One’, ‘The Pretty One’ and ‘The Nice One’.”
“Lizzie is…” Darío asked, not willing to put a label on a woman he had just met, not willing to guess the wrong one.
“’The Nice One’, can’t you tell?”
“Yes, of course, L izzie seems very nice, but she’ s also very pretty. Not beautiful like yourself, but…”
“Yes, she is, and so is Alison – pretty I mean. That’s exactly what I’m saying. We hated it, still hate it, but some people still refer to us that way. It’s humiliating, actually.”
Darío stretched his arm across the back of the couch, touching Katie’s hair. It looked like softly fallen snow, so white and pure. “In what way humiliating?” he asked, but he could already see how living within a label like that could have limitations.
He had lived with one all his life and everything he had done, everything he had achieved, could not erase it.
“It’s a no-win situation. You’re secretly pleased you are the one you are, and yet you think ‘Hey, I’m smart too, you know.’ It’s kind of a crutch. Why did I have to work on being outgoing and personable when Lizzie already had that covered for us? Why should I knock myself out over books when Alison would always outshine everyone academically?
“And being ‘The Pretty One’…” the disgust was evident in her voice, “ What did I do to earn that? Nothing. Genes, that’s it. Good genes, freak of nature, whatever, it’s nothing I did .”
He could see her point. His label was nothing he had done either, and yet he could not escape it anymore than Katie could escape being beautiful.
He tried to turn her thoughts. “Yes, but you see, Gata , if you were the ‘smart one’ you probably would have thought twice about coming to my room.” His words made her laugh as he’d hoped.
“And if I were ‘the nice one’?” she asked. She turned her body into his, leaned her head against his hand along the back of the couch.
“Then I would feel like a heel taking advantage of you at such a vulnerable time in your life,” he said, smiling. His hand circled the back of her head through the softness of her hair, cradling her.
She smiled. “But you don’t feel bad taking of advantage of me because I’m good looking?” She nuzzled her head against his hand, seeming to enjoying the feel of contact as much as Darío was .
He moved even closer, so t hat his face was mere inches fro m hers. “Am I taking advantage, Gata ? I don’t think so. Because, you see, though you may be ‘The Pretty One’, you are also very strong.” He saw the dubious look on her face. “It takes a strong woman to start over, to be alone, to tell a man she has known for a short time that she wishes to seduce him.”
She dropped her head in embarrassment, shaking it. “No, not strong. Maybe crazy, but not strong.”
He took his hand from the couch and lifted her f ace, gently caressing her cheek . “Crazy? Strong? Perhaps they are the same. They both suggest lack of fear.” He brushed his lips over hers. She felt so warm, so soft. “Are you afraid to be here, Gata ?” he whispered.
She returned the soft kiss, using the exact same pressure, the same movement, he had. “No. I want to be here. I want to do this.” She raised her eyes, meeting his. “I want you.”
He brought her mouth to his. They were nearly the same height, but he was slightly above her when they sat. Her height must be in those gloriously long legs.
She tasted of wonderful Spanish spices. No doubt it was from their dinner, but Darío allowed himself to think she tasted like home. Her lips parted with no prodding and he was encased in her warmth. His tongue met hers in a dance reminiscent of his country’s famous tango.
A flash of Katie dressed in full Flamenco regalia made him go hard. He got up from the couch and held out his hand to her. She took it, like she was accepting his invitation to dance, which in a way she was. The oldest dance there was.
Either
“Lizzie is…” Darío asked, not willing to put a label on a woman he had just met, not willing to guess the wrong one.
“’The Nice One’, can’t you tell?”
“Yes, of course, L izzie seems very nice, but she’ s also very pretty. Not beautiful like yourself, but…”
“Yes, she is, and so is Alison – pretty I mean. That’s exactly what I’m saying. We hated it, still hate it, but some people still refer to us that way. It’s humiliating, actually.”
Darío stretched his arm across the back of the couch, touching Katie’s hair. It looked like softly fallen snow, so white and pure. “In what way humiliating?” he asked, but he could already see how living within a label like that could have limitations.
He had lived with one all his life and everything he had done, everything he had achieved, could not erase it.
“It’s a no-win situation. You’re secretly pleased you are the one you are, and yet you think ‘Hey, I’m smart too, you know.’ It’s kind of a crutch. Why did I have to work on being outgoing and personable when Lizzie already had that covered for us? Why should I knock myself out over books when Alison would always outshine everyone academically?
“And being ‘The Pretty One’…” the disgust was evident in her voice, “ What did I do to earn that? Nothing. Genes, that’s it. Good genes, freak of nature, whatever, it’s nothing I did .”
He could see her point. His label was nothing he had done either, and yet he could not escape it anymore than Katie could escape being beautiful.
He tried to turn her thoughts. “Yes, but you see, Gata , if you were the ‘smart one’ you probably would have thought twice about coming to my room.” His words made her laugh as he’d hoped.
“And if I were ‘the nice one’?” she asked. She turned her body into his, leaned her head against his hand along the back of the couch.
“Then I would feel like a heel taking advantage of you at such a vulnerable time in your life,” he said, smiling. His hand circled the back of her head through the softness of her hair, cradling her.
She smiled. “But you don’t feel bad taking of advantage of me because I’m good looking?” She nuzzled her head against his hand, seeming to enjoying the feel of contact as much as Darío was .
He moved even closer, so t hat his face was mere inches fro m hers. “Am I taking advantage, Gata ? I don’t think so. Because, you see, though you may be ‘The Pretty One’, you are also very strong.” He saw the dubious look on her face. “It takes a strong woman to start over, to be alone, to tell a man she has known for a short time that she wishes to seduce him.”
She dropped her head in embarrassment, shaking it. “No, not strong. Maybe crazy, but not strong.”
He took his hand from the couch and lifted her f ace, gently caressing her cheek . “Crazy? Strong? Perhaps they are the same. They both suggest lack of fear.” He brushed his lips over hers. She felt so warm, so soft. “Are you afraid to be here, Gata ?” he whispered.
She returned the soft kiss, using the exact same pressure, the same movement, he had. “No. I want to be here. I want to do this.” She raised her eyes, meeting his. “I want you.”
He brought her mouth to his. They were nearly the same height, but he was slightly above her when they sat. Her height must be in those gloriously long legs.
She tasted of wonderful Spanish spices. No doubt it was from their dinner, but Darío allowed himself to think she tasted like home. Her lips parted with no prodding and he was encased in her warmth. His tongue met hers in a dance reminiscent of his country’s famous tango.
A flash of Katie dressed in full Flamenco regalia made him go hard. He got up from the couch and held out his hand to her. She took it, like she was accepting his invitation to dance, which in a way she was. The oldest dance there was.
Either
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