His breath caught when she didn’t resist. Her warm, alcohol-sweet breath mingled with his. Their proximity felt like gravity at war with sanity.
Sofia studied him. Her brown eyes fluttered slightly, and then—
“I love the color of your eyes. And your smile. And your curls. And if we havefakekids, I want them to look like you.”
Joder. Joder. Joder.
He blinked. Speechless.
She had no idea what kind of emotional nuclear bomb she’d just dropped. Because yeah, he’d have babies with her. Right here, right now, if she asked. But his fucking morals had him holding the line.
“Thanks,” he whispered, voice rough with feeling. “And I’d love for them to look like you.”
Sofia blushed, then buried her face in his chest like she was hiding from her own words. He held her tighter, stroking her back.
She mumbled something into his shirt.
Then, without warning, turned her face to the side and vomited into the sand.
Okay. That was the cue.
“Alright, Drunk Sofia. Let’s go home.”
“I’mSofia,” she whined.
“Yes, you are.” He scooped her up easily, one arm under her knees, the other behind her back. She curled into him again like she was exactly where she belonged.
“Please don’t throw up on me.”
“Not sure I can promise that,” she mumbled.
Ilias laughed softly, but his heart was thundering.
Was this it? Was she warming up to him? Was the kiss real? Was it really hers to give, not just an excuse for their PR stunt?
He didn’t know. But he wanted to believe. And if, on top of winning Snapper Rocks, he somehow won Sofia too? Then this wouldn’t just be one of the best days of his life. It would be the start of something he’d been aching for since the moment he saw her.
25
SOFIA
Love Can Grow – Declan J Donovan
Her head was pounding.
Waking up, she stared at the cream ceiling of a room that wasn’t hers. Propping herself on her elbows, she took in the elegant cream tones, wood accents, and woven textures, then spotted the ocean behind the pale curtains.
Right. Snapper Rocks. Not Ericeira.
Memories slowly rolled in, like rewinding a VHS tape—vomiting between Ilias’ arms. Hugging Ilias. Laughing with Ilias. Singing ABBA with Alejandra and Amira like she was back in college, without a single worry in sight.
Well, she never actually went to college with Alejandra or Amira, but judging by the state of her skull, it would’ve been fun as hell.
Voices echoed from downstairs, but before joining the circle and shamefully trying to excuse her behavior—por dios,drunk at thirty-two—she needed a shower.
Padding into the bathroom, she took her time. Screw the environment. She needed to wash off the shame and the lingering slime of alcohol. Something stupid had definitely come out of her mouth last night, she could feel it in her bones.
She pulled on a pair of denim shorts over her swimsuit and let her hair air-dry as she walked barefoot downstairs.
