“Ew,” I giggle, scrunching up my nose. “You’re all sweaty.”
“You’re welcome,” he says with a grin, clearly proud of himself.
At that exact moment, Melissa leans forward with a knowing smile. “You guys are too cute.”
Esteban smirks, puffing out his chest like he’s just been awarded a trophy. “Thank you. But I believe Eva is the cute one in this relationship. Look at her, all pretty and sweet, sitting here like a queen.” He throws a wink my way while I turn crimson under my sunglasses.
“Aww, that’s so sweet, Esteban. I never thought I’d seeyou like this,” Violet says, amusement laced through every word. “All in love.”
“What can I say?” Esteban grins. “When you know, you know. And this lady? She’s all mine.” He throws his arm dramatically over my shoulder.
I burst into laughter. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously in love,” he teases with a little sing-song tone before standing and holding his hand out. “You wanna come to the water with me?”
I glance up and spot Noah walking our way, his expression unreadable, serious. For a brief second, I hesitate. But then I ignore him, reach up, and slip my fingers into Esteban’s hand.
“Yes,” I say, standing. His fingers tighten gently around mine as we head toward the shoreline.
“This is gorgeous,” I whisper, my eyes taking in the vast, sparkling expanse in front of us. The waves crash lazily on the sand, and the sun makes the water shimmer like it’s dusted with glitter.
“It is,” Esteban says beside me, his eyes on the waves. “But it doesn’t compare to Puerto Rico. You should come with me this summer. I could show you around, take you to all the beautiful beaches. We could eat everything in sight, and then at night, I could take you dancing.”
I blink at him, unsure whether he’s joking or not—he looks so calm, so sincere. The kind of sincere that makes your heart skip a beat.
“Are you serious?” I ask, quietly.
He grins. “Of course. I mean, we’ve gotta visit Puerto Rico before the wedding, right? Gotta make sure my future wife approves of the homeland.”
I snort. “Oh? Is that right?”
He shrugs like it’s the most logical thing in the world. “I mean, we are fake dating, fake kissing... it’s only fair I take you to our fake wedding destination.”
I laugh, shaking my head as a wave splashes up around our ankles. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculously charming,” he adds with a wink.
I roll my eyes, but my smile stays. That’s part of what I love about him, how easily he can make me laugh, how light everything feels when he’s around. But somewhere deep down, beneath the laughter and flirting, there’s a small ache forming.
Sometimes, I wish he’d stop joking for just a second.
Just long enough for me to figure out if I actually mean something to him—or if he’s just this friendly with everyone.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Esteban
Istare at my reflection in the mirror, towel slung around my hips, toothbrush hanging loosely in my mouth. The bathroom is still fogged from my shower, and I take my time drying off, stalling even though I know there’s no reason to. I already took care of my needs—just like I did last night, and the night before that. Hell, like I’ve been doing ever since Eva came back into my life.
Today was a damn good day of sun, sand, and Eva in that one-piece swimsuit that drove me straight to madness. I tried to play it cool, but when she smiled at me, when she laughed at one of my dumb comments or leaned close to whisper something that didn’t even matter, I knew I was screwed. And not in the fun way.
After the beach, we came back to the house and had dinner with everyone. Hunter started asking about Honey Springs—peppering us with questions about land, schools, subcontractors, and so much more. The guy’s got that spark in his eye, the kind you see when someone’s already building something in their head, piece by piece. It’s wild to think thatjust a few weeks ago, none of this was even on the table. Now, it feels like we’re all standing on the edge of something big. And I believe he’s going to give us the deal. He hasn’t said it outright, but the way he talks to us is like he already has.
But that’s not what’s keeping me up tonight.
Eva’s already in bed. She got in quietly after her shower, hair damp and face bare, curled up on her side like she owns the damn space without even trying. I told myself I’d only take a few more minutes in here, but let’s be honest—I needed space. I needed time. Having her in my arms at the beach this afternoon? Yeah, I might’ve overdone it with the kisses on her shoulder and holding her tighter than necessary when the waves hit. Sue me. I’m only human.
At least Noah didn’t pull me aside afterward with one of his “don’t mess this up” speeches.
