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Authors: Laurie Larsen

Tags: #romance, #love, #multicultural, #contemporary, #hispanic

Inner Diva (9 page)

BOOK: Inner Diva
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He considered. “She can, but she doesn’t very
often.”

Monica nodded, understanding. Mrs. Garcia
didn’t have the free time it would take to concoct dishes like
this. “Have you ever brought her here? I’m sure she’d enjoy
it.”

He shook his head, but didn’t speak. She
looked up at him and saw he was taking notice of something across
the room. Following his gaze, she saw a beautiful olive-skinned
woman approaching, an enticing grin on her face. Her hair was the
biggest, wildest thing on her – her body was very tight and small,
and her clothes were too.

“Do you know her?” Monica asked softly, and
he nodded.

The woman swaggered to their table, her hips
shimmying. Monica wondered how she could balance on pencil-thin
stiletto heels. “Carlos,” the woman purred through a big-toothed
smile. “
Como estas
?”

“Gloria.” He stayed seated, his gaze
containing a touch of coolness.

“Haven’t seen you in awhile.” Her eyes locked
with his and Monica was quite sure she hadn’t noticed Carlos had a
dining companion. Or cared.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Carlos scooted his
chair an inch or two in Monica’s direction, then casually took her
hand in his.

The move was not missed by Gloria, who
suddenly looked down her nose at Monica and frowned. “Hello,” she
said, the ice in her voice giving Monica a shiver.

“Hi.”

The woman’s gaze slid over to Carlos and her
mouth returned to a smile, although now it seemed forced. “So,
whatcha been up to?”

“Working.” He turned his head slowly to face
Monica and said his next words in a sexy drawl. “And other things.”
With that, he tugged on Monica’s hand and rested it on his chest
while he landed his lips behind her ear, on the edge of her
hairline. He may have whispered something, Monica was unsure; she
was so intent on enjoying the shuddering warmth he unleashed in
her.

If this man could make her shiver with desire
just by putting his lips behind her ear, what could he accomplish
if he put his lips elsewhere?

She let her head fall back and he took the
opportunity to move his kisses to her neck. She gasped and giggled,
unaware of anything around her for the moment, other than
Carlos.

Until she heard an exasperated huff and
looked up at Gloria. The woman glared, her lips puckered and arms
crossed. She focused on Carlos. “All right, Carlos. I get it.” She
twirled and marched away, her hair bouncing around her
shoulders.

Through her margarita-induced fog, Monica
recognized what had just happened. This Gloria had a thing for
Carlos and he chased her away by making the moves on Monica. When
had that ever happened to her before? Never, that’s when. It made
her feel strangely … desirable.

“Was she …?”

“An ex who needed to get the message.” He
scraped his chair away to give them a little more space, holding
tight to her hand. “I’m sorry about that,
carina
. I had no
idea she’d be here. I hope she didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

Monica shook her head. She hadn’t minded. In
fact, she was flattered. Imagine, a guy using Monica to make
another girl jealous. That was a role she’d never played in her
life.

 

Several hours later, Monica was having a
marvelous time. A mariachi band in the corner dispensed brass
rat-a-tat-tat notes into the air. The music pounded her eardrums,
so loud that normal conversation was impossible. Carlos held out
his hand. “Want to dance?”

“To this?” Monica shouted.

He nodded, a grin lighting his face. They
rose and he guided her elbow as they walked to an empty spot on the
floor.

She tried, she really did. But the
combination of tequila and unfamiliar music made it difficult to
move her body in any sort of graceful rhythm. Carlos’ laugh tickled
her ear and more than once he steadied her when she lost her
balance.

Carlos danced well, however. She watched
while his hips ground in a tight circle in time to the brass music.
He twirled her across the floor with a strong hand and she put
herself entirely in his control. He guided her in the movements she
needed to make to complement his own. The band members shouted
their encouragement over the microphone and the music took up a
permanent “pound-pound-pound” in her ears. She tripped over her
foot and stumbled. Carlos’s steady arm came around her waist and
supported her.


Carina
, I better get you home. I
think you’ve had enough.”

She practically floated to Carlos’ car. On
their way across town, Monica’s soused imagination raced to all
kinds of possibilities of what came next. On dates with other women
she was quite sure what would come next for Carlos. A special dance
between a man and a woman, performed not on a tile floor, but
between satin sheets.

Carlos darted a startled glance in her
direction. “Are you all right?”

Monica looked at him, curious. “Huh?”

“You just let out the most devious giggle
I’ve ever heard.”

Oh, my. She never could hold her liquor.
She’d better get control of herself or she’d be spouting out every
thought in her head. And that was not advisable, considering all
she could think about was him. She settled back into the seat,
concentrating on the road ahead.

“So what was your favorite dish?”

“The tamales,” she answered, throwing out the
first food word that came to mind. “How about yours?”

As he answered, she watched him grip the
wheel and her errant imagination drifted to how those hands could
pleasure her, make her body writhe and experience feelings she’d
never had before. Sure, it wasn’t in her normal repertoire, but it
was a special night. Why couldn’t she allow herself one really
fabulous night of passion for once in her dull, conservative life?
A hot tremor skittered through her.

Carlos moved his hand to her leg, just above
her knee. His touch burned her, even through the fabric of her
pants. Imagine what he could do with bare skin.

When they reached her front steps, he
captured her hand. “I had a really good time tonight. Thanks for
going out with me.”

As she gazed up at him, she knew she would
never have her one scandalous night with this beautiful Adonis
unless she let him know she wanted one. Why not throw caution to
the wind? She stepped closer to him. “Would you like to come in? I
have a bottle of wine we could share.”

“No, that’s okay. I think we’ve both had
enough alcohol for one night.”

“Or coffee. I could make coffee if you don’t
want wine.”

He smiled and shook his head. Monica felt a
churn of irritation. His rejection was getting in the way of her
spur of the moment plans.

Carlos leaned down and brushed his lips on
hers, a soft caress that grew into an urgent lip lock. She breathed
in his scent and tasted the remnants of margaritas and spices. She
brushed his hair back from his face and rested her fingers on his
cheek. His closeness left her heart pounding, her groin tingling
and her knees feeling like they could give out at any moment.


Carina.”
He tugged at her chin,
forcing her to look up and meet his eyes. “I’d like to come
in.”

She frowned. “But you said, …”

He released a quick breath and moved his
hands to her shoulders, rubbing them gently. “Believe me, I’d like
to spend more time with you tonight. Let things develop, see what
happens.” His voice had deepened to a breathtaking whisper for her
ears only on her step in the coolness of the night.

She blushed, understanding. And realizing
full well there was nothing she’d like more, either.

“But what’s the rush? Let’s take this slow.”
His hand traveled from her shoulder to her neck, then slid under
her hair, cupping her head. “Do it right.”

She nodded. She knew he’d done it enough to
know how to do it right. And to show her, too. “Okay,” she said,
trying to listen to his words.

“So, when can I see you again?”

Her eyes opened a little wider. “Again?”
Maybe when he was talking about going slow and doing it right, he
wasn’t referring to … what she thought he’d been referring to.

“Would you like to go out again?” He gazed at
her patiently and her heart melted.

“I’d love to.” Even though there were a
million reasons not to, he was hot and gorgeous, and she had more
than a passing attraction to him. She knew she’d be in way over her
head going out with a guy like him, because he came from a
different world. “I’m available Wednesday night, I believe.”

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her again,
this time a soft, lingering connection that caused her heart to
skip a beat or two. “Wednesday it is. I’ll call you.”

 

Carlos drove, his grip on the wheel, his mind
on Monica. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized
there was no comparison between Monica and Angela. Sure, on the
surface, they were similar. They both were smart women who had
promising careers and lots of options. But tonight, he saw Monica’s
fun-loving side, first-hand. She could relax and have fun. She was
not all business 100% of the time.

Monica also had a humble side. She seemed
downright insecure at times, although he had no idea why. With all
the accomplishments she had under her belt, she should know that
whatever she attempted, she would succeed. Yet, she seemed to need
reassurance. Another way she was opposite of Angela.

Running into his old flame, Gloria, was like
shining a spotlight on the differences between Monica and the type
of women he dated prior to falling in love with Angela. Gloria was
his typical pre-Angela type – flashy, sexy, sassy. Monica was far
from it. Sure, Monica was beautiful in her own way. In a way that
wasn’t quite as apparent to everyone, like with a Gloria.

Monica’s beauty was like a treasure hunt,
only granted as a reward to those few special hunters who were
patient and diligent enough to find the prize. Her chestnut hair,
her slight figure, her brown eyes and her lips – just a little too
big for her face. She didn’t wear clothes to flaunt her shape, but
she could. The fact she didn’t proved she wasn’t interested in
attracting the masses.

Which is why her invitation at her doorway
surprised him. He’d admired her all evening. The way she conducted
herself proved what he already suspected – she was a classy lady.
The last thing he wanted to do was blow his chance at a real
relationship with her by having a meaningless one-night stand. As
difficult as it had been to turn down what she offered him, he
suspected it was the alcohol that was behind it. Monica would
regret it in the morning, he was sure of that.

He pulled to the curb in front of the house
he shared with Mama and Luisa, jumped out and headed toward the
door. The fact that he wanted a relationship with Monica at all,
after the heart break left by Angela, surprised him. It wasn’t easy
sex he wanted with Monica, but something more lasting.

He tossed his keys up and caught them in his
other hand. He was in for a very interesting ride, he could
tell.

 

 

 

Chapter Six

 

At work, Monica discovered that her fumblings
with the botched advertising presentation hadn’t cost the theater
the funding from the Board. After some deliberation, the Chairman
called Monica and told her the Board had voted and approved the
funding. They wanted Monica to lead the campaign team. In fact,
anything she needed, she would be granted to help her be
successful. Evidently, her reputation had not been trampled after
all.

After a moment of shock, Monica gratefully
accepted the challenge. She spent the rest of the morning calling
the volunteers and asking for their commitment to bring the
advertising to fruition. She scheduled their first meeting for five
o’clock to discuss their goals and brainstorm.

At lunch time, butterflies churned in her
stomach and a rather insane idea popped into her head. She
straightened her desk, flipped off her light and headed out to her
car. Refusing to quash her spontaneity, she headed to the deli and
ordered two club sandwiches, two bags of chips and two bottles of
iced tea.

The mechanic shop sat on a corner with a tiny
parking lot, jam-packed with cars. Painful dents and gashes
provided a hint to what some of these vehicles had been through.
Monica shivered and sat in her own car, uncertain now if she should
leave its safe environs. The neighboring buildings groaned with
neglect and the shop looked a little dark, despite its lights being
on. Monica pulled into an open parking spot across the street and
sat, watching the building.

Taking a deep breath, Monica pushed past her
apprehension. She’d come to surprise Carlos, and surprise him she
would. She cradled her bag of food in her arms and pushed herself
out of the car, locking it.

She trotted across the street, avoiding a mud
puddle, remnants of a recent rain. She pushed through the front
door and let her eyes adjust to the interior. She breathed in and
the scent of oil and grease assaulted her nostrils. No one occupied
the front desk and she stood there a moment, uncertain how to
announce her arrival. She moved closer to the front counter and
peeked behind it, through a narrow doorway. Several men worked on
engines in the next room.

This was Carlos’ world. He came here every
day and made his living. She craned her neck, trying to locate him
in the room beyond, but the doorway’s width didn’t allow it.

She cleared her throat, trying to capture the
attention of a man in the back room. His head and shoulders leaned
into an engine and all she could see was the bottom half of him
sticking out. He didn’t hear her.

She glanced around and saw a little silver
bell on the desk. She rang it. One ring wasn’t enough so she rang
it again, and finally the mechanic with his head in the engine
pulled out, looked over to where she stood and waved. She let her
lips curl into a closed-mouth smile.

BOOK: Inner Diva
9.97Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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