Mother of Christ. He had oil on his hands and a tiny smear of it on his high cheekbone. His jaw was covered in days of chocolate-brown scruff and his hair was long enough that it was starting to curl behind his ears.
What if you’re wrong?
I wanted to be wrong.
So fucking much.
Mateo took another step forward, his hands coming to my shoulders to steady me.
I gripped his wrists. It felt like a do-over of five minutes ago, but everything was different.Wewere different, even though nothing had changed.
I feel so fucking weird.
“Embry.”
He didn’t say my whole name much. And I only shortened his if I was out of my mind drunk.Mats. I liked it. But to me, he would always be Mateo. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
Like you want to eat me whole, you love me so. I took a breath. “Just stop.”
Mateo frowned. “You’re gonna have to be clearer, chaparrito. Unless you want me to let go. In which case, get the fuck off your feet. I don’t care what you say, I’m not letting you fall.”
“You didn’t let me die, either.”
“That was Alexei.”
More technicalities. And factually, he was right. Alexei had scraped me out of the dirt by the boundary fence, bundled me into a car, and told me I wasn’t going to meet my maker. But I hadn’t believed him. Until I’d come round to Mateo holding my hand and whispering Spanish in my ear, I’d figured I was already gone. “Youstayed with me.”
Mateo wrapped an arm around my waist, adding stability to my equilibrium. “I’m with you now.”
He was so close. A week ago, I’d have danced away, petrified of the guttural desire I had for him.
Right now, I couldn’t move.
I didn’t want to.
What if you’re wrong?
I leaned into him. Mateo was big and strong. Rangier than Cam and Rubi, but just as solid. My battered, aching abdomen touched his. Warmth ricocheted through me.Darkwarmth that was so uniquely him. So fucking soothing.Why am I scared of this?Somewhere in the mess of my brain, I knew the answer, but I couldn’t find it.
And I didn’t look that hard.
He was taller than me. Wider. It was easy to sink into his embrace. Comfortable, despite the fire burning bright in my heart.
Thegoodfire.
The best.
I tilted my head to look at him.
He gazed down, confused. “Are you oka—”
I kissed him. Just once. A slow, soft brush of my lips against his.
Featherlight.
Sweet.
