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“Sensible?” I mockingly interjected.
He shook his head, grinning, understanding my intentional pun. “You are that, but … always so … repressed!” he had a greataha!moment. “That’s the word! You’re always so cautious. Life is wild. It’s catching the winds, the fire, the music. Look around you, take a moment to see the beauty of your surroundings. Open your eyes. Feel the wind caress your skin. Taste the rain with the tip of your tongue. Hear the melody nature provides us. That’s what life’s about, Cara. It’s about living every. Single. Moment. You. Have,” he passionately elaborated. “You seize it with your hand, run wild with it, and you let it free you. Maybe you can learn a thing from me, cariña.”
Repressed. Uptight. Ice Queen. Detached. Icy bitch. I have heard them all. This was nothing new to me. Each person was different. We all bore our crosses in the way we saw fit. People shouldn’t project their own beliefs on others. We all varied; some similar, some contrast. But some way, somehow, we found a way to harmonize and respect one’s boundaries.
Juan had just undermined what made me the way I was. He knew nothing of my past and why I became this bounded, sometimes unfeeling person. I wasn’t born a cold, guarded pessimist. Like all babies, I, too, needed nurturing, to be loved, to be kept from harm’s way, but I’d had no such protections. No one shielded me from life’s harsh realities. My experiences molded me this way. I didn’t ask for any of this. So, for him to judge me in such a condescending manner, well, I didn’t take that lightly.
“Listen, bubba, if I needed a lecture about life, I’ll make sure to seek advice from someone else. Now, if you’re done subjecting me to your ‘carefree’ standards, can we get a move on?” I wasn’t going to apologize for the way I was, not now, not ever. This was me—take it or leave it. I couldn’t care less.
“Easy, cariña.” Juan held up his hands, as if waving his surrender, before bestowing me his disarming smile. “I meant no harm. I adore you, claws and all.”
His perception of me stung a little. Often, I’d been teased about being too suppressed. All throughout middle school and high school, they nicknamed me “Wednesday” from theAdam’s Familybecause I wore black on most days, I rarely smiled, and was dead bitchy when grated the wrong way. Sure, I wasn’t all that friendly, but I couldn’t care less. The wider and bigger my barriers were erected, the better for me. I had been subjected to all levels of bullying, yet I never lashed out. River was the only person who kept me grounded. He kept me sane. He protected me from the people who intended to do me harm. He was there, standing guard, until the bullies dispersed and left me be. He was my stoic knight, protecting me always.
“Whatever, Juan,” I muttered as I yanked my door open. But before my foot landed on the gravel, Juan had already rounded the car and held the door for me. He probably suspected he hit a raw nerve, because I caught him cautiously peeking at me, wary and unsure of himself.
Juan Torres was a lot of things, butunsuredefinitely wasn’t one of them.
I murmured my thanks as I slid out of the vehicle.
Upon closing the door, Juan appeared tense and unusually quiet. I stood inches from him, and in the dimmed lighting, his gorgeous dark looks became profoundly pronounced.
“If you have something to say, just say it. I’m not going to bite.”
Juan tilted his head, his serious face replaced with a knowing smirk, illuminating his handsome features. “I love it when you bite me. My neck is pretty sensitive, you see.” He grinned wickedly, sending a battalion of butterflies in my gut.
The sex scenes. I always left him with red marks from the scratching and biting. Even Martin Lombardo previously remarked how my passionate nature knew no bounds. For Juan to address that was a little humiliating.
Red-faced and mortified, I smacked my purse on his shaped arm. “Stop it!” I groaned out, chagrined.
I was about to whack it again when he caught it in a tight grip, catching me off guard.
We stilled for a moment, eye to eye, before we broke into a string of laughter. This whole thing seemed silly … up until I felt him casually wrap his arms around my waist, hugging me from behind.
My heart went into a frantic tizzy as I softly panted, his smell assaulting my senses. I could feel the hard, frantic pounding of his heart on the back of my shoulder. The very smell of him, so close, so near … everything went haywire, an attraction so acute I felt hysterical, faint, conflicted from what he evoked within me.
His soft lips hovered around my ear. Hot breath grazed my skin, making my nipples unconsciously harden from his alluring proximity. “I live for your smiles, Cara. Try not to deprive me of them.”
Before I had the chance to react, Juan had already untangled his arms from my body. He took a step back with his lips slightly ajar, aroused, just as I was. “We should hurry, or we’ll be late for our appointment.”
My senses reeled from the swiftness of his transition as if someone just doused me with a bucket of iced water, lifting the sexual fog Juan had just cast upon me.
“Okay,” I heard myself murmur, bewildered from my shameless reaction to his touch.
He led the way to the Basilica. We both simmered in our own conflicting thoughts when the gargantuan beauty came into view. My lips slightly parted as my eyes took her in. A majestic sight just as imagined it would be.
I stood there, looking up at the sheer magnificence, taking in the intricate sculpted designs and the meticulous way this entire building was built. This was done with pure laboring dedication.
The guide named Josefa stood right outside the iron gates. She warmly greeted us, quietly commenting that this was rather unusual, but the order came from one of the senior members of their council, and such requests had to be granted.
Upon learning that fact, I quickly sidelong glanced at Juan, but his attention was set on the guide.
Josefa was a timid young woman in her late twenties with large spectacles that covered most of her face. It was the biggest eyeglasses I had seen anyone wear, so I might’ve stared more than I needed to. She, however, didn’t seem to mind.
There were a few armed guards patrolling the grounds, clearly exhibiting the great importance of this massively acclaimed work of art. They warmly welcomed us as we passed them.
Juan had previously arranged a late night tour. I was convinced he had to pull a lot of strings for such a grand gesture. Though I wouldn’t admit it out loud, I was touched. He knew I had little time in the city, yet he was pulling all the stops to make it worth my while.
Yes, I was undoubtedly impressed.
