Guarded (Calavera Hotels #3)

25. Ariella

Chapter 25

Ariella

W hat in the Christian Nodal was going on with my life?

? Que pinche escándalo !

Today, of all days, Preston Cuevas thought it was a good idea to get a blowy behind a dumpster. I don’t want to think about him or the Temu version of me who took him down her throat.

Did public image mean nothing to him? I wasn’t sad or jealous. To be honest, the show slightly turned me on, but now that my post orgasm fog was fading, questions were popping up.

Would this be my future? My anxiety was bad enough, but now I would walk into social events and wonder who my husband would be fucking in the shadows.

When Cesidio Biondini led me to a hidden door to the alley, I wasn’t sure what I would find. Was my husband’s kinks known amongst all the Houston socialites? Would I become a mockery?

I feel emotions swirling inside me as I imagine the future. I have to give up being Nero’s good girl and become Preston’s good wife.

Good Wife.

Perfect daughter.

Mrs. Ariella Cuevas.

Ugh, the cringe.

I look up at the man who just carried me down steep steps. His muscular body fills the dark grey suit. His brows furrow as he talks into his phone.

“Meet me in the back alley.” He says, hanging up and walking back towards me.

His knuckle runs over my face before he kisses my forehead. It was increasingly painful not to fall head over heels in love with this man.

“Are you okay, Princess?” he asks, looking over me with concerned eyes.

I give him a convincing smile. All these emotions continue to swirl inside me. Confusion. Rage. Sadness.

His gentle touch calms the storm brewing up inside me. Making sense of anything in my life right now was useless.

Headlights shine, interrupting our ogling. Nero pushes me behind him and stays guarded until we recognize the Calavera logo on the side of the Limo. I find Louie behind the wheel when the window rolls down on the passenger seat.

“Come on, Barbie! Let’s go party!” he jokes.

“Hey, Louie!” I wave before Nero practically throws me into the limo.

He begins cleaning me up using the paper towels from the Limo bar. His rough hands feel gentle even when he wets one of the towels and cleans my face. He pulls me back in his lap. The limo stops at the corner where Jasper stands there shaking his head.

“What the hell was that about?” Jasper’s pointed look is on Nero.

Nero lifts his middle finger towards him while his other hand holds me tight against him.

“Where to Boss?” Louie asks.

“Home-”

“Whata-” Nero and I say at the same time.

“Um, can you please take me to Whataburger? I’m starving.” I plead my eyes on Nero.

He looks at me before nodding at our enthusiastic driver.

“Hell Yeah!” Louie cheers, causing Jasper to sigh loudly.

“I mean, yes, Princess.” Louie corrects himself.

When Louie salutes me, a small chuckle falls from my lips. Nero reaches between us and slams the small window shut. I press my lips together to stifle my laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” I say, another laugh escaping me.

“Are you jealous?” I tease him.

“Of Louie?” His brows bunch together before he shakes his head. I turn and place a leg on each side of him, straddling him.

“Ay Bebé.” I kiss his forehead like he does mine, and his face turns white.

“What are you doing?” he grumbles. I hug him tightly.

“I’m hugging you, Valiente. Just let me.”

“Why do you need to go to Whataburger right now, Ari?” he sighs.

I pull away from him, gasping as I clutch my imaginary pearls.

“I just watched my future husband fuck a woman behind a dumpster. And then we- well, you know,” I whisper the last part, looking around to make sure no one hears. “The least you can do is take a girl to Whataburger.”

“This is a bad idea.” He mumbles to himself.

The car stops, and I move from Nero’s lap to the window. I’m like a kid in a candy store when I see the large Orange and White W logo with the Whataburger sign above it.

I move back to Nero and whisper into his ear.

“I’ve never been disappointed with any of your bad ideas.”

I catch a glimpse of him smiling before I step out of the Limousine.

Growing up in California, In and Out was all the hype, but when I moved to Houston, I quickly learned that it had nothing on Whataburger. When we get inside, Louie looks as excited as I do.

I order a Honey BBQ Chicken strip sandwich and a Dr. Pepper Shake. I open my purse, but Nero insists on paying, which is great, considering the only thing I have in my clutch is lip gloss and one of Guapo’s doggy treats. Finding a booth in the back corner, Nero slides in, pulling me onto his lap.

“Nero!” I protest. “People are going to see.” I lower my voice.

He looks around at the empty lobby, then to Jasper and Louie waiting at the counter for our food.

“Jasper and Louie?” He arches his brow.

His very thick eyebrows. Is it strange to be attracted to someone’s eyebrows? His whole facial structure was admirable. His skin was clear, his facial hair perfectly groomed, and his broody eyes. Swoon-worthy eyes that made me feel like I was being hypnotized every time I looked into them.

“Stop looking at me like that if you don’t want to give this entire place a free live show.” He murmurs.

I roll my eyes before looking up to see Louie and Jasper coming towards us with their tray. Nero’s hands squeeze me tighter into him when I try to move, and I have to exert some strength to push off him and scoot into the corner.

“No one puts Barbie in the corner,” Louie says, approaching us. He laughs at his own joke until Jasper slaps him upside the head.

“Sit the fuck down, Patrick Swayze.”

“Sorry to intrude on your date,” Louie says.

Nero chokes on his drink, and my eyes widen. The mischievousness in Louie’s face encourages me to act up.

“Aww. Is this our first date?” I ask Nero.

“Jasper and Louie are here. This isn’t a date.” He says between bites.

“I think this is a date.” I tease.

“I agree. I’ve brought a lot of women to Whataburger.” Louie says, backing me up.

“I find it hard to believe any woman would go near you,” Jasper mumbles.

“This isn’t a date. Ariella will be getting married soon.” Nero says, giving Louie a stern look.

“Thanks for reminding me.” I groan.

“Hey, Barbie, it could be worse. You could be forced to marry one of these assholes.” Louie points a thumb at Jasper.

I’m the only one who laughs at his jokes, which only encourages him to make more.

“Her name is Ariella,” Nero interjects.

My skin burns beneath the touch when he places a possessive hand on my knee.

Louie refrains from calling me Barbie, but he doesn’t shut up. He might be the only person I know who talks as much as I do.

“Was she a Scorpio?” I ask after he tells us about his last girlfriend, who he swears put brujeria on him.

“No, she was an Aries.”

“What are you?” I ask Nero, suddenly curious.

He and Jasper have been silently enjoying their food through their exchanged sullen looks.

“I’m a human,” Nero says. Jasper lets out a small chuckle.

“When’s your birthday?” I ask.

“Christmas.” He responds before biting back into his second burger.

“Oh my god! I love Christmas.” I shriek.

“For fuck sakes,” Jasper mumbles.

My shoulders slump when I see the employees looking over.

“Sorry.” I apologize.

I couldn’t help my excitement. I really do love Christmas—so much so that Mariah Carey is one of my top-streamed artists every year.

“Damn. That must have sucked as a kid only getting gifts on Christmas.” Louie says.

I’m so busy thinking about all the joy Christmas brings that I forgot Nero’s childhood looked far different from mine. Nero says nothing, but I can see it on his face. Nero didn’t get gifts. Not from his mother.

I find his hand and squeeze it in mine.

“We can trade birthdays,” I say, looking at him. He doesn’t respond, but I feel the sentiment when he squeezes my palms in his.

“When’s your birthday?” Louie asks, pulling my gaze from Nero to his.

“June 14 th .”

“Damn, you’re a crazy ass Gemini!” Louie exclaims.

“I am. My niece Lucia, my nephew Luca, my brothers, and my dad. We are all Geminis.” I answer.

“Isn’t Leatherface a Gemini too?” Louie asks Jasper.

“The fuck am I supposed to know, prospect? Shut up and finish eating.” Jasper replies.

“He’s a Virgo,” Louie whispers with a hand up, blocking Jasper’s view.

We finish our meals before heading back into the limo. Nero refuses to let me sit anywhere but his lap. I don’t mind, though. Curling into his lap is becoming my new favorite destination.

His fingers brush delicately all over my body. My shoulders, my back, the curve of my legs.

“Are you still sad, princess?” he asks, stroking my hair.

“No. What’s there to be sad about?” I reply before resting my head on his chest. The strumming of his heart soothes me.

I am sad, but it has nothing to do with Preston Cuevas. I was sad because I was falling in love with a man I could never have.

This man whose heartbeat against my ear was the reason I looked forward to every new day. At the same time, the joy of every new day was counteracted by the sad reminder that I was getting closer to saying goodbye.