Page 72 of Deep In Love
These weren’t words in the moment, but a speech practiced and repeated, like she’s been anticipating this moment.
“Since you called a few nights ago. Had a feeling you might be ready for a chat. I love you, Charlie. I hope you know that.”
“I love you, too.” More than she will ever know. I sniff away the tears threatening to fall.
“Now, tell me about all the cool shit you’ve seen before you have to go work.”
“Do you have your to-do list?” Mateo asks, and I lift my notebook to show him my page filled with everything I need to complete before the ROV deploys at seven.
His dimples appear, and my chest does this odd constricting thing where it becomes momentarily difficult to breathe. I don’t know if I hate it or if I want to feel it again and again.
Species identification guidebooks and notebooks cover our table in the lounge, and a condensation ring from my iced coffee stains a scientific paper about population genetics in green sea turtles. My fancy gel pens are lined up in a row, and my to-do list is color coded by priority and how much anxiety the task gives me.
“You know the rules,” he says, displaying the massive bag of chocolate, then setting it off to the side. “When the timer goes off, you get a reward.”
“You should give it to me now.”
Do I believe sticking out my lower lip and batting my eyelashes will convince him? No, but when it comes to my treats, I’ve neverbeen one to give up without a fight. He raises a brow, amused but undeterred, and my stomach flutters when his foot grazes the inside of my calf.
“Cute, but no. You’ve got to earn the chocolate, bruja. We’ve been over this.”
“This is not helping disprove my ‘ruler of hell’ theory.”
With a loud, exaggerated huff, I flip open my laptop. The keys clack as I bang against them.If only I had some sugar. Then this email wouldn’t make me want to gouge my eyes.There’s a deep chuckle, and then the blue foil interrupts my vision.
Thank you, Neptune! And Mateo, I guess.
The gooey caramel melts against my tongue, and I devour it with the grace of a bridge troll—that is, with none at all. This piece was smashed in the packaging, and I lick the wrapper to clean up the leftover crumbs. Only after every ounce of sugar is consumed do I realize I essentially just made out with a candy wrapper.
Warmth creeps up my neck, but before I can defend myself, Mateo searches the empty lounge, takes my face between his hands, and plants a searing, breath-snatching kiss on my lips.
Never have I been kissed like that, as if I’m the air he needs to breathe on a planet lacking oxygen.
There’s little I can do to still my racing heart or the adrenaline-induced tremor in my hands, so I tuck my palms beneath my thighs.
“I’ve always wanted to kiss you after you eat a piece of chocolate. See if you would taste like the candy you devour,” he admits in a gravelly voice.
“And did it?” I manage to croak.
The temperature in the lounge spikes ten degrees, and my throat dries as his tongue travels along the seam of his lips.
“Tasted even better than I could have imagined.”
An ember of pleasure forms in my lower stomach, and Mateo stokes the flame when he touches my leg again.
“What tastes good?”
Jett’s voice cuts through the air, and I screech, launching out of my chair and knocking my things off the table.
“How thefuckare you so quiet?” I yell, clutching my chest to press my heart back into its cavity, because surely, it just launched out of my ribcage. Mateo is laughing, doubled over, and Jett is staring at me like I’ve grown two heads.
This is not funny. I nearly soiled myself in fear.
“Sorry, Blondie. Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“We need to get you a bell,” I mutter, and Mateo snorts. Wildly, I swing my foot beneath the table until I hit his calf and he groans.
Serves him right. I nearly shit myself, which is not a good look when you’re in the early stages of whatever Mateo and I are doing.
