Page 35 of The No Falling Rule
Chapter 11
Diego
“Ican’t believe you asked Carly for my mom’s recipe,” Mia says, still in shock as she takes another bite of the delicious tamale Gladys made for us.
“Well, I wanted it to be a surprise in case we couldn’t pull it off, but Gladys outdid herself.” I grin, praising the woman who’s been in this house since I was a kid. She and her family look after the estate when we’re not here, whichis most of the year.
“Thank you, Gladys,” Mia says, wiping away a stray tear before taking a sip of her agua de Jamaica. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“I’m just so happy I could help give you a little of the Christmas magic back,” Gladys says with a kind smile as she busies herself plating the buñuelos and natilla. “I know how hard it is to spend Christmas without your loved ones.”
“What’s this?” Mia asks, curiosity lighting her face.
“That’s what we call Nochebuena in Colombia—natilla and buñuelos,” I explain, my mouth already watering at the sight of the golden balls. Fried corn-and-cheese dough, crispy on the outside and soft inside. Traditionally Christmas food—but honestly, you can find them year-round in Colombia. Whenever I’m there, I love having them for breakfast.
“Oh, interesting. The buñuelos I grew up with are different,” Mia says, studying the fritter.
“Different how? Is it something you also had at Christmas?”
Mia smiles, grabs one, and lets out a soft moan as the crunchy shell breaks in her mouth.
“It’s even better when you get a bite of the natilla at the same time,” I say, scooping up a buñuelo and some natilla. The mix of sweet and salty melts together,taking me straight back to my childhood—my grandma hunting down ingredients in snowy Boston winters, determined to bring my grandfather’s culture to life for us youngsters.
“You’re right, this is delicious,” Mia says, piling more on her plate. “The buñuelos I grew up with are also fried, but they’re sweet. We dust them with cinnamon and eat them with hot chocolate.”
I nod as an idea begins to form. I just hope she’s ready to spend every holiday from now on together—because I sure am.
“What?” she asks, reading my expression.
“Nothing—just cataloguing important information for the future.” I hold my breath, waiting for her reaction.
“The future, huh?” she says, grabbing another buñuelo before continuing to eat.
Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for, but at least she didn’t bolt. I take it as a win and close the distance between us.
Mia’s lips curl into a knowing grin before she leans in and gives me a sweet, greasy kiss. I groan the moment my tongue meets hers. I mean for the kiss to be gentle and quick, but when she tastes like home, I don’t ever want to stop.
I pull her from her chair and settle her on my lap. She giggles as she straddles me, and fuck, I wish we were alone so I could finally make her mine.
“As much as I want to see where this kiss is going,” Mia murmurs, breaking away just enough to speak, her arms still looped around my shoulders, “I want to know if you have animals here.”
Her hopeful tone makes me grin. I pull back the slightest bit so she can see my face. “Funny you ask—our next activity involves animals.”
She bounces excitedly on my lap, and I fear she’ll maim my dick. Luckily, she hops to her feet before I can react.
“What are we waiting for?” she says, tugging my hand to pull up.
“Bye, Gladys! Thank you so much for everything!” she calls as we head out.
I chuckle, but my heart is full at the sight of her so alive and happy. It’s the simple things with this woman that undo me.
“I should have asked this before we left the resort,” I say as we near the stables, “but do you have a swimsuit under your clothes?”
Mia stops walking, and a mischievous smile forms on her lips. “Why? Wanna see?”
My dick twitches, and my grin spreads into a full smile. “Well, that shouldn’t even be a question. I always want to seeyou. Clothes are optional.”
She rolls her eyes and bats her hand at me playfully.
