Aced (Blocked #2) (21 page)

“You guys do the dishes, yeah,” he said, pulling her close. “Luz had something to show me.” He whispered again, and her cheeks turned pink. Then he laughed and led her out of the kitchen.

I looked at Alejandro, who held our plates aloft near the sink, a grim look on his face. I gathered he was imagining exactly what Lucia planned to “show” Dane.

“How ’bout some cleaning music?” I asked to distract him.

He blinked. “Huh?” He set the plates in the sink.

“Nana says music makes cleaning go faster. I’ll get my phone—it’s in the other room.”

“Or do you want to hear my brother’s songs? I coaxed him to send me a few.”

I paused. “Oh, right, Mateo plays guitar.”

“Yep, and he writes his own songs. Kid’s got mad talent.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and aimed it at the wall. “Lucia showed me the sweet sound system in this place. Check this out.”

A thumping salsa beat filled the kitchen, reminding me of Pitbull’s latest single. My body began moving of its own accord to the infectious drums. Alejandro grinned as I bounced my head from one side to the other. He shimmied his shoulders on his way to the table. I’d never seen him so at ease. His dancing wasn’t flashy, but his moves were smooth, fluid, and intimately connected to the music.

He danced some glasses over to the sink, and I grabbed Lucia’s and Dane’s plates to follow him. His shoulder plunged to the beat as he lowered the dishwasher door, and Mateo’s voice rang out, strong and full of pep.

Hey, chica! Where did you go?
Don’t wanna do this thing solo
But you’re running away like a track star
Leaving me all alone in my black car

Your pace is fast; it’s so blazing
Can’t keep up, girl; you’re amazing
I’d follow you to the end of the state
If only my life didn’t always frustrate

“Wow,” I said when the drums kicked up again. “He can really sing.”

“You think so?” Alejandro shrugged but I could see him hiding a smile. I retrieved a fork from the table as Mateo started his third verse.

Hey, chica! Come conmigo
And baby, why don’t we go
Down under the bridge to the water
With you it can only get hotter

Alejandro placed a plate in the dishwasher. When I handed him a fork, he clasped his hand around mine. My skin tingled as he guided our hands higher. “Hey, chica, come conmigo,” he sang into the fork-turned-microphone. “Come with me, Maddie,” he said softly. His dark eyes glimmered.

“Where we going, chico?”

“Down under the bridge to the water.”

My heart thumped faster than the pulsing drumbeat. “With you it can only get hotter.”

The fork dropped to the floor with a clang, and he grabbed my hips, drawing me into him. His scorching mouth landed on mine, searching and insistent. My lips devoured him as I clutched the back of his head, massaging my hands through his thick black hair. He tasted like chocolate and smelled like spice, and my body burned for him.

Damn, he was hot.
Hot Jandro.
“Hotajandro,” I murmured against his mouth. A giggle bubbled up my throat. That
had
to be his new nickname.

“Ready for euchre, guys?”

Oh, shit!
I jumped out of his arms as Lucia came around the corner.

Chapter Fourteen

M
ADDIE’S
A
BRUPT
D
EPARTURE
from my arms left a cold vacancy, but Lucia’s fiery glare soon filled that space. I grabbed my phone to pause Mateo’s song, and uneasy silence hung between us.

“How could you
kiss
her?” Lucia hissed. “She’s
my
friend.”

Maddie blanched. “That upsets you?”

“Of course it does!” She glowered at me. “You take over everything in my life—just like at St. John’s.”

I cringed hearing the name of our private high school in Houston. Mateo had already complained about how my “spotless legacy” there had led to exhaustive comparisons.

“Oh, you’re
Alejandro’s
sister.” Lucia mocked one of our teachers. “No wonder you’re such a good athlete. But why don’t you excel in science? You must not study very much. Or maybe you’re not as smart, hmm?”

“Lucy.” My voice was stern, but she kept going.

“Why can’t you be like
him?
Alejandro was a National Merit Finalist. Alejandro was all state in two sports. Alejandro stayed in Texas for college. Blah, blah, blah, gag.”

Dane frowned as he entered the kitchen. “What’s got you all riled up, Luz?”

“You were right. I just caught them kissing!” She gestured at us with a disgusted wave of her hand.

He started laughing.

I tilted my head toward Dane. “You knew?”

“I’ve suspected for a while now. You’ve been totally jonesing for Maddie, dude.” He shook his head with a chuckle.

“It’s not funny!” Lucia said.

“Sorry.” Dane wrapped his arm around her. I looked at Maddie, wishing to do the same. I wanted to pull her to me, smell her fresh, beguiling scent. But Lucia’s narrowed eyes stopped me.

Maddie stared at Lucia. “I thought you were off, ah, showing something to Dane.”

“I was.” My sister squirmed. “But hearing your baby brother sing about lust kind of kills the mood.”

“I thought I only played that in the kitchen,” I said.

“Try the whole house,” Dane said. “Your agents are now singing ‘Hey, Chica!’”

Oh, no.
Would China and Brad tease me about Maddie? Thankfully they’d stayed in their rooms during our little discussion. “Look, Lucy…” I crossed my arms. “I’m sorry you’re upset. I didn’t mean to cause problems for you at St. John’s, or anywhere for that matter.” I looked into Maddie’s eyes and melted a little. “We didn’t plan this.”

Maddie beamed at me. “It just happened; I promise.”

“C’mon, Luz,” Dane said as he tucked her in closer. “Don’t you want your teammate and your brother to be happy?”

“That’s not fair. Of course I do. It’s just…” She frowned. “It’s a lot to take in.”

“Well, take it in while we school them in euchre,” Dane said. He looked at Maddie and me. “You two are going down.” He led Lucia out of the kitchen.

Maddie squeezed my hand. “Have you ever played euchre, Texas?”

“You and your nicknames.” I stroked her warm skin with my thumb. “I thought I was Tater.”

She reached out to straighten my collar with her free hand, bringing her chest flush with mine. “How do you like
Hotajandro?”

A jolt to my groin. I couldn’t stop staring at her sexy mouth. “It’ll do.”

Her hand trailed down my sternum to rest on my belt. I inhaled a shallow breath—would she go lower? Did she know how hard I was, just from her presence?

She looked up at me with a faint smile. Her body angled closer, thinning the air I tried to breathe.

Dane hollered from the family room. “We’re waiting. Get in here so we can kick your asses!”

Maddie shook her head. “He’s a little competitive.”

“And I’ve never played.”

“I think a National Merit Finalist like you can figure it out.” She smirked.

“I’m going to kill my sister for telling you that.” Her smile widened. “So what’s
your
SAT score?”

“I’m a nerd just like you.”

A very sexy nerd
.

“We’ll be Team Nerd tonight,” she added.

“We’ll beat those dumb jocks in there.” I inclined my head toward the other room as I kissed her knuckles. “Let’s do this.”

A little while later Lucia and Dane had won the first game—and Dane gloated—but Maddie and I were ahead four-two in the second. I could see the appeal of this swift card game. We kept the deals moving quickly by using two decks.

Lucia kept eyeing Maddie and me. But now she turned to look at Dane, holding the cards in her hand instead of dealing. “You’re sure you’re okay with them being together? Maddie’s your friend, too, and I didn’t think you were crazy about my brother.”

Ouch
.

I met Dane’s eyes before he looked away. “I admit he rubbed me the wrong way the first time I met him.”

I hadn’t been Dane’s biggest fan then, either.

“But Alex isn’t so bad now.” He smirked. “As long as he’s not spouting tea party rhetoric.”

I shook my head.

Lucia’s hand found her hip. “Yeah, well, Alex threatened to tell my dad we’re having sex.”

Dane’s eyes grew big as he leaned back in his chair.
Good
. At least he seemed contrite for sticking it to my little sister.

“But obviously he hasn’t told your dad,” Dane said, seeming to recover quickly.

“How do you know?” Lucia asked.

“He would’ve crashed this house in a hot minute if he knew. I’d be lucky to still have my dick.”

I loved the throaty sound of Maddie’s laugh. She had encouraged me not to tell on Lucy, and I was grateful for her wisdom. Unable to resist her touch any longer—no matter what my sister thought—I reached for Maddie’s hand across the table. She smiled at me, and I closed my eyes and breathed her in. This was undoubtedly the best Valentine’s Day of my life.

“You said yourself Alex is good for Maddie,” Dane told Lucia. I opened my eyes to find them watching us. “What’s your exact concern about them being together?”

“Maybe I shouldn’t feel this way,” Lucia said. “Maybe I’m being jealous…” Her mouth trembled as she blinked at Maddie. “But you were my friend first, and I don’t want to lose you. What if you spend all your time with Alex, and don’t hang out with me? What if you ditch me for him? I already don’t know how I’ll make it next year without you.”

Maddie let go of my hand and gave Lucia a sideways hug. “Oh, Rez, I’ll always love you; don’t you know that?” She patted her back. “You’re such a good friend. You’ve really helped me get through this depression.”

“You’re depressed?” Dane asked.

Maddie slipped back into her seat and nodded. She looked down. “That’s what Dr. Valentine said.”

“You went.” I was proud of her.

“This afternoon.” She swallowed.

Dane snorted. “Well, that makes three of us.” His eyes danced. “You need a shrink, Alex? You’re the only one who isn’t seeing her.”

“Heck no. I’m not crazy-town like you three.”

Maddie kicked my shin under the table. “Don’t worry, Rez. I won’t be spending
any
time with your brother.”

Lucia actually managed to grin at me, and I smiled back.

Lucia dealt us each five cards. Across the table, Dane studied his. “Pick it up,” he told her, and she slid an ace of spades into her hand. Glancing down at all the spade trump cards in my hand, I tried to hide my excitement. Surely Maddie and I could win three out of five tricks to earn two points with the euchre.

Once Lucia discarded, Maddie was about to lead when Dane said, “Wait. I’m going alone.”

What?
We were definitely taking Dane down now, without his partner to help him. Lucia smiled smugly as she placed her five cards on the table, face down, since she wouldn’t play this hand. Dane would have a big payoff if this worked—and Lucia seemed convinced it would. But I was determined not to let that happen.

Maddie led an ace of diamonds, which Dane trumped with the nine of spades.
Chin
. He then led the jack of spades, the most powerful card, and I followed suit by playing my ten of spades. Maddie didn’t have trump, so she played a nine of hearts. Dane had already won two tricks and needed one more to earn a point; if he won three more tricks, he’d earn four points.

When I proceeded to take the next three tricks, Dane scowled. “Fuckin’ a!”

Maddie grinned as she added two points to our total. “
Euchre
,” she taunted in a singsong voice, “that’s the name of the game.”

“Shut it, Brooks,” Dane growled, and Maddie’s eyes shone.

“You went alone with only two trump?” asked Lucia, wide-eyed.

“Sorry, partner.” He shrugged. “But you gotta take risks to get ahead in life.”

Lucia shook her head. “Calculated risks, you mean. Going alone with only two trump was way too risky.” It was a relief to have her anger directed at someone else this time. When I’d beaten her at childhood games, she’d often become so incensed she burst into tears.

“You didn’t seem to mind me taking a risk the first time I kissed you,” Dane said.

Lucia turned bright red. Just like that, her anger vanished. “But it was only my cheek,” she pouted.

Dane laughed. “You’re insatiable.”

“I’m right here,” I reminded them as I scooped up the cards to shuffle.

Maddie began to deal the next hand.

I pondered Dane’s comment about risk-taking. He could be impulsive, but he was also good at going after things he wanted. Sometimes I wished I could be less inhibited. I was certainly grateful Maddie had kissed me tonight.

“I think those cards are shuffled, dude.”

I looked at Dane, then realized everyone was staring at me, waiting for me to pick up my hand. How long had I been replaying that kiss? I placed the shuffled deck in front of him and cleared my throat.