Page 79 of Hidden By His Side

Summer clicked on the search bar, typing in the singer’s name that she loved and choosing it.

Toward the end of the first song, Ramiro hummed in his throat. “I’ve never heard this. He’s pretty good.”

Summer’s back relaxed into the seat as she set his phone down. She popped a fry into her mouth. Ramiro was right. They tasted better in the car, especially when so warm.

The buildings and lights tapered off as they drove. Ramiro found some two-lane highway with nothing but marsh and open fields on either side. The light of the setting sun washed over his face just like she’d imagined.

Summer’s head rested on the seat back, turned toward him. Her muscles loosened, her fingers still where they lay in her lap. A contentedness swept over her as she gazed at him. There was nowhere else she’d rather be, except wrapped up in his arms.

If Ramiro went a little too fast out there in the middle of nowhere, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. He had a reckless part of him hidden inside. Otherwise, he’d never have climbed up onto the edge of that bridge besideher so long ago.

The music app ran out of songs by the artist she’d picked, but it switched into similar music from artists that she didn’t know, and she enjoyed them almost as much.

With the sun down, Ramiro’s profile was harder to make out, but she didn’t look away. He’d finished his fries, and she took the container from him while he drove, tucking her own inside even though she’d only finished about half. She sipped at the lemon-lime soda he’d gotten with the fries—a caffeine-free option, of course. He was always thinking of things like that.

Just as he thought of this date for her.

Drowsiness pulled at her, but she didn’t close her eyes, not wanting to miss a moment of staring at the man beside her. He was masculine and confident and caring as well, but above all, he was so amazingly precious to her.

Ramiro slowed at the next junction between the long, empty stretches. He sighed, swinging them around. “I guess we shouldn’t stay out too late.”

“I liked this,” Summer admitted.

As he picked up speed again, his hand reached over to hers, curling around it with a squeeze. “Me too, baby girl. I like every moment with you.”

There was a tickling inside her chest. One that spread.

Being with Ramiro was happiness. She wanted more of that.

Chapter 26

Summer woke up to light at the edge of the curtains. She’d managed to sleep in until a decent time again. Her stomach wasn’t completely still, but the swirling wasn’t intense enough to send her scrambling for the bathroom. She breathed through the light nausea as her fingers slid over Ramiro’s, where they rested under her breasts. She loved how he wrapped his body around hers while they slept. Having him at her back felt safe, protected.

He was also close enough that his morning erection pressed against her ass. The mornings she was sick, his body’s normal reaction faded. She understood. Watching her retch wasn’t exactly the sexiest thing.

His erection didn’t mean she turned him on, either. It was a biological response, not a sign that he wanted to have sex with her. Reminding herself of that didn’t prevent her ass from rubbing along all that temptation.

Ramiro stretched against her, his arms wrapping tighter even as his hips shifted away from her. “How’re you feeling?” he asked, his voice deep with sleep still.

“Okay,” she said. “I don’t need to race to the bathroom.”

“That’s good.” His lips kissed her hair before he rolled away. “We should get a banana in you to keep it that way.”

Summer was sick of bananas, but they settled her stomach. She withheld her grumbling as she rose from the bed.

“I’ll bring it to you,” Ramiro offered, but she shook her head.

“Let me make your coffee today, since I feel up to it. You can have the bathroom first.”

Ramiro grabbed her arm, and she paused, turning toward him. “You don’t need to make me coffee, Summer.”

Nerves slid over her. “I want to,” she said softly.

He studied her face, then nodded, squeezed once, and let her go.

Summer didn’t skip to the kitchen—her stomach wasn’t settled enough for that—but a giddiness swamped through her. She got to take care of Ramiro.

Besides, looking at porcelain first thing in the morning while her stomach was still swirling didn’t sound like a good plan.

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