Page 6 of Not In Love

He wanted to press her further, but he had enough to sort out without getting involved in their relationship. “Make it a grand wedding, cuz. That way, my mama and yours will be off my back for a couple of years.”

“Oh, you better believe it, D.” She squeezed his arm, kissed Tia goodbye, and let herself out.

At least, someone knew what they wanted in life and was getting it.

Thoughts in a swirl, Diego emptied the pasta into a glass serving bowl and started washing the dishes.

Would he and Kash always be at this polite impasse? When had his simple curiosity about her turned into this fascination?

Today, he’d been able to read her frustration as if she were an open book.

With each passing day, her exhaustion hung off her like a second skin, sharp edges honed by the weight of holding everything together.

How long before she snapped? Before the toll it took on her hurt her irrevocably?

The thought made something low and hot coil in his gut. She wouldn’t accept his understanding any more than she would accept his offer to get her off.

Her trip to Cancun, with Tia and her mother tagging along, was in a couple of weeks. If he joined them, he could spend some solid one-on-one time with Tia. And keep an eye on Kash too.

As foolish and arrogant as it sounded, he felt this overwhelming urge to protect her. Even from herself.

CHAPTER3

Kash paused at the bottom of the stairs, frowning as she caught the familiar scent of chai and something crisp and fried.

A glance outside showed the typical Portland drizzle, the sky a dull gray pressing against the windows. But inside, the air felt... inviting.

Tia was perched in the cozy armchair in the living room, face buried in a graphic novel. The soft light from the lamp caught the golden-brown strands in her thick curls. For the hundredth time, Kash wondered how her extroverted sister had given birth to such a quiet, focused child.

Diego stood by the stove, the sleeves of his blue button-down pushed up corded forearms, arranging delicate teacups neatly onto a floral tray. Her eyes greedily traversed the length of the dark red rose tattoo snaking around his forearm, the way the button-down hugged his broad back. She jerked her gaze up before it lingered on how the blue denim hugged his ass.

A brown paper bag with telltale grease spots sat on the island.

Samosas, from that little hole-in-the-wall place that she loved.

A thread of dismay curled through her at how thoughtful he continued to be toward her. And now, there was that little moment upstairs...

“They’re for you,” he said, without turning around. “Instead of salivating, you could just eat them.”

Kash gripped the banister as if it were her last defense, but it was a losing battle. She went to the table, nearly tore into the greasy bag, and shoved a hot onion samosa into her mouth.

It was crunchy and spicy and pumped new life into her veins. Moaning, she bit down on another one before she finished swallowing the first.

“You miss too many meals.”

Kash glanced up just as Diego turned.

The large windows behind him filtered weak evening light onto his face, catching the faint sheen of sweat on his skin.

Large brown eyes, a sharp nose, broad cheekbones and thick, lush lips that accentuated the rugged slashes of everything else about him. Warmth uncurled in her lower belly as her gaze snagged on the hollow at his throat.

One sharp moment of awareness and her entire world was off its axis now. The man was far too gorgeous, and she was far too deprived of touch.

“Thank you,” she said, burying her gaze in the torn paper bag. Satisfaction filled her as she noted there were two samosas left. She shoved it into the refrigerator.

His soft chuckle behind her made her skin warm even as her brain spluttered at how to navigate this new minefield.

Putting the island between them, she scrolled to the calendar on her phone. They had been co-parenting for three and a half years. And now, looking at him felt like staring straight at the sun. What the hell was she going to do? “I thought you had her until tonight. Did I miss something?”

---