Page 72 of Twisted Beauty

He placed a finger under her chin and raised her face until her green eyes were zeroed in on his. “A temporary setback. Now stop being so tempting and let’s enjoy dinner.” He dropped his hand when a waiter he didn’t know arrived with their wine.

“Buenos noches, señor.” The man held out a bottle of cabernet, and tilted it back against his arm before pulling the cork and pouring Matt a taste.

Matt swirled his glass, sniffed, and sipped. “Perfecto.”

When both glasses were poured, the waiter set the open bottle on the table and left with a nod.

Liv lifted her glass. “To new adventures. And following your dreams.”

Matt clinked his glass against hers. “What dreams are those?”

Liv shrugged. She took the pendant in her hand and stroked it with her thumb. “Tito seems to think this will make my dreams come true. And this place is about as dreamy as it gets. So I suppose it’s working.”

She took a sip of wine, and Matt followed suit. He closed his eyes, savoring the flavor. Earthy, full-bodied, with hints of black pepper and dark cherry, and a smooth finish. Perfection. If Liv noticed how good it was, she didn’t say so.

“Lita believed certain items had magic in them,” Matt said. “And that they affected each person differently. She thought this particular charm brought her Tito, and brought him home safely to her when he traveled. She had charms for love, for riches, for health. Anything you can think of, she had a charm or a potion for it.”

“You don’t believe in any of that, do you?” Liv asked.

“I believe in the power of goal setting.”

Liv giggled, a sound he’d already come to love. “That’s very…concrete of you. How were you born into this family without believing in magic even a little?”

He studied her face briefly, surprised that she’d even consider magic as a possibility. “Tell me you don’t really believe that pendant is magical.”

“Maybe not, but I believe in reaching for better things and following your dreams. Maybe that’s all Lita was really doing. I mean, she got her man, her shop, she got to live here in her own version of paradise. Sounds like this little pendant helped her figure out what her dreams were and what to work toward.”

She absently rubbed the pendant with her thumb like it was some kind of amulet, and Matt wondered what she was thinking. “So what do you dream of?”

Liv paused for a moment and he wasn’t sure she was going to answer. “It’s kind of silly.”

“I’m sure it isn’t. Tell me.”

She sighed, and her shoulders dropped. “I dream of earning a living doing what I love and being respected for it instead of ridiculed. I dream of traveling the world and taking photos, or creating a gallery to display the work of other photographers. Or maybe even decorating fancy hotels with the kind of imagery that makes people feel good. I know art isn’t all that important. Not like saving lives or delivering babies or anything. I just…I want to be part of something more. Something that doesn’t involve selling my soul to a faceless company or committing my life to some arrogant, cheating asshole just to please my mother.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “TMI,” she said through her fingers. “I didn’t mean to say that last part.”

Liv’s admission tugged at his heart. He knew how that felt, and he knew the cost of pursuing your dreams despite the disapproval of the people closest to you.

He took her hand from her mouth and kissed her open palm. Her skin was so warm, and he could feel her pulse racing beneath his thumb on her wrist.

“I told you my father didn’t want me to be a chef, and my mother didn’t care what I did as long as I stayed away from my father. And his family. So I’m not a stranger to wanting a different life than what’s expected of you.”

Liv nibbled on the side of her thumbnail. Which, naturally, drew all of his attention to her soft, pink lips. Finally, she nodded. “Tell me more about your restaurant.”

“You know all there is to know. Famous French restaurant, downtown Malibu, run by the biggest ego this side of the Rockies.”

“Not that restaurant. The one you want to open.”

“Wanted to open.” Matt picked up his wine as a distraction from a topic he didn’t want to discuss. “What do you think of the cab?”

“There’s no reason you can’t open your restaurant here.”

He set down his glass and leaned forward onto his elbows. “My restaurant plans are on hold, Liv. End of discussion.”

“You really are bossy. Tell me why they’re on hold. You know, I saw a space for rent only a few blocks from El Brujo. Looks like it used to be a restaurant. What about that? Could you lease it and open Mateo’s Magic Tacos there?”

Matt laughed. “Mateo’s Magic Tacos. That sounds dirty, even coming from you.”

Liv broke into a full-on grin. She was so gorgeous. If anyone could get him thinking about opening his gourmet Mexican restaurant in Mexico, it was Liv. Why the hell was that? What was it about her? Even Tito had fallen under her spell. He dragged a hand across his jaw.