44. MATEO
forty-four
The game is wrapped up, and I take a quick shower before changing into a maroon Monarchs button-down and black dress pants.
I barely toweled my hair long enough to dry. I’m too eager to see Isabella.
The event is officially over, but there is an after party in one of the stadium’s function spaces for the biggest donors and high-profile attendees, along with the team and their families.
I saw my mother and Anna as soon as the game was over, since they were allowed in the dugout to greet me. My mother could barely keep it together long enough to tell me how proud she is of me. And I made sure she knew that the feeling was mutual.
She then stated that she was taking Anna to her apartment because the game ran later than expected and she didn’t want Isa and me to miss out on the party.
With my mother and daughter safely tucked away, I’m a man on a mission.
I make it to the massive party room, one with a curved glass wall overlooking the stadium, and scan the crowd.
I spot her immediately—on the dance floor with her friends.
She’s taken off her specially made Monarchs jersey, and I fully take in the silver dress and black thigh-high heels she’s wearing.
She was definitely not wearing that under her jersey earlier.
I’m about to make my way to her when a hand lands on my chest.
“If the look on your face matches your intentions, then you should consider grabbing a drink before you maul her on the dance floor right in front of the cameras, my friend.” Nick Stonehaven hands me an amber drink with a gray stone in it. “It’s the good stuff from my office.” He winks as he takes a sip of his own drink.
I join him, and damn, this shit is smooth. “You make it a habit to walk around with two drinks at all times?” I raise a questioning brow.
He shakes his head. “No. Just figured you were the safer target to receive a drink from me than the person I initially intended it for.”
It’s fast, but I see the moment his eyes flicker to the group of women dancing with Isabella. By a simple process of elimination, I figured out who he has his eye on. I pat him on the shoulder as I let out a low whistle. “Good luck with her. She’s a tough cookie.”
He looks at me, slightly perplexed, as I say, “Let’s just say I might not be the only one with my intentions written all over my face.” I tip my glass in his direction.
He sighs and clinks his glass against my own. “Fucking hell.” He downs the rest of his drink and turns to leave without another comment.
I, on the other hand, laser in on Isabella again, only to see her sight already settled on me and a smirk on her face.
She’s dancing sensually, running her hands down her sides until they land on her hips. She then starts to slowly spin as she grinds her ass in the air. The desire to dance behind her is causing me to white knuckle my glass so tightly that I have to put it on a passing waiter’s tray in fear that I might break it.
She’s teasing me. Testing my resolve.
Knowing that I will respect her wishes for us to remain under the radar until she explicitly tells me otherwise.
But the way she’s dancing to this damn Sean Paul song from years ago is making me question it all. She’s a siren, pulling me in. And after she slowly raises her arms and traces one hand down the other, I’m done for.
Let’s see how bold her dancing gets while I’m standing only a few feet away from her.
Evan and Tony are close by, so I hope I’m not raising any alarms by joining this dancing crew.
Isabella’s smirk morphs into a full-on smile by the time she’s within arm’s reach. And to my surprise, she gets even closer.
“Careful, tesoro,” I warn lowly.
“Of what? Because I’m pretty sure I heard you say three little words loud and clear down there.” She inches even closer.
“And if I’m not mistaken, you may have even said them first…” My face does nothing to hide my hopeful expression.
She simply bites down on her lip and nods, stepping right up to me along with the beat of the music.
My body vibrates with the need to get my hands on her. Feel the sway of her hips, the heat between her legs. All of it.
“Isa, a lot of people are watching,” I warn gently.
“I know.”
“And people will talk.” I parrot her concerns from earlier.
“I know.” She slips her hands around my neck, and I instinctively wrap her in my arms.
“And I’m going to kiss you anyway.”
She pulls me down slightly, and my body melts the rest of the way to meet her. Our lips meet in a delicious dance, familiarity leading us to this point as she opens up for me without me asking, and I pull her impossibly closer.
I’m faintly aware of flashing lights and hollering around us, but honestly, a freight train could pass through this room, and I wouldn’t be able to tear myself away from this woman.
The woman who is kissing me publicly, announcing to the world that she is mine.
The woman who has set my world upside down in the best way humanly possible.
The woman who loves me.
She pulls back slightly as I continue to rain kisses all over her cheeks and lips.
“I love you, Isabella. Eres mi luna y mi sol. Mi principio y mi final. I once thought I was a wealthy man. Little did I know that one of life’s biggest treasures—you—was yet to come.”
Her grin widens even farther as she pulls me in again and kisses me without the ability to wipe the smile off her face. “I love you, Mateo. Thank you for making me believe in love again. Believe in me , again.” Her smile turns playful. “And for not firing me, because the benefits at my job are quite excellent.” She erupts into giggles as I attack her neck with kisses.
My tone turns darker as I say, “I’m going to need you to work overtime tonight baby, just a heads-up.”
She nods, feigning seriousness. “Yes, boss. I aim to please.”
And that’s enough for my sense of self-control in public. I grab her hand and turn us toward the exit, but she pulls on my arm. “Wait. I need a second.” She laughs as her meek attempts to pull me back only leave her boots sliding on the smooth dance floor. I look down at her, clear desperation on my face as she rolls her eyes. I’ll make her pay for that one later. “I’m serious. Wait a sec. I want to say hi to Daisy’s fiancé. He must have just shown up.”
I sigh deeply as I release my iron grip on her hand and slowly walk toward where Daisy is leaning by a high table with her head tilted down as her fiancé drones on about something. “… just saying that the wedding is coming up soon, and I don’t think this piece of cake is going to help you fit into the dress my mother’s picked out for you.”
Isabella clearly catches the end of his statement, as I did, and I squeeze her hand to let her know I heard it, too.
Once Daisy realizes she has company, her head pops up, and she puts that bright smile back into place. I used to think she was a naturally chipper person. Now I see it’s just a mask.
“Isa! Hey, uh, this is my fiancé, Da—”
“Senator Damien Fischer, nice to meet you, Mateo. Big fan of what you do here.” He reaches out his hand for me to shake, as if he didn’t just disregard the woman whose hand I’m clearly holding.
“I believe you were being introduced to my girlfriend, Isabella, here, first.” I nod at his awkward outstretched hand.
His face does a terrible job of hiding his annoyance, but he tries his best regardless. “Oh, well, of course. It’s just, you know, my Daisy here knows everyone in the stadium. I’d be here all night if she tried to introduce me to everyone she knows.” He chuckles as he moves his hand toward Isabella’s to shake, but she crosses her arms in front of her chest, and I bite back a smile.
“Sorry, can’t relate,” I say dryly, as if he’s not in my stadium.
He clearly gets that this is no longer a warm welcome and pulls back his hands until they’re both in his pockets. “Well, then, I’ve got to head out since I have to be at the capitol tomorrow.” He squeezes Daisy’s shoulder as he speaks. “See you next week, love.” He kisses her on the cheek as he grabs the untouched dessert that sat on the table in front of her and makes his quick exit.
Daisy seems like she’s on the verge of tears, even though you wouldn’t be able to tell by her perfect posture and blinding smile.
“Daisy…” Isa starts, and Daisy quickly flicks her gaze toward me and back down to the empty table.
As much as I’m dying to get home and have my way with the woman I’ve publicly declared my love for, I know deep in my soul that Isabella is needed here by Daisy’s side.
I spot a few of the guys from my team and plant a quick kiss on Isa’s head. “Gonna go grab a drink with the guys. Come find me when you’re ready, no rush,” I whisper into her ear, then place another chaste kiss on her temple.
Appreciation floods Isabella’s face, and I’m glad I made the right call. I turn to walk toward the guys, when movement catches my eye.
You would think it was a waiter discreetly placing a plate in front of a guest as he doesn’t break stride passing by Daisy and Isabella’s table.
But it’s not.
It’s Coach.
Putting two pieces of cake in front of Daisy without a single word spoken as he continues to walk out of the room and into the night.