And learn all he could about tequila from the woman who was its mistress.
Cinco was such a stupid holiday—just an excuse for gringos to wear sombreros and get drunk on cheap tequila promoted by non-Mexican Hollywood douchebags.
Then, he would leave the Bay Area with no plans to return. But not because he didn’t want to. He literally would leave his heart in San Francisco. The longer he stayed here, the more he would hurt Alma.
And possibly even himself.
Alma’s dog was huffing and puffing under a bench. She was an odd-looking thing—wrinkly, pudgy, and comical. Pugs clearly were not meant to travel.
He didn’t want this day to end but he needed to create some distance between them since he wasn’t thinking clearly. “We should get back.”
“You’re right. We should.”
She rubbed his thigh and his cock jolted to attention. “Do you want to stop by my bar again? We did a tequila lesson but maybewe could work on some Spanish for your promos? And I can show you more about my favorite tequila brands.”
Yes, he wanted to. So desperately. Learning about liquor was the full reason he came here in the first fucking place.
But he had to start doing the right thing. Everything up untilthese dangerous kisses and that stupid-ass line had been questionable, but he hadn’t crossed any lines.
Just say no.
“I’d love to, but I can’t. My family is coming in tonight. We need to start figuring out what to do for the festival.”
She pulled on her hair. “Yeah, about that. Carlos will take care of everything. Don’t stress out. Just show up and we will be good.”
Jaime wished it would be that simple. “Well, I’ll see what he has planned.”
She planted a quick kiss on him. He was doomed. She was his kryptonite. He could not resist her.
A pit settled in his stomach. This could end badly. And it would be his fault.
Jaime drove back to Marin with his head spinning and it wasn’t from the one cocktail he’d had. Jaime cared enough about others and himself to never, ever drive drunk. He wasn’t even buzzed. Well, that wasn’t true. He was high on Alma.
She was smiling and laughing and singing to Becky G songs blaring on the radio that Jaime did not know the lyrics to. It was just like old times. Except it wasn’t. She wasn’t his girlfriend, and he wasn’t her boyfriend. They were awkward exes with tension between them and debilitating desire. The pressure built in his chest. This was an impossible situation. He craved her, he still loved her, but he wasn’t ready for a serious relationship. And he definitely wasn’t ready for forever. They couldn’t just have a fling.
Or maybe that is what they both wanted?
She had never said, not once, that she wanted to get back together. Quite the opposite in fact.
Maybe she just wanted to have a fling also? No, that wasn’t it at all. Jaime was clearly misinterpreting her actions. She was clearlystill deeply hurt by their past, but they both had unresolved feelings.
They needed to have a mature adult conversation. But not now. He needed to be sure what he wanted first.
He pulled up in front of Alma’s bar.
Her hand caressed his cheek. “Are you sure you can’t stop in, just for a little bit?”
No, he wasn’t sure. He wanted to throw her over his shoulder and carry her into the place like a caveman and take her from behind while she was pressed up against the bar. “I’d love to, babe. But I really do have to meet my brothers. I begged them to come to the festival, and they dropped everything to fly up here.”
“Okay. Totally. I understand. No worries. Come by the bar later and I can give you another lesson.”
Or maybe he would giveherone.
“Sounds like a plan. See you later.”
Her pink fingernails lightly scratched his jaw, causing the hair on his arms to perk straight up. Their lips met yet again, but this kiss felt different. It was an old-school kiss, as if they hadn’t just lost three years between them.
But Jaime couldn’t listen to his lips or to his heart. He didn’t think he was ready for a relationship, and he didn’t want to lead her on.
