Page 5 of Wait for You

Imogen

Of all the things Imogen expected to find inEl Jaguar’shouse, Mateo hadn’t been one of them. Though she refused to admit it, her legs were still unsteady. The sight of him had been as shocking as being doused with a bucket of ice water. Now, when her head needed to be focused on finding her brother, her ex clouded her thoughts.

The moment she’d recognized him, dressed in a suit—of all things—she’d been appalled that he could’ve changed so significantly. Her first thought had been to wonder how he could go from being a police deputy to slumming it with the cartels.

Working undercover was . . . new. As new as his attire. The old Matneverwore suits. Over the year they were together, she’d managed to get him into one only once and under duress. It had been for a political meeting disguised as a charity function held at her parent’s house. Her mother had insisted she make an appearance, and she hadn’t wanted to go alone.

Not that she hadn’t loved Mat in his jeans and a button-down, but he’d looked so dapper in a three-piece suit.

Because it was the same day he broke her heart, the recollection was as vivid as a painting. Every detail had been etched into her being. Imogen sighed as the hall in front of her blurred with the memory.

“Oh my,” the soft declaration from the matron standing next to her made Imogen turn.

She’d been checking nameplates, looking for hers and Mat’s at one of the ten, eight-person tables set up along the far wall of the busy ballroom. Her mother never shorted on fresh flowers or the chance to show off their wealth, and the room glittered with opulent decorations. But those didn’t shine as bright as the man walking toward her.

A smile tilted Imogen’s lips as she caught sight of Mat. Somehow, he seemed taller in the dark suit. The black jacket made his shoulders look even broader, and the white shirt made his hazel eyes pop. She’d always loved their color. Not quite brown, not quite green. They straddled the line between two hues just as his heritage stretched across two cultures.

When he drew near, it became apparent how uncomfortable he was. He stuck his hands in his pockets, then immediately withdrew them like he’d been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to.

Tugging at his tie, he cleared his throat. “Gen, how long do I have to stay in this monkey suit?”

She chuckled then used his lapels to anchor herself as she stood on her tiptoes to give him a welcome kiss. “I don’t know, deputy . . .” She gave him a thorough once-over. “I kind of like this image.”

Instead of the smile she’d expected, his eyes clouded over. Sensing his unease, she stood on her toes again and whispered toward his ear, “I like you in jeans, too,vaquero. But my favorite picture . . .” she paused for emphasis, unabashedly pushing her breasts into his chest before finishing with, “is you in nothing at all.”

Imogen’s shoe caught on an uneven tile, and she stumbled. She managed to right herself as the memory slipped away. Matwasn’t her cowboy anymore; the last thing she needed was to be picturing him naked . . .

Rugged perfection is how she remembered him. Wiry muscles that suited his long limbs, warm skin a shade lighter than hers, and dark hair that did little to hide his impressive—Stop it!

Imogen gave herself a shake. Time to remove the wordsnakedandMatfrom her vocabulary. She couldn’t handle the images they conjured. Focusing on her surroundings, she glanced around to see no one had witnessed her clumsiness.

Gracias a Dios.

Exhaling a huge sigh, she continued heading for Mat’s room. He’d told her to come back tonight, and if she didn’t think he could help, she wouldn’t have entertained the idea of meeting him in his private quarters. But she’d spent the majority of the day doing actual cleaning. Her feet hurt, she couldn’t get the scent of bleach from her nose,andshe’d chipped a nail.

The only thing she’d found out so far was that she dove into the deep end without bothering to learn how to swim first. She was desperate to find Emiliano, and desperate measures meant asking Mat for help.

Because she refused to drown. Even if seeing him today had threatened to melt the ice wall she’d built around her heart. It’d be easier to keep her head above water if he hadn’t tried to seduce her in the hallway. Orpretendedto. She was well aware of the distinction. The fact he hadn’t really wanted to kiss her but had just been giving the camera a show to avoid suspicion left a bitter taste in her mouth. Physically, her body remembered him and had responded. Against her wishes. At least, that’s what she chose to tell herself.

You still love him.

Imogen shoved that thought away as soon as it surfaced. She couldn’t think about it now.

The sight of Mat would be hard enough to endure, but his voice . . . the timbre of it with its hint of a drawl still lit her up inside. She ached in places she’d forgotten she had. All the pain he’d caused her in the past threatened to spring up at her, but she crammed those memories back into the deepest, darkest corners of her heart where they couldn’t hurt her again.

Mat didn’t care about her. He likely never had. Her feelings for him, however . . .thosehad been real. Too real. Five years ago, she’d thought she’d found the person she wanted to grow old with, only to realize his view of the future didn’t include her.

Her heart contracted painfully as if some hateful monster gripped it in a fist and squeezed. She’d hoped she’d moved past this, but running into Mat had made it clear—she’d merely buried the heartache for a while.

She might be heading toward thirty and the designation as asolterona, according to her mother, but that was fine by Imogen. She’d rather be a spinster than some egotistical blockhead’sfifíwife. Even though she’d been born into the upper-class world, her destiny was her own, and she’d be damned if she let her parents, a man, or even society dictate that for her.

Squaring her shoulders, she smoothed the frilly white apron she wore over her gray maid uniform, using the gesture to mentally sweep her past with Mat under the rug. As far as she was concerned, it held no bearing on the present, and right now, she needed his help to find her brother.

With a grumble of reluctance, she lifted her hand to knock on Mat’s door.

Please, God. Give me strength.

???

---