Forever Baby (12 page)

“Fair enough. Well, you have me, babe.”

“I know. Thanks for loving me, Nolan.”

“Always,” Nolan says gently.

My gratefulness for that fills my heart as I drift into sleep.

When I enter my house the next morning, a sleepy-eyed Nadia is sitting in the recliner, sipping a steaming cup of coffee. Her eyes perk up when she sees me.

“What happened last night?” she asks with curiosity.

I don’t know what to say to her exactly. I feel silly about the way I responded after dating Andres for only a week—if that was what we were even doing. “I wasn’t feeling well.”

“Yeah, I don’t buy that. What really happened?”

I let out a small chuckle. “What makes you think I’m not telling you the truth?”

“I don’t know. I can tell. I’m good like that. Spill it.”

I plop down on the couch and let out a long sigh. “I kind of freaked out when I saw Andres dancing with another girl, and I asked Nolan to get me out of there.”

“Andres was dancing with another girl?”

“Yeah, quite intently. I left to use the restroom, and when I got back, they were dancing and all over each other. I know Andres told me he wasn’t good at relationships, but I really liked him, and it hurt.”

“Hmm…that’s weird. He didn’t mention another girl, but he seemed really upset that you had left.”

“Whatever. It is best that we don’t get involved anyway,” I say, trying to convince myself.

“You should talk to him. Maybe it wasn’t what you think. I’m not saying Andres hasn’t been a slut in the past, but coming with you and doing that while you were there doesn’t seem like him. He’s not an asshole.”

“Maybe. It wasn’t going anywhere anyway. I’m fine.”

Nadia looks at me skeptically. “Okay. Well, I’m sure you will figure it out. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

“I will.”

Nadia grins. “Okay, well, my parents are back in town. My dad just finished a business trip, and my mom travels with him. They invited us to the country club today. It’s not the most exciting place, but it does have great food and an awesome pool. Do you want to come?”

“Sure, that sounds fun.” I could use some time to veg out in the sun.

At that moment, Carlos comes bounding down the stairs. “Hey, Livi. What happened to you last night?”

“I told you she didn’t feel well,” Nadia snaps.

“Yeah, okay. Whatever. You better have left me some coffee.” He makes his way to the kitchen.

“He is such a caring soul,” Nadia says sarcastically.

My lips curve up into a smile.

The country club appears similar to how I envisioned it. It has intricate stonework atop a stucco exterior. It is very Mediterranean. The exterior is flanked with deep green foliage and palm trees. The main lobby is tiled with a cathedral ceiling. Windows line the end of the atrium, allowing light to filter in.

“Come on. This way.” Nadia motions, and we walk through an upscale changing area. “We can leave our stuff in here.”

I take off my sundress and hang it in a locker. I use the term
locker
loosely since these are more like closets with dark wooden doors. “We are only going to the pool, right?”

“Yeah,” Nadia replies. “You can leave everything in here.”

I leave everything but my sunglasses and iPod, and we exit to the pool area.

“There they are,” Nadia says as she leads the way toward some lounge chairs.

We come up to a couple sitting side by side under a large sun umbrella.

“Mom! Dad!” Nadia waves.

Her parents stand and greet her with exuberant hugs and kisses on the cheek.

Her Dad steps toward me and extends his hand. “You must be the wonderful Olivia that I have heard so much about.”

I place my hand in his, and he kisses the top of it.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Rubio.” My cheeks flush as the embarrassment of meeting Nadia’s parents in my tiny red string bikini sets in.

“Oh, please call me Alfonso.”

“Alfonso.” I smile politely.

“Olivia, this is my mom, Yolanda.” Nadia introduces her mom, who looks like she could be Nadia’s slightly older sister.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Rubio.”

“Oh, sweetie, Yolanda, please. Call me Yolanda.”

I nod.

“So, dear, how are you enjoying Seville so far?”

“It is wonderful. I love it here, and Nadia has been great. I am so lucky to be able to stay with her and Carlos.”

“She sure was excited for you to come. She’s always wanted a sister. How is Carlos treating you? Is he behaving himself?”

“Oh, yes, he is fine. He’s great.”

“And the rest of my boys?”

For a moment, I stare at her in confusion before realizing what she is asking. “Oh, yes, they have all been wonderful. Very sweet.”

“Okay, well, please tell me if any of them gets out of line. They know better,” she says with a stern smile.

Mr. Rubio cuts in, “Well, Olivia, it was lovely to meet you. I am off to play some golf, but I hope to see you again. Good luck with your classes.” He then kisses Nadia and Yolanda each on the cheek before heading in the direction of the greens.

The three of us get comfortable on some lounge chairs by the pool. The heat of the sun feels wonderful against my skin. Nadia and her mom chat idly, catching each other up on all the latest gossip. I listen for a while before I put in my earbuds and lay my chair back. I close my eyes beneath my sunglasses and let my body relax while the warm rays comfort my body and the music clears my brain.

I awake with a start, and the momentary fog of my slumber lifts when I feel a familiar pull in my gut. My chest involuntarily begins to throb with anticipation. I cautiously open my eyes, and I am shocked to find Andres standing next to my lounge chair, shadowing the sun from my view.

“Olivia,” he says my name in a clipped greeting.

“Andres,” I force out, my voice shaky.

I have to concentrate on breathing steadily. The sight of Andres before me in nothing but a pair of board shorts is almost paralyzing. His chest is hard and beautifully defined. Under my glasses, my eyes roam from his chest to his abs to the delicious inverted triangle that ends beneath his shorts.

I look to my side, and I see the two chairs beside me are empty.

“They went inside with the guys to grab some food,” he says shortly.

“Oh.”

“Come talk to me, Liv.”

Andres extends his hand, and I look at it, confused. Everything in me wants to grab it, but my mind tells me not to. I can’t transform to putty the second he shows up, looking all hot and half-naked.

“Please,” he pleads, his voice softer now.

I reluctantly grab his hand, and he pulls me up. He leads me around the pool to the side of the building where soft manicured grass is under my feet.

When the pool is out of view, he stops and faces me. Grabbing each one of my arms, he gently squeezes and stares into my eyes with intensity. “What happened last night? Why did you leave? Why haven’t you answered any of my texts?”

“Just let it go, Andres.”
You broke my heart, asshole, and I didn’t turn on my phone because I didn’t want to deal with it
.

“Liv, seriously, please talk to me.”

I take a deep breath, my shoulders sagging in defeat. “Listen, you told me you didn’t do commitment. I get it, but I don’t work that way. I think it is best if we go back to ignoring each other.”

Andres looks at me as if I slapped him. “Why are you saying this?”

His innocent little act is channeling all of the desire and hurt I feel toward him and changing it into anger.
How dare he come here and confront me as if I did something wrong.

“When I came out of the restroom, I saw you dancing very closely with some girl last night. I know we aren’t serious. Regardless, it made me feel like shit. I can’t do this with you anymore.” I raise my arms, extending them out, so I can push his hands off of me.

I attempt to head back in the direction where we came, and he grabs me once more, pivoting my body until I am facing him again.

“Are you talking about Stella?” he asks with confusion in his eyes. “She is just a friend.”

“I don’t know what her fucking name is, and I don’t care. Whoever you were dancing with, it was more than friendly.”

“It was dancing, Liv! Nothing happened! I was there with you.”

“Well, it sure didn’t look like it! Her hands were all over you, and yours looked pretty comfortable on her ass.”

“She is just a friend from school. I promise, it was nothing.”

“Well, it looked like something.” I take a deep breath. “Listen, I think it is best if we go back to the way we were. You said you would mess this up, and you did. Lesson learned.”

“Liv, don’t do this.”

“Do what? I’m not doing anything,” I say in annoyance.

“Don’t end this over something so meaningless.”

“End it? We didn’t have anything to end! Just let it go!” I say in a harsh whisper.

Andres holds my arms tighter and lowers his face to mine, stopping inches from me. Tingles resonate over my body, and my heart beats wildly in my chest.
Damn my body and its reactions to this man.

His voice is husky as he whispers, “Don’t deceive yourself. You know we have something.”

“I don’t believe that.” My voice betrays me as it comes out in a breathy murmur.

Andres pushes me back a few feet so that my back is against the stone wall of the building. He grasps my face, and his impossibly blue eyes shine down on me. I have nowhere to go when he leans in closer. His lips are so close that I can feel his breath on me.

“Yes. You. Do.”

His lips collide with mine, and my hands rise to grasp his hair as our tongues unite in a frantic soul-searching kiss. My need intensifies as my inhibitions diminish. Longing radiates off of Andres in waves that are almost tangible. I can feel his desire for me. My tongue licks his greedily, and the need I feel in my core throbs painfully with want.

Here I am, raising the white flag in surrender before I even went in to battle. I concede. I never had a fighting chance. A small voice echoes a warning in my mind, but I barely hear it. The sound of my heart and the fluttering in my belly reverberate through me as my body melds into his. The way his tongue dances with mine, the feeling of his breath on my face, and the quiet groans he makes into my mouth skew my equilibrium, forcing me to hold him tighter.

Andres pulls his lips away and leans his forehead on mine. We gasp for air, our chests rising and falling in unison.

“We have something,” he says in a shaky, deep voice.

Yes, we do.
I don’t know what it is or where it will take me, but regardless of the outcome, I am a willing participant on this ride. I just hope I walk away from the inevitable crash at the end.

Andres peppers my face with soft little kisses as our breathing slows. I place my outstretched hand on his chest and feel the pace of his heartbeat quicken, matching the cadence of my own.

“Andres, I can’t handle the girls. If you want to keep going with whatever we are doing here, it has to be just me.”

“Okay,” he answers automatically.

“I’m serious. I know you aren’t used to being with one person, but I can’t do it any other way.” I take his hand in mine and trace an indistinct pattern on its surface. “This hand, your hands”—I kiss the top of it—“will only be touching me.” I hold his stare intently. “If your hands are going to be touching anyone’s ass, it will be mine.”

One side of his lips contorts up into an adorable smirk.

“I don’t care if it is a friend. I don’t share. That’s nonnegotiable,” I say in my best authoritative voice. I’m proud of my firm stance.

“Okay,” he answers again.

“All right.” I let out a sigh. “We should head back to the pool. I don’t want Nadia and her mom to come back and wonder where I am.”

A smile tickles his lips as he runs his index finger under the thin piece of fabric holding my suit together at my hip. “I don’t know if I can keep my hands off of you when you are dressed like this.”

My stomach clenches with excitement. He bends his head down to kiss my cleavage peeking out from beneath the triangles covering my chest. I close my eyes as the sensation of his smooth lips heats my flesh.