CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Lennon
My phone vibrates in my pocket as I step into the break room, ready to collapse after another endless shift. I swipe it open, and Ruben’s name lights up the screen.
Ruben: I need to see you tonight.
I bite my lip to stifle a smile. It’s been days since we’ve managed to steal a moment together. The thought of him—his deep voice, the way he looks at me like he’s starving—makes my pulse race.
My workload has been brutal lately. Grueling, really. Twelve-hour shifts that bleed into each other. I barely remember what sleep feels like. But for him? For him, I’d sacrifice every hour of it.
Lennon: I’ll be free at six.
His reply comes almost immediately.
Ruben: I’ll be at your home at six thirty.
God, I love a man who doesn’t waste time.
Lennon: What do you want to do?
His next text makes my heart skip.
Ruben: I’d like to do you, but you’d be too tired for that.
I grin, already feeling lighter, my tired muscles relaxing.
Lennon: Not that tired. Or too tired for that.
Ruben: Lennon…
Lennon: Ruben…
Ruben: Get ready then. See you tonight.
Oh, I am ready for him.
By the time I hear his knock on my door, my pulse is already racing. I smoothed my black dress a hundred times, adjusting the neckline that leaves my shoulders bare and a lot of skin exposed. My hair is loose, curling at the ends, and I know Ruben loves it that way. Under the layers of fabric, a lacy lingerie set is waiting for the perfect moment to be unveiled. Inside my room, the scene has been set. Candles on my nightstand and dresser and silky sheets on the bed.
At six thirty sharp, while lacing my high heel sandals, my bell rings, and I open the door. His dark eyes sweep over me, and the intensity in his gaze makes my breath hitch.
“You’re beautiful,” he says, stepping closer. His hand cups my neck, his thumb brushing along my jawline, followed by his lips. “And smell even better.”
“And you’re overdressed,” I tease, tugging at the lapel of his blazer.
His lips quirk into a wicked smile. “Patience, Chispita . Tonight’s just getting started.”
Ah, this dinner will be an endurance test.
The restaurant is stunning—a sleek, modern place by the bay with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the water. The lighting is dim, warm, and intimate. The kind of place that makes you feel like the only people in the world are sitting at your table.
Ruben’s hand rests on my bare knee under the table, his thumb tracing slow, lazy circles on my skin sending goosebumps all over my being.
“You look incredible,” he murmurs. His voice is low, his gaze lingering on my exposed cleavage. A smile pulls my lips up. Mission accomplished.
“So do you,” I reply, taking in his pristine white shirt and the sharp cut of his suit and the way it fits his broad shoulders.
The waiter brings out the first course, and I raise an eyebrow at the delicate portions of seafood arranged like artwork on the plate.
“Don’t tell me you brought me to a fancy place where the portions are so small we’ll need to stop for pizza on the way home,” I tease.
Ruben’s grin is slow, sensual. “Don’t worry. Tonight, all your appetites will be satisfied.”
Heat floods my cheeks at the double meaning, and I glance down at my plate to hide my smile.
While I rattle on about my work, he listens to every word. The conversation is laced with teasing and stolen touches. His fingers brush against mine as he pours me another glass of wine. His knee presses against mine under the table. It’s electrifying, every second is a delicious torture, and I can’t wait for more. At one point, I glance up to find him staring at me, his gaze so intense it makes my breath catch.
“What?” I ask, my voice soft.
“Just thinking how much I want to kiss you right now,” he says, his voice rough.
The butterflies in my stomach take flight, and I lean in, daring him with a smirk. “What’s stopping you?”
He doesn’t hesitate. His lips capture mine in a kiss that’s as smooth and heady as the wine we’re drinking. It’s not a long kiss, just enough to leave me wanting more.
We barely make it through the door of my home before his hands are on me again.
“You drive me crazy, Lennon,” he murmurs, his lips trailing along the curve of my neck.
“Good,” I breathe, my fingers tangling in his hair.
The world outside fades as his touch becomes my only focus. It’s late, and I have an early shift, but right now, none of that matters.
Because tonight, I’m his. Completely.
? ? ?
They say if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans. Well, He must be rolling on the floor tonight.
Ruben and I barely make it through the door of my townhouse when I hear sniffles from the living room. Sniffles turn into full-on sobbing as we step inside to find Nikki perched on the arm of my couch and Jeanette curled up with a box of tissues, ugly crying like her heart’s been ripped out.
“What’s happening?” I ask, my voice pitching higher than usual.
Nikki gives me a face—wide eyes, tight lips. The you’re not gonna like this face. Oh no.
Jeanette chokes out a hiccup. “I’m… I’m…” Her words dissolve into another sob.
My brain goes to all the worst places. Is she sick? Did something happen to Adrian? Did she lose her job? I want answers, but Jeanette can’t seem to get any words out between the tears.
“Here,” Ruben says, appearing out of nowhere with a glass of water in one hand and a roll of paper towels in the other.
I blink at him. How does he know where that stuff is in my kitchen?
Jeanette takes the water, sniffling as she drinks. I sit beside her and rub slow circles on her back. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. You’re not alone, okay?” I whisper.
I glance up at Ruben, mouthing I’m sorry over Jeanette’s shoulder. This wasn’t what we had planned for tonight. He just gives me a small, reassuring smile, as if to say, It’s okay. I’m here.
Jeanette finally sets the glass down. She takes a shaky breath and blurts, “I’m pregnant!”
The room goes so silent you could hear the clock ticking in the kitchen.
“Oh my God,” Nikki says, her voice almost reverent, like someone just told her Santa is real.
“Pregnant?” I repeat, my brain still catching up.
“Yes!” Jeanette groans, burying her face in her hands. “And I don’t know how to tell Adrian. I don’t want him to feel trapped!”
“Trapped?” Nikki laughs, crossing her arms. “Jeanette, that man adores you. He’s going to be over the moon about this baby!”
Jeanette shakes her head. “You don’t know that. What if he panics? What if he resents me later?”
I open my mouth to respond, but Ruben beats me to it.
“A man in love wouldn’t feel trapped,” he says, his voice steady and confident. “He’d feel lucky. And if Adrian loves you—and I’m sure he does—he’ll want to know the truth. Honesty is the foundation of any strong relationship.”
Jeanette looks up at him, her tear-streaked face softening. “You really think so?”
“I know so,” Ruben says. He’s talking to her, but his dark gaze is on me. “When a man is in love, there is no mountain too high. No risk he’s not willing to take for his woman.”
Just a few words and he’s turned me into a puddle.
Nikki chimes in. “Yeah, girl. Adrian isn’t just some random guy; he’s your guy. And he’s going to love being a dad.”
The three of us spend the next two hours convincing Jeanette that Adrian isn’t going to freak out, sharing stories and laughs until her tears turn into tentative smiles. By the end of it, she promises to tell him in the morning.
When Jeanette finally heads to the guest room to sleep off her emotional rollercoaster, I turn to Ruben. “So, about tonight…”
He shakes his head, his expression warm. “You need to be here for your friends, Chispita . And you also need some sleep. We’ll pick this up after I come back from my trip.”
I groan. Disappointment is heavy in my bones. “I’m sorry. I know this wasn’t exactly what you signed up for.”
He steps closer, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “It was perfect,” he says, his voice low.
I blink up at him. “Perfect?”
“You,” he murmurs, “make everything perfect.”
My heart skips as he leans down, capturing my lips in a kiss that’s soft but full of promise.
When he pulls back, he smiles. “Goodnight, Lennon.”
“Goodnight, Ruben,” I whisper, watching him walk out the door.
And as I lock up and turn off the lights, I realize he’s right. Tonight might not have gone as planned, but it really was perfect.