Let Me Tease You: Steamy Older Man Younger Woman Romance (Let Me Love You Book 5)(2)

“Um, I’m not so sure about that,” Rona said, her face flushing as she gathered up her yoga mat and bag. “But I’ll actually be out there tonight — at the, um, cabaret place— with some new, um, acquaintances. It’ll be the first time I’ve really gone anywhere fun since we’ve been here.”

“Oh, that’ll be great,” I said, meaning it. “Make sure you stop in backstage and say hello. And thank you, Rona. That was just what I needed to hear today, seriously.”

My smile didn’t fade until after she had walked out the door, and I was finally alone to gather my belongings and my thoughts. That conversation had just confirmed that I was on the right track in my life. I would have to remember it the next time my mom got on my case about finding a different job — a “real” job, as she liked to say. I could almost hear her voice as I thought about it.

Bianca, you’re a beautiful girl. You’re smart. You’re funny. If you’re not going to put that fancy degree to use, at least find someone to settle down with. Neither of us is getting any younger, and I want grandchildren.

If only it was as simple as that. But no matter how many times I tried to tell her that I was happy doing something I loved, she could never understand why I’d choose to dance and do yoga when I could be working in an office somewhere.

As if I could ever be truly happy chained to a desk. I wasn’t destined to be anyone’s executive assistant. I wanted more from life, and I didn’t need a man to give it to me. Although I certainly wasn’t opposed to a little fun on the side as I followed my dreams and my heart, I was more than capable of being alone, too. Especially after the fiasco with Desmond.

It was nice to go home and not have photographers waiting for me in the bushes outside my building, or find someone going through my garbage, hoping for a lead on a story to splash across the front pages of the local papers.

I rolled up my mat and checked my phone. No calls. No texts. That was okay, though. It just meant no new headaches, right?

My head was clear and my resolve was high when I walked outside and locked the door to the small studio behind me.

“I am making a difference,” I reminded myself out loud, under my breath. “I can do this.”

Feeling confident and collected, I turned around and started walking to my car. When I saw who was coming toward me though, I wanted to turn right back around and lock myself back inside the sanctuary of those four walls.

“Hey, mami.” He raised his hand, flashing a smile that was too wide and too bright. “I hoped I’d see you today.”

I barely stifled a groan as I continued to my car. If he was going to insist on talking to me — again — I wasn’t going to make it easy for him. Not after it became perfectly clear to me that he couldn’t take a hint.

“Come on, you’re not even gonna say hi?” He was still smiling as he fell into step next to me.

“Hi.” I was deliberately flat to indicate my disinterest.

“Oh, it’s gonna be like that? Come on, mamita. I just wanna talk to you for a minute.”

Only when I was standing at my car door did I turn to face him. “I’m sort of in a hurry, Luis. What’s up?”

He leaned back against the truck next to me and gave me another slow smile, as if I hadn’t just said I was in a hurry. “When are you gonna let me take you out someplace nice?”

“Oh my God,” I didn’t even bother hiding the groan that time. Or the eye roll. “I’ve gotta go. Have a good afternoon.”

“Come on, Bianca,” he said, reaching for my arm.

I flinched at the sound of my name on his lips. Why had I ever told him my name? He looked offended as I jerked away from him and opened my car door to put some space between us.

“Come on, ma,” he repeated. “You know I’m not a bad guy. I’d treat you good. Better than that baller you used to talk to.”

That was all I needed to hear. “See you later, Luis.”

I slid into the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition, hoping to drown out his questions with the radio. Not fast enough, though. He leaned in, his leering face taking up most of my field of vision. The level of spearmint on his breath was almost disrespectful.

“Why won’t you just give me a chance? What have I ever done to you? I just try to be nice.”

“You’re nice enough,” I said, shrugging. “But I’m never gonna go on a date with you.”

“Never?” His eyebrows shot up, as if it was the first time he’d heard me say it.

“Nev-er.” I said it in Spanish for enhanced effect. “Nunca.”

Whatever else he might have said was finally silenced by the sounds of Nicki Minaj on the radio as I turned it up. Better late than never, although I’d already heard more than I had cared to.

He waved as I pulled out of the parking lot, and I could only shake my head. I’d give him points for being persistent, but damn. He seriously didn’t know when to quit. And even though I had entertained the thought of dating him once — briefly, when he’d first introduced himself — there was something about him even then that had made me pause.

Maybe it was because Luis looked, acted, and sounded so much like Desmond that it was scary. At the time it had seemed like he might be the non-famous, non-cheating version of the man I’d just left. But it didn’t take long for me to see him pushing up on every cute girl that crossed his path with the same lines. It was to the point some women would walk across the street or grab a male buddy when they saw him.