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“Sorry,” Carmen said, voice hoarse, nude body the most perfect combination of shapes Lola had ever seen. “It’s supposed to go into sleep mode automatically.” Lit by the phone screen, Carmen’s hair, tossed to one side and half in her face, made Lola yearn to stay. “Ugh, Jesus Mom, you think I’m going to forget the stupid gala?” She rolled her eyes before flinging the phone back to the nightstand.

“Is it tomorrow?” Lola asked instead of saying goodbye forever and running home to check if her squatter was gone.

“It’s in a few weeks.” Carmen stretched for the glass of water next to her phone, offering it first to Lola before taking a sip. “She gets so crazy about it.” She shrugged and returned the glass before plopping back on the bed, white sheet low on her bare torso. “I should just be glad that she scheduled it the weekbeforemy birthday this year.” Carmen looked up at her, hazel eyes too bright for the dark, lips too full to ignore. “What are you doing on October first?” She wiggled her brows in an intentionally cheesy display. “Want to come to a party with an open bar and incredibly boring conversation where you will definitely be bullied into participating in a silent auction that should really put a cap on how many spa retreats are up for offer?”

Before Lola could think about leaving again, Carmen was at her side, fingertips tracing her ribcage before slipping toward her navel.

“You don’t already have a date for your fancy party?” Lola had meant it to sound like a dig, but she’d put too much hope at the end and her voice had gone up like a helium balloon.

Like she practiced the move in her free time, Carmen threw her leg over Lola and straddled her. The sight of Carmen on top of her made Lola forget how to breathe. When she gazed down at her, taking Lola’s hands and putting them on her hips, Lola forgot how to worry.

“I don’t have a date,” Carmen said, voice low and sultry and mesmerizing. “I usually go by myself.”

“Oh, no.” Lola wrapped her fingers around Carmen and urged her to swing her hips to the slow song in her head. “That sucks for you.”

Carmen tossed her hair back while she laughed. “How long do we want to pretend I don’t want you to come with me?” She leaned over, hands on either side of Lola’s head as she held her mouth inches from Lola’s lips. “Because we can play all night.” She started grinding harder against Lola’s pelvis, igniting all the desire they’d extinguished after hours together. “But there are other things I’d rather do with you if we’re not going to sleep.”

In a single decisive motion, Carmen grabbed Lola’s hands and flung them over Lola’s head, effectively pinning her to the bed only to swing her hips in a lethal sway. It was all Lola could do not to moan.

Struggling against her hold, Lola tipped her chin up and tried to catch Carmen’s lips in a kiss. Carmen moved back with feline instincts. Like she hadn’t been dead asleep a few minutes ago.

“Not without an answer,” Carmen warned, lips grazing Lola’s jaw before her teeth were scraping Lola’s neck.

Lola struggled harder, but Carmen was deceptively strong. She held her there. Kept her glued to the spot Lola didn’t want to leave.

“Are you going to make me beg?”

Carmen’s whisper was a nuclear warhead aimed at whatever pretense Lola had left. Sighing, Lola couldn’t struggle and focus all of her attention on the sensation of Carmen’s mouth sliding down the front of her throat, teeth around her larynx.

Lola tossed her head back, letting Carmen lick her throat like she was ice cream melting in the sun before she found her lips again and pulled.

“Are you going to make me go with someone else?” Carmen teased, holding her kiss just out of reach.

Fire roared in Lola’s belly. Even though she knew Carmen was toying with her. Had already said she usually went alone and didn’t have a date. Lola reacted to the taunt with body and soul.

Pushing off the bed with her foot, she flipped Carmen onto her back, showing her that she’d only held her down because Lola let her. When she grabbed Carmen, pulling her into her, she all but growled.

“Someone else, huh?” Lola kissed her like she was proving a point.

Carmen wrapped her legs around her, opening for her, locking her in place like she never intended to let her go. “Stop being stubborn and say yes.”

Lola kissed her again. Kissed withyesand,of course,andobviously I want to be with wherever you are,even if there is no way your parents are going to think I’m good enough for you. Right now, she was enough. And right now might be all she had.

CHAPTER48

Sunday night bledinto Monday morning and Carmen couldn’t see the reason to try to sleep at dawn. She’d considered floating the idea of calling in sick and staying in bed, but expected Lola would panic at the notion of missing work.

Instead, they’d showered together, which required forcing themselves to stay on task when hands and lips ventured away from their purpose. In her life, Carmen had never seen the appeal of showering with another person, but with the glass steamed and water dripping down Lola’s body while she rinsed shampoo out of her hair, she decided there was no better way to start her day.

Lola had agreed to borrow one of Carmen’s simple, black sheath dresses out of necessity, but had drawn the line at underwear. Without time to throw her clothes in the wash, she’d gone commando — a bit of knowledge that was going to drive Carmen insane while she tried to care about anything but seeing Lola again.

Outside, Carmen waited for Lola to suggest that they drive downtown together, but didn’t take it personally when she didn’t. It was enough that Lola had stayed. That she’d made her happy enough to sing. That she’d kissed her in the driveway in a way that probably made her neighbor Adela — peering at her through her Venetian blinds, scowl in place — lamentque desprestigioas she grieved the death of good Cuban girls.

Instead of riding in the same car, Carmen followed Lola to her favorite French bakery where they’d picked up coffee and breakfast to-go. By the time they were pulling up to their building, Carmen’s stomach was in knots.

She was walking toward the elevator, paper coffee cup in hand, when dread turned her stomach cold. They were really back. Back to where they’d treated each other terribly. Back where real responsibilities and sources of conflict lived.

Carmen tried to wash the knot down with coffee, but the thing was more stubborn than Lola. It clung to her esophagus, refusing to be moved. Lola was going to change her mind. Carmen knew it. They hadn’t spent enough time together. Hadn’t done enough work to change their dynamic. Lola was going to walk into this place and fall back into whatever trance made her so angry and hostile all the time.