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“No, but I think it might have given you the wrong impression. It’s no secret that we Garzas are a pretty stubborn lot, and I’ll admit that even after Roman proved himself to be an okay guy, I held onto the idea that he wasn’t for a lot longer than I should have.”
“No lies detected,” Camila said. “And he’s so much better than anokayguy.”
Matteo tipped his head in concession. “It might take me a while to get my head all the way around that, but here’s one thing I know for sure. He’s stubborn and a pain in the ass when he thinks he’s right, and that makes him pretty perfect for you.”
“Aw, you sure know how to flatter a girl,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Believe it or not, it is flattery. You’re tenacious as hell. Sometimes, that gets you into trouble or leads you to a wrong turn, but you’re still brave enough to go there, knowing things might not work out.” He paused, giving Camila a second to process the shock pumping through her at his words. “I know you think we baby you, and sometimes…yeah, we do. We worry that one of those mis-steps will get you hurt, and we want to protect you from that. But we don’t baby you because we don’t think you’re capable. We do it because we don’t want to see you get hurt. You’ve more than proven yourself, Camila. I’m proud to be your brother, and I’m proud ofyou.”
Tears pricked Camila’s eyes, and she reached out to shove Matteo’s shoulder. “Ugh, don’t make me cry,” she said, laughing away the tears a second later as he dragged her into a hug that ended in an overly enthusiastic head-ruffle.
“So, you’re really crazy about him, huh?” Matteo asked, sending a look into the kitchen, where their mother was currently laughing at something Roman had said.
Her heart swelled, her smile growing so big, it nearly hurt. “Yeah. I’m really crazy about him.”
“It might take some getting used to,” Matteo said. “You’re still my little sister, after all. But I’ve gotta give him credit. He didn’t even blink whenmamitold him to get in the kitchen, so he must be really crazy about you, too.”
The rest of the evening went by in a series of highly spirited conversations, at least a half dozen family stories dug out from the Garza family archive for Roman’s benefit, and so many tamales that Camila was sure she’d burst. Although her family dished up the good-natured ribbing that always came with a gathering, it felt gentler than usual, borne more out of love and affection than disdain. Roman took all the noise and laughter and over-the-top teasing in stride, engaging with not only the adults but every one of Camila’s nieces and nephews, too, sitting on the couch to watch a few minutes of Moana and even holding Marianna’s baby as the little guy fell asleep.
Roman was his usual quiet self in the midst of all the chaos, taking in far more than he gave out, but he was right there at Camila’s side for the whole evening. By the time the peach cobbler (delicioso!herpapihad proclaimed, and even Matteo had had seconds) and the tres leches cake her mother had made were gone, Camila could no longer deny it.
Her heart was full, and it was all because of Kai Roman.
“I cannot believe my mother offered to teach you the entire tamale-making process after just one family dinner,” Camila said as they walked, arm in arm, up to his townhouse.
“Okay, but to be fair, I missed out on makingallthe fillings,” Roman said. “And I’m not even going to pretend I’m not dying to know what she did to that chicken to get it so tender. Don’t get me started on the carnitas, because I’m pretty sure there’s magic involved.”
Camila laughed, letting him usher her over the threshold before watching him follow her through the door, then return the deadbolt to the locked position and set the alarm. “Well, after how well that went, I’m starting to believe in magic.”
“Yeah,” Roman said, his expression turning wistful. “I haven’t been in the kitchen like that in a long time.”
Camila’s heart squeezed, and she moved over to the spot where Roman stood to fold him into her arms. “That must have been bittersweet for you. I know you spent a lot of time in your mother’s kitchen, cooking with her.”
“It was a little hard,” Roman admitted. “But it also made me realize what I’m missing. First thing tomorrow, I’m going to call my old man. We’re long overdue for a visit, and the truth is, my mother would be spitting mad if she knew I’d put it off for so long.”
“Well, I’m glad my crazy family could use their powers for good.”
“Your mother said something to me that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about,” Roman said, pulling back to look at her in the soft glow of the light he’d kept on so they wouldn’t return to a dark house. “She said we were lucky to have found each other. But I think the luck is all mine.”
Camila’s pulse tripped. “Are you forgetting that you literally saved my life?”
“And you saved mine right back,” he said, pinning her with a stare so intense and full of emotion, she felt it in her chest. “Before you, I was just going through the motions, too afraid to let myself feel anything because I thought it put me at risk. And I guess it does. But I’d fight all the risk in the world for just one day with you. I don’t care if it’s crazy, or risky, or impulsive. I love you, Camila.”
Shock widened her eyes, her heart moving all the way up her throat. But that same heart belonged to him, so she said, “I love you, too. God, I love you so much.”
Their mouths met slowly, as if time and the rest of the world and everything in it didn’t exist. Camila pressed her lips to his, savoring the softness of his skin, the slow, sweet pressure that let her take in every nuance. Roman pressed back, matching her exploration. This kiss wasn’t a precursor for anything hotter or hungrier that might follow. No, it was it’s own thing entirely, a combination of their breath and closeness and want that Camila could have happily lived in forever. Roman’s tongue dipped into her mouth, making a sound rise from the back of her throat, and oh, God, she didn’t just want him. She wanted him forever.
“Take me to bed,” Camila whispered, a dark thrill sliding through her as he broke their kiss to grab her hand and lead her up the stairs, into his bedroom. She kissed him again as if they hadn’t stopped, taking in every detail. The slight scrape of his five o’clock shadow on her chin. The feel of his lips, so soft and hot on hers. She kissed Roman slowly, memorizing every part of his mouth, lips, and tongue with hers, until finally, he broke from her with an exhale.
“Fuck, Camila. I want you so much,” he said, kissing a trail from her jaw down her neck.
Her body lit up, burning hotter at every touch. “I’m yours,” she promised.
They undressed each other in a handful of adept tugs and twists. Roman looked at her in the moonlight and ambient streetlight filtering in through the blinds, his light brown eyes glittering with need Camila would give anything to fill.
“I’m yours,” she whispered again, her nipples tingling and going tight at the moan grating up from his chest.
Roman responded with a kiss so hard and deep, she nearly lost her breath. Wrapping one arm around her shoulder and the other moving around the back of her rib cage, he walked her backward until her legs hit the side of the bed. They tumbled to the mattress in a flurry of kisses and tangled limbs, Roman rolling her to her back to give himself full access to her body. He bracketed her shoulders with both hands, bringing his body flush with hers from chest to belly to hips for one slow, sexy moment before kissing a trail down her neck. The open-mouthed glide sent tremors of heat down her spine, wetness gathering between her legs as he made his way over her breasts, lingering for a long minute on one nipple before moving across her belly.
