Page 10 of The Green Card Baby Deal

No, he didn’t want her to come with him because she was impaired. He wanted her to come with him because not doing so would haunt her dreams for years. She would always wonder how well that stranger at the bar would have loved her. She would see him one day on the news or some morning show interview and pine away for the idea of a man she’d only met once. And he didn’t want to haunt her dreams. He wanted to be her dream come true.

“Clara,” he said, helping her to balance and loving the way she leaned into him. “Clara, I want you to spend the night with me. Will you?”

She nodded dreamily, her eyes still hungry for him.

“But I want you sober before I take you to bed.”

Again, she nodded.

“Will you walk with me and trust me to keep you safe?”

“Sure.” She laughed and slapped his arm. “You seem like a regular gentleman.”

She was slurring her words a bit, and Luis took note of it. He would spoil her rotten, woo her and tease her until she was sober. And then he would give her the kind of pleasure that a night of drunkenness couldn’t begin to compete with.

CHAPTER 6

CLARA

The night was chilly, so Luis gave Clara his coat as they walked away from the taxi. “Oh, he’s a true gentleman, is he?” Clara said, teasing him.

“I should hope that was obvious before you agreed to walk out into the night alone with me.”

She winked at him and they continued along the path she had chosen. The park was her favorite in the city, and at night was no exception. It always felt safe and well lit, and only a little eerie. The views of the bridge from the raised gardens were spectacular. Clara had always wanted to take a date here, but they usually insisted on going to their own favorite places. One even joked that he preferred to do his hunting on familiar turf. Clara had not found it funny.

“So…” She began an attempt at small talk. “You bought a brewery, so we know you have money. Are you a tech start-up guy?”

“That’s a great guess, considering, but no. I started in breweries. Buying Dog Days was me trying to get back to my roots. That first beer you hated was one of mine.”

She stopped and turned to face him, her cheeks burning with shame. She should have kept her big mouth shut. But how could she have known he owned Morales Beers? Who would even guess such a thing. “You’re kidding, right?” She could hope, but his answer left no more room for doubt.

“Not even a little. That’s why I ordered it for you. I wanted to see whether you liked it.”

“I’m so sorry. I would have been gentler had I known?—”

“Please don’t apologize,” he said. “I so rarely get a truly honest opinion. It was refreshing. I loved it.”

She bit her lips and blushed even harder. “Ah, well… I guess, you’re welcome, then? That sounds wrong.”

“It shouldn’t.” He led her to a fountain and sat on one of the wooden benches encircling it. “Sit with me awhile.”

“Okay.” She sat beside him and leaned back, looking at the stars. For some reason, they seemed even brighter than usual, despite the light pollution from the surrounding scenery. “I always thought I’d like to take my kids to this park one day.” She let out a bitter chuckle. “Now it’s just depressing. Maybe I should have picked a different place.”

“Nonsense,” Luis said. “You just have to make other great memories here. And then, one day, when you’ve got those kids, you can tell them all about the man you brought here on a spontaneous date and how you’ve never have had a better date, not even with their own father.”

Clara rolled her eyes with a smile. “If I use a donor, I won’t even know their father.” The she stopped and frowned. “The thing is, I never wanted to be a single mother. It’s a lot of work, and I’ll be the one supporting us. That’s a lot of pressure. I won’t really have that much time to spend with a child, will I? But a little time is better than no time, isn’t it? Or is it?” She groaned and buried her face in her hands. “I’m never going to do anything right, am I? Not even motherhood. And that’s supposed to be instinctive.”

“Ah, sweet Clara.” Luis’s voice was more soothing than she’d expected it to me. “You are worrying over something that hasn’t even happened yet. This is no way to go through life.”

Clara heaved a deep sigh and squeezed his hand. “If you have any advice for how to shut that worry off, I’m here for it. I can’t seem to control it.”

“Oh, I have advice.” She turned to look at him, and the glint in his eyes was pure fire. “It’s just better if I show you.” He leaned in, touched his forehead to hers for a split second, and then he kissed her.

It was an electric, toe-curling kind of kiss, and Clara felt her whole body melt when he slipped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her closer. She couldn’t help grabbing the folds of his shirt to ground herself, only it didn’t work. She was high as a kite on his kiss and his touch. Despite the chill in the air, her body felt hot against his. He was gorgeous, well dressed, and apparently an excellent kisser to boot.

He pulled back for a second and looked into her eyes, but she couldn’t stand the distance between them, even though it was just an inch. She pushed forward and kissed him again, slowly sliding closer and closer until he was nearly on his lap. She couldn’t recall ever wanting a man this much, and if the quiet sounds coming from him were any indication, he wanted her just as badly.

The magic was broken when a skateboarding teenager passed by and shouted, “Get a room, freaks!”

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