Page 73 of Sweet Heart

“Cat, I trust you. It’s just that I—”

“That you’ve been hurt before, and you fear I will do the same. ¿Qué no?”

She looks at me sheepishly for a moment, but then nods. Her gaze falls to the floor, and her fingers curl inward.

“No,” I whisper, raising her chin with my index finger. “Stay with me, please.”

Both of our eyes brim as we stare at each other, holding on. But she stays.

“Your feelings are your feelings. They are valid. Now it is up to us what we do with them.” I pause for a beat, breathing her in as I cling to her. “What do you want us to do, Mary?”

She blinks rapidly while her chest blooms red. Her fingers come up to her neck, and she runs her nails down her skin, leaving behind angry stripes. Her eyes flick from left to right quickly before they stop on me. Once she sees me, actually sees me, her chest stops rising and falling so quickly, and she can draw in a full breath.

“I don’t… want to feel like this,” she lets out on a breath, as if it is a relief rather than a confession. “I want to feel chosen and trust that I am.”

“You are.”

My nod is firm, solemn.

“You are,” I whisper more softly this time, and I pull her impossibly close.

She melts into me, and for the first time since Carmen left, I feel her body fully relax. When I lean back, her eyes are softer. Even like this, she is perfect.

“Mi tormenta perfecta.” Her eyebrows knit together in confusion, and I smile. “My perfect storm.”

I turn the water off and grab a large towel to wrap her in. As my hands rub over her body, more for the contact than anything else, she observes me quietly. Something in me clicks. This side of her doesn’t scare me.

“Come to the gala with me?”

Mary blinks and leans back, forcing me to still my movements. Her eyes take me in, and I let her. I mean it. I want her there with me. Not because I now suddenly feel like I have to, but because she belongs at my side.

“I’ll have to check my calendar,” she eventually says, but the small smirk that follows makes my stomach flutter.

“Okay,” I let out with a huffed laugh, and her smirk turns soft.

“Okay,” she replies.

She drags her fingers along my jawline and wraps them around the back of my neck. When she kisses me, my body finally unwinds again.

Chapter 27

Mary

The soft orange hue of the streetlights flashes over Cat’s face in a rhythm. She is focused on the road ahead of us, but glances over every now and then. Her shoulders seem tight, but every time she looks at me, her mouth twitches in something resembling a dreamy smile. I haven’t seen this look from her yet, but it makes me feel warm and wanted.

She lets her hand slide from the console onto my thigh, and I nearly melt into the seat as she starts to rub small circles with her thumb. My lips part slightly, filling the small space with a soft smacking sound, and her eyes instantly dart back to mine. Even in this dim light, I can see her pupils dilate, and the warmth turns into a sharper heat.

“Have I told you that you look amazing?” Cat asks, her voice a little rougher than usual.

“Once or twice,” I chuckle.

She hasn’t been able to stop saying it since she came to pick me up. As soon as I opened the door and she saw the silky green dress, she became flustered. Dragging her eyes slowly over my body while she got a little pink in the face. I chuckle again at the memory.

“Well,” she says in a very serious tone, “that’s because you do.”

Cat gives me a crooked grin and squeezes my thigh just a little, before she takes a sharp right. I slide a bit in my seat, making her hand land even higher on my leg. The blush creeping up my neck and chest is almost instant, and I can hear her inhale sharply. Her fingers curl lightly, pressing into my flesh, before she exhales again.

“Dios,” she whispers so softly that I almost miss it.