was the drug cartel leader? I didn’t think so.
I laughed nervously and he swept me into his arms, holding me close to him. That familiar smell drifted over me, bringing back the feeling of his lips at my ear. Today though, he didn’t kiss my cheek but still held on to my hand.
“You brought out the sunshine, I’m glad,” he said, looking me up and down. His lilting accent was creating pleasure waves down my back. “Come on.” He gave my hand a tight squeeze. Even more pleasure waves formed. “We should enjoy the weather while we can.”
We got into his car and I was immediately in love with it.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, running my hands over the smooth dash, marveling at how well-maintained it looked despite its age, the perfect blend of polished chrome and retro fittings.
“It has a name,” he said, buckling himself in. He caught my eyes and explained . “Jose. I brought him all the way from Mexico.”
I kept smiling back at him, although my brain was already going back over what Gus had said and what I had learned about cartels on the internet. I hoped the wheels in my head had been hidden from him, but the man was so damned perceptive.
“What, you didn’t know I was from Mexico?” he asked, still smiling, though he slipped on a pair of dark shades that covered up his all-seeing eyes. We turned onto the road and headed toward the highway. The windows were all rolled down, messing up our hair, which made me suspect the air conditioner wasn’t working.
“No, I figured you were from Mexico,” I said. “I just thought it was cute that you named your car.”
He laughed. “Cute? Maybe. Dorky? Yes. But what can I say, I’m sentimental. This old machine has been with me longer than anyone I know.”
I wanted to know how that could be, considering he would have only been of driving age for about eight years or so, but I didn’t press it. I wanted information from him, but I wanted it slowly.
“Well, it’s one hell of a sexy car. I love vintage models,” I said.
He tilted his head down and eyed me over his glasses. “Were you ever a model?”
I let out a loud and rather awkward guffaw. I immediately covered up my mouth, shooting him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, no.”
“I don’t see how it’ s a funny question,” he said rather seriously.
“Well, for one , I’m not tall enough,” I rattled off, ticking my fingers. “For two, I’m clumsy as hell. For three, I don’t have the confidence.”
“And for four?”
For four? Well, for four there was no way they’d hire a gimpy, scarred model for anything except the before and after effects of battery acid usage gone wrong, and they’d have to Photoshop the before picture.
“I walk with a slight limp,” I admitted. “It gets worse when I’m not paying attention.”
“I’d say I haven’t noticed,” he said sincerely.
“Well, I’ve been paying attention.”
“Isn’t that tiring? To hide it? To pretend?”
I sucked on my lip and stared at the industrial buildings zipping past. “Yes, it is.”
“Then how about you don’t pretend with me ? You’re going to need all the energy you can get.”
I raised my brow and looked back at him. “Is that so?”
He grinned, a stunning smile that lifted his whole face. “You will find out very soon.”
Though he just warned me not to hide anything from him, I turned my head and hid the stupid schoolgirl look on my face. Besides, I was hiding so much already.
We drove past dilapidated buildings and ravished oceanfront, and Javier explained the effects of Hurricane Katrina. I’d watched the whole thing on the news two years earlier, but Javier had been here, riding the whole thing out.
“Was your place damaged?” I asked, almost saying house but then catching myself. To him, I had no reason to suspect he lived in a house.
He shook his head. “I was staying in an apartment at the time ; there was just some water damage on the first floor. Many homes were absolutely
I laughed nervously and he swept me into his arms, holding me close to him. That familiar smell drifted over me, bringing back the feeling of his lips at my ear. Today though, he didn’t kiss my cheek but still held on to my hand.
“You brought out the sunshine, I’m glad,” he said, looking me up and down. His lilting accent was creating pleasure waves down my back. “Come on.” He gave my hand a tight squeeze. Even more pleasure waves formed. “We should enjoy the weather while we can.”
We got into his car and I was immediately in love with it.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, running my hands over the smooth dash, marveling at how well-maintained it looked despite its age, the perfect blend of polished chrome and retro fittings.
“It has a name,” he said, buckling himself in. He caught my eyes and explained . “Jose. I brought him all the way from Mexico.”
I kept smiling back at him, although my brain was already going back over what Gus had said and what I had learned about cartels on the internet. I hoped the wheels in my head had been hidden from him, but the man was so damned perceptive.
“What, you didn’t know I was from Mexico?” he asked, still smiling, though he slipped on a pair of dark shades that covered up his all-seeing eyes. We turned onto the road and headed toward the highway. The windows were all rolled down, messing up our hair, which made me suspect the air conditioner wasn’t working.
“No, I figured you were from Mexico,” I said. “I just thought it was cute that you named your car.”
He laughed. “Cute? Maybe. Dorky? Yes. But what can I say, I’m sentimental. This old machine has been with me longer than anyone I know.”
I wanted to know how that could be, considering he would have only been of driving age for about eight years or so, but I didn’t press it. I wanted information from him, but I wanted it slowly.
“Well, it’s one hell of a sexy car. I love vintage models,” I said.
He tilted his head down and eyed me over his glasses. “Were you ever a model?”
I let out a loud and rather awkward guffaw. I immediately covered up my mouth, shooting him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, no.”
“I don’t see how it’ s a funny question,” he said rather seriously.
“Well, for one , I’m not tall enough,” I rattled off, ticking my fingers. “For two, I’m clumsy as hell. For three, I don’t have the confidence.”
“And for four?”
For four? Well, for four there was no way they’d hire a gimpy, scarred model for anything except the before and after effects of battery acid usage gone wrong, and they’d have to Photoshop the before picture.
“I walk with a slight limp,” I admitted. “It gets worse when I’m not paying attention.”
“I’d say I haven’t noticed,” he said sincerely.
“Well, I’ve been paying attention.”
“Isn’t that tiring? To hide it? To pretend?”
I sucked on my lip and stared at the industrial buildings zipping past. “Yes, it is.”
“Then how about you don’t pretend with me ? You’re going to need all the energy you can get.”
I raised my brow and looked back at him. “Is that so?”
He grinned, a stunning smile that lifted his whole face. “You will find out very soon.”
Though he just warned me not to hide anything from him, I turned my head and hid the stupid schoolgirl look on my face. Besides, I was hiding so much already.
We drove past dilapidated buildings and ravished oceanfront, and Javier explained the effects of Hurricane Katrina. I’d watched the whole thing on the news two years earlier, but Javier had been here, riding the whole thing out.
“Was your place damaged?” I asked, almost saying house but then catching myself. To him, I had no reason to suspect he lived in a house.
He shook his head. “I was staying in an apartment at the time ; there was just some water damage on the first floor. Many homes were absolutely
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