Page 49 of Too Fast To Fall
Piper could relate. Having gone from being someone’s fiancée to being nobody’s anything had been a big adjustment. Funny howeasy it was to attach so much meaning to a label. It could change in the blink of an eye.
Emilio grumbled and relaxed his shoulders. “I suppose that’s true.”
“Perhaps she’ll find love. Or perhaps she’ll simply find a good time.”
“I do not want to think about that.”
“Selfishly, I’m glad she isn’t coming. I’d like to have you and Piper to myself. We’ll have much more fun.”
Emilio glanced at Piper with a mischievous glint in his eye. “That’s true.”
“Let me take Gus downstairs for some water and a snack,” Ximena said.
“No jamón,” Emilio insisted. “It’s not good for his belly.”
“What falls off the counter is not my problem,” Ximena said. “But I will do my best.” She turned and started down the hallwith Gus at her heel.
“She’s going to feed him ham, isn’t she?” Piper asked.
“Definitely. I’m guessing the next time we see him, he’ll be drunk off it.” Emilio laughed quietly and shook his head, thenlooked at the door to his room. “You could stay in here if you wanted to.”
“Um, no. I can’t. Your grandmother said this is my room. And she’ll know something is up if I don’t stay in here.”
“Well,somethingis up, isn’t it?”
Piper didn’t love having to define what was going on between them, but she did have strong feelings about what was and wasnot appropriate for this setting. “Yes. It is. But nothing can happen at your grandmother’s house. It doesn’t seem right.I don’t want to be disrespectful.”
He hesitated, then smiled. “I appreciate your manners. I’m sure my abuela will, too.”
She felt good about having made a stand, even if it meant she’d be sleeping alone tonight. “Thank you. I’m going to checkout my room, stow my stuff and get freshened up.”
Piper stepped into her room, immediately drawn to the view from her window. Piper had never had a case of wanderlust. She’dalways been the epitome of a homer, but she could admit she could get used to this—traveling to new locales, seeing new sightsand having new experiences.
More than anything, she was proud of herself for having said yes to this job. For allowing her world to open up. After herengagement was broken off, it felt like her future had narrowed to a very dark point. Moving back home brought her a rungeven lower. There had been days when she felt like she couldn’t see five feet in front of her face, let alone imagine herselffive years down the road. And it wasn’t that she was necessarily seeing everything more clearly now, but rather that her eyeswere open to possibilities.
“Knock, knock,” Emilio’s voice came from behind her.
She turned as he stepped into her room. She hadn’t yet noticed the lovely accommodations—the beautiful white embroidered coverleton the wrought iron bed and the carved wood wardrobe in the corner and an adorable painted turquoise writing desk on the farwall. It was about as romantic a room as Piper could imagine. And seeing Emilio in it was giving her all sorts of feelings—tinglingand whatnot. Sensations across her skin—up her belly and along the chain of her spine. It wouldn’t take much to just closethe door and grab him and fall back onto that beautiful bed. Unbutton his shirt and spread her hands across his glorious chest—theskin she’d touched last night. Kiss his unforgettable lips. Get lost in one of the sexiest men on the planet.
But his grandmother was right downstairs.Time and place, Piper. Time and place.
“Got everything you need?” he asked.
“For the moment. Yes.”
By the time Emilio and Piper arrived back downstairs, his grandmother was busy working on lunch, la comida, the largest mealof the day. Judging by the heady aromas coming from the kitchen, they were in for quite a treat. Emilio had purposely skippedbreakfast that morning. He knew his abuela would feed them until they couldn’t eat another bite. And he would enjoy everyminute of it.
“What can I do to help?” Emilio asked, noticing Gus sitting right next to the counter, watching every move his abuela made.Like it was his job.
“Me, too. I want to help,” Piper offered. “Emilio hardly let me help him at all when he made your arroz con pollo last night.”
His abuela slid him a look. “You’re cooking for Piper?”
He knew exactly what that tone meant—she was curious if romance was in the air. Emilio loved to cook, but he didn’t do itoften. It was no big shock she was surprised. “We had friends over.”
“Wonderful.” She pointed to a sheet pan and a cutting board with prepped ingredients on the kitchen counter. “If you wantto help, you two can take the eggplant and bread outside to toast. The fire should be ready.”
“We’re on it.” Emilio took the pan and Piper the cutting board, and they walked out through the French door and onto the flagstonepatio. At the far end was a fire pit where his grandmother had a cooking grate set up. “We’ll grill eggplant first. The breadwill only take a minute.” He placed the sliced baby vegetables on the grate, then poked the logs to control the heat.
