Chapter 11
ISABELLA
I ’ve thought about all of that too.
There isn’t a soul in the world who knows what my thoughts have consisted of in regards to Sebastian Garcia.
Ever since my sister, Gianna, found love, my entire family has been pushing for all of us to find our person.
I’m one of the most introverted in the family, and have never felt confident to take what — or who — I wanted.
Arianna had no problem letting Stone know she wanted him.
Luca fell so hard for Hannah that he was ready to walk away from hockey in the middle of the season for her.
Dom and Alex were slightly more stubborn about their love stories, but now they’re so obsessed with their wives that I can barely remember a time when Kate and Natalie weren’t part of our family.
But all of the married women are mostly bubbly, extroverted, and ready for anything.
Honestly, I could probably tell my sister-in-law Natalie about everything going on with Rick and whatever drugs he thinks I stole, and I bet she’d know someone who could make all the problems disappear.
A couple of years ago, she’d have probably taken care of things herself, but as a new mom, I’m not going to bother her with my problems.
In any case, I’ve never told any of the ladies in my family that I’ve harbored a secret crush on Sebastian for a couple of years.
The first few times he’d asked me out, I’d chalked it up to some weird friend-of-a-sibling challenge.
He’s close with three of my brothers, so I figured they’d made a weird bet.
Ridiculous? Yes. Why I thought so poorly of my brothers at that time in my life, I’ll never know.
We might poke fun at one another, but we’d never be intentionally vicious.
And getting a hot guy to ask me out, only for it to be a joke, would be unspeakably cruel.
But it garnered some interest in Sebastian.
I began to look for him while out. If he came to a family function, I’d keep him in my peripheral vision.
I looked for any detail that might explain his apparent interest in me.
He’d left me alone for well over a year — which I now know is when he first had Camila — but then started asking me out again.
I just couldn’t comprehend his interest. Why me?
A beautiful man who rides a Harley, and has a successful business, is gold. He could have anyone.
But as I stare at him, with sunlight glinting across his forehead as the rays cast through the trees, I’m wondering why I fought so hard to keep him at bay.
“Daddy! Hurry up!” I hear Camila call. Looking toward the house, I see her waving excitedly at us. Sebastian’s father stands behind her, and appears to be slowly rubbing his temples.
“Uh-oh,” I say with a nervous giggle. “Did she wear him out?”
“My beautiful daughter asks a lot of questions, and apparently Abuelito has a numerical limit before he taps out,” Sebastian says wryly, casting a quick glance with a wink my way. Taking my hand in his, he pulls me toward his home.
I really like how my hand feels surrounded by his. Warm and strong. Steady.
“Daddy, Isabella promised I could help make dinner!” Camila says proudly, her energy palpable as she bounces in her bright floral shoes that apparently are scented.
I thought she was joking until she shoved one shoe in my face, and I smelled a vague scent of blooming florals.
She’s wearing jean shorts covered in sequins, and a rainbow colored shirt that matches two bows in her hair.
The braids tell me Sebastian absolutely didn’t do Camila’s hair this morning, because his hairstyles tend to stop at pigtails.
Sebastian’s father nods at the two of us before quietly stepping away, heading back inside Sebastian’s house.
“She did, did she?” Sebastian asks, cocking an eyebrow at me.
A perfectly shaped eyebrow with a symmetrical arch of black hairs.
How have I never noticed how perfect his facial structure is?
Sure, I’ve always known he’s attractive.
But now I’m suddenly acutely aware of just how damn beautiful he is. “Isabella? Are you okay?”
“You’re pretty,” I blurt out, then slap a hand over my mouth in complete shock. My eyes widen as Camila giggles uproariously, and Sebastian grins at me.
“Thank you, sweetheart. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one here catching feelings,” he says. Before I can reply, he stoops down to pick up Camila. “What are we making for dinner?”
“Are you gonna help too?” Camila squeals. “Isabella said spaghetti and meatballs is an easy recipe she can teach me.”
“Ah. A nice Italian dish,” Sebastian says as he shifts Camila onto his hip, again grabbing my hand.
“It’s actually not Italian,” I pipe up, then explain more when I see Sebastian’s confused expression. “It’s more of an Italian-American dish. For the most part, meatballs aren’t served in sauce in Italy.”
“Really? Why?” he asks.
“From what I understand, it became popular when Italians emigrated to the United States. There was a bigger selection of meat here than in Italy, and the dish we know as spaghetti and meatballs was born. Any meatballs in Italy are served in a different course.”
“Huh,” Sebastian says as he motions for me to go in the door. “ Learn something new every day. Camila, go wash your hands if you’re helping to make dinner.”
As Camila dashes off to the bathroom, Sebastian grabs my waist and pulls me back against him. “I’d like to ask you something, but I don’t want an answer right now.”
“Okay?” I reply quietly.
He rests his chin on my shoulder, his lips close to my ear. “I want — no, I need you to stay with me tonight. Please. I’m not asking for anything else. I just want to hold you.”
This man.
This sweet, sensitive, and beautiful man. I wonder how many people know this side of him, and I find I’m hoping it’s reserved just for family. And me.
“Don’t answer. Just think about it,” he says, applying the lightest of kisses against the skin where my shoulder meets my neck, and I audibly moan at the touch.
Goosebumps bloom as he steps away from me, and I don’t have a moment to revel in his touch, because Camila bounds out of the bathroom, ready to tackle dinner.
I should have picked something without meat.
And definitely something without a red sauce.
“How did she get meatball on the ceiling?” Sebastian murmurs, as we survey the completely destroyed kitchen. A dusting of flour coats half of the counters, and a line of red sauce dances down one upper cabinet. “And the sauce?”
“She lost her footing on the step stool, and didn’t let go of the spoon. I thought I got it all,” I tell him sheepishly.
“And the flour?”
I sigh. “I don’t even know. I turned away for one minute, and the flour had appeared. ”
“I wasn’t aware we owned flour,” he admits with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck and making me pause as I stare at the veins on his forearm. Arm porn really is a thing.
“You didn’t. I bought it, and I guess I forgot to put it away. I’m sorry,” I whisper sadly. I’m mortified that this mess is due to my attempt at bonding with his daughter, and in turn, I was basically a negligent adult. I’m lucky Camila didn’t find any knives to terrorize us with.
“Nothing to be sorry for, amor . Kids are messy, and they’re quick little jerks when they want to be. I have no doubt Camila had a great time, and she’ll probably ask you to cook again.”
Oh, good God. A new one. How many names now? Why are all the names he calls me hot? I know amor means love. But with the others, he slaps a “mi” on there. My queen. My sky. So why only amor ? And why the hell am I so damn focused on this?
“How about you handle the counters, and I’ll tackle the cabinets and walls,” Sebastian says with a laugh as he places his hand on my lower back, guiding me into the kitchen. The heat from his palm sears through my shirt, and I feel like he’s branding me.
I’m silent as we get to work cleaning up the mess.
Dinner was lovely, and it was nice watching Camila scarf down every last bite.
Sebastian’s parents and grandmother stayed, and they were polite, but slightly awkward, with me.
I think they’re equally as confused as I am about the dynamics with Sebastian.
As I start on the dishes, I think back to every smile he gave me throughout dinner. I’d been at a loss in the moment on how to describe the smiles, and now I know. It’s adoration. He smiles at me like he’s completely enamored with me.
I’ve never felt adoration before. Never felt like a man would burn down the world for me. And while I do believe Sebastian would set fire to things if I needed him to, I can’t help but wonder when the other shoe will drop.
“I think I got all remnants of dinner off the surfaces they shouldn’t be on,” Sebastian announces as he jumps down from a chair. “I’m going to go give Camila a bath. I think she got more sauce on her skin than in her mouth at dinner, but I know she enjoyed the hell out of it.”
“Oh, okay,” I murmur as he passes by me. “When I’m done, may I use your bathtub? I’d really like to relax in a bath myself.”
Sebastian stills, tilting his head back so his face looks up at the ceiling. His voice is much deeper when he replies, “Of course.”
“I don’t have to if you don’t want me in your space,” I say hurriedly, second-guessing if I’ve overstepped his hospitality. “I don’t want to step on your toes. You have been so gracious, and I’m fine just taking a shower in the guest bathroom.”
He whirls around, his eyes intense as he stalks to me. I subconsciously back up until I run into the counter, and he cages me in. “What gave you the idea that I don’t want you to take a bath?”
“You looked aggravated, or frustrated, I guess,” I stammer.
He chuckles. “Oh, I’m definitely frustrated, but not for the reasons your mind has conjured.”