“Tell me about it. The good thing is I never have to do the math to cut down the recipes since most serve four. With Valerie it all goes.”

“Any specialties?” he asked pulling the cheese out of the fridge.

“Many, but I’m told my albondigas are to die for.”

Her phone rang, and she hurried to her purse to get it. “I gotta take this.”

Romero nodded, spreading butter on the bread.

“Hi, dad.”

He frowned. Just about every time he’d been with her, one of her siblings or parents called. Obviously, she was real close to all of them. He’d thought about what it would be like when he finally met them. Something told him it wasn’t going to be pretty. He hadn’t even met her sister and already he couldn’t stand her.

***

Isabel began to worry about how sleeping with Romero would change their relationship. If things got more serious, she’d inevitably have to tell her family about him. If things stayed between them remained casual—well, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that either. She’d seen the box of condoms in his restroom. She hadn’t meant to snoop, but she’d forgotten her razor and was hoping to find a new one under his sink. The box was big and it was almost empty. Then there was the nightstand by his bed where he apparently kept more.

The idea of him having other women in his life was not a new one. She reasoned that there hadn’t been any promises. She slept with him knowing full well what she was getting herself into. Just a few days later, when she thought she’d heard a girls voice in the background during one of her conversations with him, she discovered with surprise that maybe it would bother her more than she’d anticipated.

For the most part, his interest hadn’t paled. He called her all the time and they’d slept together every chance they got. With a growing fear of getting in too deep, she decided to slow it down—at least until she knew for sure what she wanted. Until she knew if he even wanted anything more than to just hang out.

Valerie insisted that he seemed very serious, and even suggested Isabel just ask him straight out. Afraid of what his answer might be, she did the cowardly thing instead. She decided to tell him she was busy a few of the nights he normally would stop by to hang out. He’d asked her what she was busy doing, but she kept it vague.

For the first time since they started hanging out, she’d gone several days without seeing him. It scared her how much she missed him and how erratically her heart beat when her phone rang and she saw it was him. “Please tell me you’re not busy tonight.”

“I’m not,” she smiled.

“What are you doing now?”

“Nothing.”

“I’m on my way.”

He picked her up in less than twenty minutes, and greeted her with a breathtaking kiss. Then said exactly what she was feeling. “God, I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” Her heart pounded. This was bad—or good. She couldn’t decide.

They went back to his place and barely made it through his door before they were all over each other. It was almost frantic, the way he kissed her and made love to her again, and again. It was frenzied but at the same time thrilling. They lay there afterwards trying to catch their breath. “You thirsty?” he asked.

She nodded, kissing his hard chest. After one more long kiss, Romero got up and pulled his pants on. She admired his chiseled chest and big arms. Then she heard her phone ring. She almost didn’t answer, but she remembered she was supposed to call Pat tonight and it had already rung several times during their time in bed. After Romero called, she’d forgotten all about Pat. She sat up grabbing her phone from the side of the bed. “Hey, Pat.”

“You were supposed to call me.”

“I know. I was about to. I just got out of the shower.”

She looked up and took the bottled water Romero held out for her. He walked back to the kitchen. “Oh good, so you’re home. I wanted to stop by.”

Shoot. “Well, I’m home now, but I was on my way out.”

“Uggh, never mind then. I just wanted to show you the gift I got Gina for her birthday. It’s a dress, but you know her taste better than I do so, I wanted to get your take on it.”

“Send me a picture.”

Pat huffed. “Okay, I will when I get home.”

Isabel hung up, opened the bottle of water, and took a big drink. “Oh, that’s good.”

Romero leaned against the sofa directly in front of the bed, staring at her. “How come you told your sister you were home?”

She took another slow drink to give herself a moment to think. “I dunno. I told you how she is. I figured it was the fastest way to get her off the phone.”

“What does she think about you and me?”

She felt her eyes open wider and she pressed her lips together.

He chuckled, but she could see it was forced. “You haven’t told her. What’s the matter, Izzy? Afraid big sis won’t approve?”

“No.”

“Have you told anyone in your family?”

She took another drink of her water.

“I get it,” he said, walking into the kitchen. He downed the rest of his water and slammed the bottle into the trashcan.

“It’s not what you’re thinking.”

“Then enlighten me, Isabel. Because you’re on that f**king phone with them all the time. Telling them about your new boyfriend seems like something you might wanna share.”