“She’s exaggerating!” Jack shouted back tothem.
Joaquin took Mia’s hand. “It’s going to beokay.”
Mia wasn’t sosure.
15
Joaquin sat on the sofa in the cabin, Mia leaning back against his chest, glasses of wine in their hands, a fire crackling in thewoodstove.
“They thanked me,” Mia said. “Then Shoals—he’s the tall one—told me that I had been a big help and that I should contact them if anything else came up. Shoals said he thought I was a hero. I wish people would stop sayingthat.”
Joaquin kissed the top of Mia’s head. “Does that seem so strange toyou?”
“I haven’t done anything special. I reported people who were flagrantly breaking the law, and I fired a few shots at a guy who was trying to kill me—andmissed.”
“Oh, that’sall.”
But she didn’t seem to get his sarcasm. “I should have been paying attention. I should have had my weapon out.I—”
He pressed his fingertips to her lips. “Shhh. Don’t blame yourself. Nothing you did or didn’t do is to blamehere.”
“But if I’d been paying attention…” Her words trailedoff.
That reminded him. “Hey, what were those Spanish phrases you were trying to learnanyway?”
He glanced down, watched a blush creep into hercheeks.
“They were supposed to be asurprise.”
“Yeah? Let’s hearit.”
She shook her head. “I don’t thinkso.”
“Oh, come on. I’ve seen you in your underwear. You can tell me anythingnow.”
She craned her neck, looked up at him. “You’re going to think I’m anidiot.”
“I would never thinkthat.”
“Okay.” She frowned as if trying to remember. “Tócame.”
Touchme?
¡Aye, bendito! GoodGod!
Joaquin’s night had just gotten a whole lot more interesting. He’d been expectingbuenas díasorcómo estás or dónde esta el baño, not something flirty or sexual. He found himself grinning like an idiot. “That was … good. Anythingelse?”
“Te deseo.”I wantyou.
He fought to rein in his reaction. This was a language lesson, nothing more. It didn’t matter what his dick thought. “Bien. Welldone.”
She went on.“Quiero arrancarte laropa.”
¡Carajo! Holyshit.
“Youdoknow what you’re saying,right?”
She nodded, then hit him with another one. “Eres el hombre más sexy que he cono… cono …I can’t remember the lastword.”