I Don't WANT You [ 𝑀𝑀 ]

Chapter 28

For our date, I booked a private room in a beautiful restaurant, but none could compare to Mi Amor. A single table, waiting. I asked them to dress it in soft lights and quiet colors, something that would feel like comfort disguised as elegance.

"It's dark outside", Juan whispers, tilting his head toward the night sky.

"It's almost winter, baby"

"I like winter. It's cold, but the snow looks peaceful"

"You like the cold?"

He shakes his head, smiling faintly. "Not the cold itself. I just like the idea of it. Being inside while the world freezes. Wrapped in a thick blanket, drinking hot chocolate. It feels safe, like I'm hiding in the warmth while everything else sleeps. Weird, isn't it?"

"When you say it like that, it doesn't sound weird at all", I tell him. "Tell me more about you. I want to do things right this time"

His skin, smooth as silk, flushes with color. A tender pink that spreads across his cheeks. Shyness slips over his face like a veil, making him even more beautiful.

"I like to drink green tea in winter—"

"Disgusting", I tease.

"It's not!" He laughs, soft and bright against the hum of the car.

"Tell me more"

"I like sopa de ajo, hot chocolate with marshmallows, strawberries dipped in chocolate. Actually, just chocolate in general"

"Which kind?"

"Doesn't matter. White, dark, with nuts or berries, I love them all"

"Good to know", I murmur, grinning.

He's so open. So unguarded. It's almost cruel how easy it is to want him like this. I pull into the restaurant's quiet lot, park, and step out. The air bites with cold. When I open the door for Juan, he looks up at me, his breath curling like smoke between us.

"Why do I have to wear a suit?" He mumbles, tugging at the collar like it's strangling him.

"Because you look hot in one", I say, smiling just enough to make him blush. "And because it's the dress code"

"There's a dress code? You're serious? Oh my god, I'm not prepared—"

"Baby", I interrupt, laughter slipping out like smoke. "Calm down"

He exhales, and when his eyes meet mine, the world narrows to that single moment. He threads his fingers around my arm, and I feel the warmth of it. So soft, so alive. I could live in that touch. I could drown in it.

"There's a red carpet!" Juan whispers, excitement bright in his voice.

At the entrance, the guards glance at me. One nod is all it takes for them to let us through.