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“Ava needs blood transfusions constantly, and then chelation treatments to remove the excess iron in her blood.”
Jesus. She seems so full of life. I can’t believe they’ve gone through so much alone.
“I’m in awe of you, Camila.”
She sits up, curiosity written all over her gorgeous face while a pretty blush colors her cheeks. She wasn’t expecting me to call her by her first name, but it just doesn’t feel right to keep calling her Ms. Flores. She’s more than that.
“Yes,” I continue, holding her gaze. “You’re not only smart and determined—you’re this incredibly strong mum who would fight heaven and earth for her daughter.”
She smiles shyly, and a beautiful pink blush covers her cheeks. “I’m just a mum. Any one in my situation would do the same.”
Our gazes lock, and there’s a pull between us—urging me to close the space between us, to taste her lips. Her eyes flutter as she angles her head.
She wants to kiss me just as much as I want to kiss her—I can see it in the way her lips part, the way her breath hitches.
But then, Ava wakes up.
A big yawn escapes her, and just like that, the moment between me and Camilla breaks.
I order Chinese for lunch and spend the entire day with them.
When it’s time to go, I’m not ready to leave. And when Ava hugs me, I feel my heart filling with something warm.
Camila walks me to the door, and every instinct in me screams to pull her close—to feel her against me, to finally taste the tension that’s been building between us all night.
But I’m sure I’ve given her enough whiplash for one day.
I’ll need to find the right words—to make sense of this, to make sense of us.
Chapter 14
Camila Flores
Yesterday was surreal. From the moment I woke up and heard a male voice in my house, I thought I was dreaming. And when I saw Vicente Godoy sitting on my sofa, I thought I had completely lost it.
Nothing could have prepared me for the conversation we had. It’s so easy to talk to him. Besides Mrs. Evans, I’ve never told anyone how I met Konstantine—or what my parents said to me.
I know our relationship at work has been improving—we’ve been more civil since he came back from Chile—but spending a full day with him, completely at ease, was something I would have never dreamed of.
“Mummy, we’re going to be late,” Ava calls from the living room.
I take one last look in the mirror. Even though Vicente saw me in leggings—even my pajamas—yesterday, I want to look cute at work today. Just in case I didn’t imagine the pull between us.
“I’m coming sweetie,” I say as I wink at myself and shimmy my shoulders. I haven’t felt this playful in ages.
“Wow, Mummy. You look pretty,” Ava says as we make our way out of the flat.
I can’t help the grin that appears on my face. “Thank you, baby,” I say, grabbing her hand and we head to her school. I thought I looked cute in this black-and-white dress, but the fact that my daughter also thinks so? That’s a great ego booster.
“Mummy, do you think Boss Man would want to have dinner with us again soon?” Ava voices what I’ve been thinking non-stop.
Did he enjoy last night as much as we did?
Yes, Ava and I have a great relationship and love spending time together, but Vicente added something different. For once, I didn’t have to be inmum modethe entire time. There were moments I could just be Camila—the woman.
And for Ava, having a male adult to interact with must have been a big change. It’s usually just Mrs. Evans and me around her.
“I don’t know,mi amor. But I hope he had as much fun as we did,” I tell her honestly, as I press a kiss to forehead before she heads into school.