Page 18 of D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding

I was cheesing hard as hell at that point. “C’mon, preciosa,” I teased. “You already know what it is. Pretending is the name of the game.”

Releasing an exasperated sound, D’Vaughn stopped avoiding me and gave me her undivided attention.

“May I kiss you?”

The soft, even tone she used made me swallow down any more teasing. Eyes on hers, I nodded. She surprised me by clenching my shirt even tighter as she leaned toward me, canting her head to the right as she aimed her lips for mine. I lifted my chin to receive her and let my eyes droop closed as our mouths met. Based on her demeanor the couple of times that we’d met, I’d expected her to be hesitant—almost scared—but D’Vaughn was anything but. Her pink tongue darted out and flicked the small hoop in my bottom lip before her lips pressed against mine in a firm, sure kiss that made my breath hitch. They were soft and insistent, demanding that I open for her and rewarding me when I relented. A soft moan sounded and I wasn’t sure if it had come from me or her, but the moment that our tongues touched, the low grunt that permeated the silence absolutely burst from my throat. With one hand clenched at my thigh, I cupped the back of her neck, burying my fingers in the soft curls at her nape as I pulled her face closer to mine and sat up straighter to make the movement easier.

I was fallingfallingfalling into her, ready to risk it all on that porch, family be damned, when someone cleared their throat loudly, quickly yanking me out of my reverie. Twisting on the bench, I turned to see my father’s eldest sister and a couple of my younger cousins standing near the door. My giggling cousins hurried inside, but Tía Claudia stood with her arms folded, giving me an amused look.

“Tía,” I began huskily, stopping to clear my throat before I came to my feet. She lifted a hand in the air, stopping me from going to her.

“Tienes lápiz labial en la boca.”

My face heated as I swiped a thumb over my lips. I could hear my cousins break into laughter on the other side of the door. My thumb was empty. Looking up, I smiled in response to the smirk on my tía’s face.

“Gracias, Tía.”

She entered the house and I turned around to find D’Vaughn on her feet, once again holding the flowers and gift bags. If not for the brightness in her eyes and slight heaving of her chest, I wouldn’t have been able to tell that she’d been doing anything but standing in that spot.

“Was that good enough for you, preciosa?” I asked, still feeling a little breathless.

Her cheeks lifted as she smiled and ducked her head. “It was satisfactory,” she deadpanned.

Laughing, I shook my head and took the bags from her before grabbing her hand and linking our fingers. I needed to reevaluate my expectations for the next six weeks because D’Vaughn had just surprised the shit out of me, that was for damn sure. I led her into the house and through the side door to reach the backyard. It was already loud as hell and packed with people. I could feel Mami’s eyes on us as soon we came around the corner. It hadn’t been my intention when I’d sat with D’Vaughn on the porch, but it was clear that someone—either my cousins, my tía, or Mateo—had whispered about us amongst the family.

After leading D’Vaughn to the gift table where I deposited the larger of the two bags, we crossed the yard to the cabana where my parents were lounging amongst their siblings. The talking quieted as we approached, and I squeezed D’Vaughn’s hand to signal that it was showtime.

“Mami, Papi,” I called over the music, trying to get their attention even though they were both already looking at us curiously. Mateo picked up a remote and lowered the volume of the music. It wasn’t much, but it allowed me to speak without having to continue yelling.

“Yes, mija?” Mami questioned, a knowing grin on her lips, her shrewd gaze honing in on my and D’Vaughn’s joined hands before lifting to my face. “¿Quién es?”

I answered in English so that the woman on my left would understand everything.

“This is D’Vaughn.”

Mami smiled indulgently. “Hello, D’Vaughn. How are you?”

“Buenas tardes, Sra. Zavala.” Her voice trembled a little, but she held her head high and extended the vase toward my mother. “These are for you.”

Surprise lit Mami’s eyes as she took the flowers from D’Vaughn. “These are beautiful, mija,” she breathed. “Thank you.” The vase was filled with colorful wildflowers that were undoubtedly artfully arranged by the hands of a skilled florist. Mami spent plenty of time in her garden and loved receiving a fresh bouquet.

D’Vaughn beamed before handing the smaller gift bag toward Papi. “And these are for you, señor.”

His eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas as he took the bag and set it in his lap. He pulled his reading glasses from the front pocket of his shirt and slid them onto his face. D’Vaughn hadn’t mentioned bringing gifts for my parents, so I was just as curious as everyone else to what she’d brought. My father reached into the bag and pulled out two canisters, each the size of a tallboy. He squinted as he read the labels, and after a moment a pleased smile brightened his face. Handing the canisters to Mami, Papi stood up and pulled D’Vaughn into a hug, pressing a kiss on each of her cheeks.

“Muchas gracias, D’Vaughn.”

“You’re more than welcome.” D’Vaughn beamed at him, and I felt a surge of affection for her. She didn’t have to bring anything at all today, but her kindness had put undeniable smiles on both of my parents’ faces.

Mami passed the canisters to Mateo, who oohed and ahhed before passing them to Tía Claudia, who finally passed them to me. They were hefty and wrapped with leather labels that were branded with the company name and the canisters’ contents. Afghani black cumin and bourbon-barrel smoked chili powder. Two ingredients that were prominent in Tejano cooking. The sheer thoughtfulness was touching and her keen choice of gifts stood out to me. I’d only mentioned that Papi was grilling in passing, and yet she’d brought him something that was bound to bring him joy for several months. I was blown away and suddenly had to wrack my brain to remember if anyone I’d dated previously had ever done something so kind. Unsurprisingly, my memory bank came up empty. I handed the spices back to my father, and leaned over to drop a soft kiss to D’Vaughn’s cheek, just west of the corner of her mouth. From my proximity, I saw, rather than heard, her quickly suck in a breath. To mask it, she began to nibble on her bottom lip.

“Stop that,” I chastened without thinking, using my thumb to free the abused lip. Silently, she stared at me, and as I stared back into those wide brown eyes, I felt like Alice peering into that hole in the ground just before she took a tumble.

Mateo’s wolf whistle jostled me out of the pull of D’Vaughn’s dark irises, and I grinned at the near embarrassed look on her face. Leaning into her ear, I spoke in a low voice.

“Their teasing is a good thing. Don’t worry about it, aight?” Canting my head, I met her eyes, waiting for her to nod before turning back to my family. I was used to them, but this was all new for her. I wanted to sell this thing, but I also didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, which was a possibility even though I knew it was all good-natured.

When I was once again facing my family, I laughed at the expressions on my parents’ faces. Papi looked impressed, maybe even proud, and Mami had stars in her eyes. It had been a while since I’d brought someone home, and even longer before it was someone who’d made a good impression from the jump. I could almost see the gears in Mami’s head turning, and couldn’t wait for her reaction once we made our announcement.