Page 19 of Ready or Not
Ay.I gulped, nodding like some damn dog begging for scraps.
“Unless your sister what?”
“Oh… Uh,” I scratched the back of my neck. “Uh—I mean, I think one of my sisters took it the last time they were here.”
“You okay?” she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.
My mouth suddenly dried up, and my tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of it.
Okay? Hell no, I wasn't okay.
I was a grown man, and yet here I was, unraveling just because she looked like she belonged here.
Like she belonged with me.
I watched as her eyes narrowed slightly.
Mierda.
Scrambling for words, I felt like a fucking pendejo again, my tongue heavy and useless in my mouth.
“Yeah, yeah,” I managed to croak out. “You look good. Comfortable.”
My attempt at nonchalance fell flat; the chuckle she gave in response told me as much.
Dios mío.
Focus, cabrón. Focus.
“Thanks for the shirt, by the way. It’s like five sizes too big for me, but I appreciate it,” she teased, tugging on the hem of the shirt that only just grazed her hips. The movement pulledthe fabric tighter over her collarbone for a second, giving me a preview of her pebbled nipples against the cotton…
Wait… are her nipples pierced?
I quickly took another peek while she tugged the shirt, her attention on the print of Sade’s face on the front.
Carajo.
Yep, there was no denying it.
Tiny heart-shaped bars under the cotton—clear as day now.
Heart-shaped piercings.
Why didn’t I notice them before? We were together all day, and her dress wasn’t thick enough to hide them, and we were pressed so close when kissing…
My throat felt tighter, a lump climbing up to lodge itself firmly there as I tried to redirect my thoughts.
But every time I blinked, the image was burned into my brain—the soft curve of her chest under my shirt, the delicate outline of those tiny hearts teasing me like they had a world of secrets to whisper in my ear…
Or my mouth.
Focus, focus,focus.
I blinked hard, fighting to keep my eyes from wandering back down.
“Desi?”
"Yeah, uh… sure, no problem," I said, clearing my throat and looking away, pretending the window suddenly looked fascinating. “You can wear it until your clothes are all good to go.”
