“It’s a disgusting habit.”
She couldn’t stop staring at his mouth. “So why do it?”
“I used to have other ones that were a lot worse.” He released her hand. “So why’d you really come out here? ’Cause it wasn’t to smoke.”
“I’m supposed to get your phone number.” She blurted the words in a Spider-induced haze, then realized what she’d said and looked up in panic. “I mean…”
He didn’t look amused. “What was it? You win a bet? Or did you lose one?”
Chapter 4
Spider felt the humiliation burning in his chest, but he didn’t look away. She and her pretty little cousins had been giggling at the table, glancing at him and the guys from the tattoo shop. Then she’d followed him out here and he’d entertained the ridiculous thought that she’d come to talk to him.
It must have been some kind of challenge, some pretty-girl bet that she’d lost to get a number from the cholo at the bar.
Spider couldn’t even be angry; she was clearly embarrassed to be there.
“They were teasing me.” Daisy looked at the ground. “I don’t date much, and they said something about you getting coffee at the café every day and I told them…” She stepped back. “I’m stupid. I’m sorry I—”
“You’re not stupid.”
She looked up. “What?”
“Everyone in town talks about how smart you are, how you’re going off to a big college next year, so I know you’re not stupid.”
She stepped closer to him, and he was hit by the combination of vanilla and something spicy like cinnamon or cloves. She smelled like the café, and the café smelled like pie, and Spider couldn’t decide if he wanted to run away or take a bite out of her.
You taste as good as you smell, princesa?
“Thanks.” She smiled, and then she looked away. “Yeah, everyone is planning my great exit, including my two idiot cousins.”
Something about the way she said it bothered him. “You don’t want to go to college or something? I was just saying you’re not stupid; I need to change my opinion on that?”
She lifted her chin, and a hint of fire came into her eyes. “You know, you’re not stupid; I could tell by the way you talked to Emmie about doing her history homework. So why do you have to go to college to be smart?”
“I’m not smart; I’m ignorant as fuck.” Shit. He probably shouldn’t curse around her. “Listen, princesa, I don’t know about Rome and that shit because I’m educated. I know about it because I’m fucking poor and I don’t have a TV, so books are my only entertainment.” He tossed the cigarette, which had burned out, and stepped back to light another one. “But you not going to college when you got the brains and the family to support you? That’s fucking dumb.”
Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes narrowed. Damn, it should not have been hot, but Spider had always had a weakness for women with a temper.
“Screw you,” she said. “My dad didn’t go to college, and he’s smart. My tia Imelda didn’t, and she’s one of the most brilliant people I know. And I’m not a princess, okay?”
“I’m gonna guess they didn’t exactly have the choices you have. You may say you’re not a princess, but you got a chance to leave this little-ass town and go do something huge in the world, and you’re acting like it’s some kind of hardship?” Spider took a slow drag on his cigarette and blew out the smoke. “I mean, that’s dumb as fuck.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it. “I… I don’t even know you.”
Spider held out his hand. “Spider Villalobos. And you are?”
He knew who she was. Everyone knew who she was, but he enjoyed the look of confusion on her face.
“I’m Daisy.”
He raised one eyebrow. “Daisy…?”
“Daisy Rivera. My family has Café Maya on Main— You know all this. You come in there every day!” She looked around, realizing she was practically yelling. “Listen, can I just get your phone number so my cousins will leave me alone? I promise I won’t call you or anything, but it’ll get them off my back.”
“Oh right. The bet.”
“It’s not a bet! They know I think you’re cute, and they’re being obnoxious about it, and you know what?” She reached for a napkin on the nearby table. “Never mind, I’ll make something up. Just forget we ever talked. Please—please forget this conversation ever happened.”
Spider frowned.
They know I think you’re cute.
Cute?
Spider didn’t think anyone had ever called him cute.
Bad. Dangerous. Even hot or sexy sometimes. He’d heard those, and whatever, sexual attraction didn’t follow any rules.
Cute?
He watched as she dug through her purse, clearly looking for a pen that she didn’t have and slowly coming to the realization that she’d have to speak to him again.
Daisy sighed and closed her eyes. “Do you have a pen I can borrow?”
“You want to borrow a pen from me to write down a fake phone number to fool your cousins?”
It was as if she was shrinking in front of him, and the feeling filled him with a sudden punch of emotions. Shame and anger. Deep-seated, gut-curling anger.
She shouldn’t shrink. Ever. Of all the things this woman shouldn’t do, it was make herself small. For anyone, and especially not him.
Spider stubbed out his cigarette, reached for the pen he always kept in his back pocket, and then reached for Daisy’s hand. “You like ink?”
She was staring again. “I don’t have any tattoos.”
“This’ll wash off.” He clicked his pen and tucked her warm little hand against his side and braced her forearm with his hand. “Little rubbing alcohol, little baby oil, and it’ll be gone.”
The pen was one of his good ones, and the ink flowed over her skin like oil on glass.
“I don’t have my own phone,” he said. “And I hate cell phones.” He drew the first number with a flourish, then added curls and shading to the number, turning it from a cold digit into a small work of art. “And you really shouldn’t be spending time with me because I’m not for you, princesa. It wouldn’t be a good idea.”
He kept his voice soft as he moved on to the second number, then the third. “But if you ever need help—if some asshole is ever bothering you—even if your car runs out of gas or some shit. Whatever, you know?” He finished the numbers and added a few extra details in the corner along with a small flower as sweet as she smelled. “Call this number and I’ll be there, okay? Leave a message…” He blew on her skin to set the ink, then stepped back, holding her hand out for a long moment before he released her. “Get a message to me, and I’ll find you.”
Daisy’s cheeks were pink, her mouth gaped a little, and it took every ounce of self-control to not grab her, sink his hand into her curls, and seduce the hell out of her. He could tell she was inexperienced with guys, and the temptation to open her eyes was gnawing at him.