Page 24 of Hot Touch
Quietly, I cleaned her up while she watched me, her eyes happy. Alejandra looked like a woman who had been fucked. Fucked thoroughly.
And damn, I couldn’t wait to make her look just like that again and again for the rest of our lives.
TEN
ALEJANDRA
“Wait, wait, wait.”Liz said, staring at me like I’d suddenly grown an extra eye on my forehead. “You haven’t been staying at my place this last month?”
“No,” I answered.
To be fair, I’d never really agreed to it; Liz had just assumed I’d do as she’d ordered because she was the oldest and bossy. I glanced at Jackie, who simply pressed her lips together like she was trying to stop herself from either saying something highly inappropriate or laughing her head off.
“You’ve been staying at… this fireman’s place? The one who saved you? Who was on your hospital bed that night?”
“Nathan,” I corrected. “His name is Nathan Benson. Or you could call him Nate.”
“Nate.” The distaste was clear in her face, but I didn’t bother to roll my eyes. “And you think you’re in love?” she asked incredulously, and I honestly didn’t blame her.
My sister was a little… jaded.
But even if she weren’t, she was our older, overprotective bossy sister who would shield us from the world with her barehands if she needed to. To be honest, I’d expected this sort of reaction.
I might have thought I was a realist before meeting Nathan and him bringing out the dreamer in me, but Liz was a skeptic through and through. Jackie, our hopeless romantic, just sighed dreamily as she leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand.
“It’s like a real-life romance novel.”
“Those don’t exist.” Liz shook her head, her perfectly plucked brows bunched together with frustration. “You need?—“
“For you to be supportive?” I cut her off and was left with a wide-eyed, half-shocked Liz staring right at me. “Yes. That’s what I need. You don’t have to understand how I feel. I know how crazy this all sounds. I get it. But I’m a grown woman, and I know what I’m doing.”
“Do you? I mean, what if he’s after some kind of?—“
“What? Money? Inheritance? Because unless you know something I don’t, those things don’t exist.” She opened and shut her mouth in a way that reminded me of a goldfish. And it was funny. Jackie giggled and sighed, leaning forward and covering both our hands with hers.
“I love you, Liz, but honestly, real talk here without disrespect; I need you to be cool about this,” I said. “I won’t tolerate you being rude to him,” I added quietly but seriously. My older sister was at a loss for words as she stared at me.
“I’m happy for you,” Jackie chimed in. “I’ve seen how he is with you and…”—she slowly turned her attention to Liz—“He’s a good guy. He’s older than her“—Liz made a sound, but Jackie kept talking—“Nate knows who he is and what he wants, and the way he looks at her…” My younger sister’s voice drifted off.
“What?” Liz asked before I could manage to get the words out.
“It’s like he can’t believe she’s real,” Jackie added, making me smile.
Our older sister stared at Jackie for a long moment before moving her attention to me. Something flickered in her gaze. Something like overprotective concern, but also something else. Something I couldn’t read.
“Fine.“ Liz shrugged. “But if I see something I don’t like, I’m not going to keep my mouth shut.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” I responded.
“Well… congrats, I guess?” I didn’t even feel a little disappointed at her lack of enthusiasm.
“Thanks,” I chuckled, rolling my eyes playfully.
“So, you’re in love with a hot older fireman, and what? Living together?” Liz asked. I could see the worry that still lingered in her gaze.
“Liz,” Jackie warned, but I shook my head at my younger sister.
“No, it’s okay. Like you said, when she sees how Nate is with me, how we are together, she’ll understand. That’s why he’s coming over to family dinner tonight,” I shared. I didn’t know I was capable of shocking not just my older sister but my younger one as well.
