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When she turned, mug in hand, she found Natalia’s gaze trained studiously on her laptop again. But there was a hint of color in her cheeks that hadn’t been there before.

Oh, yeah. Sam grinned before drowning her amusement in mediocre coffee. She’s so into me.

“What are you working on?” Sam asked, while the caffeine dripped into her system.

“Not on this conversation,” she replied without looking away from the screen.

Sam laughed. “Come on, you didn’t come all this way to be chained to your computer.”

Natalia glanced at her over her glasses. Imagining her as a strict headmistress tired of Sam’s bullshit, Sam’s pulse jumped. If she’d had a principal like Natalia when she was in school, she would have gotten in so much trouble she would have been expelled.

“Now you’re telling me how I come, Professor?” Natalia’s voice was hoarse from the night before and even sexier than usual. God, this was going to be the death of her.

Sam moistened her lips, attention shifting from Natalia’s perfect mouth to her fathomless eyes. “I’d never presume.” She set her mug down. “But I do think that will be there in a few days…” she left the implication open. Knowing Natalia would understand that she meant their time together away from obligation and demands wouldn’t last long.

Natalia’s eye contact was focused, but it lacked bite. Maybe if Sam couldn’t read her desire beneath the surface, like something was fighting to break free, she’d trust her expression.

Cracks appeared in her polished armor. It made Sam ache to touch her, to lavish her with the affection she sensed Natalia craved beneath her facade. The affection she only allowed under the guise of sex. But she didn’t want to push too far, too fast. Natalia was skittish, ready to bolt at any moment.

Leaving Natalia to her work, Sam decided on a shower. While she washed the scent of Natalia off her skin, she fantasized about her slipping into the steamy shower behind her. The moment never came, but it didn’t stop Samantha from imagining what Natalia looked like pressed against the tiles, head tilted back and unraveling under Sam’s touch.

Sam had just finished blow-drying her hair into a lush coif after pulling on jeans and T-shirt, when there was a knock at the door. This time she recognized Blanca’s banging and jogged to answer it before Natalia got up.

“Good morning!” Blanca trilled, breezing inside. “We thought we’d come collect you two for breakfast on the beach.”

Greta offered Sam an apologetic look as she followed, her steps more hesitant than Blanca’s gallop. “Hope it’s not too early.”

Natalia regarded Blanca and Greta with thinly veiled surprise as they bustled inside. Sam bit back a grin, amused to see the normally reserved Natalia caught off guard.

“Not at all, please come in,” Natalia recovered smoothly, rising to greet them.

“We ordered a little spread to be delivered to the beach.” Blanca’s tone was as bright as her face. “I thought it would be nice to get to know each other before the chaos of the day gets away from everybody.”

“Oh, how thoughtful. But I’ve already had coffee this morning,” Natalia replied, tone serviceably polite. She was really trying to be friendly, a realization that set off sparklers in Sam’s chest.

Blanca shook her head. “Eso no es comida.” She rested her hand on her hip to take on the full role of nagging Cuban grandma. “Coffee isn’t food.” She smiled. “You need carbs and butter and sugar to get through the day.”

“Not sure my cardiologist would agree with that,” Sam joked, wondering if it would distract Blanca from her mission. It didn’t.

“Oh please.” Blanca waved her away, attention glued to Natalia. “We’re too old for diets.”

“Definitely sure that’s not how that works,” Sam added.

“Okay, I’ll call and order you both kale salads and quinoa muffins or something,” Blanca conceded.

“I appreciate the invitation, but I wouldn’t want to impose—” Natalia tried again.

“No imposing!” Blanca waved her hand. “Any friend of Sam’s is family to us. We’d love to get to know you better.”

Greta nodded encouragingly. “It’s no trouble at all.”

Natalia pressed her lips together. Sam could see her searching for another polite way to decline. But Blanca had a remarkable talent for getting her way through sheer force of bubbly charm.

Finally, Natalia dipped her chin in acquiescence. “Well, if you’re certain it’s not an inconvenience, breakfast on the beach sounds lovely.”

“Wonderful!” Blanca clapped her hands together.

Sam grinned, barely containing her delight. She hadn’t been sure Natalia would agree to something so casually social. But here they were, the four of them heading out the door into the sunshine, ready for a relaxing morning together.