My eye catches on Jorge across the room. He glares daggers at me. I avert my gaze and notice the pattern we’re moving in. Wherever we are, Jorge is on the opposite side of the room from us. When he moves, we move.
My knees go weak as I realize Mateo is expertly twirling me around the room so we keep our distance from Jorge. Bricks tumble away with each twirl of my skirt.
In Mateo’s arms, I feel safe and treasured. I feel important, like I matter, and that he’s doing this for me because hewantsto, not out of some obligation.
My breath catches as I look up at Mateo. I catalog the neatly trimmed scruff, the crinkle lines at the corner of his eyes, and how he’s taken care to tame his curls tonight, their twirls defined with product. All of this, he’s done for me. He’s wearing a suit for me, and dancing across a ballroom floor with people I know he doesn’t understand or care for.
For me.
My heart overflows with gratitude for a loving God who sent Mateo to me. There is no other way I can explain how we ended up here without attributing it to the hand of God.
My heart feels free. Open to love and to this relationship in a way I’ve never felt. My reservations have left the room, and I’m not welcoming them back.
I watch as Mateo’s jaw flexes. His hand puts pressure on my shoulder blades, turning me as we waltz in a different direction. “Where did you learn to waltz like this, Mateo?”
Mateo’s jaw relaxes as he looks down at me briefly before returning to his vigilant scanning of the room. “Your sister-in-law, actually. Reina wanted to learn how to ballroom dance in high school. She recruited me to be her partner. I was unwilling at first, but then she got Momma T to make cookies for me. Learning to dance for cookies seemed like an easy yes to me. Then it came in handy during my years in my fraternity. It was a skill I used to impress the ladies, and prove that I was more than a mere farm boy. When I went back to the farm, I never thought I’d use it again. Now, I’m very glad I learned.”
His eyes meet mine. The intense look of adoration has my heart racing and heat spreading throughout me. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever danced with, Holly.”
I savor the words, but can’t help but doubt what he said. My insecurities blast away my confidence in Mateo’s feelings. “I’m no Reina, and I’m sure the sorority girls looked much better than me.”
Mateo’s eyebrows draw together and his lips tip down. “Stop doing that, Holly. Stop putting yourself down. You are just as gorgeous as every woman in this room. In fact, you’re more so because you’re kind. You are a daughter of God with divine worth. Holly, you take my breath away, no matter if you’re dressed up like you are tonight, or when you walk into the kitchen with your hair sticking out at different angles. You, all of you, from your head to your toes, is perfect and beautiful. Please try to believe me when I say there is no other woman who compares to you in my eyes. Please don’t diminish your worth.”
My eyes sting and my knees go weak. My heart is in my throat, and I swallow before whispering, “Do you mean it?”
Mateo twirls me to the edge of the dance floor. We stop and he steps close until only a hand’s breadth separates us. His eyes stare down into my eyes,and I've never seen him look so serious. “Every. Word. I mean every single word, Holly."
His hand on my shoulder blades drops to my waist as he pulls me against him. He lets go of my hand only for his calloused palm to cradle my jaw, his thumb caressing my cheekbone.
I blink away my tears. I didn’t wear my waterproof mascara, which was a mistake because this man seems to always bring me to tears with his words.
Mateo's eyes beg me to ask him to kiss me.
I’m tired and done listening to the voice inside my head that says to protect my heart. It’s the same voice that says I’m unlovable, unattractive, and not worth a good man’s time. That voice is a liar.
I’m lost in Mateo’s gaze, and I’m ready to be lost in his embrace. “Kiss me,” I murmur as my hands move from his chest to around his neck.
Mateo’s smile is blinding in its brilliance, but instead of closing the distance between us, he steps back and my arms fall to my sides.
His face is full of mischief as he grabs my hand. “Come with me.”
Mateo guides us through the crowds until we reach a set of doors that lead outside. He opens the door and we walk down the pebbled path to the gardens. I’m tripping in my heels, trying to keep up with him. Excitement builds within my chest the further we get away from the crowds. The noise of the party fades as we take a path down a row of rose bushes. Mateo finally stops when the path opens, a fountain in the center, and benches placed around the walkway.
No one is around, thankfully, because I let out a gasp as Mateo grips my waist and lifts me onto a decorative stone lining the edge of the area.
I grip his shoulders as I balance in my heels. We’re the same height and I’m in love with looking him straight in the face without craning my neck. “You didn’t have to pick me up.”
His smile is more of a smirk, and his hands, which haven’t left my waist, hold me tighter as he closes the distance between us. “I love surprising people. I’ve held back since we’ve been married, but this is your warning.Expect many surprises in your future. I thought pranking was fun, but surprising you feels even more rewarding. Don’t be surprised if one day I walk into your office and throw you over my shoulder so I can kidnap you for a day away from work, my little workaholic. You need more adventure in your life, mi vida.”
I shake my head. The thought of Mateo picking me up and throwing me over his shoulder is ridiculous. He'd probably have to see my chiropractor afterward.
Mateo presses his forehead against mine, and I feel his breath on my lips as he speaks. “No. I know exactly what that voice inside your head is trying to tell you. Don’t listen to it. I can pick you up, and Iwillpick you up. You are not too big. You are perfect. You are divine.”
How does he read me so well? How does he know the exact words to say to combat the insidious voice in my head?
His nose brushes against mine. “I’m going to kiss you now, Holly. I’m going to kiss you because of who you are. The workaholic, devoted sister, and gentle-hearted woman. That’s who I’m kissing. That’s why I’m kissing you. It’s just a bonus that I think you’re drop-dead gorgeous.” He keeps one arm around my waist while the other comes up to cradle my face, mimicking our stance from inside the ballroom.
My eyes close as I feel him draw closer, his breath caressing my cheek.
