Page 61 of Unsure in Love

Damian must have noticed because he squeezed my hand gently. “Stop worrying,” he said.

Before I responded, footsteps thudded around the corner and a tiny woman with black and gray hair appeared in the living room.

“Damian! Darling,” came the singsong greeting.

I watched stunned and tickled—because she called Damian “darling” with such dramatic flair—as a woman about two heads shorter than me walked, no glided, toward us. Her bohemian style, neon green dress swished around her ankles. She was like an older version of my sister, April, in her colorful outfit.

She reached up, palmed Damian’s face, and pulled him down to plant kisses on both his cheeks. Then, she snagged his chin and gave it a little shake. “How are you, mi hijo?”

My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when the giant of a man, who intimidated others with his scowl alone, blushed. The most adorable tinge of pink highlighted Damian’s cheeks. “I’m fine, Aunt Lucia. You remember I’m thirty-five, not five, right?”

Lucia rolled her eyes and said, “You’re never too old for a kiss from your tía.”

Damian groaned.

I pursued my lip to hold back my giggle, but my amusement abruptly vanished when her gaze zeroed in on me.

“And who is this?” she asked.

“Aunt Lucia, this is Cassandra—”

Lucia gasped. “Dios mio. Damian, is this your girlfriend?”

He looked skyward. “Tía, calm down and disregard the wedding bells going off in your head right now,” Damian uttered dryly.

Lucia’s expression crumbled as if she really was hearing wedding bells. Damian gave me a quick I-told-you look before continuing the introduction. “This is Cassandra Bennet. I met her at Nicholas’s wedding.”

“Ah. Nice to meet you, Cassandra. I’m Lucia, Damian’s favorite aunt.”

“You’re my only aunt.”

Lucia grinned. “Still your favorite though.”

I laughed. “It’s a pleasure meeting you, Lucia.” I held out my hand, but she waved me off and pulled me in for a hug and air kisses.

“Welcome, Cassandra.” The way she rolled the r in my name made me smile. I adored her accent.

“Is dinner ready?” Damian asked. “I’m starving.”

“Damian,” I hissed. We had a huge lunch just a few hours ago.

He shrugged off my reprimanding glare.

Lucia rolled her eyes. “Don’t mind him. He’s been eating like a horse since he hit puberty. And he still shows up here to eat me out of house and home at least once a week.”

Damian’s chuckle made Lucia smile and swat his arm. I could virtually feel the affection between them.

“Luckily dinner is ready,” she announced. “To the dining room.”

I couldn’t help smiling as Lucia walked briskly back the way she’d come.

Damian smiled at me. “See? The topic of our relationship is already forgotten.”

“How do you know?”

“I know my aunt.” He grinned. “We’ll tell her about the baby when we’re almost out the door later. That way, you’ll be spared much of her smothering and insane excitement.”

I returned his smile. So far, I liked Lucia.

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