Page 71 of The Devil In Disguise

“No, we’re okay in—"

“Actually, why don’t you give me a hand in here,” her mom cuts her off. Amaris tries—and fails—to protest, but her mother quickly shares a knowing glance with her husband and he takes Amaris with him to set up the table, leaving just her mom with me.

We work together seamlessly and after a short conversation, I see a lot of where Amaris gets her stubbornness and charm from. The one thing that has been blatantly clear from the moment I entered is how much they love their daughter. Her mother—Natalie, as she insists I call her—oozes pure love when Amaris is mentioned.

We all have dinner as a family and it feels nice. I can’t remember the last time I had a meal with people. We talk and laugh. I hear embarrassing stories from Amaris’ childhood and she throws me under the bus about my art hobby. Instead of dismissing it, they ask questions and seem genuinely interested. Once it’s time for dessert, it becomes obvious where Amaris got her baking skills from.

At the end of the night, they offer to let me stay the night and I take them up on it. Amaris and I watch movies until she dozes off and I carry her to her room, feeling my heart full of warmth for the first time ever.

Chapter 29

Waking up with Amaris in my arms is something I know I will never tire of. Even in her sleep, she gravitates towards me. I suck in a breath when she shifts her bare ass over my dick. It’s covered by my boxers, but that does nothing to hide how ready I am for her before I’m fully awake. The pink nightgown she chose to wear last night was impossibly short—I’m sure she was working overtime to tease and taunt me, but I wouldn’t break.

I don’t remember a time I have ever allowed anyone to truly intimidate me. However, her father only had to give me a two-second pointed look before bed for me to understand where my bounds are. If he hadn’t, I still don’t think I would have tried to fuck Amaris last night or any other time we are in her parents’ house. We haven’t been together since the shitshow she had to witness at Seraphina Hall. Just thinking about it is enough to make me sick. We have all the time in the world as long as we’re together. At the very least, I owe her parents respect in return for their hospitality and kindness.

Something no one has ever shown me aside from my own mother before she passed.

Was murdered. By her own husband while I was sleeping.

It should have been Renato who died that night.

Amaris turns over, starting to wake up when she pins me with those dazzling, sleepy eyes. I tuck her messy hair behind her ear and instantly smile down at her, whispering a gravely, “Good morning, beautiful.”

Mama would have loved her. Sadly, there isn’t much I remember about Mama, but that I know for a fact.

“Good morning, amor mio.” She sighs then closes her eyes again. I respond with a kiss on her forehead. My dick responds by twitching in my boxers like it always does when she speaks to me in Spanish.

“Don’t go back to sleep, we have plans today.”

At that she rolls away from me, and with her face in the pillow, she speaks muffled, “Last I checked, I didn’t make any plans today.”

Pulling her shoulder down so that she’s lying on her back, I swing my leg over her and look down at her with both hands on either side of her head. She refuses to open her eyes, so I lean down and kiss each of them before speaking.

“I seem to have forgotten a step.” Clearing my voice and making it deep but playful, I ask, “Baby, will you let me take you out on our first date?”

Her eyes pop open with surprise and a spark of giddiness. “I thought our first date was that party at the estate?” she throws at me.

Typical Amaris, responding to my question with a question of her own. The reminder of that night and what that party stood for fills my veins with a dark type of anger that I push down.

“Fuck that estate and that night. We are starting fresh, today. So, what do you say?” I look into her eyes, willing a yes out of those pretty lips with my eyes.

“Okay.” She beams that gorgeous smile at me and it’s a shot of serotonin to my heart. “What are we doing today, then?”

Trying to contain my own wide smile, I play it off with a smirk. “It’s a surprise. Get dressed in anything you feel comfortable in.”

Rolling my body off of hers, she shoots me a death glare. I know my little fox loves to be in control, that’s just something we are going to have to work on.

Knowing she will stay in bed until I get up, that is exactly what I do, dragging her off with me. We brush our teeth together and it feels like something out of one of those romantic movies. She is still getting ready by the time I finish, so I join her mother out in the kitchen for breakfast while I wait.

Natalie is telling me a story of her late mother when Amaris decides to join us. She tells me how she passed on certain recipes to her, mostly how her Dominican cooking was the best in the neighborhood and no one could ever compare, even after she showed Natalie how to make every meal. Her deep, green eyes shone with so much love and fondness, only a small hint of grief swimming around.

Amaris is in a casual outfit, indeed. Denim jeans and a tight, gray crop top with her signature jacket over it, the same gray as my Henley—the only difference in our outfits are that my jeans are dark where hers are a light blue. Her hair is out and proud, just how I love it. She never has to try too hard, she never looks anything short of perfect.

The only goddess I will spend the rest of my days worshiping is her.

Natalie quickly makes three plates of what they call Mangú, Tres Golpes. There are a few slices of cooked salami and cheese, an egg, and a side of something that looks like mashed potatoes, but instead of potatoes, it’s plantains and something else with an onion garnish. All I know is that this smells absolutely mouthwatering.

“This is an authentic Dominican breakfast, Kylo. I’m not sure if you have had something like this before, but I do hope you enjoy it,” Natalie beams as she takes the seat across from Amaris and myself.

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