Island Affair (Keys to Love #1) - Priscilla Oliveras Page 0,42

read the tiny price tag. Her gaze flicked back to Luis nearby.

He clasped hands with Freddie, both men leaning in for a one-armed hug that was more like a thump on the back. Luis dwarfed his friend by at least thirty pounds and several inches, vertically and horizontally. Sara heard Freddie slip into Spanish, either for privacy or out of habit. Probably a little of both.

Luis shrugged off a question about who he was with, turning the tables by asking Freddie about his mom. All the while, Luis’s posture remained stiff, hands deep in his front jeans pocket. The relaxed, yet guarded, calm she’d come to expect from him had vanished like the day’s heat.

Behind Freddie’s booth, another man stepped out of the shadows cast by a stately palm tree and the streetlight above it. He moved toward the tiny walkway separating the two booths, his black tee and jeans easily camouflaging him in the dark. The humid breeze fluttered the palm fronds and the shadows undulated, the yellow streetlight illuminating the man’s face.

Sara started. A younger, slimmer, but equally as tall version of Luis stared back at her. His dark eyes peered at her with interest, assessing. He shared the same angular jaw, straight nose, and olive-toned skin. Yet his loose-hipped walk and confident, definitely cocky smirk gave him a kiss-my-ass swagger that reminded her of the type of men her girlfriends complained about scrolling through on those dating apps she was reluctant to try—the players.

His smirk broadened when Luis took a step in their direction.

“Hey, it’s almost like a family reunion with two Navarros swinging by tonight!” Freddie crowed.

Neither Navarro brother looked as thrilled by the situation as their friend. If anything, based on the tic of his jaw muscle and the thundercloud frown creasing his forehead, Sara’d guess Luis was inwardly freaking out about having to introduce her to a member of his family.

“?Oye, Enrique, me traíste mas pedazos pa’ vender?” Freddie asked.

Even if their friend hadn’t mentioned his name, based on the question of whether or not Luis’s brother had brought more pieces of art to sell, Sara would have guessed this was Enrique. One of the few bits of information Luis had shared about his younger brother was that he’d gone to art school before joining the city’s fire department. Now Enrique made a little money on the side selling his artwork through a few local spots.

Besides, based on what she had gathered earlier today, if this had been Carlos she was fairly certain the handshake, back-thumping greeting would have been exchanged between the two brothers. Not the tight-jawed head dip Luis gave his younger sibling now.

What Luis hadn’t mentioned was the friction between them that practically zapped everyone in a five-foot radius of the brothers’ unplanned gathering.

Not wanting to add more tension to the situation, Sara edged away. Unfortunately, an older couple sidled up to the shell jewelry booth at the same time, inadvertently sandwiching her between them and Enrique.

“I sat a box of those heart-shaped pieces with beach scenes you asked me for on your lawn chair,” Enrique answered Freddie’s question, his curious gaze sliding from Sara to Luis.

“Sweet! Lemme check ’em out.” Their friend scampered back behind his booth leaving Enrique and Luis facing off, with Sara wishing she could melt into the group of shoppers nearby.

“Didn’t expect to run into you here. This isn’t your typical scene,” Enrique said.

“Just enjoying the nice weather before summer temperatures descend,” Luis answered.

“’Cuz all of a sudden the downtown crowds beat the privacy of the sunset view from your boat?”

Tension vibrated off Luis as he folded his arms across his chest, his fists clenched. The universally understood defensive, back-off pose. Sara cursed herself for following him over here and putting him in this predicament in the first place.

“I see you’re still trivializing your talent rather than capitalizing on it with a real showing,” Luis shot back.

“Maybe I’ll reconsider my choices when you start doing the same.”

Whatever Enrique’s jab meant, it must have hit home. Luis’s nostrils flared on a deep breath. His chest rose and fell, his mouth thinning as if he fought to hold back a retort.

Feeling like an interloper, despite the crowded pier, Sara edged closer to the older couple next to her. Thankfully, they moved on, making room for her to follow suit.

“And this is . . . ?” Enrique turned to ensnare her with his question.

Shocked, Sara’s gaze flew to Luis’s.

In the shadows of the waning sunlight, she caught his indecision.