When Lies Unfold

Chapter 45

I want somethin’real outta her. None of this partial bullshit she’s been handin’ me.

I’ve come across enough people who’ve suffered from domestic violence to know why she’s like this, though. And I can’t say I blame her—not entirely.

But damn if I don’t want her to let down her guard, ’cause somethin’ tells me she never gave herself the time to process that. Grief blankets her voice, those deep, soulful eyes of hers gleamin’ with pain.

I shouldn’t give a shit about her. Not one fuckin’ bit. When I made the choice not to kill her, it gave birth to nothin’ short of a fuck-ton of complications in my life. Combine that with Hidalgo increasin’ his stunts, and I’ve got enough to worry about—and then some.

But this woman’s managed to somehow ensnare me. She’s brought out protective instincts in me that haven’t emerged for a woman in decades.

“Fine!” Her eyes spear me with fury and exasperation. “It was devastating!” She shoves a hand at me, but it’s nowhere near enough force to make me budge. “Are you happy now, asshole?!”

She beats her right fist against my chest, her voice turnin’ hoarse, ragged with emotion. “Is that what you want to hear?” Another slam of her fist. “That it gutted me?” Her voice cracks as she lands another hit. “That I wish I could go back and kill him for it?”

My hand closes over her fist, lockin’ her in place. “You say the word, and I’ll kill him for you.”

She goes eerily still, those red-around-the-edges eyes goin’ wide. When her breath catches in her throat, my chest takes on an odd tightness. I don’t know why I fuckin’ said that. But it’s too late to take it back.

Not only that, but I meant it. Her pain’s so raw, it’s almost palpable. There’s no way in hell she’s fakin’ this.

With parted lips, she stares up at me as if she’s seein’ me for the first time. She lets out a weak laugh of disbelief. “You’d do that?”

I’m not sure I like how she’s lookin’ at me right now. With a strange mix of shock and wonder in her gaze, she’s starin’ at me like I’m some hero.

Even so, I find myself answerin’ her, my words muted but firm as hell. “Fuck, yeah.”

I barely get the words out before she rises on her toes and fits her mouth to mine. A groan rumbles deep in my chest when her tongue dives inside, the kiss deep and hungry.

When I band an arm around her and tug her even closer, she arches that perfect body against mine, her hand fistin’ the front of my shirt.

Goddamn, she’s hot for me, but this is different from the other times. Somethin’s shifted. It’s like she’s lettin’ me past some of the defenses she’s had in place.

She tears at my shirt, and I help her undo the buttons before shruggin’ off the damp fabric. Her desperate fingers drop to my belt, tuggin’ it loose before she unfastens my pants. I’ve gotta stop her so I can remove my holstered weapon and set it aside.

Movements borderin’ on frantic, she shoves my pants past my hips. When they gather at my ankles, I remove my ankle holster and place it beside my other weapon before kickin’ my pants aside.

When she attempts to remove her damp sports bra, her wince has me backin’ away. At my retreat, those brown eyes blink up at me, hazy with lust, and somethin’ twists behind my ribs.

I tug open a vanity drawer and retrieve a knife. “Let me help you outta that.”

Her brows draw together and she huffs out a breath. “I’ve never met anyone who stashes knives in their bathroom.”

“Yeah? Well, I like to be prepared.” With the blade in my hand, I keep my voice steady and gesture to her sports bra. “Promise I’ll buy you a new one.”

At her nod, I gently pull her bra away from her skin and drag the sharp blade carefully through the fabric. It falls away, revealin’ her perfect tits, and I use the same caution as I slice through the straps.

Lettin’ her bra drop beside the sink, I lower my attention to the knife in my hand. “I used this to help you.” When I lift my eyes to hers, I add, “You know I’m not gonna hurt you with it.”

She swallows audibly and somethin’ softens in her gaze. “I know.”

I return the knife to its drawer. Then I slide my fingers beneath the waistband of her black pants, my eyes never leavin’ hers.

Hell if I know why, but I’m compelled to tell her exactly what I’d do to that fucker who hurt her. It’s like I’ve picked up on a silent request from her—somehow, I know she needs to hear it.

“I’d torture him like he did you.” She sucks in a breath, desire flashin’ in her eyes. I ease her pants down, and she shifts to help me get them past her hips. “I’d take my time cuttin’ on him. Drag it out for hours. Days. Weeks.”

When my fingers encounter more scars hidden within the ink etched low along the side of her hip and curvin’ toward her stomach, my words are forced from between gritted teeth. “Make him bleed and cry like a goddamn baby.”

Her nipples tighten and her chest heaves, those eyes darkenin’ with arousal. Yeah, she wants to hear this. Needs to, even.

I tug off her pants and let them drop to the floor. “I’d make him fuckin’ suffer as long as I could. Break every bone in his body. Puncture his lungs and spleen.”

Sittin’ in a plain cotton thong, she cinches her legs around me, tuggin’ me closer. Her hand molds over my cock where it’s as hard as steel, practically punchin’ through my boxer briefs.

Voice breathless, she shoves my boxers down, lettin’ my cock jut free. “You’d make him bleed, inside and out?”

“Fuck, yeah.”

Eyes locked with hers, I kick off my boxers and bracket her hips in my hands. My thumb grazes over the upraised skin beneath the vibrant green vines and leaves etched along her left hip.

“I’d make him suffer for as long as his body held out.”

I dip my hand between her thighs and tuck two fingers beneath her thong, tracin’ them along the crease of her pussy. She’s slick already, and I wonder how much of it’s due to what I’m sayin’.

Lowerin’ my mouth to the tiny scars at the corners of her mouth, I dust my lips over them. I do the same to the ones along her cheek and jaw. The one at the very corner of her left eye.

When I nip at her earlobe and murmur, “I’d fuckin’ beat his face till it was too bloody to recognize,” her back arches and her tits brush against my chest.

Slowly, I pump my fingers inside her. In. Out. In. Out. Fuckin’ hell, the way she coats me in her hot, wet arousal has my balls already drawin’ tight.

“Does it make you hot hearin’ what I’d do to him?”

“Godyes.” Her hand speeds up, workin’ my cock in unsteady strokes like she’s desperate to jack me off. “Tell me everything.” Her breathin’ turns choppier when I start thumbin’ circles over her clit and continue pumpin’ my fingers inside her.

When her grip tightens on my cock, precum leaks at the tip. “You wanna hear how I’d cut off his fingers, one by one?”

Her pussy clamps down, flutterin’ a little, and her breath hitches. “You’d do that for me?”

The way she poses that question, like she’s surprised anybody would do somethin’ like that for her—because of her—pisses me the fuck off.

I stop my fingers and pin her with a harsh glare that has her hand pausin’ on my cock. “You don’t think I would?”

Her mouth parts, but she doesn’t form an immediate response. “It’s not that…” Her attention drops to focus on my throat, her voice soundin’ small. “You have your own stuff to worry about. And I’m not part of your world, so?—”

With my other hand, I lift her chin, forcin’ her to meet my eyes. Challenge fills my tone. “You’re part of my world now. Understood?”

When she wets her lips, I bite back a groan, my dick flexin’ in her hold. I wanna hear her answer. Need to.

The barest whisper, her single-word response is cloaked with vulnerability. “Yes.” Her answer delves deep inside me, wedgin’ its way somewhere I don’t want to acknowledge. Somethin’ big shifted tonight, and she’s opened up to me even knowin’ I’ve got the connections and power to find shit out.

But I don’t need to. I know enough to believe Lola Arias isn’t lyin’ to me. Fuck… All these upraised scars that sonofabitch carved into her skin tell me so.

Somethin’ indecipherable flickers across her face before it vanishes in a blink, but what I do recognize in its wake is grief. Hell…it practically oozes from her. Grief can coax a person into seekin’ comfort sexually. To reaffirm their existence.

She’s ridin’ a roller coaster of emotion, and I shouldn’t indulge her while she’s in this state, but I can’t resist.

If I were a better man, I wouldn’t be doin’ this—I wouldn’t be givin’ in to her. Wouldn’t be givin’ in to my need for her.

If I were a better man, I’d just fit my mouth over her pussy and get her off before sendin’ her back to her room.

If I were a better man, I wouldn’t be lettin’ her jerk me off so damn good.

But I’m not. Never have been. So, I’m takin’ whatever she’s offerin’ tonight. Even if it means there’s a good chance she’ll regret it later.

I want her too fuckin’ badly to stop.

“You gotta know I’d do just about anythin’ for you.” I grit out the words against her mouth. I swear to Christ she has me ready to shoot my load already.

It’s fuckin’ ridiculous how much this woman disarms me.

“I’d cut off his toes, one by one. Slowly. Let ’im bleed and ooze and fester. Then I’d cut out his tongue.”

Strong, sleek thighs tighten around my hips, and her pussy flutters around my fingers. “What else?”

“I’d carve out his eyes with the dullest fuckin’ knife I could find.” She coats my fingers as I fuck her with them. Goddamn, she has the tightest damn pussy I’ve ever known.

I don’t give it a second thought before I fist her panties in my hand and give a swift yank. Her surprised gasp barely registers as I let them drop to the floor. “Then I’d pull out each of his teeth, one by one.”

Heavy-lidded eyes regard me as she gently moves my hand away from her before guidin’ the thick head of my cock to her slick pussy lips. My knees go weak when she wets my dick with her arousal—up and down, up and down—before usin’ it to work her swollen clit.

Fuck. The way her eyes track the movement of my cock slickin’ through her wetness has me achin’ to take charge. But she needs this, and I’m gonna let her use me.

It’s not like I won’t enjoy the hell out of it.

“You gonna take what you need from me?” My voice is coarse, my balls drawin’ tight. “Wanna use me to get off?”

Eyes wild, her breaths come out in staccato bursts. “Yes.”

I lift one of her thighs, guidin’ her to plant one foot on the vanity and lean back against the mirror. This position spreads her open, her perfect pink lips glistenin’ as she continues draggin’ me along her wet crease. “That’s it. Use my big cock exactly how you want.”

Her gaze flicks back and forth between my face and where she dips the head of my cock inside her barely a fraction before usin’ it to work her clit.

“Fuck, that’s hot.” I duck my head to capture one of those fine-ass nipples between my lips. The way she arches with a little gasp urges me on, and I give it a hard suck before battin’ at it with my tongue.

With ragged breaths, she works my cock against her little clit, those perfect tits risin’ and fallin’. She’s so fuckin’ beautiful, I can’t resist takin’ her other nipple captive with my mouth.

When I scrape my teeth over it, the little moan she lets out has me wantin’ to bury my cock balls deep inside her. It takes all my restraint not to shove her other leg over my shoulder and have my way with her, watchin’ those gorgeous tits bounce with each of my thrusts.

I fuckin’ want to—Christ, do I want to—but I won’t.

’Cause however the hell she wants me, I’m hers for the takin’.