“Would I?” he laughed. “Lead the way.”
She turned off the lights, bathing them in darkness. Tomorrow, she’d need all her energy and strength to get through the wedding.
But tonight? Tonight she could allow herself a sweet reward.
Chapter 32
Wedding Day
A loud buzzing roused Rafael from his slumber. Groaning, he stretched out his hand until he located his phone. It wasn’t even seven yet. Who was calling this early in the morning?
A glimpse at the caller ID made him startle into full consciousness.Mamá.
He answered right away. “Morning, Má. Everything okay?”
“It’s good. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
Even if she had, he’d never admit it. He glanced over at Victoria, who lay beside him with the covers pulled up to her chin. She blinked and opened her eyes, then favored him with a sweet, sexy smile. Thank God Mamá hadn’t opted for FaceTime.
“I was about to get up anyway,” he told Mamá. “Big day ahead.”
“I wanted to wish you luck. Were you able to fix things with Victoria? Araceli called and told me what happened at the restaurant.”
Of course she had.But he couldn’t be mad at his cousin, not when she’d helped him win Victoria back. Besides, he didn’t want any more secrets. “We made up. It’s all good.”
Better than good. After all, she was lying next to him after a night of incredible makeup sex. Though they’d both been exhausted, they’d taken a long, steamy shower together.Thenthey’d made love on the hard-as-a-rock futon. After they were done, they stayed up another hour, just talking. For the first time since he’d met her, he felt like there weren’t any boundaries between them.
“Bueno,” Mamá said. “Then I want you to invite her to the big family dinner on Christmas Eve.”
He hadn’t seen that one coming. Normally, he would have waited a lot longer to subject a date to a Sanchez family holiday. But after the scene at Tres Hermanos, Victoria could handle his family just fine.
“I’m not sure what she has going on with her parents, but I’ll ask her.”
“Excellent. I will say a prayer for you that this wedding goes well. Love you, mijo.”
“Love you, too, Má.”
When he was done, Victoria gave him an arch smile. “Everything all right?”
He set his phone back on the nightstand and lay down beside her. “Just my mom, checking up on me. And inviting you to the big Sanchez gathering on Christmas Eve. No pressure.”
“You sure? I was public enemy number one when I came to see you at the restaurant.”
“Not anymore. Your grand gesture totally won them over. I can promise you the food will be delicious. But you’ll have to join us for Midnight Mass after.” As he said it, he liked the idea of enfolding her into his world. Not just as someone he worked with. But as his date. His lover. His woman.
“I’d like that. Christmas Eve isn’t that special at our house. Our big dinner is on Christmas Day. I’d invite you, but Connor’s going to be there, and I’m not sure what to expect. Things might be tense with my him and my dad in the same room together.”
“I get it.” Even if she’d invited him, he wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with her father yet. “Speaking of which, was your father okay with you coming back for one job?”
“I didn’t give him a choice. He needs the wedding to run smoothly, and he can’t afford to piss off Senator Macalister. But after today, I’m done.”
He was so proud of her. “You sure? I’m glad you’re leaving, but you’re great at event planning. I saw how excited you were on Wednesday at the decorating party.”
“I do love it, but I need to be my own person. I might have to start as someone’s assistant, but eventually, I’ll get to coordinate events again. Who knows? One day I might even start my own company.”
The enthusiasm in her voice filled him with a warm glow. He loved the way she was taking control of her life. “You’d do a hell of a job.”
“Thanks.” She picked up her phone. “No last-minute texts from Missy, thank God.” Setting it down, she gave him a wicked grin and ran her hands along his chest. “Since we’re both up early, we should take advantage, right?”
