Page 126 of On The Edge

She rests a hand on my cheek and looks into my eyes. “Everything okay?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“Lennox didn’t surprise you with anything, did she?”

“No.” Only Kevin.

“Congratulations on the deal being done.”

“Thank you for doing this so I could get the deal done.”

She nods and tilts her head to the side, eyes narrowing at me. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yes.” I give in to the need and pull her against me. The feel of my hand on her bare back. The scent of her perfume. The need coursing through me that never seems to be sated when it comes to her. I kiss the side of her head and give myself a few more moments like this. A few more seconds where I can pretend that she’s not going to leave and that she didn’t think it was important enough to tell me. “Everything is fine.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Maddix

Talk about throwing a girl into the Navarro fire.

When Cruz said Sofia was throwing him a birthday dinner, the last person I expected to see there was Dominic Navarro. And I definitely didn’t expect to be standing before el patriarca, his wise eyes staring into mine, and an amused smile gracing his weathered but still handsome face.

“I can’t tell you how nice it was to finally get to meet you,” he says, his accent thick, his eyes scrutinizing. “And while you’re not Spanish, it seems you make mi nieto a very happy man, so I just might be able to overlook that.”

My smile widens. I take zero offense to his words and actually find them and him quite endearing.

“At least I speak Spanish,” I counter to which I receive a boisterous laugh. The man is spry for his eighties and with a personality to boot. I’ve laughed more in the last ten minutes talking to him and not a single chortle has been faked.

“That, you do,” he says, and I follow his glance across the room. He meets Cruz’s eyes—eyes that are filled with an unconditional love that makes my heart swell. At least Cruz has someone who looks at him that way. Someone he can need and admire who clearly reciprocates it.

The evening has been something of a haze. From walking in to find Sofia standing there, teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she nervously gauges if everyone’s presence would be welcome.

A part of me understands her need to try and smooth things over between her brother and their father. I’m the first person to try and fix when there is any type of discord in my family. But the other part of me thinks this was the wrong place, the wrong time. This is Cruz’s night to celebrate, not be on edge with a man he’s currently—and to be frank, always—at odds with.

He deserved this time. To let loose. To relax. To hang with his friends. And now he’s standing in the corner, drink in hand, eyes sweeping back and forth like a night watchman waiting for something bad to happen.

“It was a pleasure, Señorita Hart. Now I must get my beauty sleep. It takes a lot these days to look this good.”

“Oh stop.” I pat his arm and he laughs.

“And forgive Sofia for tonight. She’s trying her hardest to hold these two together so she has a family. It takes nerve to do that. She’s a Navarro through and through.”

“There’s no need for her to apologize for anything.”

“Good. I’m glad you see it like I do.” He motions to his nurse to come because he’s ready. “I’d like you to come to the villa soon. For our family dinner. To see the other side of who we are. Next month or the month after.”

A lump forms in my throat. I very much want that. To see Cruz with his family. To see where and who made him the man he is outside of his mother and father. But what will be of Cruz and me in a month or two? The deal will be done, will Cruz be done with us too? Will he miss his wild ways and the attention partying would bring to him?

“I’d like that very much.”

“Good. Consider it done.”

And with that, the nurse wheels el patriarca away. Cruz steps forward and squats down on his haunches to say goodbye to his grandfather. It had to have taken a lot for him to travel here to Monaco to surprise Cruz so I’m sure he’s in awe that he did that for him.

Goodbyes are said and, the minute he leaves the space of the restaurant, it’s like a vacuum occurs. The dynamo is gone and left in his wake are his family struggling to figure out how to coincide together with several of Cruz’s friends in attendance.

Before I can make my way over to Cruz and snuggle up to him, there is a loud set of voices just outside the entrance to the patio.