The Viper (Untamed Hearts #1)(77)

He opened the door to the gazebo house and paused when they walked in. “What is this?”

Katie turned around too, standing in the middle of all the boxes. “Does someone already live here?”

He gave her a look. “I live here.”

“But I’m renting it,” Katie argued.

“You’re renting it?” he repeated and then pulled back to look around again, seeing all of Katie’s things tossed around his room. “What is going on?”

“I decided to teach here in Miami.” Katie stood up taller and gave him a look. “It has nothing to do with you. I just felt that my skills would be put to better use here. Chuito offered to let me rent at his mother’s place since we’ve become friends.”

“You’re moving here?”

“Yes.” Katie nodded, looking him dead in the eye. “Things were uncomfortable at my old job with the all legal issues over Grayson and Ashley. So I quit. I needed a change, and I think Miami needs good teachers more than Garnet does.”

“What high school are you teaching at?” he asked, still trying to process everything.

When Katie told him, he gaped in disbelief.

“Are you crazy, chica? That’s my old high school!”

“I know.” Katie folded her arms over her chest. “That’s why I chose it.”

“Chuito told you to teach there? I am going to kick his ass,” Marcos growled. “He’s supposed to be protecting you!”

Katie shrugged again. “I don’t need a man to protect me. I’m perfectly capable of protecting myself.”

Marcos looked around the room again, seeing all of Katie’s stuff. “Did you really move here?”

Katie arched an eyebrow. “No, I always travel with this much luggage.”

Marcos couldn’t help it, he grinned. “I did miss you.”

“Thanks.” She nodded and looked at the ground for a second. “I’ll find another place to stay. I’m not certain what your aunt was thinking, but—”

“She was probably thinking I should make things right with the chica I’ve been telling her about for three months. I have truly missed you, very much, and I’m sorry, Katie. Things were complicated and—”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind finding another place,” she said quickly, as if she wasn’t really hearing him. “This move was never about you. It really was about me.”

“No.” He ran a hand over his face and through his hair. “I’m sorry about the other stuff. About everything. You should not forgive me, but—” He tilted his head and looked at her, standing there in a skirt that clung to her hips and a V-neck shirt that showed off her tits so nicely. “Fuck it.”

He reached out and pulled Katie to him before she could complain. He held on tightly, just feeling her in his arms again. The way her body felt against his, the way everything about them seemed to fit together perfect. Fuck, it felt so good. Even if she wasn’t hugging him back, it felt good. He leaned down to smell her hair, and she even smelled the same.

The door opened, and he lifted his head and growled at his aunt, “Get out, Tía!”

“Just ignore me.” She walked in with two plates. “You two eat in here.” She set the plates on the counter and then gave Marcos a pointed look and said in Spanish, “Tell her you love her. She’ll hug you back.”

“Please get out.”

She held her hands up and walked to the door, but then she seemed to think better of it and turned back. “Chica, I know he’s a pain in the ass. I helped raise him, trust me, I know, but he loves you. He hasn’t even looked at another woman in months, and if you knew Marcos—”

“GET OUT!”

“I’m helping you!”

“You helped enough!” Marcos kept one arm around Katie when she buried her face in his shoulder, and then he gestured to the moving boxes. “We’re gonna talk about this, Tía.”

“And I am so concerned about that,” she said dismissively as she walked out the door.

Katie was shaking, and for one moment, he thought she was crying, but then he pulled back and saw that her shoulders were shaking in silent mirth. “Oh my God, Marcos, your aunt is crazy.”

“I know.” He shook his head and let out a pained chuckle. “I’m sorry. Chuito should’ve warned you.”

“He did, but—” Katie gestured to the boxes around the room. “What are we going to do? I have nowhere to live. I really did think I was going to stay here. I hoped to see you again, but—”

“We’ll figure it out.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind one ear as he studied her face. “You look good, Katie. Really good.”

“Thanks, you look good too,” she whispered as she looked up at him. She touched the scar in his eyebrow. “That’s new.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed at it, trying not to think of all the things it represented. “I was in a bad place after I left you.”

“But not now?”

“Um, no, I’m doing okay now.” He looked back to the plates. “You want dinner?”

“I’m starving,” she said with another laugh. “I got so lost today, I didn’t even eat after my interview. Why does everyone honk here?”