“That depends on you. Can you let her go? If you did, would you be able to move on?”
It doesn’t take me long to respond. “She may not give me an option. But no, I don’t think I could just move on.”
“I don’t think you really need to hear this from me, but you need to go after her. Tell her how you feel. You’ll probably need to ease her into the idea of the two of you being more than friends. You already said she’s skittish. The fact that you are her best friend is going to work against you as much as it’ll work for you.”
“I’m listening.”
“She knows you. Knows that you have her best interest at heart. You’ve always been there for her, but that also means that she depends on you, and changing that dynamic is going to be a lot for her to process. You already treat her like your girlfriend in a lot of ways, but if it were me, I’d ramp up the heat. Get her thinking about what itcouldbe like. Turn the dial little by little so neither of you gets burned.”
“I think I can do that. Fuck, what if it doesn’t work?”
“It’ll work. Have you seen you? You’ve got those rugged good looks, big brown eyes, and bronzed skin. If all else fails, just flex and whisper to her in Spanish.”
“Is that how you got Maxi to fall in love with you?”
“No man, I used a wink, my impeccable ability to give her multiple orgasms, and a whole fuck-ton of groveling. I recommend you try to avoid the need for groveling. That was the most miserable month of my life.”
“I remember, but it worked out pretty well for you. It was all worth it.”
“Yeah—it really was,” he says as Delilah weaves through the crowd to us. “Don’t forget to give her the orgasms though, those work wonders.”
When she stops in front of us I pat Lincoln on the shoulder in a silentthank youbefore holding out my arm for Delilah. “Let’s go, Hermosa. It’s time to dance.” I set my champagne down and lead her toward the dance floor. “Good luck getting her away from me once we get started!” I holler over my shoulder at my former captain.
“Someone’s in a hurry.”
“To have a beautiful woman in my arms on the dance floor? Absolutely.” I tug Delilah against my chest as the band starts a slow song. It’s the instrumental version of “Better Together” by Jack Johnson.
“You tell all the ladies that, don’t you?” Her hands smooth up my chest before linking behind my neck.
“What ladies? I haven’t dated since I moved to Colorado.”
“Don’t act like there aren’t still ladies just because you aren’t dating. Why don’t you date? I mean, I know why you didn’t date when we first met, but you’re in a better place now.”
“Thanks to you.” It’s true. Without her I’m not sure where I would’ve ended up. “Just waiting on the right woman,” I tell her, searching her eyes to see any hint of where this is coming from.
“What qualities does the right lady for Cruz Tellez need to have?” Her fingers toy with the hair at the base of my skull. It’s distracting as hell.
“Someone with a kind heart, but some sass. She can’t be too sweet—I need someone to challenge me; a partner-in-crime that I can talk to about everything and nothing when I’m on the road. Smart and hardworking, but not too serious. Whoever I end up with needs to be able to let loose and have fun. She needs to be strong too, because this life doesn’t come without its trials, but vulnerable enough to speak up when she needs more from me.” I don’t break eye contact while I speak—hoping she sees the emotions behind my words.
Her throat bobs as she swallows, but doesn’t say anything. Instead, she steps into my space and rests her head on my chest.
We dance together like that for another slow song before Lincoln cuts in just as the band kicks up the tempo. Delilah laughs as he spins her in circles and dips her.
I remember the way Brad used to drag her to events like this—parade her around like she was a trophy on his arm but somehow still failed to see what was right in front of him. He was the luckiest fucking guy on the planet, but he never deserved her. The jackass even managed to make his proposal about himself, it took every ounce of willpower I had not to tell Delilah to walk away from him right then and there. Seeing her like this now, radiant and filled with joy, I regret biting my tongue. Maybe I could have saved her some heartache, but at the time I was too afraid to lose her to speak up.
When the song fades out, he slings his arm around her shoulder, and they walk back toward where I’m leaning against the bar watching.
“Honorable Judge Lilah, what’s the verdict?”
“Mhmm . . . Hard to say. I only got a slow dance with Cruz. I’ll need him to take me for another spin around the floor to reach a final decision.”
She extends her hand to me, and I take it, following her back out onto the floor just as the band starts to play an instrumental version of “My Love” by Justin Timberlake. My hand falls to her hip and I pull her into me, lifting her hand with my free one and placing it on my shoulder. I gently stroke my fingers down her arm, watching the goosebumps explode across her smooth skin. She may not be ready to admit her feelings for me, but there’s no denying she’s affected by me.
When my hand snakes around her waist, coming to rest on her lower back, I have to focus on not getting a very public erection with the way my hands slip below the fabric of her dress as she sways. The rhythm of her hips causes my pinky to brush against the swell of her ass, making her breath catch and my dick twitch behind the zipper of my pants.
The song is far shorter than I would like, and as it comes to an end I bring my lips to the shell of her ear. “Hermosa, you are the most spectacular woman in this room. No one else compares to you—not even close. Being beside you makes these events worth all the hassle.”
We spin around the dance floor for the rest of the night until I catch Delilah slipping her heels off under the table while she alternates taking sips between a glass of ice water and champagne.
