CHAPTER 13
Miguel
His heart stalled—a complete standstill. Jiggling the door handle, he groaned and closed his eyes. “This can’t be happening.”
“Miguel?”
“Nope. There’s no way,” he answered as his tipsy mind sorted through the improbable moment and searched for solutions.
“Miguel?” she asked again.
Her soft footsteps sounded in his ear as she neared. Still staring in denial at the locked door, the breath left him as she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his back.
“Are we locked in?” she whispered.
“I’ll get it open,” he grumbled and tugged on the handle harder. But her belly laugh shook her body—and his. Her giggles of pure amusement vibrated through the fabric of his shirt, touching his skin.
“Miguel,” she whispered and squeezed tighter, dropping her hands to grip the belt buckle on his pants.
His groin twinged, the new nearness of her fingers an unexpected tease. “Umm,” he choked out and shook his head. Releasing the handle, he turned to face her. “Er, it’s okay.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I’ll just call Mich—”
Miguel’s fingers glided over the empty fabric as his stomach plummeted, flip-flopping in an endless wave of embarrassment and disbelief. “Are you kidding me?” he whispered as the search for his phone yielded no result.
Rachel patted her own pockets and snickered. “Mine’s on the bar.”
He sighed as reality set in. “Mine too,” he admitted, recalling the moment he checked the countdown to Rose’s starting hour.
And now she’ll find me locked in my own storeroom tomorrow morning... with her sister.
Leaning against the door, he smashed his eyes closed. That’ll be one hell of a first impression.
Another burst of Rachel’s laughter filled the small storeroom.
Opening his eyes, his gaze fell on the smile lighting up her face. She doubled over in a fit of tipsy cackles. Each giggle brought the hilarity of the moment into focus.
You’re the only one I know who would find this amusing.
But his laughter matched hers, bringing with it an invisible ease. Rachel’s soul sang, calling to him in their shared moment of stupidity and vulnerability.
“A unique experience,” she huffed out and spun in a small circle. Undoing the ponytail securing her hair, she dragged her fingers through the long strands. Rachel propped her hands on her hips and grinned. “Let me tell you, Miguel Rodriguez... you do not disappoint.”
He snorted and sank to the floor with a roll of his eyes. Our first date ends in a storeroom. So long, hot tub. Stretching his legs out, he crossed his right ankle over his left and groaned.
“But, Miguel,” she whispered and sank to her knees. Crawling nearer, she pressed her lips on his cheek and sat beside him. “I still had a really great time with you today.” She held his hand and snuggled against his shoulder. “Thank you for asking me out.”
He chuckled. “Well, thank you for saying yes,” he whispered. Pressing his lips on the top of her head, Miguel closed his eyes as the full day caught up with him—the car ride, the zoo, seeing Lauren, waiting tables, and now the grand finale of the locked storeroom door.
Did anything go right today?
Rachel rested her cheek against his shoulder. Heat radiated from her body as her eyes closed and she snuggled nearer.
Well, this part isn’t so bad.
Stealing a peek at the contentment on her face, he squeezed her fingers. “You know,” he murmured, “most people would freak out at the prospect of being locked in a room for several hours.”
She shrugged but snickered. “Eh, there are worse things. I’m not claustrophobic. Someone will be here in the morning to let us out.” Hugging her knees to her body, a flush crept along her skin. “And anyway, my company isn’t too bad.” She winked. “I can tough it out.”
A sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead, coupled with the adrenaline surging through his veins. Amusement toyed with his heart—her sentiment, without a doubt returned.
“Not too bad, huh?” he repeated and wrapped his arm around her. Coaxing her closer, she rested her head against his chest.
His heartbeat throbbed, banging wildly against the bone prison of his ribcage.
Rachel nodded. “Mmm-hmm. Trust me, there are not too many people I’d tolerate sitting in a storeroom with for an extended period of time.” She giggled and play-pinched his side. “But you’re definitely one of them.”
His stomach dipped, free-falling as their connection grew. “You say that now, but maybe we’ll circle back to that in about seven hours and see if that’s changed, eh?”
She snorted and stretched her legs. Tipping her left thigh snug against his, she tilted her body toward him.
Her warm breath beat against his neck, each vodka-infused exhale the catalyst for the sparks fueling his heart. Reaching over, he caressed her knee and adjusted his body to angle in her direction.
The glow of the single bulb brought a glimmer to the bottles of alcohol lining the shelves. Each unique color of liquid reflected the dim light. Flickering above their heads, the bulb threatened darkness in the small, silent room.
Miguel bit his bottom lip. I’ve never once changed that bulb. With a single nudge of his thumb, the hem of her dress fell to her hips and exposed her pale, bare thighs. The tiny glimpse of her red lace panties urged his blood to flow at top speed. Dipping a finger beneath the waistband, he snapped it against her skin.
“Oh!”
“And just where have you been all my life, mujer bonita?” he whispered.
She swallowed and eyed his bobbing Adam’s apple. “I could ask you the same, but it’ll never sound as sexy in English.”
Her words—always witty and quick to charm—brought a smile to his lips as the light flickered again. Miguel lifted his gaze to the dangling bulb. “You’re not afraid of the dark, are you?”
“And if I were?” she teased and nuzzled into his neck, pressing butterfly kisses along his flesh.
Closing his eyes at the electrifying sensation searing into his skin, he moaned as her fingers gripped the top button on his shirt. “If you were,” he choked out while the cool air tickled his newly exposed skin. “Then I’d feel obligated to hold—”
The breath left him as she straddled his pelvis and pressed the weight of her body against his arousal. Her sudden change in position was as quick as downing a shot.
Dizzy with the new pressure of pleasure, Miguel grunted and held her hips. “Rach...” He gripped her dress and groaned, tipping his head back against the door as her fingers attacked the remaining buttons on his shirt. The soft black fabric parted at her touch and fell to the side as her palms slid over his smooth stomach, warm and inviting.
A V shape creased her brow as she trailed a hand over the full burn scaring the right side of his abdomen. The soft pads of her fingertips explored, tracing the outline of the injury. “Oh, Miguel,” she whispered. “The fire—”
“It’s nothing.” He shied away as sudden embarrassment coursed through his veins. The mark of failure marred his skin. The fire was my fault. These burns will never let me forget.
Rachel swallowed and cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to...”
“Don’t apologize, Sunshine. Please.” It’s my fault, not yours.
The air stilled in his lungs at the confusion and compassion swimming in her eyes.
“These scars are—” Hideous.
“Shh...” Her index finger touched his lips as a sweet grin returned to her face. She leaned forward and tapped his nose with hers. “They’re who you are. And you’re all I want. Every part of you.”
Her stare held him captive by the spell of her sultry voice—her words, a love potion straight from a siren’s song. He eyed her fingers as they traveled lower and rested on his belt.
“Hermosa,” he whispered and pressed his arousal against her.
Her eyes closed as her long hair fell in her face, kissing her shoulders with every gasp of breath leaving her lips. Rocking against his length, she purred on top of him.
Her rhythmic movement blurred his mind, discarding rational thought like yesterday’s special. Swallowing the desire building in his chest, he gripped her hands and exhaled as all fleeting moments of sanity departed his brain.
Are you ready? Are we ready for this? Today was just our first date...
“Are you sure?” he choked out.
She stilled. “Wait. You don’t want to?”
“I definitely did not say that.” Groaning as the moment of passion stalled, he shook his head. “I just, ah...” He gulped down a breath of air. “I don’t have any protection.” His mind returned to the brief moment he traded his gym shorts and t-shirt for the black jeans and button-up in his office, hours before. “My wallet—”
“I’m on the pill.”
Immediate relief flooded his veins. A smile overtook his lips as he lifted his hands and cupped her cheeks. Pulling her face to his, his mouth melded to hers.
Her moans fueled him. With each purr from her throat, the pressure on his pelvis grew.
“Raquel,” he whispered against her lips.
“I want you,” she answered.
Grinning as her hands tugged at the hem of her sundress, she lifted it over her head. The yellow material fluttered to the floor, revealing her pale skin and matching red lace bra.
“Red,” he murmured as his blood roared through his veins. “And lace,” he added, battling the overwhelming sensation of pleasure tantalizing his skin.
Removing his shirt completely, she snickered and gripped his hands. “Laundry day,” she choked out and brought his hands to her breasts.
Miguel cupped her warm flesh as a roar screamed in his ears. “What do you wear on a non-laundry day?” he teased and dipped a finger beneath the lace.
Rachel tipped her head back and giggled, bringing her hands to rest over his. “I’d be happy to show you,” she whispered before guiding his fingers to the clasp on her bra.
Miguel unhooked the wire and tugged at the lace until it fell into his lap. Heat pummeled him. Devouring the picture of perfection, he brushed her hair behind her shoulders and swallowed. Her physical beauty matched her soul, exactly as expected.
The breath hitched in her throat as he resumed his touch on her bare breasts. Toying with the tender flesh, his fingers teased her pink nipples, inciting the sexiest moan to drip from her lips as he lightly pinched the bundle of nerves.
“More,” she begged and squeezed her thighs tighter around his pelvis. “More, Miguel.”
His vision blurred as his abdominal muscles tightened, pressure building in his groin as he returned his lips to hers. Miguel dipped his tongue into her mouth and shivered. Tingles touched his spine, zipping from one nerve cell to the next as quick as a lightning strike.
“Raquel...”
Her fingers returned to his belt buckle as the light bulb flickered again. Tugging at the metal, she quickly broke through the barrier and moved to the top button. Unzipping his pants, her hand grazed his arousal trapped beneath his boxers, stalling his heart completely.
Oh, Sunshine...
Sliding his hand along the exterior of her panties, his fingers explored until her body twinged.
“Oh, fuck, right there,” she choked out and gripped his hand, guiding his index finger over the source of her pleasure.
Miguel swallowed as pressure built in his lower belly, eyeing the pleasure his fingers instilled in her body.
“Mmm...” she moaned and connected her hazy gaze with his again.
Pushing aside the fabric, he slipped his finger inside her and a growl erupted from the back of her throat as he moved deeper.
“Oh, God,” she panted and squeezed her eyes closed. With a groan, she lifted her body from his and tugged at his pants. Pulling the jeans to his ankles, she exposed his legs to the cool air. “I want to feel you inside me,” she demanded and ran her palm along the bulge beneath the fabric.
His belly tightened as she caressed his arousal. The air left his lungs. Heat descended on his body and blanketed him with desire.
“Quiero que me hagas el amor,” he whispered as her grip moved up and down in pure, rhythmic pleasure.
The light flickered for a final time and the bulb burnt out, leaving their romance to the imagination.
Unfazed, Rachel yanked on his boxers and left his naked body to her exploring touch.
“Make love to me,” she whispered. Her voice pierced the dark and pummeled his heart with the same pleas of his soul.
“I asked you first,” he murmured and removed her panties.
She laughed and pressed her lips to his. “You know I have no idea what you’re saying when you speak Spanish, right?”
“Aprenderás.”
With another giggle, she returned her hand to his hard arousal in the dark. As she escalated her rhythm, her laughter fell away. She dropped her mouth to his tip and tasted the desire and excitement ready to explode from his body.
A preliminary tingle rippled through him, prodding and poking his skin as pleasure mounted—her mouth, the single focus of his attention. Groaning at her skillful spell of seduction, he gasped for breath.
Their relationship flickered in his brain, bringing flashes of their budding romance to the forefront. Her smile materialized, the laughter on her lips the true key to his heart’s desire. In his mind, Rachel’s soul latched onto his, ebbing and flowing like a river running its course—separate, until joined by the flow of the current.
The night they met returned to his mind and with it, his instant attraction to her. Eyeing the man sitting beside her in a memory, Miguel gripped her hair and tugged her away. “Wait. Not like this,” he whispered and searched for her in the dark.
Her breath beat against his ear as he guided her to the floor and coaxed her legs apart. Crawling on top of her, he moaned as his tip met her entry.
“Please, Miguel,” she begged and arched her back.
“You’re mine, Sunshine,” he answered before pushing fully into her.
His mind blurred all over again, stealing every thought but Rachel. He groaned as her body welcomed him, and the roar in his ears intensified.
Rachel’s fingernails pricked his skin, biting and clawing at his back as he thrust into her, deeper and harder with each passing second.
“More,” she demanded and gripped his butt cheeks. “Faster,” she pleaded, meeting each thrust with enthusiasm.
Releasing a sigh of pleasure, he returned his right hand to her breast. “Rach...” He moaned as the moment intensified. Slamming into his heart, the adrenaline fueled him, spurring him on with each thrust.
“Fuck,” she murmured in his ear. “I’m close. Don’t stop.”
Her pleas doubled the beats of his heart, each directive egging him on as he pushed himself deeper. Sweat coated his skin. But as imminent pleasure reached the precipice, Miguel paused and placed his hand over her beating heart. Banging wildly beneath his touch, he sighed.
“Please,” she begged. “Miguel—”
“Do you feel it?” he whispered in her ear.
She groaned. “Why’d you stop?” Forcing her pelvis against his, she urged him on. “I haven’t—”
“Shh,” he murmured.
“Why?” She arched her back in angst.
Forcing his eyes closed, he overpowered the physical call of his body and tugged her palm to his heart. “Do you feel it?” he repeated.
“Your heart?” Rachel gasped for breath as she lifted her pelvis to his again.
He grunted and dropped his grip to her hips, stalling her attempts at physical passion.
“Yes. My heart, Raquel.”
His life flickered before his eyes—every crush, every kiss, every girl in his arms, paling in comparison to the woman beneath him. Swallowing a gulp of air, he brought his lips to hers, infusing the passion, the newfound admiration, and the sentiment of attraction into every move of his mouth.
You’re like no one I’ve ever met.
“I don’t know where you came from or why you appeared just now,” he whispered in her ear. “But...”
Her fingers caressed his cheeks, falling lower to grip his arms. She massaged his biceps and wiggled beneath him. “But?”
“But I finally feel like I’ve found the woman I’m meant to fall in love with...”
She stilled beneath him. Her breath beat against his skin, hammering against his body as the words hovered in the dark storeroom.
“Yo también,” she answered.
Her elementary Spanish tipped him over the edge, and Miguel spilled himself inside her with a final trust. Grinning at the strengthening connection between them, he pulled out and sat back on his knees.
“That was—”
“For me,” he answered and adjusted her legs. “This is for you,” he added and leaned forward to bring his tongue to the source of her pleasure.
A gasp echoed around the storeroom as Rachel welcomed the passion on his lips as he kissed, sucked, and teased. And when her breathing intensified and her body shivered beneath his touch, he grinned and sighed in the darkness.
Our first date may have gone all wrong, but our evening sure ended with something better than right.