“Bye, Uncle Maty,” Kai called out over Landon’s shoulder. “Bye, Emmie!” I grinned and sent her a wave. And to think only two hours ago she didn’t want me near her favorite uncle. Kai disappeared from view as Evelyn and Steven stepped up, the last to leave.
“It was so nice meeting you, Emmie.” Evelyn took me by surprise and pulled me into a hug.
I quickly recovered and hugged her back. When I first walked through the door, I wasn’t sure I’d be welcomed into their world, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Evelyn, along with everyone else, were nothing but sweet to me.
She squeezed me like I’d always been a part of this family, the last of my nerves finally beginning to fade. My heart ached in the best way as I realized being here with Mateo’s family already felt a bit like coming home.
That feeling stayed in my chest when Steven replaced Evelyn and pulled me into a similar embrace. I didn’t expect to feel like part of the family so fast, and while it scared the living shit out of me, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
The elevator doors dinged open, forcing Evelyn to say goodbye one more time before her and Steven hurried to meet up with the others. I stood in Mateo’s doorway, his arm around my waist and keeping me pressed to his side. He waved bye to his family.
I just knew that being a part of their world would be something special.
As soon as the front door clicked shut, quietness followed. The good kind that lingered after having a house full of people.
I sank onto the couch, still smiling from everything that happened tonight, and Mateo dropped down beside me, our shoulders brushing. His hand found mine, head rolling to the side to look at me.
“Thank you for coming to the game today and for meeting my family.” Mateo’s voice was hushed. I turned my head to face him as well.
“Thank you for wanting me to meet them. I can see why you love them so much.”
“Yeah, they’re pretty great.” His voice was wistful and soft. “They really liked you.”
“You think so?”
“Pretty sure my mom and the girls already have matching Christmas pajamas in mind for us.”
“We’d be the best looking couple in matching pajamas,” I joked.
Mateo matched my grin. “Hell yeah, we would.”
As we sat there, staring at one another, the air between us shifted. It charged in a way it hadn’t when everyone else was around. Seeing Mateo play and then be around his family made me like him even more than I did yesterday and the day before.
I never wanted someone in such a soul-crushing way. Mateo was different from anyone I’d ever known, and I was beginning to realize I didn’t want a life that didn’t include him.
“What are you thinking about?” Mateo whispered.
The words were at the tip of my tongue. I wanted to confess that I was starting to really, truly fall for him, but the truth of those feelings scared me. It was too much, too soon. I needed to wrap my own head around my feelings before I told him.
“There’s a few things on my mind,” I finally answered.
“Talk to me.” His fingers gently played with mine on the couch.
“You are a really cute uncle. The kids adore you.”
Mateo's smile was soft. “I never put much thought into kids, because I’m still one, but from the moment I laid eyes on them, I was done for.”
“I can see that. All they need to do is flash those little eyes and they can get whatever they want.” We both laughed because that was so close to the truth.
“And what’s the other thing on your mind?” he asked.
I hesitated to answer. It wasnotfamily friendly, and seeing as I just talked about his nieces and nephew, it wouldn’t be acceptable to say out loud.
“You know what, I think there’s still some dishes that need to be cleaned,” I said instead, standing from the couch. I slid past him, only for his big hands to grasp my thighs. His fingers curled around the back of them, holding me between his legs.
“What were you going to say?” Mateo tilted his head back to meet my eyes.
“Nothing,” I lied. His grip tightened, head slanted to the left as he stared at me. I squirmed under his gaze and in his hold. My earlier need reared its head again, but I wasn’t sure right now, when his family just left, was the time to tell him my dirty thoughts.
