Page 24 of Fall
Nudging closer, our toes meet. That unintentional contact dots every inch of my skin with tiny fireworks. A hand snakes to my lower spine, and he shunts his new hard-on into my belly.
He releases a long breath. “We should negotiate this deal of yours, beija flor.” A ghost of a smile hitches the edge of his mouth. “If you stay for a few more days, it’s on my terms. Perhaps I’ll tie you to my bed and fuck you until you’re bored with my dick?” My stomach flips. I know that’s impossible. I haven’t had nearly enough of him. He grabs my breast and squeezes. “Or did you like it better when you pretended you didn’t want it. When you wandered around in your glass cage without clothes, hoping I’d show up to claim you. Teasing me with these.” His chest rises. “Did you get off on it? Strutting about like a queen with the ability to drive her king insane.”
“Were you spying on me?”
He wets his lips with a slow sweep of his tongue. “Maybe.” Then his mouth descends so we share the same oxygen. “You enjoyed taunting me, didn’t you?”
The suggestion fizzes inside me. With any other man, such a lewd blemish on my character would repulse me, yet hearing it come from this man, hell, I’m molten lava.
I wrap my arms around his neck and gaze up into his eyes. “I knew it was messed up to want you so badly. Like, sick in the head wrong, but it made me feel alive.” I pause, letting my admission settle in. “Did you really want me, or was it all part of your plan to break me down?”
His fingers move to my temple, and he strokes a flyaway strand free from my lashes. For a heartbeat, we just stare at each other. “I could never break a stubborn woman like you.” His lips twitch to a smile.
My heart flutters. “So… is that a yes? Can I stay for a while?”
“Let me think it over. Perhaps I really will hold you captive. And believe me, I’ll never let you leave if that happens.”
His smile straightens as if he’s thinking over the consequences, well-schooled in the art of discipline. The calmness to his expression makes me wonder if this crazy situation will work.
9
I never imagined this could be possible, but is it what I want right now?
With her spine molded into my chest and my arms securing her slender figure, our breathing mirrors in rhythm. Together, we witness a spectacular sunrise. I’ve been on this terrace countless mornings before and never fully appreciated the glory of new beginnings. In the past it merely signified more time wasted where Gabriela’s murderers walked free. Another day to plot and plan. Too much light to reveal my identity.
This morning, the suffocating shadow of cruel inner demons are noticeably absent. Yet the awareness of imminent danger hangs over me like mist swirling the treetops.
I calculate that it’s a day at most before Miguel arrives, which means he’ll be here soon. My men will hunt him out like a scavenging rodent. They’ll bag him and drag him away from Brasilia. He’ll simply vanish without a trace. Eventually, his people in Rio will notice he’s gone. Feelers will creep out of the underworld. The search will begin.
There’s a brief span of safe hours to spend with Iris. After that, I doubt I’ll cope with Miguel polluting my Oasis, breathing the same air as someone else I care about. Even if he’s locked up and restrained. Beaten and hung from his wrists. Shit happens. Lives are stolen. I can’t be too careful with this particular snake.
It’s a colossal risk bringing him here. And a big mistake to fall for Iris’s persuasive tactics.
“Are you okay?” She does a one-eighty and catches my angst-ridden scowl.
“I’m hungry. I’ll make us something to eat.” I shrug it off. She wants Dante, not the maniacal thoughts of el Fantasma.
Falling back into the shade, I saunter to the drawers next to my bed and locate a pair of shorts. I run through the options, unsure if I should entertain her in my Oasis for another day. The only feasible strategy is detainment. I’ll keep her up here, in the only place that will hide her from prying eyes. It’s my rules, or she’s on the first chopper out of here.
“Don’t cover up on my behalf.” She trots up behind me and hesitates by the foot of the bed. “I like it when you’re naked and wild.”
“Naked and wild?” I mutter, angling around to marvel at her womanly curves.
“Yeah, like Tarzan.” Her prolific laugh catches me by surprise.
She’s gone from defiant and stand-offish to brazen and bold in a matter of hours. If I thought the uncontrollable arousal I harbored came from craving the forbidden, then I was sorely mistaken. Her willingness is a far greater prize. A laugh bubbles from my throat in a tune of joy. It’s a sound I’ve long forgotten. An emotion I surrendered years ago.
She presses the tips of her fingers to her lips, hiding a shy smile. My heart thumps in my chest, and the chuckle subsides. I scratch my chin in the weird lull of my unexpected outburst. “Tarzan. Is that your fantasy, beija flor?”
Her cheeks flush to rosy pink, and she almost winces. “Sorry… that was…”
Tossing the shorts aside, I keep my gaze fixed on her fidgety hands that are unsure which body part to cover. “Well?” I narrow my eyes, strolling closer. “Do you like wild sex? Is that it?”
Her lips suck in, and she twiddles the ends of her hair. “Maybe,” she breathes out, peering up at me with a face framed by messy curls.
Tucking rogue locks behind her ear, I tilt her chin higher. “I know exactly what you enjoy and what you need.” Quick puffs feather my face until I cover her mouth with mine. I tease her lips with light pressure, mindful of the nails scratching my shoulders as she silently begs for more. “Shall I tell you what gets me off?” I tug her lower lip between my teeth and let it pop free. “Tasting myself down here.” My hand firmly cups between her thighs. “Knowing I’ve claimed you with my dick and my cum.” My finger slips into her heat, and she shudders. “What could be wilder than fucking a gutsy red head in the midst of the jungle with no one around to hear her scream?” Angling my wrist, I push up further. “I used to get turned on by obedience.” Her breath catches. “Turns out I’d rather have your untamed rebellion and innocent resistance. You’re my fantasy, beija flor. Without even trying.”
It starts out as a shiver and ends with a spasm of muscles clenching my fingers. My name tatters her composure until she’s panting and shaking in my arms.
