Page 96 of Grasp The Moment

Nodding, I smile. “I’m not. Derek here has decided to take me on a small trip around town. How do you two know one?—”

Before I can finish my sentence, a voice chuffs from behind me. “Parks.”

Soleil’s face shifts in an instant; the once-happy persona she’d been wearing is replaced by a scowl as she eyes the newcomer.

“Perez,” she breathes the name out with an eye roll.

Emiliano stands at my shoulder, a scowl on his face as he and she share an angry look before he backs down.

I raise my brows at the exchange and turn to Derek, who shakes his head, mouthing, “They havehistory,” before pulling me away from the two.

We walk throughout the small-town square and shops, picking up different gifts and clothing items for his family and my potential clothing line. It’s a day full of laughter and photos between the two of us that we don’t even notice when the sky begins to set.

Derek’s phone buzzing is all the reminder we need as he talks to his mom, and soon enough, we find ourselves back on the ranch and getting dressed for dinner tonight.

I was told to dress in my “fancy clothes,” seeing as everyone in the family will be at dinner tonight. Derek wanted to cook for the family, but when he learned it would be his grandma,aunt, and mother cooking tonight, he immediately conceded his request.

I grin at myself in the mirror, twirling as I take in the yellow dress that I created for my separate clothing line. When I created it, I imagined Delilah wearing the dress as an adult wearing a tiny crown. I feel like a princess as I twirl yet again, only to stop when I realize that I haven’t zipped myself in completely.

“Oh my…” I curse, clutching my chest as the dress slips, and immediately call out for Derek to help me.

He’s in the room in an instant, his eyes searching for me before softening when he finds me in the mirror, struggling to keep my dress up.

“Need help?” he asks slowly, stalking toward me. Our eyes remain locked on one another through the mirror as he approaches. He smells like fresh soap and warm masculine cologne. I shudder as his cold fingers dance over my bare skin, tracing down to where the zipper is stopped at my mid back.

He moves his hand from my back to my stomach, flexing his fingers on my abdomen, sending a flutter through me and distracting me as the other cups around my throat. Tendrils of electricity shock through my body as he tilts my jaw to the side, planting slow kisses on my neck and jaw.

I groan when his lips land on mine, kissing me deeply. When he pulls away from me, Derek has successfully put me into a stupor, wishing his lips were still on mine as he zips the dress up.

Through the mirror, he looks me over with a hungry gaze and kisses the side of my head.

“Stunning.”

I’m on cloud freaking 1,000,000,000 as we walk hand in hand into the main house. Delilah’s been staying in the main house since she wants to have sleepovers with her cousins. Theprecious girl is dressed head-to-toe in yellow, her dress a miniature replica of my own, designed and tailored for her by me.

I grin at the small tiara on her head and kiss it.

“Mamá, we’re matching!” Deli squeals, gesturing between the two of us with a bright smile.

I mimic her expression, nodding. “I know, Deli Belly, I had a nice long talk with the designer, and she made us matching dresses!”

Delilah and I do small twirls and take pictures as the rest of the family arrives and gets ready for dinner.

Delilah, Derek, and I take our seats directly across from Lidia and her sister Carmen, and we dig in almost immediately. Elena and I are chatting when something Lidia does catches my eye. I pause in our conversation and look at her quickly before doing a double take.

“Your necklace is stunning; it matches your outfit perfectly!” I compliment my mother-in-law as she blushes, her fingers toying with the diamonds decorating her neck.

She waves me off, clearly happy to receive the compliment, and smiles. “Thank you, the outfit and necklace are custom-made by my friend Eden.”

My brows hike up, and the air beside me grows tense as Derek stops eating and I tilt my head at his mother.

Signature poison black dress, crystal-embellished wrists… If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that this was a designer I’m familiar with… Myfavoritedesigner.

“Eden? LikeEdenMarlowe?” I ask, but I know that can’t be possible, so I take a bite of my food, chuckling a bit at the absurd question.

Eden Marlowe is an icon in the fashion industry. Hell, she’s myrole model. Yeah, it still stings that I was rejected from her internship, but I know how competitive it is. There’s no way in hell that this outfit is custom-made by her.

No way in hell…