Page 83 of Sweet Heart

Something in my chest opens and fills with warmth. I wasn’t expecting any of this thoughtfulness when Mary mentioned a Friday night dinner. If anything, I expected the opposite. Except from Carmen. But all of these people pleasantly surprise me, and that… that is a feeling I want to get used to.

“Please, sit,” I croak, slightly humbled, and hasten to put the chocolates away.

I don’t even think about asking her if she wants wine. I just pour her a generous glass. When I turn back around, I see her slide into the seat next to Carmen, who has her eyes on the table and is biting her lip. Isa’s lips tick up in an amused smirk, but it’s gone so fast that I doubt anyone else saw it. They don’t need to, but I am glad that I did. It tells me everything I need and want to know. There is a real chance there for my sister.

“So, Isa, how are you adapting?” Mary asks, almost as if she can read my mind. “I know it can be challenging moving to another city.”

“Oh, for sure, but I’m an army brat. I’m used to it.”

“Wow, that must have been horrible as a kid,” Riley mumbles, but Isa just shakes her head.

“Not really. I learned there are great people everywhere. You just have to find them.”

Carmen glances up at her, her eyes a little darker than usual and her complexion a bit more pink. She fidgets with her fingers. Dios, I can’t remember the last time I saw her this nervous.

“Do you think you have found them here?”

Her voice is so thin that I can’t help but raise my eyebrows in surprise. She is more smitten than I had thought, and that could become a problem if…

“Claro que sí,” Isa smiles warmly at her as she places her hand over Carmen’s. “Would I be here if I didn’t?”

Mary locks eyes with me, and I know she is fighting every single urge to scream at what is happening. My stomach flutters with anticipation for them, too, when Carmen’s smile spreads and opens up her whole face. Where most women would get shy at this point, she takes it in the opposite direction. Isa just handed her the reins, and, if anything, mi hermana likes to be in charge.

“Have you seen much of the city yet? There is this really cute Cuban bar that Cat and I go to for dancing. Are you into dancing?”

Isa’s expression doesn’t change. She just studies Carmen, who is now staring at her expectantly. The surgeon doesn’t rush but takes in the moment before she speaks.

“Yes.”

Somehow, she makes that single vowel sound warm and welcoming. Carmen beams up at her, her eyes gleaming. It tugs at my heart, and I strongly like how Isa keeps her gaze on my best friend. The attraction is palpable, and she isn’t shying away from her. This is good. This might be more than good. It makes Carmen glow, and that is worth everything.

“Can I take you there?”

This time, there is no wait, just a small pleased smile.

“Yes.”

Carmen flushes again, but this time it comes with a huge smile. When I put the roast on the table, she barely even glances up.

“Who’s hungry?” I taunt, and both Mary and Riley let out a chuckle.

“I can eat,” Celeste hums, oblivious, and they chuckle even more.

It is going to be a gorgeous evening.

Chapter 30

Mary

My eyes nearly roll back into my head when Cat touches me, and I let out a soft whimper when it vanishes again. Part of me is happy that the blindfold offers me a false sense of privacy, but another part of me is screaming to see her. Katherina is so beautiful, so utterly complete when we are together like this that it’s almost a waste that I can’t witness it with my own eyes.

Her fingers brush the sides of my ribs now, and I inhale sharply at the sudden contact. My spine arches off the bed toward her hand, and she cups it warmly around my side. I let out a pleased sigh, and I hear her chuckle.

“Easy, amor,” she whispers hotly in my ear.

The hairs on my arm instantly rise at the sensation, and my lips part. I feel everything twice as intensely. Each breath feels like a caress, each touch feels like a hot trail of sparks against my skin, and each whisper feels loud enough to fill my entire head. No, this is not a false sense of privacy. This is a sacred space created just for her. A place filled with Cat’s presence and I get to revel in it. And, oh my God, do I love it.

The bed shifts, and I can feel Cat hovering over me. It feels safe instead of intimidating, and I relax completely into the pillows in anticipation of what’s to come. I don’t have to see her face to know that she’s smiling, that rare smile she saves for me alone, and my own mouth curves.