So, so full of shit. “What—”
“Madison, let the man breathe,” Abuela chides, laying a delicate hand on his suit sleeve. With a small glare, she hisses at me in Spanish,“¿Qué haces? Esto no es una inquisición. ¡Vas a asustar al hombre guapo!”
I snort and glance at Wesley, who’s wearing that blank, slightly awkward look people always get when someone is speaking in a language they don’t understand in front of them.“Si se asusta tan fácilmente, es demasiado blando para mí.”
Her smile is coy.“A mí no me parece blando…”
“I don’t mind the questions,” Wesley cuts in, flashing that smile around like it’s free. Ugh. It’s so white and clean and bright…
I narrow my eyes at him. “Do you have more teeth than normal people?”
That earns me a sharp look from Abuela. “Madison!”
“What? All I’m saying is, he smiles and all I see is teeth.”
“Don’t be rude,” Abuela chides me before sending Wesley a look that might have been coquettish, like, 40 years ago. What a little hussy! “My granddaughter is just being smart. You look like you have the right number of teeth.”
“I do,” he says proudly, showing them off yet again. “And I am happy to use all 28 of them to fight that ghastly stereotype about Brits having poor oral hygiene.”
28? That doesn’t sound right. I start running my tongue across the inside of my molars, and he winks at me. “You’re counting, aren’t you?”
I suck my tongue back to the bottom of my mouth and roll my lips inward. At the flash of humor in his eyes, I push my chair away from the table, feeling only a little bit like a petulant child. But I’m done with this. I really don’t want to leave without saying goodbye to Abuela, but I need to slip away from him.
“I’m going to get another cup of coffee from the cafeteria.”
I stand, creating a small commotion in the room as Abuela sees the future she has planned for me andWesleyslipping away. “Oh, well… um, Wesley, maybe you should show her where it is.”
Damn. I was banking on her wanting to keep him around to bat her eyes at him. “No, that’s okay! I know.” I start slinking towards the door.
But Wesley stands, reminding me of just how tall he is and just how close we are. Of their own volition, my eyes travel down the length of his dark gray suit that’s perfectly tailored to his stunning body.
Christ. The man could wear a potato sack and I’d drool all over him, but this suit? Devastating. He’s less wholesome superhero and more sexy villain. He looks like he’d ruin me and make me thank him for it. And I’m so turned on by the mere thought, my nipples pebble in my ugly beige bra.
What I wouldn’t give for a little lace and silk boost right about now. Should have worn my big-girl panties.
“We can’t have her getting lost, can we?” he says to Abuela, but his eyes are only for me. A shiver works its way down my spine under the intensity of his gaze. It’s just a flash of the real man hiding under the mask he wore for Abuela, and damn if it doesn’t make my pulse race. “May I escort you?”
I think I hear Abuela sigh happily in the background. She’s such a sucker for manners. And my hand is effectively forced.
That’s another point to SpyderMan. “Sure, fine. Whatever,” I grumble, defeated.
“Drop by whenever you like!” Abuela cries after us as he gestures for me to go ahead of him out of the room. She chuckles. “I’m always here.”
He nods at people as we walk down the hallways, like he actually knows them. Like he’s the King of Sunset Hills. I adjust my grip on the strap of my bag, gnashing my teeth and biding my time until we’re in the parking lot and far enough away from prying eyes and hearing aids.
I start rummaging around in my bag for my keys as we approach my car, and I can feel him looming behind me, following.
“Don’t you have rocks to kick? Maybe some sand to pound or a hike to take,Wesley?”
“It’s not a lie.”
I stop, glancing up at the softness in his voice. “What?”
“I realized after I left last night that I never actually introduced myself. My name really is Wesley.”
Ofcourseit is. It’s sexy and playful, and it sounds amazing in his accent. Frankly… rude. I wish his name was something I could never imagine screaming out, like Gilbert or Donald. “Well, I’m fresh out of Boy Scout badges for not lying to old ladies, so I’ll have to mail it to you,” I seethe.
“Everything I told you just now was true. It’s poor form to lie to your future wife’s family.”
