.

  Maddie squeezed my hand. “Have you ever played euchre, Texas?”

  “You and your nicknames.” I stroked her warm skin with my thumb. “I thought I was Tater.”

  She reached out to straighten my collar with her free hand, bringing her chest flush with mine. “How do you like Hotajandro?”

  A jolt to my groin. I couldn’t stop staring at her sexy mouth. “It’ll do.”

  Her hand trailed down my sternum to rest on my belt. I inhaled a shallow breath—would she go lower? Did she know how hard I was, just from her presence?

  She looked up at me with a faint smile. Her body angled closer, thinning the air I tried to b
reathe.

  Dane hollered from the family room. “We’re waiting. Get in here so we can kick your asses!”

  Maddie shook her head. “He’s a little competitive.”

  “And I’ve never played.”

  “I think a National Merit Finalist like you can figure it out.” She smirked.

  “I’m going to kill my sister for telling you that.” Her smile widened. “So what’s your SAT score?”

  “I’m a nerd just like you.”

  A very sexy nerd.

  “We’ll be Team Nerd tonight,” she added.

  “We’ll beat those dumb jocks in there.” I inclined my head toward the other room as I kissed her knuckles. “Let’s do this.”

  A little while later Lucia and Dane had won the first game—and Dane gloated—but Maddie and I were ahead four-two in the second. I could see the appeal of this swift card game. We kept the deals moving quickly by using two decks.

  Lucia kept eyeing Maddie and me. But now she turned to look at Dane, holding the cards in her hand instead of dealing. “You’re sure you’re okay with them being together? Maddie’s your friend, too, and I didn’t think you were crazy about my brother.”

  Ouch.

  I met Dane’s eyes before he looked away. “I admit he rubbed me the wrong way the first time I met him.”

  I hadn’t been Dane’s biggest fan then, either.

  “But Alex isn’t so bad now.” He smirked. “As long as he’s not spouting tea party rhetoric.”

  I shook my head.

  Lucia’s hand found her hip. “Yeah, well, Alex threatened to tell my dad we’re having sex.”

  Dane’s eyes grew big as he leaned back in his chair. Good. At least he seemed contrite for sticking it to my little sister.

  “But obviously he hasn’t told your dad,” Dane said, seeming to recover quickly.

  “How do you know?” Lucia asked.

  “He would’ve crashed this house in a hot minute if he knew. I’d be lucky to still have my dick.”

  I loved the throaty sound of Maddie’s laugh. She had encouraged me not to tell on Lucy, and I was grateful for her wisdom. Unable to resist her touch any longer—no matter what my sister thought—I reached for Maddie’s hand across the table. She smiled at me, and I closed my eyes and breathed her in. This was undoubtedly the best Valentine’s Day of my life.