Alejandro by Renee LaRuse Read Free Book Online Page B

you?”
    “Surprised? I know you were waiting on me,” he said with a smile.
    Her ears and neck went hot with embarrassment. “Oh please,” she dismissed light-heartedly. “I was curled up on the couch enjoying an episode of UnEarthly.”
    “Yeah? Which episode? The one from last week when Luke and JC exterminated those Martian roachoids from that bed and breakfast in Nantucket?”
    Veronica grinned. “No. It’s the one where JC finds out his DNA was stolen by Alpha-Cetians and that one of the clones they created of him was a wanted serial killer in Louisiana.”  
    “That was a great one. UnEarthly is so addictive. Definitely my favorite show.”
    “Mine too!”
    Alejandro chuckled. Veronica could almost feel his breath against her ear. “Okay. Tell me more of your favorite things,” he said. “For future reference.”
    “Future reference? What are you implying?” She grinned.
    “You already know, V. So what’s your favorite color?”
    “Orange. What’s yours?” Veronica could feel her skin starting to perspire.
    “Blue. Ocean blue, not navy blue. Hmm. Our favorite colors make the Miami Dolphins uniform. That’s beautiful.”
    She laughed. “I guess. Is that a basketball team?”
    “Lord. Basketball team? You’re adorable.”
    “I’m 31 years old, way past the window of opportunity to be adorable.”
    “I bet you still have stuffed animals.”
    “I...” Veronica bit her bottom lip. “So what.”
    “Aw. What’s your favorite animal?”
    Veronica smiled. “Horsies—I mean horses.”
    “Hahaha!”
    “Don’t laugh at me!” She buried her face into her palm.
    His voice fell back down to its usual sensual depth once his laughter subsided. “Sorry. I’m just enjoying you, corazón .”
    Veronica’s stomach fluttered. “Um, so, where are you right now? Still in New Mexico?”
    “Yes. I will be here for two more days at least, managing international shipments at one of the company’s warehouses.”
    “International. Does that mean you get to travel internationally as well?”
    “Occasionally I’m needed in Mexico or South America or in the Caribbean to analyze the market, check on distribution centers, boring stuff.”
    “Doesn’t sound boring to me. Sounds amazing. I’ve never been out of the country in my life.”
    “I have plenty of frequent flyer miles on hand.” Veronica could hear his grin in his voice. “You’d like Argentina. Lots of horsies there.”
    “Hmm.” Veronica reclined deeper into the couch cushions. “Don’t make me any crazy promises you can’t keep.”
    “No promises. Just possibilities.” His suaveness was broken by a big yawn. “Sorry. The day is catching up to me.”
    “What time do you have to be up tomorrow?”
    “I’m gonna get up at six so I can go to the gym before work.”
    “Nice. I haven’t seen the inside of a gym since President Obama’s first inauguration,” she joked to camouflage her shame.    
    “The hardest part is getting started. Once you do, you’ll stand taller and treat yourself and your body more considerately.”
    “I’m considerate of my body. If it wants an ice cream sandwich, I am considerate enough to stop what I’m doing, get into my car, and drive to the grocery store to buy one.”
     “I used to massacre those chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches when I was little.” He groaned. “Let’s not talk about ice cream sandwiches that I can’t eat.”
    She giggled. “My bad.”
    “You can talk about anything else you want to for as long as you want to, woman, with that cute comforting voice you have. That’s why I’m yawning, because I keep thinking of curling up under the blankets with you as my pillow.” He yawned again.
    A shiver of desire traveled through her body. “I’m not gonna lie, your voice is divine.” She laughed, blushed. Then the sound of his laugh made her laugh along with him.
    “Thank you. No one’s ever told me that. Ahh. Feels good to just laugh and relax with someone