Page 57 of Tough Call

He’d called me something Latvian. I couldn’t remember what it was and probably hadn’t even understood it at the time. But we’d devolved into laughing and elbowing each other, which had further devolved into—well, it had gone the way things had usually gone when we’d been home alone.

In the present, I crossed the room to where he was sitting, and when I was a few feet away, he turned.

Oh, the way his eyes lit up…

No man had ever looked at me like that. Ever. That it was Madars looking at me like that?

Was I sure I was awake and not still dreaming upstairs?

“Hey.” He got up and stole a quick peck to my cheek. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like the dead.” I smiled as we both sat down at the small table. “I’ll probably still be able to sleep tonight, too.”

“That’s good.” He gestured with his empty glass. “Do you want something to drink?”

I looked toward the bar. “They don’t serve coffee here, do they?”

“I’ve seen a few people drinking it, so either they do or they can get it from the coffee shop.” Madars raised his eyebrows. “Need some caffeine?”

“Ideally injected straight into my veins, but the drinkable variety will do.”

He laughed, unaware of what that did to my ridiculous, fluttery heart. “I don’t think they have that at this hotel chain, but we can get you a cup.” He looked past me and gestured at someone. A second later, a server appeared beside the table and asked something in rapid-fire Spanish. Though I knew a little, and I’d brushed up before coming here, my jetlagged brain went blank.

Madars, however, didn’t have that problem. From what I could parse, he ordered me a cup of coffee and himself another glass of wine.

In English, he asked me, “Do you want anything to eat? Or just coffee?”

“Just coffee for now.”

He relayed that to the server, and then we were alone again.

“We can do room service for dinner if you want,” he said. “The restaurant opens at eight, but there’s a conference happening in the hotel, so it could get crowded.”

“Eight?” I made a face. “I’ll be lucky if I’m awake by eight.”

He shrugged. “Spanish dinner hours. That’s why I suggested room service.”

“Probably a good idea. I’m not all that hungry right now. The food on the plane was decent. Just need some coffee.”

His smile did more for me than that coffee probably would. “Lucky for you, they’ve got good coffee here. And there’s a place near our villa…” He touched his chest and made a happy sound that was almost obscene. “Their coffee is incredible.”

I cocked a brow. “Well, that’s quite the endorsement. You’ll have to take me there.”

“I will. I promise. The pastries are amazing, too.”

“Ooh, pastries? Good thing we’ll be skating while I’m here.”

“I know, right?” Madars chuckled. “The villa has a home gym, too. Without that…” He grimaced.

I grinned. “So, a gym where I can shamelessly ogle you while you work out and not worry about anyone catching me drooling? Sign me up.”

He returned the grin and bumped his shoe against mine. “Just like old times, isn’t it?”

“Except the part about not worrying about someone catching me drooling.”

“You didn’t have to worry about it in your dad’s gym either.” Madars swept his tongue across his lips. “Why do you think I always worked out when your parents weren’t home?”

“Oh, really?”