Even before the moment Romero had heard Izzy refer to Elliot as brilliant, he’d been clenching his teeth. Hearing her say it only made him grind his teeth further. “That’s silly,” he said, doing his best to not sound agitated. “Sounds to me like you really enjoyed it. And if anyone is brilliant, it’s you.”
“Thank you,” she said, and he still heard the smile in her words. “I’m actually thinking of getting out of here early. That’s how much it wore me out. It’s why I was calling you now to see if you’re busy.”
“Are you not feeling well?” he asked, suddenly concerned. “You need me to come get you?”
“No, I’m fine, but after the lecture, Elliot let the class out early. It’d be just him and me now for the next hour or so. I thought maybe if you weren’t busy we could go get lunch before the kids are out of school.”
“I’m not busy,” he said quickly. “You wanna meet at home?”
Romero actually did have a lot on his plate today, but fuck that. He’d be an idiot to tell her to just hang out alone for the next hour with the professor she’d just admitted she thought was brilliant. Romero would just have to play catch up tomorrow.
After deciding where they’d meet, he grabbed his keys and wallet and started out. He let his receptionist, a retired and cranky-as-shit former school principal, know that she had to reschedule everything on his calendar today for tomorrow.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Wanda said with her wrinkled face as contorted as he expected. “That Hammond guy’s called twice already.”
“If he calls again, tell him I got nothing for him yet. I’ll call him tomorrow with an update. I really gotta get out of here.”
Her ornery expression changed suddenly to a concerned one. “Is everything okay at home?”
“Everything’s perfect.” He glanced back at her again just before walking out, giving her one of his most playful grins. “But my beautiful wife said she wants me home.” He shrugged as he pushed the door open. “What am I supposed to tell her?”
“You can tell her I have to call and deal with about eight irate clients now.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll let her have it, Wanda,” Romero said with a wink. “I promise I’ll really let her have it.”
He laughed when he heard Wanda harrumph loudly. However his playful mood was fleeting because, as he made his way to the car, thoughts of Izzy and Elliot consumed him. She’d decided to leave early today because the lecture she’d been so excited about had drained her. But now he wondered how often Elliot let the students leave early and he and Izzy were left alone. She had mentioned when she first took the job that he’d help her prepare her lectures. Was that what they did when they were alone? Is that why she thought he was so brilliant?
Damn it, he hated this. He hated feeling and acting like an insecure ass, but he reasoned he had made some progress. In the past, his normal reaction to hearing her call Elliot brilliant would’ve been to snap—to ask her just what was so fucking brilliant about the guy. But that wasn’t him anymore. He promised her years ago he’d work on not losing his shit so easily, and they’d been over this already. He didn’t want her to know he was beginning to obsess about this. She’d already assured him he had nothing to worry about.
But even her deciding to leave early and wanting to meet up with him instead of hang out with Elliot alone made him suspicious. Was there a reason why she didn’t want to be alone with the guy? Was it possible Manny was actually on to something and she too picked up on something about Elliot? Or worse, did she not trust herself to be alone with the guy too long?
He banged the steering wheel as he got in and took a deep breath and exhaled. After doing that a couple more times, he said the words out loud as if they’d be more convincing that way.
“She’s your wife. She loves you. She’d never cheat. She said she’ll belong to you for eternity. There is no fucking reason not to believe that. This is Izzy. She’s perfect, damn it!” With another deep breath, he smiled. “She’s perfect,” he whispered again.
Yeah, she was, and this shit ended right here. He was done obsessing about this guy. Izzy deserved to be trusted, and he did trust her. With that, he shook away all the unsettling thoughts of his beautiful wife and the professor and took off to meet her.
Nine
Snap!
H
er husband’s sexy eyebrow was arched sharply, and Isabel smirked as she watched Romero turn to his uncles in the back seat of his SUV. “No shoving or name-calling in the crowd this year,” he warned them sternly. “This is a Christmas parade for crying out loud. We’re supposed to be in a jolly mood.”
“Not when someone’s fat ass is blocking my Mandy’s view,” Manny shot back.
“I remember that,” Romeo said from his car seat next to Manny. “That was funny, Uncle Manny.”
It surprised Isabel that her son would remember that since he hadn’t even been four then.
“Yeah, well funny or not,” Romero said firmly, but Isabel saw the unmistakable smirk, “it’s not happening this year. We’re gonna get banned from coming to this thing soon.”
Thankfully, when they arrived at the beach, the Morenos were all there and set up. They’d reserved a whole area for their group and made a makeshift kid area up front where they could better see the lighted boats go by. Isabel smiled, knowing this year there’d be no danger of any fat asses blocking her kids’ view. They already had the canopy set up with hot chocolate, pan dulce, and all the other food needed for their evening under the stars.
Isabel was glad to see her sisters and her mom there. The kids were off and running almost immediately, though Isabel insisted they say hello to everyone first. After saying hello to everyone herself, she sat down in the empty chair next to her sister Gina. She knew the chair was for Gina’s husband, Brandon, but he was off chatting with some of the guys. It would also be a while before Manny, Max, and Romero got their chairs set up then argued about the bonfire, so she made herself comfortable next to her sister.
Gina immediately shared her blanket with her. Isabel’s mom, who was around the same bonfire as Gina, asked Aida to join them, offering the chair between her and Isabel’s other sister, Pat. Fortunately, it wasn’t too close. Isabel was looking forward to chatting with Gina about her pregnancy. It was almost impossible to talk about it at home where Romero was constantly within earshot of her phone calls.
“So he still doesn’t know?” Gina whispered.
Isabel had warned her sister about why his uncles couldn’t be told, so Aida couldn’t be let in on the secret either.
“No,” Isabel whispered back, glad that Aida and her mom and Pat were engrossed in a conversation of their own already. “But I can tell he’s getting suspicious.” She giggled. “He knows this time of year I get very sneaky, so I’m sure he knows I have a surprise for him. He just has no clue what it is.”
“What about work?” her sister asked. “Are you gonna keep working until you’re due?”
“Oh heck no!” Isabel said, shaking her head, and remembered to lower her voice again. “If I could, I’d quit now, but Elliot . . .” She turned to see where Romero was. He was close at the table with all the food but far enough he couldn’t hear them talking, so she turned back to Gina and pouted. “He’s counting on me to stay at least until Christmas break.”
Gina laughed. “Bell, that’s in, what? Less than two weeks? You act like it’s months away.”
“I know,” Isabel said, smiling, and then leaned her head against Gina’s shoulder. “But I’m so tired all the time now, Sissy,” she whined softly and buried her face into the blanket on Gina’s shoulder then turned sideways so she could continue her whining. “You know how it is in the beginning. All I wish I could do after dropping off the kids in the morning is go back home and sleep.”
“Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about that. How are you doing with the morning sickness?”
“That’s another thing,” Isabel said, liking how comfortable it felt leaning again
st her sister’s shoulder. “It’s getting worse and worse, and it’s not just in the morning. You know that, right? It hasn’t been easy keeping it from Romero, but I keep telling myself the surprise is gonna be so worth it.”
“Oh my God, I’d be dying. Not only that, I think Brandon might be a little miffed at me for keeping something this huge from him.”
“Really?” Isabel asked curiously, and she was seriously beginning to think she could fall asleep right there on Gina’s shoulder. “But it’s for the sake of surprising him.”
“Well, you’re braver than I am, let me tell you. I can’t even imagine doing what you’re doing, Bell. I’m surprised Romero hasn’t suspected.”
“I know. Me too,” Isabel said, taking a deep breath. “And the worst part is I’m starting to fumble all my lies.”
“You crying, Izzy?”
Isabel’s head jerked up at the sound of Romero’s voice. He stood there, holding what looked like two cups of coffee.
“No,” she said, wondering just how much he’d heard because his brow was up but not in a playful way.
“You’re surprised I haven’t suspected what?” he asked Gina. Gina turned to Isabel, eyes wide open, but before she could say anything, Romero went on, his tone like none she’d heard in years—none he’d ever used on Gina. “What lies are you fumbling, Isabel?”
And there you had it. He hadn’t called her Isabel in years either because she hadn’t seen him this mad in years.” Sh-she can’t tell you,” Gina said.
“Why’s that, Gina?” he shot back, his tone even deadlier. “And what exactly is she doing that makes her braver than you?”
“It’s a surprise,” Isabel said with conviction, reaching out for the cup in his hand.
Romero stared at her then her sister. Reluctantly, he handed both cups to them just as Brandon walked over, holding some sweet bread he handed to Gina first then to Isabel.
“Oh, here,” Isabel said, standing up. “Let me get out of your chair.”
“You’re fine,” Brandon said. “I can stand.”
“No, no,” Isabel said. “Come sit with your wife. Our chairs should be all set up.”
“They’re right behind you,” Romero informed her, slipping his hand in hers, but that look in his eyes hadn’t eased up.
“You see,” Isabel said to Brandon. “My chairs are right here.”
She started toward them but kept going when Romero tugged her hand so she continued to walk with him. A few yards away, he stopped in front of her and faced her. Feeling her brows furrow, she stared at him a bit concerned. Clearly he was still visibly shaken, and she had a feeling what he might be thinking—it’d be the only reason he’d call her Isabel and be so coarse with her sister.
Almost since he’d first met her and gotten to know Isabel’s sister, he’d referred to Gina as his baby sister even if she was older than he was. He’d always spoken to Gina just as sweetly as a big brother would. So the tone he’d taken tonight was too telling of what had been going through his mind. Not once had he ever taken that tone with her. Pat, yes, on more than one occasion, but Gina, never.
“Look at me,” he said, staring into her eyes. “What were you and your sister talking about back there?”
“I told you,” she said as his eyes searched hers. “Your Christmas surprise.”
“She said she couldn’t imagine doing what you’re doing.” He squeezed her hand, still searching her eyes almost desperately. “She said you’re braver.”
“Maybe I am.” She smiled, touching his face.
“Why?” She saw the flicker of terror in his eyes as he squeezed her hand tighter. “What are you doing, Isab—?”
“I don’t know, Ramon,” she said, feeling more than annoyed with him suddenly because she was certain now what he was thinking, and while she couldn’t really blame him, it still wasn’t fair to her. How dare he? She felt her own expression go as hard as his. “What do you think we were talking about?”
Instantly, his demeanor changed as if it hit him just then how wrong he’d been. He tried to kiss her, but she pulled back, so he wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I’m sorry,” he said immediately against her ear.
It wasn’t until that moment that she realized just how convinced he must’ve been about what he was thinking because, when he pressed against her now, she felt how erratically his heart was beating. She tried pushing him away, but he held her tighter. “I’m sorry, baby,” he said urgently again.
“I know what it sounded like Romero, but, Jesus, can you give me some credit?”
“I know,” he said finally, pulling away to look at her, but brought his hands to her face, cupping it. The intensity in his eyes was still there but different. He looked truly sorry now and at the same time relieved. “I-I just . . . I didn’t know what to think. You called this guy brilliant, you’re around him all the time, and then I hear this—”
“Stop,” she said, furious with herself now for having slipped and told Romero she thought Elliot was brilliant.
She knew it then and this only confirmed it. It’d been a mistake. It wouldn’t faze most men, but Romero wasn’t most men. She already knew he was struggling with this whole thing. Adding that to everything else he already had to tolerate about her working so closely and alone with Elliot was just stupid.
“Listen to me, sweetheart. We’ve been over this already. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”
For a moment, she was tempted to just tell him that she was pregnant and would be quitting soon, but she was so looking forward to his Christmas morning surprise. This would be hands down her best surprise for him ever. She did, however, want to ease his mind a little, so she let him in on something else.
“I haven’t said anything to Elliot yet.” He was watching her so closely she hoped he didn’t pick up on that slight insincerity, but she was afraid he might put two and two together if she told him it was a sure thing. “I haven’t decided yet if I’m going back to work after the holidays.” His eyes widened immediately and she smiled. “I said I haven’t decided, but this has been a lot of work, and I have been missing my time at home. I feel guilty that I don’t put together the kind of meals I used to anymore because I’m too tired and don’t have the time.”
His bright eyes lost some of their shine for a moment. “I don’t want you quitting because of me. I swear to you I won’t be such a dumb ass anymore.”
Isabel frowned. “You’re not a dumb ass.”
“I’ve been acting like one, and just the other day, Izzy, you said you really enjoyed doing that lecture.” He was doing it again, searching her eyes, only this time he seemed more worried than angry. “If that’s your dream, if it’s what you really want, I promise you, baby, I’ll stop being so fucking paranoid about this whole thing. I don’t want you to feel like I made you quit.”
Well shit. She was going to have to fess up and admit he was right after all: that it had been too much for her and she really didn’t want to work anymore. She truly did miss being home and running a tight ship as she always had. It’d been so hard to keep up lately, especially with her being so tired now. But she didn’t have to tell him all that just yet.
“I haven’t decided,” she said with a smile. “But I promise when I do it’ll be my decision completely.”
“Mom!” Isabel turned at the sound of Amanda’s voice. “Romeo’s playing with the fire.”
“He’s fine,” Manny hollered. “Don’t listen to Mother Theresa. We got this.”
“I hate when your uncles call her that,” Isabel said just as Romero tugged her hand and they started back toward the bonfire. “She’s only doing what I ask her to, and that’s looking after her brother, and they call her that every time.”
“I’ll talk to them,” Romero said then stopped and turned to face Isabel again. “I’m really, really sorry about how I reacted, okay? I’ll apologize to Gina too. I swear to you I know it doesn’t seem like I am, but I am trying.”
Isabel nodded, bu
t for two reasons, she didn’t do so quite as enthusiastically as she had in the past when he’d apologized before about this. One, it was getting annoying and insulting that he’d so easily think the worst of her. And two, a part of her felt as remorseful as he looked. Romero may be Romero and react too quickly to his gut feelings, but his gut feeling in this case wasn’t that far off. More than ever she was glad she’d be done with this job in less than two weeks.
She had no fear of being tempted to do or even behave in an improper way around Elliot. But she was a horrid liar and Romero read her too well. If she was completely honest with herself, she hadn’t been comfortable around Elliot ever since his admission about being more intrigued by women who could do things to his mind. His other subtle comments hadn’t helped with the unease either.
The day she’d done her full lecture when she’d finished and they’d been alone again, he’d told her he didn’t think he could be any more fascinated with her than he already was. This time she was sure she saw more in his eyes, heard more in the undertone. She’d stupidly thought her being pregnant would be a deterrent—a wall that would keep him safely from looking at her like that again. She still thought she could be wrong, and it was unfair to think that way of Elliot when he really hadn’t done or said anything inappropriate, but she still couldn’t help feeling slightly uncomfortable by it. It was why she’d called Romero and asked him to meet her for lunch instead of hanging out alone with Elliot for another hour.
Using the thrill she was still feeling about giving the lecture, she managed to mask her unease from Elliot’s compliment when she called Romero that day. Even then, she hadn’t done a very good job because he still asked if she was okay.