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“Nah, I’ll have the sloth one.”
The guy’s brows shoot up, but he doesn’t comment as he hands me the toy. With a thank you, we move away from the stand.
“C’mon, I’ll carry it for you.”
I clutch the stuffed animal closer to my chest. “I can carry it myself.”
Miguel rolls his eyes at me. “I’m not going to steal it. For that matter, you can take this one too.”
I eye him carefully. “I was wondering why you’d pick that one.”
Miguel looks at his stuffed animal. “Because you’d pick him. You always asked for the most hideous one on the shelf.”
“Because nobody ever picked them. I always felt bad, so I’d take them home with me.”
“You always did have a soft spot for misfits.” He gives me a knowing look, and that tightening inside my chest grows stronger.
“I guess I did.”
Not only did I have a soft spot for misfits, I had a soft spot forhim.
Don’t go there,the little voice at the back of my head warns me.He’s leaving soon.
I knew that.
But I also knew there was no stopping this thing between us.
It was foolish to think otherwise.
Foolish to believe I stood any chance of protecting my heart from falling all over again for Miguel Fernandez.
“Can we have that food now?” Miguel’s question breaks meout of my thoughts. He bats his eyelashes exaggeratedly, and I let out a soft chuckle.
“We can have food now.”
So that’s what we do. We get food from what feels like every stand out there, so we can try a little bit of everything and eat to the point I might actually puke, but since everything is so tasty, I just can’t help myself. I had to try it all. Then, we stroll through the fair for a little while longer. Miguel challenges me to drive the bumper cars, after which I insist that I want to ride on the merry-go-round, and finally, when the night descends, we go on the Ferris wheel, my head resting on his shoulder as we watch the faint lights of the surrounding area illuminate the earth the higher we climb.
“Today was nice,” I admit softly. “Thank you for taking me.”
His thumb skims over the back of my hand in soothing circles. “You’re welcome. I had fun, too.”
“Even when I beat your ass?”
“Even when you beat my ass.” Miguel’s chest rumbles with laughter.
I glance up at him, our gazes meeting. He lifts his free hand, cupping my cheek, as his mouth falls on mine. The kiss is slow and tender. It’s a kiss of two lovers who’ve known each other for a long time. Two soulmates who know the deepest, darkest parts of the other person, and they love them regardless.
With one final swipe of our mouth, we pull back. I graze my teeth over my lower lip, still able to feel the taste of him on my tongue.
“This doesn’t mean I won’t collect on my reward.”
“Oh, I know.” Miguel flashes me a smile. “Actually, I’m counting on it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
MIGUEL
Red:
