“You’re just passionate.” He grinned. “Look, we don’t need rules. I’ll pretend to be your boyfriend until I leave town after Christmas, and then we’ll just go our separate ways.” He leaned in closer and cupped her face as if he was going in for another kiss. “Just promise me one thing—don’t tell him I dumped you because you can’t cook. I refuse to feed into more of his ridiculous ideas about women. Deal?”
Swoon. His words were even better than a kiss. He was so dreamy. And progressive. Nothing like the guys she knew around here. “Deal.”
He released her from his embrace and reached out his hand to shake hers, as if this was some sort of business agreement, which, technically, it was.
She shook his hand.
He pulled her toward him again with a quick tug and a lopsided grin, and Carolina let out a surprised laugh before his mouth took hers. Another kiss! Two in one night. Her heart raced so fast. Was this normal? Maybe she was having a heart attack? At least she was in front of the hospital. She should get her chest scanned while she was here, just for good measure.
And her head checked, too.
He pulled away, and her heart sank. She was doomed. She had only met him a day ago, and she was already developing feelings for him. She liked him. She was attracted to him. And a kiss or two certainly was not a big deal to Enrique.
He had probably kissed thousands of girls.
He reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone. “I’m going to head home. Unless you want me to stick around.”
She shook her head. She needed to focus on Papá and not on this tangled web she had just woven herself. “No, I’m great. Thanks for asking.” She paused. Papá had asked Enrique over to dinner. If he was released from the hospital, he would be upset if Enrique didn’t come over. “So, if Papá gets released in the next few days... are you free for dinner? I’m not sure what the doctor’s orders are yet. I’ll text you when I have an update.”
He smirked. “Doyouwant me to come over for dinner, or are you just asking me for your father?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Both. But if you can’t, I understand.”
“I’ll be there. Give me your number, babe.”
Babe.There was that word again. Did he call every woman babe? She liked the term. What should she call him? Dude? Honey? Amor?
Ay! She was hopeless. She didn’t even know how to talk to this man, or any man, for that matter.
“Sure, baby.” Oh my God! Cringe. She sounded like such an idiot. Why did she talk? At least he winked at her when she said it, so maybe she’d pulled it off.
They exchanged numbers. Carolina shivered in the evening breeze, and Enrique put his arm around her shoulders as he reached his other hand into a pocket on his robe and pulled out his car keys.
“Good night, babe.” He brushed a final sweet kiss on her cheek, then she turned her head and their lips met. Again.
This time, she was more prepared, even comfortable exploring a bit. She tangled her hands in his hair, grazed her fingers down his neck. Her heart danced, heady with lust.
They broke from the kiss. Carolina couldn’t look away from this man. He was so handsome in the gentle moonlight. She barely noticed the other people milling around the entrance to the hospital—
Wait.
Was thatBlanca?
Oh no.Blanca would know about the fake relationship soon enough, but Carolina had wanted to keep the kiss to herself just for a little longer.
Her younger sister rushed up from the car park, a little jig in her step and eyes wide.
Carolina covered her mouth and took a step back from Enrique, who just stood there with a sheepish grin on his face.
“Good night, ladies. See you soon for dinner. And hope your dad gets better.” Enrique waved to the slack-jawed Blanca and winked at Carolina, and then entered his vehicle.
“Ay, Dios mío! Carolina Yvonne Flores! I saw that! He kissed you!!! Oh my God! Are you dating him?! Wait—” A look of realization washed over her. “This means I can finally date. I could kiss you myself!”
Carolina gave her a shaky thumbs-up. Blanca was right. She could date now. Her father couldn’t go back on his word.
This would be a good thing. It was absolutely ridiculous that her father prevented his twenty-one-year-old daughter from dating because Carolina hadn’t wanted to date. It was misogynistic and controlling. If Carolina’s lie had brought her father some momentary happiness and allowed Blanca to break free from that ludicrous rule, then it was worth it.
Enrique was right. She needed to start calling her father out on his misogyny, but that was easier said than done.
