Page 126 of Dream Chaser

I nodded. He sprinkled sugar over my churro, smiling as I devoured it in two bites.

“Not bad, right?”

“Perfect.”

He sipped his drink. “I’m glad.”

“I didn’t think you’d come back so soon,” I said once we finished eating and Alejandro took our plates and mugs to the dishwasher.

“I wasn’t going to,” he said. “But…”

“But?”

He closed the dishwasher and sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I guess you’ve checked your work email.”

Crap. He must’ve returned from Spain early because of work.

“No,” I said. “I left my laptop and work phone at the office. I’m so sorry. Did something happen?”

He exhaled hard, something like relief passing over his handsome face. “No, nothing happened, and don’t apologize. You were on vacation. I didn’t want you to worry about work. Let’s go to the living room. I wanted to talk to you.”

His soft voice contrasted with the anguish in his eyes. I followed him to the living room. We sat on the couch, and Alejandro faced me, resting his clasped hands on his knees.

“There’s a lot I need to tell you,” he said. “But before I do, I need to know if…” He pressed his folded hands to his mouth, then dropped them. “Fuck it. I want you.” His eyes seared into mine, fierce. “I’ve wanted you for a long time, and I’m not talking about sex. I want you next to me. With me. I want a relationship, Nova. I know we agreed on one night, but it wasn’t enough. It will never fucking be enough, and I’m done pretending otherwise.”

My heart stuttered, then beat faster, like it finally understood what his words meant for us.

“A relationship?” I whispered.

Alejandro nodded, his gaze still on mine. “Yes. But there’s something you need to know first.”

“About Cris?” The words slipped out, and I held my breath. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe they didn’t have a history.

But then he nodded, and my stomach dropped.

“You have a son with her, right?” I whispered. “The boy is yours.”

Alejandro furrowed his brow, then groaned, running a palm down his face. “Nico?”

“I mean…” I tucked my bent knees under myself, turning toward him. “You kind of look a bit alike.”

“No.” He covered my hand with his warm one, his soothing touch quelling the storm inside me. “No, Nova. Nico isn’t mine. Cris and I were never together. She’s never been anything but a friend.”

“But you said…”

“I need you to listen, okay?”

I nodded.

“After I graduated, I started working at Deportes Espinosa as an intern,” he began. “Cris entered the company at the same time I did. The same department, same role, same responsibilities.” He ran a thumb over my knuckles, the column of his throat moving with a swallow. “I fucking lived for that job. Networking, attending events. I learned so much. Soon, Ignacio started taking me to meetings with athletes he wanted to sign while Cris stayed at the office. When I mentioned it’d be useful for her to learn as well, he brushed me off. Said he had another important role in mind for her.”

He linked his fingers with mine and glanced up from our joined hands. “After a year in the company, I was promoted to an associate agent. I was thrilled. For someone whose parents always struggled to make ends meet, what Ignacio paid was a fortune. I saved every cent. Worked overtime to earn even more. Three years later, I could afford to buy my own place.”

“And Cris?” I asked.

“She wasn’t an intern anymore, but she didn’t make even half of the money I made. She wasn’t an agent, either, just someone in charge of paperwork and dull administrative tasks. She was wasting her potential, but she had nobody in Madrid, and despite looking for another job, nobody wanted to hire one of Ignacio’s people from under him. So she stayed.”

Frown lines grooved the corner of Alejandro’s mouth. “Ignacio and I were close. I looked up to him and turned to him for guidance. I became his top agent, and he joked that he was rich thanks to me. The year it all went to shit was especially great. That day, we signed with a top F1 driver and a tennis star whose agent retired. Ignacio threw a huge party at the office. Gave everyone a bonus. Then he sent me to buy more alcohol. I was by the elevator when I heard someone sobbing.”