My pulse jumped when she reached over and placed her hand on my arm. That was the second time she’d initiated any sort of contact and I wasn’t sure how my brain hadn’t short-circuited yet.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Of course, princesa. I have to confess. I may have asked Eloise what your favorite dessert was. I didn’t want to come here empty-handed, but I didn’t know what you’d like.”
She looked at me without a word, pure softness filling her gaze. After a few seconds she cleared her throat and opened her door farther to let me in. “Let me show you where to put those.”
If someone would’ve blindfolded me and dropped me off into this house, I could’ve told them who it belonged to without a second thought. The entire house had Cara written all over it. The outside was modern with a touch of rustic, but the inside was all modern. The art on the walls were all bookish or queer-themed.
The kitchen wasn’t any different. White marble counter tops. A large matching island in the middle with white and gold appliances to match. It was so Cara. Cute and polished.
“You can just set the cookies on the island, and I’ll get them put away after we’re done. Are you thirsty or anything? I just made some fresh lemonade before you got here. It’s been chilling in the fridge.”
I smiled. Of course she made lemonade. ¡Mierda! She was fucking adorable! “That sounds perfect.”
She went into the refrigerator and pulled out a full glass pitcher. “Is that strawberry lemonade?” I asked, noticing the discoloration.
She nodded. “Yes, it’s my favorite. Is that okay? You’re not allergic to strawberries, are you?”
I laughed and shook my head. “No. That’s my favorite kind, too.” She sent me a look that questioned that statement. “It’s true! You can ask my abuela.”
She smiled and got two glasses out of a cabinet before filling them with the lemonade. “I believe you. So, let me give you a quick tour and then I can show you the office?”
I took a sip of the lemonade, humming in appreciation. It was so damn good, but I hadn’t expected it to be anything else.
She let me finish my lemonade before taking me around the house. She showed me the bathrooms and her bedroom, which I noticed was closed, before leading me into the office.
“This the office. It’s nothing fancy, but I love it.”
I looked around, taking in the minimalistic office. There was a simple couch against one wall with a modern white coffee table. There were white bookshelves lining the wall behind her desk, which were simple.
She pointed to the coffee table, and I noticed a set of unique coasters sitting there. They were varying shades of green, ranging from very light to very dark, and shaped like a flower.
“One of my favorite pieces in the office are these coasters. Daisy’s friend, Cora, owns a cute little handmade shop in Fairview, and one of the items she sells is coasters.”
“They are amazing. I like the office. It’s definitely not what I expected.”
She frowned. “No? What did you expect?”
“I don’t mean that in a negative way, I just… you keep surprising me, princesa. That’s all. I expected more high end art and expensive furniture pieces. I didn’t mean to offend you, I’m sorry.”
“I’m not offended. And you really do think I’m a princess, don’t you. I’m not, Vera. Just because I know what I want and might like nice things, doesn’t mean I’m high maintenance.”
“I know, Cara. Like I said, you keep surprising me. So, what is the gameplan you have for this office?”
I was grateful she seemed to want to put an end to that line of conversation, sighing and looking toward the wall. “I’m wanting some shelves installed and the carpet taken out. I can send you an email with the specifics. I have the shelves and the flooring being delivered sometime next week.”
“That works for me.”
She smiled. “Perfect. Here, let me take your glass. Would you like a refill?”
I handed her the empty lemonade cup and smiled, following behind her as she headed back to the kitchen. “That sounds good, but just one more. After that, I’ll probably end up drinking your whole pitcher.”
“I can always make more. When do you think you can get started?” she asked me as I sat on one of the stools at the island.
I loved watching her float around her space, looking like an angel. She wore a cream-colored sweatshirt with jeans, and she looked put together and comfortable at the same time. It didn’t hurt that her jeans were tight and hugged her ass so perfectly.
I smiled when she brought a filled cup over to me and I purposefully made sure our fingers brushed together when I took it. I loved seeing her reactions, like she was trying, and failing, to hide how her body reacted to me. She couldn’t, but it was cute to see her try.
