Carlos pov
The laughter in the backseat was deafening. Isabella's head tipped against the window, Linda draped half across her, both of them drunk enough to find every word hilarious.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter.
Linda's kiss still lingered — not the taste, not the contact, but the audacity of it. A flash of her hands in my tie, her mouth crashing against mine while Isabella clapped and cheered like it was a damn performance.
And Isabella's voice…
"You are hot. That was… wow. Seriously, ten out of ten. Encore!"
I exhaled through my nose, sharp. Reckless words. Alcohol talking. But I'd be lying if I said they didn't hit somewhere they shouldn't.
The truth? I'd noticed her from the first moment she stepped out of that car in the rain. Head high, eyes sharp, pretending not to be afraid. It wasn't beauty that caught me — though she had that in spades — it was defiance. Fire. A flame that dared me to touch it and get burned.
