Page 43 of Tempting Miles
“Penny Bean,” Mami says in a cheerful tone.
A smile slowly spreads across my face. She’s called me every variation of “bean” for as long as I can remember. It started with Little Bean, then Beanie, then Jean Bean.
“Pickle Bean” showed up during my teenage years after she decided my sour moods reminded her of pickles—which she absolutely hates.
And when I left for college, she upgraded me to Penny Bean. Apparently, it was the most mature nickname she could come up with.
I laughed so hard the first time she said it. She’s too much sometimes.
“Did you make it home safely from the mountainsyesterday?”
I’m honestly surprised she didn’t call me last night. We usually text or talk every day.
“Actually, no,” I admit as I stretch out on the bed. “I ended up staying later than I intended and had to spend the night here.”
I conveniently leave out the part where my car is currently buried in the snow off the highway.
“Oh my goodness, Penélope. Thank God you know people in that town.” Her voice softens. “You need to learn to stop working so hard. Hija, you need to live more.”
I close my eyes as I hear the same speech for what feels like the thousandth time. I love her, and I know she means well, but I’m a grown woman who’s been set in her ways for far too long to suddenly change now.
“Mami, I do live my life. I just happen to enjoy my work, and yesterday I didn’t realize how late it was until—”
She cuts me off. Fully fired up now. “Until you got stuck,” she finishes for me.
“Please tell me you didn’t stay with Gio and Ruin. That poor woman is pregnant and raising toddler twins. I don’t know how she does it,” Mami adds solemnly.
A laugh bubbles up out of me before I can stop it. Mami always claimed she loves me so much she knew she could never love another child the same way, but honestly? Something tells me it has to do with her not having an easy pregnancy. Every time she hears someone’s expecting, she reacts like they’ve enlisted for war.
“No, Ma. I stayed with Miles.”
Silence.
She knows all the MacAllisters by now. Gio and Ruin have been married long enough for Ruin’s family stories to fully make their rounds.
“Ma?” I ask, dying to know what she’s thinking.
“Well… I suppose there are worse places to get snowed in.”
I laugh so hard I nearly choke on my own spit.
“Ha! Esa risa te delata, picarona,” she says, laughing right along with me.
I love it when Mami switches to Spanish. It means her filter disappeared, and I’m getting the real version of her.
“What do you mean, my laugh gives me away? No, ma’am. There’s nothing to tell here.”
“Yes, yes, and I was born yesterday.”
Unfortunately, my mind chooses that exact moment to replay the way Miles ate my pussy just minutes ago, and I start laughing even harder.
“Listen, hija,” Mami says once she calms down. “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a handsome man’s company, as long as both of you know what you’re doing.”
She says it so matter-of-factly that I have a hard time coming up with a denial.
“It’s nothing, Ma. He offered me a place to stay after I mentioned I didn’t want to bother Gio and Ruin.”
“Having the hots for a younger man isn’t a sin. Enjoy, mija. Not everyone gets to have a hot colágeno.”
