The couple noticed Angel a moment later and Juan saw the woman’s eyes go wide and then fill with what almost looked like panic. Her ex looked surprised as well, but he quickly masked it. That guy had always had a smarmy look about him. A punchable face for certain.
“Angel,” king douchebag said as they all awkwardly stopped on the sidewalk, their big-ass double stroller in the middle.
“Ricardo.” Her voice was stilted but her expression was neutral enough.
A long, awkward pause stretched between them. Juan cleared his throat. “I’m Juan,” he said to the woman, nodding politely enough. “Angel’s fiancé.”
Now that got a reaction out of the ex. Ricardo sucked in a breath. Heh, good.
“Oh…congratulations!” The woman smiled and her reaction seemed genuine, which Juan found jarring. He knew from Angel that this was the woman her ex had cheated on her with. She was so damn young, maybe twenty. Something told Juan she’d regret her life choices later.
“Thank you. Finally managed to lock her down.” He shot a look at Ricardo—who was staring at him with a whole lot of jealousy in his dark eyes. Good. “We have to be going.” He couldn’t even muster up enough to say that it had been nice to meet them. Keeping his grip around Angel, he basically guided her around the stroller since she seemed to be in a state of shock.
“Fiancé?” she murmured when they were about a block away. And he had to give her credit, she hadn’t looked over her shoulder once. But he would bet fifty bucks that her ex had definitely looked back. Who wouldn’t want to check out the most perfect ass on the planet?
“I wanted to get a reaction out of that asshole.”
“I hate that seeing him still makes me freeze up. I feel like such a mess.” There was a raw vulnerability in her voice he’d never heard before.
“No you’re not.” That was when he noticed tears glistening in her eyes. He inwardly cursed. “Baby, please don’t cry.” He tugged them down a side street and cupped her cheeks, wiping her tears away. He glanced around, knowing she would hate an audience, and was thankful that there was no one on this little street.
“I’m sorry,” she said as more tears flowed.
He wanted to run after the guy and kick his ass, which was completely barbaric. But he didn’t care. Juan pulled her into his arms, hugging her close. “Do you still have feelings for him?” he asked quietly as he continued to hold her, bracing himself for the answer.
She snorted and stepped back, her tears drying up as she snorted again. Then she started giggling almost maniacally as she shook her head. “No. Oh my God, no! Noooo. My feelings for him died years before we even got a divorce. I’m just mad at myself. I have so much anger that I stayed with him for so long. Anger that I let him pull the wool over my eyes for so long. And then when I realized what a loser he was, I’m angry that I didn’t leave right away. I kept thinking maybe I could fix it. I put all the responsibility on myself, trying to mold myself into something I thought would somehow magically fix a relationship that was so fractured there would never be any fixing it. The only feelings I have for him are ones of disgust. I was young and stupid when I fell for him, and honestly, I feel a little bad for his new wife. I think she’s young and dumb too.”
“I’m sorry you were with him for so long, but I hope you can let the anger at yourself go. You’re a good person and you were trying to save your marriage. That’s commendable.”
She gave a jerky shrug, then managed a real smile. “I can’t believe you told him you’re my fiancé. He’s going to be chewing on that all night.” She gave a short, gleeful laugh. “That dick deserves it too.”
“I know it’s too soon, but the thought of being your fiancé isn’t a laughing matter to me,” he said bluntly. He was putting himself out there, but he’d decided that with Angel he was always going to. He wasn’t going to hold back and risk out on losing her.
Angel sucked in a breath. “Juan…”
“I love you, Angel. In case that wasn’t clear. I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not. I’ve wanted you forever. Before I even really understood my feelings. I’m not pressuring you for anything. I just want you to give us a chance. I understand that it will take time for you to trust again and I’m fine with that. I’m not going anywhere.” He backed her up slightly against the brick wall, keeping his arm between her back and the wall so it wouldn’t abrade her. “But someday, you’re going to have to start believing that I’m in this thing for real. Because I want a future with you.” He brushed his lips over hers, tasting chocolate and sweetness for a brief moment before he pulled back.
She was still looking up at him with the dazed expression. “I don’t know what to say right now,” she whispered.
“Don’t say anything. Let’s go get ready for this barbecue.”
She melted into him and he knew he’d been right not to push her. He was pretty sure she loved him too, and maybe that was just the cockiness she told him he had in abundance. Or maybe it was confidence.
If it took her a while to tell him, then…he would wait.
He would always wait for Angel.
Chapter 26
“You’re being weird.” Nash turned left onto the quiet residential street, only minutes from Juan’s house now.
“I literally haven’t said anything.” She looked amazing in a wraparound blue and white summer dress, a lightweight sweater over it. She crossed her legs toward him as she shifted in her seat. Her legs were long, lean, and all he wanted to do was throw them over his shoulders as he went down on her. Tasted her, teased her, watched her climax under his ministrations.
“Exactly. You’ve been weird ever since my dad left.”
“We had sex twice!”
He grinned. “That we did.”
“No need to be smug about it.”
“Smug? How about excited. Or satisfied.” He made another left into a subdivision with clusters of palm trees on each side of the entrance.
“Well, I’m not being weird.”
“Something is going on with you.” He knew he should have asked her what was on her mind before, but she’d been naked when he’d walked into his room earlier and he’d just forgotten everything else. He had a feeling that in the future he’d lose every single argument if she stripped off her clothes. Gladly.
“No there’s not, and can we stop with the third degree?”
“Asking you questions is not giving you the third degree. If we’re going to be in a relationship—”
“Are we in a relationship?”
He slowed down. “Well, I would like to be.” He cut her a quick glance, trying to gauge her expression.
She was watching him with big blue eyes. “You don’t think things are moving fast?”
“Let’s see,” he said dryly as he pulled up to a one-story ranch-style house. The driveway was full so he parked by the curb. Turning to her, he continued, “We’ve known each other our whole lives. I’ve been physically aware of you since you were nineteen.”