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"I get it." Claudia nods, thoughtful.

"Can I ask what you feel?" Laia says. "I know this is a date, but I just—I didn't expect to ever get this chance, and I'd like to know why you're here."

Claudia glances at her sideways and gives her a gentle nudge with her shoulder.

"Isn't it enough to know you're cute?" she teases with a smile.

"Cute?" Laia pretends to be offended, making a face, and Claudia steps in front of her, takes her by the waist, and presses her into a quick kiss.

"Cute, beautiful, kind, generous, patient, and very sexy," she whispers against her mouth, and Laia's whole body tingles. "Want me to keep going?" she asks, brushing her lips over hers again.

"With the compliments or the kisses?" Laia stammers, her pulse racing.

"I don't know, you decide," Claudia says, resting her arms on her shoulders.

"Can it be both?" Laia jokes, but she doesn't let her answer—she captures her mouth first.

"Yes." Claudia takes her hand and kisses the back of it, and then doesn't let go. "Where are we having dinner? I'm starting to get hungry."

"Do you like hot dogs?" Laia bites her lip as she asks. "I know it's not exactly the greatest dinner for a first date, but there's a place near here run by this Venezuelan family that makes incredible ones. If you're into it, we could eat there and watch the sunset from the terrace."

"I don't know why you'd say it's not a good date plan. I can't think of anything better. I like hot dogs, I love the beach, and most of all I love you."

Laia looks at her with bright eyes, and they both stop at the same time, their mouths coming together again, the kiss deepening for a moment before they pull apart and Claudia tugs her toward the exit off the beach.

"By the way, did you know my aunt offered us her house to have sex?" she drops with a wicked look.

Laia stops dead, the tips of her ears burning, eyes wide open as if she's just stumbled on a body.

"We can't do that," she says, horrified, swatting her on the arm. "I mean, it would kill the mood completely. There's no way I could come knowing my boss is in the same house."

Claudia lets out a laugh that turns to pure music for Laia before she plants herself in front of her and puts her hands on her waist.

"I couldn't either. I only said it to see your reaction."

Laia exhales, laughing, and shakes her head, but goes serious when Claudia does too.

"I want to sleep with you. Just not today, and definitely not at her place. I want to do this right, Laia. Finish our date and go home knowing there's something waiting between us, if you want that."

"Of course I want that," she answers, completely charmed.

"Good. In that case, we'll have another date, though the next one had better be in Barcelona, just to be safe."

Laia smiles and points to the bar.

"It's right there, and I agree, better safe than sorry. Did your aunt really offer you the house for that?" she asks, still stunned.

Claudia pulls out a chair for her to sit down and leans in to kiss her cheek before pulling out her own.

"She really did."

"Wow." Laia scratches her head and then bursts out laughing. "I never would have imagined that from her. She's so serious."

"She's good." Claudia stares at a spot on the table. "She's been helping me a lot. Not just letting me stay at her place, but listening to me and giving me advice. I don't feel as lost as I did before. I'm starting to get clear on what I want, to see everything from a different angle."

"I'm glad to hear that. Sometimes all it takes is someone else's perspective, someone who sees your life from the outside, to make you realize that not everything is as dark as it seems," Laia says, and Claudia stares at her with a helpless smile.

Chapter 27