Carolina filled her plate with pork tamales, beans, and rice. Her fork pierced into the masa, and she brought the first bite to her mouth.Wow!These were the best tamales she had ever had!
She’d better not tell Mamá.
But the second that thought graced her head, her heart fell.
Would she ever taste her mamá’s tamales again?
Chapter Twenty-Five
Enrique’s first Nochebuena had been great. There’d been excellent food, he’d been surrounded by family, and he had even had a date to kiss under the mistletoe.
After dinner, Enrique exchanged presents with the rest of his family. He had always received gifts on Christmas morning but had since learned that many Mexicans celebrated on Nochebuena instead. Julieta had gifted him some rare epazote seeds for his garden, Tiburón had crocheted him a scarf, and his brothers had pitched in and purchased him a new hand-crafted surfboard that was made specifically for the San Diego waves, with an ornate Aztec trim.
He leaned over to Carolina. “Maybe I can teach you how to surf?”
She shook her head. “That’s a hard no. I hate sharks.”
Tiburón scoffed. “Watch it, Carolina. I feel a special affinity toward my namesake animal.”
She laughed. “No, but seriously. My primos forced me to watchJawswhen I was younger, and I never recovered.”
Enrique stroked her hair. “There hasn’t been a shark attack in LaJolla since 1959. Up in Del Mar—ten minutes north, there was one the other week. Where I surf, it’s really safe.”
“Still a no from me.”
Enrique laughed. “That’s cool—no pressure. But I think you’d like it.”
When Enrique had realized that Carolina might not be going home for Christmas Eve, he had snuck away to the gift shop in Carmel to get her a present. There hadn’t been too many options, but he purchased a pretty butterfly necklace with matching earrings.
Once they were alone in the room, he took out the small wrapped box.
Her eyes lit up. “Enrique! You didn’t have to get me anything.”
He grinned. “I know. But I wanted to. Open it.”
She carefully unwrapped the box. “Oh, mariposas! I love them. Gracias.”
“You know, the butterfly represents rebirth. Carolina, you can do anything. I know you are struggling with what is going on with your family, but I want you to know that you are amazing, and I believe in you.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she kissed him. He placed his hands under her ass and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around him. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him madly. Enrique was wild for her.
He laid her down on the bed, pressing his hard body into her soft one.
“Enrique, don’t stop. I want you. All of you.”
He didn’t want to stop—but he forced himself to. Not like this, with his family in the next room. If she really did want to have sex with him, he wanted to make it special for her.
“Babe, let’s wait. We are in no rush. Let’s get a good night’s sleep, and we can maybe go somewhere tomorrow.”
She gulped and nodded. He kissed her good night, and she fell asleep in his arms.
•••
The next morning, Enrique rolled over to cuddle Carolina, but she was not in his bed.
Where was she?
He quickly dressed, brushed his teeth, and exited his bedroom. Carolina was standing on the deck with a coffee mug in her hand. Wind blew her hair in her face and also caused her long dress to ripple like the waves below them.
