Chapter 15

POV Bruce

My eyes searched for the little one as she walked from the ladies' room to our table. The Latin bar where Tauro insisted on bringing us for dinner was warm and full of life. People danced between the tables, and the little rabiosa watched joyfully as couples spun around. I got lost in her thick legs, exposed by the delicate yellow dress that draped over her body, making her look like a little Latin goddess. Her now-loose hair was adorned with a butterfly-shaped clip, holding two strands in the back. The flared, cinched dress hugged her body, rising up to the two thin straps on her shoulders. She let her hair fall over her neck to hide the mark that was there, but I liked knowing she was marked by us. I saw her clapping her fingers as she laughed, swaying her body.

"One more second, and you'll be floating toward her, Bruce." I laughed at my cousin's voice, who was sitting with his legs stretched out. Our casual clothes felt almost ridiculous. The little one made me feel alive at 33; I no longer cared for places like this, but I couldn't say no when her eyes sparkled with happiness for me.

I grabbed the glass of a Brazilian drink called caipirinha, laughing at how Tauro puffed out his chest while scanning the room.

"Says the man who called the reception to close out her room bill."

He shrugged, turning back to look at her. I had heard the screams of rage and all the words spilling from her full lips as she cursed Tauro, who tossed her suitcase onto the bed. In the end, the little one won—and so did I. I had to check out of my own room, moving into the suite with them. She crossed her arms in victory, laughing at Tauro the moment I walked in with my suitcase. I could have been mad, but my eyes warmed when I saw her in my shirt, standing on the bed, laughing. I dropped my bag on the floor, catching her in my arms as soon as she jumped at me.

"Rabiosa!" I whispered softly.

The little devil had changed my plans. Really, shifting things around for three more days with her and my cousin wasn’t hard. I called my brother, claiming I had unfinished business in Las Vegas.

Tauro felt the same way about her. We both knew we wanted more of that night—she had turned our world upside down, and I liked the idea of three more days with her.

"Dios… come on, come on!" She stopped beside Tauro, reaching her fingers out to him.

"No, sweetheart, I don’t dance bolero."

Her eyes rolled, making me almost laugh at the way she glared at him.

"Lambada, Tauro. This is lambada, mi amor…"

I saw Tauro’s face freeze in surprise as the words left her lips.

"How do you know so much about this, cariño?"

She pulled out a chair, not noticing the discomfort she had left Tauro in. He turned to me, looking at me silently, and I just shook my head, smiling at her as she sat down between us.

"Mi madre was a dancer. I grew up with her music filling the house while she and mi padre danced together…"

Her eyes got lost for a second before she pushed the thoughts away.

"What was your father like, Zel?"

She took my drink, turning to Tauro, looking at him fondly, her dark eyes shining even more at the question.

"Padre was different from madre. He was calm and quiet, always silent, but with a big heart. Mi abuelita told me she almost had a heart attack when madre walked into the house with a nearly two-meter-tall Black man."

Her laughter rang out as she wiped her face and sipped the caipirinha.

"Madre was madly in love with him. She met him during one of her dance tours in Chicago. He was way too shy, so madre said she had to pull up a chair, climb onto it to be almost his height, and pull him in for a kiss. Madre is Latina—her blood runs terribly hot for such a tiny woman. She always knew what she wanted."

She smiled more at me, her dimples deepening. I had never realized how beautiful that was in a woman.

"Madre always said she was never forward, but she knew the moment he danced with her that he would be her husband for life. And like all Alonso women, I will know when my time comes too."

I let my mood drop at the end. I saw Tauro’s eyes tighten, thinking the same thing I was. Zelda would find someone, of course she would. What man wouldn’t want to have a fiery soul like her in his arms—someone who could be joyful and affectionate, yet as fierce as a devil? I frowned, picturing Zelda reaching the moment of her choice. My eyes returned to Tauro, who was watching me, raising an eyebrow. Don’t go down that road! He practically screamed at me with his stare. I closed my eyes, shaking my head, then turned my attention back to the dancers.

"And is that what you want, Zel?" Tauro looked at her. "To settle down, have someone for yourself?"

"Sí." She answered quickly, cheerfully. "After I secure my future, I think at some point I’ll find it. I don’t want something cold or lukewarm—I want to walk the same path as my partner. I’m not as docile as mi madre says…"

She took a sip of the drink, handing it back to me.

"Mi madre was happy with mi padre, but deep down, I know she felt sad about leaving her dream of being a dancer behind. She never told him, but some days, she would get lost in her music around the house. Mi padre, to push away her sadness, would twirl her around the house while I laughed, watching them. I want to love someone the way my parents loved each other, but I also want to love my dreams."

"Speaking of the future, how are your studies going?"

She turned to me, her chest swelling with pride.

"I’m just a few days away from my diploma, that’s the truth. My professors already reviewed my thesis and liked how I developed it. Next week, I’ll present it to the board, and then I’ll officially be graduated."

"That’s good, sweetheart, really good."

I saw Tauro deep in thought—I knew what he had gone through with his ex-wife, and I also knew the ambitious little one sitting with us. Zel wanted much more, and I was sure she would achieve all her goals.

With a glance at Tauro, who was watching me, I knew the idea of making her his secretary had gone down the drain. Zel wanted to soar much higher—she was just a fledgling, but once her wings gained strength, she would become an eagle in the corporate world. My cousin shook his head at me: three days, just that! I nodded, understanding his message. He turned back, sipping his drink and smiling at her.

"Why that name?"

She choked on her laughter, making us vibrate with her spontaneity when Tauro asked.

"I’ve always wondered—it’s not Latin."

"Mi padre liked video games. He thought Zelda would be an interesting way to make his only daughter suffer even more bullying than usual."

We burst into laughter. I almost felt sorry for her because of her name.

"Did you get bullied a lot for it?"

She shrugged, shaking her head.

The waitress arrived with fish appetizers, then quickly left. Tauro grabbed one, bringing it to his mouth while watching Zelda, studying her. My cousin had a gift for reading body language—he always knew when someone was lying.

"Then why?"

She grabbed an appetizer, turning her eyes to him.

"Look, being mixed is already difficult. Not Black, not white. But being a mixed Latina? That’s twice as hard. Mi madre only spoke Spanish with me, so it was easier to talk to her than with others. I wasn’t golden-skinned like her, with straight hair and brown eyes, but I also wasn’t Black and strong like my father, nor did I have curly or coiled hair. I landed in between, just this blend that remained…"

I pulled her gently toward me, making her look up in surprise. Then, I took my drink and handed her a glass of orange juice.

"I don’t think your tiny body can handle much alcohol, cariño, and that drink is strong."

"Dios, you’re so controlling…"

Tauro laughed, pulling her onto his lap.

Yes, I was fully aware—the possessiveness over Zel was growing.