Chapter Five
Kami
H e’s so close. How tempting he is with his warm touch, hard body against mine, hypnotic eyes, and convincing voice.
Stop it. This isn’t real. He’s trying to get inside your head.
I admit, the gifts he sent surprised me. I never thought a man could actually remember the details of a conversation, much less my name. I don’t know whether to feel flattered—or scared.
Maybe losing myself in him just a bit longer is what I need.
I feel exposed like I did standing naked in front of him, yet I don’t seem to care. What is wrong with me? Are my girl parts so disconnected from my brain, they’ve decided to grow a mind of their own?
Ian keeps his gaze locked on me, melting me with those hungry, hazel eyes, yet he hardly touches me at all. Why isn’t he touching me?
I wish he would.
No. I need to keep my head screwed on straight and tamp down this need to climb him like a jungle gym.
“That sounds”—I struggle to get my words out—“like a you problem.” The way I say the words doesn’t have the effect I was hoping for.
Damn him and his hypnotic powers.
“Did you like the gifts I sent you?” he asks again softly.
I enjoyed waking up every morning to the scent of those beautiful flowers. I’ve been wearing this beautiful bracelet often. And wearing the perfume has become part of my daily routine.
Somehow in my haze, I manage to find some semblance of my brain. “This isn’t about the gifts.”
“I think they’re part of the conversation,” he retorts.
“What do you mean?”
He gently wraps a hand around my right wrist, lifting it up to eye-level. The bracelet he gave me is in full view. Shit. I forgot I was still wearing it.
“Because you’re wearing one of them.” He takes a deep breath as though smelling something. “And I can smell the other on you.”
“How do you know it’s not just me?” My mind flashes back to when I quickly sprayed myself down in that heavenly perfume before leaving for the party.
“I just know.”
I try to pull away, but his firm hold doesn’t budge.
“I picked that scent because it made me think of you.”
I need to get some distance from him. Fighting against him has become like fighting an invisible enemy. Impossible and unrealistic. “Why are you doing this?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Suddenly, a loud ring goes off from inside my corset.
My phone.
Pulling the device from the middle of my tight bodice, I look at the caller ID.
“What the hell?” I mutter before answering the call. “Sofia?”
Somebody better be dying.
Of all the times for her to call, she chooses now? When I find myself intoxicated by this man and struggling to think straight?
My sister usually calls if there’s either an emergency or an update on the latest family drama. Usually the latter.
“Kami Kam! I’m so glad you picked up,” she yells into the phone. I hear loud music in the background at the other end. Where the hell is she?
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Everything is perfect, which is why I’m calling. I have something amazeballs to tell you.”
Should I brace myself? “And what’s that?”
“I eloped,” she squeals.
Wait, did I hear that right? I can’t hide my shock and horror. “You what?”
Ian takes a step forward immediately on the alert.
“Everything okay?” he mouths.
I wave him off, then turn my back to him.
“Alex and I eloped last night.”
I’m imagining the worst possible reason why my nineteen-year-old sister eloped with a guy I’ve never heard of.
My sister and my mother still believe in fairy tales. To them, happily-ever-afters can still happen. That someday their princes will come, and everything will be okay.
I warned my sister her hope for a fairy-tale ending would only end in heartbreak—just like it had for our mom—but clearly my advice has gone in one ear and out the other.
“Sofia, I need you to listen to me very carefully. How far along are you?”
“Geez, Kami. Don’t go there. I’m not pregnant.”
“Then who the fuck is Alex? When did this happen?”
She groans in annoyance. “Calm down, he’s not some guy I just ran into. I’m not that stupid. Alex and I have been together for almost a year. We’ve been living together since July.”
Has she lost her damn mind? “Sis, as cute as your little backstory is,”—which it isn’t—“can you get to the part where you thought eloping with a guy you’ve known for less than a year was a good idea?”
“Fine, Miss Impatient.”
I can imagine she’s rolling her eyes.
“Alex travels a lot for work. He was going to be in Vegas next week and asked if I’d go with him for a little weekend getaway. We got there, one thing led to another, and we decided to tie the knot. It was so spontaneous and incredibly romantic. When you know, you know, right?”
Spontaneous and romantic? More like irresponsible and incredibly idiotic.
Is she serious right now? What the hell is she thinking?
“How do you know this Alex? How old is he?”
“We met at a New Year’s Eve party through mutual friends. He’s twenty-three.”
“Sofia, when Bruno Mars says he’s looking for something dumb to do, he doesn’t actually mean it,” I scold her. “Does Mom know?”
“It’s not stupid. I love him. And I called her before calling you.”
I open my mouth to say more when I hear my phone ding again. “Hold on a second.”
Viewing the screen of my phone, I look at the caller ID. Speak of the devil.
I put my phone back against my ear. “Mom’s calling. We’ll talk about this later. Don’t do any more stupid crap until I call you back.”
“Don’t bother. Alex and I will be dancing the night away, so I won’t be able to hear my phone. T.T.Y.L!” she says before the call ends.
I let out a frustrated groan. Does she not understand the consequences of her actions? What does Mom think of all this? Is she happy, or is she freaking out? I hope for the latter.
I accept her call. “Hey, Mom.”
“Kamila, mija . I’ve called to tell you amazing news.” I hear the excitement in her voice.
“No need. Sofia beat you to it.” What the hell is wrong with my family?
“Isn’t it amazing? My baby is a newlywed. Next stop, grandbabies.”
I fight back the urge to gag. Her reaction is unsurprising yet incredibly disappointing.
She should be worried that her younger daughter could potentially be making the same mistakes she did, yet all she cares about are grandbabies?
My blood boils at the fact that she still hasn’t learned, much less has seen the damage she’s left in her wake.
“She’s still a teenager. Aren’t you the least bit concerned?”
“Your sister is an adult now. You should give her the benefit of the doubt.”
She may be over eighteen, but that doesn’t mean she’s an adult in every sense of the word.
Mom continues, “Come home for Thanksgiving and meet Alex. Sofia says he’s the sweetest. And while you’re at it, bring that boyfriend of yours you’ve been with for ages. It’s time I meet my future sons-in-law.”
Oh, shit.
Last summer, my mom had called for her semiannual interrogation where she asks me if I’m dating, engaged, or about to be engaged. And if any of the above applied, her next question was the name of this “lucky guy.”
Usually I tell her I’m single. Then the conversation would turn into a lecture from her about how I’m not getting any younger and that my eggs were dying. But this last time she called, something in me snapped. Before I knew what I was doing, I’d lied to her about being in a relationship. I kept the details short and said we’d just started going out. I just wanted her off my back. That conversation was six months ago.
Maybe I can still talk my way out of this. If I can avoid coming home for the holidays, like I have for years, then I’d be in the clear. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’ve been taking things slow.”
“All the more reason to bring him with you. See if he can keep up with our family. Mija, I know you’ve been with him for less than a year, but it’s time to start thinking about getting married.”
Unconsciously, in that moment, I turn to face Ian. His face is lit up with a knowing smirk. He heard all of that? Oh, god, this is giving him too much ammo.
I speak to her in Spanish. “Mom, I don’t know if he can make it. He’s got family, too.”
Mom continues in English. “It’s time you settled down with someone. If he isn’t it, dump him and bring someone more serious.” She clearly isn’t listening to me at this point.
“But—” I hear the phone cut off. Ugh, what is wrong with this family? Why am I the only adult out of the three of us?
“So, who’s the lucky boyfriend?” Ian asks.
“It’s none of your business.” I avoid his question.
“You’re right, it isn’t.” He changes the subject. “What’s the issue with your sister? Don’t you think you were being a bit harsh?”
I groan. “My sister isn’t mature enough to make her own decisions. This is a girl who just turned nineteen and has eloped with a twenty-three-year-old guy who she’s been with for less than a year, all the while having little to no regard for the consequences of her actions.”
The smirk is wiped clean from Ian’s face. “Oh, shit.”
“Thank you.” Good, now we’re on the same page.
“Not to change the subject, but who do you plan to bring to Thanksgiving?”
I roll my eyes, crossing my arms. “That’s none of your concern.”
“I’m only asking, because I want to help you.”
Is he for real? “With what?”
“Let me pretend to be your man.”
Bringing him would be the easiest and quickest solution to my problem, but the last thing I need is for him to be distracting me. I can’t deal with my own shit while trying to sort out whatever is going on between Ian and me. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“I could solve all your problems. Trust me, I’ll make them believe we are head over heels in love. Let me keep your mother distracted, and you can go talk to your sister.”
I hesitate. What he offers is exactly what I need. Even if I could search for someone less…distracting, I wouldn’t have much time to find and prep him for what’s to come in my family’s household. Dammit, I hate to admit it, but he might be my best shot.
I sigh. “What do you want in exchange?”
“Simple.” He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me back to him. “You.”
I pause. “I don’t follow.”
“Let me take you out.”
I scoff. No way in hell would I agree to that. “That’s a hard no.”
“Why? Because you don’t date?” His comment tells me he sees my no as more of a challenge than a letdown.
The doorbell rings that moment. More party guests are arriving.
“Right now”—I push away from him, exiting the kitchen and turn back to him—“I party.”