And Then He Kissed Me by Melinda Curtis

Author:Melinda Curtis [Curtis, Melinda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Purple Papaya, LLC
Published: 2020-01-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

“Her chocolate is exquisite,” Nino told Mateo in Spanish the next afternoon.

“Maybe you should hire her.” Mateo didn’t look up from the list of accounts on his desk.

“It’s as exquisite as she is.” Nino picked up a small crystal bowl from Mateo’s desk and rummaged its contents of hard mints, not knowing what he was in the mood for. Since tasting Aubrey’s chocolate yesterday, he’d been restless, thinking about Cantuña’s deal with the devil and Aubrey’s innocent question about regrets.

“Maybe you should marry her.”

“Marry…” Nino straightened. Marriage wasn’t in his three-year business plan. That’s how long he estimated it would take to turn Caradoc Confections around. “You’re misreading my interest in Dr. Summer.”

“So now she’s Doctor Summer.” Mateo stood and plucked the bowl from Nino’s hands, setting it out of reach. “Why aren’t you at the textile factory this afternoon?”

“I arranged for ballroom dance lessons for Laylita’s bridal party.” He hoped he could waltz Aubrey into his bed afterward. Perhaps then he could get her out of his head.

“I made those arrangements,” Mateo said, frowning. “You don’t have to go. Everything will go smoothly.”

“Yes, but it was my idea.” Nino refused to let Mateo tell him what to do. “And Laylita is a family friend.”

“And…” Mateo continued to frown.

“And…” Nino tossed his hands. “I want to go.”

“Because you want to dance with Dr. Summer.” It wasn’t a question. “Because you want to make sure the valet I paid to dance with her grandmother is respectful and shows her a good time.”

Nino narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I could ask the same of you.” Mateo closed the accounts log. “I needed you at the textile factory today to review the quality of the new run of eight hundred thread count fabric requested by the client we’re making sheets for. I needed you to swing by Caradoc and check on the progress being made by the cleaning crew.”

“You could have done that.” Any of that.

“Yes, but I needed you out of my hair.” Mateo placed his hands flat on his desktop and leaned forward. “Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.”

They glared at each other.

“You’re a distraction.” There was still fire in Mateo’s eyes.

“I know.” The least Nino could do is admit it. “Aubrey is an appealing diversion.”

“No.” Mateo ran a hand through the hair at his temples. “You’ve been distracting me since we closed the deal with Caradoc. Gone is the drive, the hunger, the will to push forward.”

“I have not.” But even as he spoke the words, Nino acknowledged they didn’t ring true. He sat back in his chair, encountering solid wood that jolted his spine. “I admit, not having a new target of my father’s in mind slowed me down, but I have always been committed to my businesses and my employees.” Unlike his father, who had been committed to the money he could milk from them. “I am determined to turn Caradoc around.” In fact, the thought of talking to Aubrey about chocolate perked him up.

“And then what?” Mateo held out his hands.

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