Beat of the Heart (Runaway Train #2)(89)

Biting on her lip to keep from laughing, Abby nodded. “Oh totally. I’ll probably just go with a tank top and panties, if that’s okay with you.”

“It’s fine. I’m not modest at all. You can go naked if you want.”

When we turned to look at the guys, drool practically oozed onto their chins. We couldn’t hold back our laughter any longer. “Gotcha,” we said in unison.

AJ rolled his eyes and wiped his mouth. “So not funny.”

Abuela poked her head in the bedroom. “Alejandro, conmiga arriba.”

“Si, Abuela.”

Abby grinned at AJ before reaching over to ruffle his hair. “Look at you being all ‘yes ma’am’ to your grandmother.”

He shook his head. “Hey, nothing pisses her off more than bad manners. Let’s go upstairs. We can check out where Jake and I will be sleeping. Then we’ll have lunch on the rooftop.”

After we left my and Abby’s room, we followed AJ down the hallway to a door leading outside. The steps up to the rooftop consisted of a circular, wrought iron staircase. When we got to the top, I gasped. The entire top of the roof was actually like a floor, and it had gold tiles with mosaics of colors swirled into them. The walls were decorated with Mexican art and porcelain. A fence ran the length of the top. The air was cooler, and you could see for miles in the distances over the roofs. “Wow, this is amazing.”

AJ grinned. “Even though the views would have been better from the bedroom up here, Abuela didn’t like the idea of you on these stairs too much.” His hand reached out to graze my belly.

My heart swelled with her concern. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s sweet.”

He leaned in for a quick kiss before taking me by the hand and leading me over to the table. His parents, along with the rest of his family, were already seated. “Right here, Mia,” Antonio suggested patting the seat next to him.

Instead of giving his brother shit, AJ eased me down next to Antonio and then squeezed in beside me. Abby and Jake found places at the head of the table. My eyes widened at all the food while my stomach growled with hunger pains.

After piling on some tamales and beans and rice, I glanced down at the plate that Antonio passed me. “What’s this?” I asked AJ.

He grimaced. “Cow tongue.”

My eyes widened. “T-Tongue?”

“It’s kinda a delicacy. They know how much I love it.”

Even though I was starving, just the mention of tongue, along with the sight and smell of it, caused my stomach to turn. Fearing I would throw up, I clamped my hand over my mouth. I almost knocked my chair over as I stumbled out of it before racing into the bedroom off the roof. Glancing wildly around, I searched for the bathroom. Finally, I saw it and raced inside, slamming the door behind me. When I got to the toilet, I heaved just twice before my stomach started to settle. I had just finished gargling some mouthwash I’d dug out from under the sink when a gentle knock came at the door. “Mia?” AJ questioned.

After I spit, I swiped my mouth and then reached over to unlock the door. He ducked his head in, his brow creased with worry. “You okay?”

“My stomach is fine, but I’m mortified that I just did that in front of your family. God, what a nice impression.”

“Aw, amorcito mio, they don’t give a shit about that. You’re pregnant—shit’s gonna bother you more than normal.”

I grinned up at him. “I gotta say that pregnant or not, that tongue woulda freaked the hell outta me.”

AJ laughed. “So you’re telling me you Sicilians don’t eat weird shit?”

“Yeah, I’m sure they do back in the old country, but not in Atlanta.”

When my stomach rumbled between us, AJ grinned. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“Would they be really offended if I went to lie down instead of being at the tongue table?”

AJ shook his head. “No, I mean, let’s really get out of here. I’m getting my Baby Mama some American food.”

“But I don’t want—”

AJ silenced me by bringing his lips to mine. When he pulled away, he cupped my cheeks in his hands. “Quit worrying about pissing off my family. They love you just for having my baby.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Your illegitimate baby.”

“Hey, we can always legitimize her while we’re down here.”

“If that’s a proposal, you need to step up your game.”

AJ laughed. “Come on, let’s go.”

When we stepped back onto the roof, everyone’s gaze honed in on me. I tried not to blush and cower behind AJ. He held up a hand. “She’s fine. I’m going to take her for some fresh air.”

His mom nodded and then translated for his relatives. “Sorry,” I said.

She smiled. “Don’t worry about it, honey. It happens to all of us. Just feel better.”

“Thank you.”

I let AJ lead me over to the stairs. Once we were back on the main floor, he grabbed a set of keys off the hook. I followed him out the front door as he popped the lock on one of the cars on the street. After we buckled up, he floored the engine, and we pealed out of the spot.

“Um, are you insane?” I asked as we flew around the narrow streets.