Her head snaps up. “What? Are you serious?”
“Deadly.”
“No.”
I grit my teeth and try not to be offended by her response, even as my chest squeezes all the air from my lungs. “Why not?” It comes out angrier than I intended and her eyes narrow. I was right, a voice in the back of my mind tells me. I’m not good enough.
“Because I don’t know you. And you don’t know me. We can’t go off and get married just because we have a child together.”
“Yes, we can,” I bite out. It would make things easier, too. We’d be a family. That’s what Luis deserves. Why wouldn’t she want that? “Luis deserves both parents—”
“And he’ll have them. But I’m not going to marry someone I don’t even know—who doesn’t even like me—just because we have a child together.”
My jaw tightens. I like parts of her just fine. Her ass. Her tits. Her tight pussy. There are plenty of things I like about Bibiana, but I don’t bother voicing them aloud, already aware that isn’t what she means.
I glower at her as though my stare alone can change her mind, but she doesn’t cower. If anything, her chin lifts higher in the air.
Okay, so no marriage. For now. We’ll shelf that conversation for another day because I sure as shit am not giving up on it. My son deserves everything I never had and more. “Fine.”
She releases a breath.
“We’ll date first.” I can be reasonable. Compromising is important in a relationship. See, very reasonable.
Her blue eyes widen and she shakes her head in a definitive no.
I try not to let my annoyance show. But, why is she being so difficult? I know she’s attracted to me. We have chemistry off the charts. This is a win-win situation.
“Let me guess, you have reasons for not wanting to date me too? We’ve already fucked. Is dating really such a big leap here?”
Her lips press together and she turns her attention back to Luis who’s fallen asleep in her arms, his mouth open and her glistening nipple on full display. She covers herself up, careful not to disturb Luis before she rises to her feet. My dick twitches in my jeans and I glower down at my crotch. Now is not the fucking time.
“I’m going to lay him down in his crib. I’ll be right back.”
I suck on my teeth as I watch her all but run from the room without answering my questions.
She returns a few minutes later and I decide I’m not going to give her the easy out she clearly wants. “Date me,” I say again, ignoring my semi. I swear my dick gets excited just by her walking into a room.
She claims a seat on the sofa across from me instead of sitting beside me like before. “No.”
A muscle ticks in my jaw.
“Emilio—“ Her voice is soft and I can feel the careful let down she’s about to deliver and I don’t fucking want it. “I don’t know you.”
“Then get to know me.” That’s what dating is for, right? I’ve never done the whole exclusive thing before but I know how it works. You date before you decide to marry. I’m not missing a step here. At least I don’t think I am.
“Aren’t you seeing someone? Sarah or Kaitlyn or,” she rolls her eyes on a forced laugh, “I don’t know, half the senior class? All the girls at least.”
Is that what this is about? My reputation? I sleep around, sure. But that doesn’t mean I have to. I haven’t been with anyone since she came back. I sure as shit don’t belong to anyone else. I’ve never been exclusive with a girl. Bibiana would be the first. The only.
“No,” I deadpan. “I’m not seeing anyone. I’d like to see you. The mother of my goddamn child.” Why is this such a difficult concept for her to wrap her mind around? I know our cultures are different but we’re both Hispanic or Latino or whatever the fuck you want to call it. I’m Honduran. She’s Brazilian. Our upbringings couldn’t have been so different that she wouldn’t at least see the appeal in raising our son together. I’m trying to do the right thing here. Why is she making that so difficult?
“I don’t know you,” she repeats. Again.
“You know me well enough to let me finger-fuck you in a classroom.”
Her eyes narrow to slits.
I run my hands through my hair and try to tamp down my frustration. “Will you get to know me, then? I think our son deserves at least that much from us.”
