Free Say Yes (Something More) by Tara West Page A

walked down the tile steps, I heard splashing and saw the little one flailing in the water. I screamed for help before diving in. Andrés’s family members were rushing onto the deck as I pulled the child from the water.
    One of Andrés’s cousins took her from me and performed CPR. After a few moments that seemed to stretch for an eternity, the girl coughed up a bunch of water and started to cry. I’m pretty sure every adult in the place was crying, too.
    I remembered the little doe-eyed toddler named Amelia from a summer barbeque. She was barely out of diapers and always into trouble. Always. This time she’d found more trouble than she could handle. I’m so glad I escaped to the pool in time.
    So now, here I am, sitting on the pool deck, soaked to the bone and still too stunned to move. Amelia’s mother is hyperventilating as she falls to her knees a few yards away, clutching her child to her. Most of Andrés’s family is swarming the pair like bees to a hive.
    I’m not sure how long I sit there before I feel strong arms wrap a heavy towel around my shoulders. “Let’s get you dry, mija,” Andrés whispers in my ear.
    I silently nod as I follow his lead. He takes me through the spacious kitchen, now abandoned with cups and plates strewn everywhere. A little brown dog is crawling across the top of the long mahogany dining table, licking one plate clean before going to the next. Andrés ducks his head beneath a massive chandelier, scoops the dog up and drops him on the floor.
    “Bad, Chico!” Andrés scolds.
    The dog runs away with his tail between its legs while licking crumbs off his lips. I get the feeling Chico isn’t too sorry.    
    Andrés takes me up two flights of stairs to the third story loft, to what used to be his old bedroom. It’s a long room with a slanted ceiling on one side, and a bed in the far corner beside a tall transom window. Andrés once told me he’d picked this room years ago for its privacy.
    It occurs to me I could have come here to escape his aunts. Why hadn’t I thought of it? Why had I choosen the pool instead? Even though I’m not a very religious person, I wonder if maybe a higher power had sent me to that pool. Maybe someone was looking out for that little girl. It’s kind of a comforting thought to know the child might have a guardian angel. But then I realize I’m just thinking crazy. I’m still in shock after watching a child nearly drown.
    Andrés takes off my wet clothes, dries me off with the towel, and puts me in an oversized T-shirt and sweat pants several sizes too big. I laugh as Andrés pulls the drawstring on the pants and they still slide down one hip.
    He kisses me on the forehead before murmuring against my cheek. “There’s room for me in there, too.”  
    I look into Andrés’s smoky gaze and a shiver steals up my spine. He’s horny. Damn horny. And I know this is probably a crazy time to be thinking of sex, but after what I’ve been through this week, I would love to lose myself in Andrés right now.
    I loosen the drawstring and let those oversized sweats fall to the floor. Then I grab Andrés by the hand and lead him toward the bed. I toss back the covers and look up at Andrés as I lift the sweatshirt over my head. Andrés’s gaze bores into my bare breasts, and he wastes no time in stripping out of his jeans and shirt.
    I sigh against his chest when he climbs in beside me. His large frame practically fills the small bed, and he’s so very warm. I press into him, relishing the feel of his heated skin against mine.
    He kisses my face and neck as his hands rove over me. “You’re cold, mija.”
    I wince as he squeezes one breast and then the other. My hardened nipples burn beneath his touch, and I have to bite down to keep my teeth from rattling.
    “Yeah.” I laugh. “I thought you said that pool was heated.”
    He chuckles against my throat, kneading each breast, and they gradually soften beneath his touch. Then his hands wander toward