Page 43 of Worse Fates

Ramy stands, leaving a concerned Kai as we make our way out. But soon I realise I don’t need him to take me anywhere and I’m walking in front of Ramy until I find myself in a garden.

I don’t notice the cold, hardly smell the clear air or hear the birds singing.

My every sense hones in onhimbathed in gold light. He sits on an old wooden bench in the garden, surrounded by white and yellow winter flowers decorating a criss-crossing path heading towards bare trees.

“Lucero.”

He stands, and from the way his blue gaze lands on me, I figure he knew where I was the whole time.

“Golden.”

I heard his voice only a few hours ago, but that velvet rumble dislodges a knot formed the moment he walked away.

Palms sweating, eyes not big enough to take in the whole of him, I edge forward. I’m not close enough, will I ever be?

Once I’m standing at one end of the bench, him at the other, he speaks.

“What I said to you last night was completely unacceptable. I will live with the shame of hurting you for the rest of my life. I’ve been arrogant, not even imagining a world where you wouldn’t want to be with me. Not once did I allow you room to breathe, or give you space to understand the magnitude of what I asked. I demanded your love, then acted like a child when you said no—which will forever be your right.”

I don’t register moving closer to as he speaks, but the moment I lay my hands on his hard chest warmth engulfs me, and I watch as Lucero lowers himself to his knees. Eyes locked on mine.

“Please, Golden, forgive me.”

My cheeks are wet, the only noise I hear is our breathing. Mine fast, his slower. Steadier.

“You were a pushy asshole,” I hiccup.

Lucero nods solemnly. “That I was.”

“But…” Kai was right, love—that big fuck off word—is scary. But what’s life without taking a bit of risk? Breaking into a mansion and stealing a fancyass brooch. Falling in love at firstsight, because why the hell not? I take a deep breath, and jump. “But you’ve got me now… so, I’ll tell you when you need to cool it.”

Lucero’s eyes widen. “Truly?”

Blushing, I tease, “So fuckin’ proper.”

His big hands cup my tear stained cheeks. How embarrassing that I’m always crying around him. “I would like to kiss you very much, Golden.”

The pink in my cheeks bleed into red as I nod, then lean closer. He smells warm; a fireplace when snow is falling, bundled under blankets.

Home.

‘Lucero smells like home,’ I think, as I place my hands on his sturdy shoulders, eyes fluttering shut as I brush my parted lips to his. It’s brief—barely five seconds—but the connection between us flares and pulls wide, enveloping us in a world of our own. And any lingering hesitation thaws as his soft lips glide against mine.

I draw my flushed face back, heart pounding in my ears, to find Lucero’s bright gaze fixed on me, as if I’ve given him everything he’s ever wanted. Funny, since I kind of think maybe…just maybe, he could be the same for me.

Or maybe that’s just a bit of new love talking.

Chapter Sixteen - Lucero

I’m quick to usher Golden back into the mansion when I notice the tip of his nose turning pink. Taking him into one of the smaller, more intimate, living rooms I seat him on an overstuffed burgundy sofa.

Orange embers crackle in the lit fireplace, the scent of woodsmoke gently lacing the air. Through the window, bare trees paint the perfect picture—you could pretend to be in a cabin far away in the woods. And much to Golden’s amusement, I’ve wrapped him in so many knitted cream blankets he resembles a snowy mountain.

“Are you feeling warmer?” I ask, voice indulgent. His precious little kiss lingering on my lips. It was the smallest of tastes, but how my body starves for another bite.

He pats the seat next to him. “Lucero, sit down,” he says, sounding amused and long-suffering.

Once his instructions are followed, Golden unravels one of the blankets to lay over both our laps. While I don’t feel the cold like he does, the act warms me all the same.