Page 68 of My December Darling

Catalina places her cup on the table, pushes Aiden aside, and wraps her arms around my waist. “Thank you.”

I hold her firmly against my chest. “You’re welcome.”

She tilts her head back so I can get a good look at her eyes. “When did you start baking?”

“Aiden’s mom suggested trying it out to reduce stress, and turns out it works.”

She lets out a soft laugh. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“I’m just glad what I made is edible. It’s my first time trying out that particular recipe.”

“It’s more than edible. It’samazing.” Her eyes light up. “My grandma would’ve loved it.” She pulls away from my embrace all too soon. “I appreciate you going through the trouble of making it.”

“See, I wanted to impress this girl…”

Aiden chokes on a laugh, and I elbow him in the ribs hard enough to make him stop.

“I have a feeling she is more than impressed.”

“Are they flirting? It’s hard to tell,” Gabriela whispers loudly behind me.

“I’m starting to understand why Luke has spent the last couple of years single.”

I flip him off, making someone nearby gasp.

Catalina flashes me a smile. “Do you want to go outside and get some air?”

“Hell yes.”

Catalina ignores Aiden and Gabriela’s commentary as she reaches for my hand and pulls me away from the crowd. I follow her out of the house and onto the warm, empty bus.

“Be honest with me. Was it really that good or?—”

Catalina cuts my question off with a searing kiss that makes my breath hitch. One of her hands wraps around my neck, securing me while the other presses against my pounding heart.

I grip her hips to hold her in place while she unleashes a torrent of feelings. My desire grows with every pass of her tongue across mine, and my cock thickens in my pants as shepresses her body against mine. I swallow her groan and swivel my hips, and she tugs on my hair and sucks on my bottom lip in retribution.

It’s a game of push and pull. Like a mental tug-of-war, wondering who will break first, taking the attraction we share to the next level. I’m not sure how long we stand there, exploring this growing connection between us, but I’m reluctant to stop.

Catalina is the one who pulls her mouth away first, but not before she plants one last soft kiss against my lips. I press my forehead against the top of her head in an attempt to shield my flushed face.

I’m not prepared to look at Catalina just yet. Not ready to scare her away with whatever emotions are clearly written across my face.

She brushes a hand down my shirt, smoothing the cotton material she wrinkled in her tight fist. “Why did you maketembleque?”

“Because Gabriela told me how much you liked it.”

“What else did she say?”

I hesitate to answer.

Catalina draws invisible circles around my heart with the pad of her finger. “Your heart is beating fast.”

“Because you make me nervous.”

“Nervous?” She cracks a smile. “Me?”

“Yeah.You.”

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