Page 48 of Worth the Heat
“You’re wearing my shirt,” he rasps, drawing my gaze up to his. He points to the shirt I’m wearing. “I bought that for you three years ago for your birthday.”
“What?” I look down at the simple white shirt I’m wearing, with a V-neck and ruffles along the sleeves and hem. “I thought one of my brothers gave me this.”
He shakes his head. “I’ve gotten you something for the last few years, and had Luca give it to you. I knew you wouldn’t accept it from me, but I needed to see you wear something of mine.”
In disbelief, I ask, “What about last year?”
He moves my hair, thumbing my ear, and the simple cupcake earrings I wear every day. “These earrings.”
Emotion clogging my throat, I choke out, “And the year before that?”
He leans down, caressing my cheek. “The mixer that is downstairs right now.”
I gasp. “My stand mixer? That was from you?”
He nods. “I told Luca to tell you he’d gotten it super cheap from somebody who worked at a store going out of business.”
“But,” I say, tears filling my eyes, “I’ve never given you anything for your birthdays.”
“You’re giving me everything I ever wanted right now,Naranja. There is no comparison.”
Unable to verbalize a response, I pull him down and press my lips to his. Sebastian immediately takes over, his tongue sweeping between my lips to tangle with mine. I take great pleasure in allowing my hands to roam over his shoulders and back, feeling the muscles ripple in the wake of my touch. When I tug on his shirt, Sebastian briefly sits up, reaches over his shoulder and rips the shirt off. As he’s about to stretch out on top of me again, I put both hands on his chest, stopping him.
Sebastian doesn’t say a word, but a soft smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, telling me he knows exactly why I stopped him.
The tattoos. A few I’ve seen parts of, like an elaborate tribal tattoo around his bicep that now continues onto his chest, and a couple initials Luca told me are of some of Sebastian’s friends who have passed away.
But this close, I see dates in Roman numerals. Lightly tracing the first one, he smiles knowingly. “Camila’s birthday.”
“And this one?” I ask, moving down to one on his ribcage, where the Roman numerals are written within a cross.
“My grandmother’s birthday.” He takes my hand, dragging my finger across his skin to another tattoo. “I’ve hidden the date my parents were married within this tattoo. It’s called a Taino tattoo, for the indigenous people of Puerto Rico. The spiral one on my arm and shoulder is also a Taino tattoo, representing energy and vitality.”
Captivated, I lightly trace the tattoo, findingthe hidden numbers within a tattoo of what appears to be an animal or person. “What is this supposed to be?”
“It’s for abundance. And the one here,” he points to a figure that is part of the elaborate swirling on his shoulder, “is essentially like a witch doctor. It’s forAbuela. That mysterious woman can solve every health scare known to man with a sewing kit, an amulet, some herbs, and a drum.”
“Why is this one slightly red?” I ask, my fingers dusting over an intricate design in the shape of a mandala. Tilting my head, I see a cupcake. Then a cookie. And a cake. Then the letters BBB.
“Bake, Batter, and Bowl,” Sebastian says quietly. He takes my finger, placing it lightly underneath the circle of cupcakes. “And this part is pink because I added your initials.”
Emotion clogs my throat as I try to find my voice. “But no birthday in Roman numerals?”
He chuckles, then sits higher on his knees. As he begins to take off his belt, he says, “I lost a bet with your brother. I’m not telling you which one —”
“Luca,” I interrupt, deadpan. I know my brothers, and this has Luca written all over it. Whatever ‘this’ is.
“The bet was we had to get a tattoo, but the other person chose the location. So, to get back at him, I got your birthday tattooed.” He unzips his pants, dragging them down with his underwear, and I see the Roman numerals tattooed within a heart. Right between his happy trail and that delicious V leading to his groin.
“Did he know that’s what you were doing?” I ask, reaching out to touch the most intimate tattoo I’ve ever seen, directly above the most intimate location on Sebastian’s body, that I’d really like to become acquainted with.
His breath catches as he stares down at my hand. “He knew.”
I watch as the bulge in his pants grows, and I’m emboldened knowing I’m doing this to him. With my hand so close, I decideit’s now or never, and quickly plunge my hand beneath his clothing, wrapping around his length. Sebastian lets out a choked moan, falling forward. “Jesus Christ, baby. You gotta warn a man first.”
I giggle lightly. “I like this idea better.”
He groans when I squeeze him, then I slowly stroke from the base to the tip. “Goddamn. I’ve dreamt so many times what it would feel like to have you touching me.”
