Chapter 18
QUENTIN
When Carmina steps into the shower, her actions speak louder than any words ever could.
I’m rinsing the last of the shampoo from my hair, suds swirling down the drain, when I feel her arms wrap around my neck.
The surprise barely registers before her lips are on mine, warm and insistent. It’s like a punch to the gut, in the best possible way.
This is it.
The moment I”ve hoped for, the one I”ve been craving with every visit to her office.
With every Danity tour date. With every glance that lingered a second too long.
It”s her answer to the silent ultimatum hanging between us—about whether she and I could actually do this—whatever this is. About whether what I feel is one-sided or if she’s in this twisted, delightful dance with me too.
And I’ll be damned if I don’t take this opportunity to prove she’s made the right choice.
Without hesitation, my hands find her waist, pulling her closer as I lean into the kiss, letting it deepen. The hot water cascades over us, mingling with the heat between us, washing away any lingering uncertainty. In this moment, in the steam and the warmth and the undeniable connection, everything else falls away.
It”s just Car and me.
As we break apart for air, I look into her eyes and see the same desire I feel mirrored there.
It”s like a fire has been lit inside of me, burning brighter than any hesitation.
I know what she wants, and I want it too. And I”m not going to let anything stand in the way.
Not my insecurities. Not our complicated history. Not even the fact that I’m sure I haven’t scrubbed all the pancake flour from my hands away.
Pulling back for a scorching second, I whisper against her lips, ”Well, that answers my ultimatum.”
Carmina nods, cheeks flushed. ”I guess it does.”
Chuckling, I gently nudge her nose with mine. ”How about we move this to a more comfortable location?”
To my delight, Carmina agrees, her eyes alight with the same flame that”s been driving me insane.
Still tangled in soap suds, I scoop her up with ease—a testament to those dreaded morning workouts finally paying off.
She wraps her arms around my neck, and I carry her out of the shower, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind us.
It”s a short trek to her bedroom, but every step is filled with anticipation.
As I lay her down on her cool pastel sheets, she pulls me in for another searing kiss that has my heart pounding against my chest and my dick hardening into stone.
Her copper-toned skin is a glorious contrast against the gentle hues of her bedding, and as my hands begin their exploration, I”m struck by the surreality of the moment.
Carmina beneath me. Her breaths coming in soft sighs.
And the world outside fading away to nothingness as I press my body against hers, my slick skin sliding against the slopes and valleys of her sensuous curves.
Desperate for air, I pull away from her lips and trace the outline of her jaw with my tongue. She shivers in response, and I feel a surge of triumph knowing I can elicit such a reaction from this goddess-like creature.
I lean down to kiss her again, but she interrupts me with a playful nip on my lower lip.
“Hey now,” I tease, ”don”t go stealing my moves.”
She giggles, a sound like tinkling bells, and my mouth lowers to her neck, nuzzling and kissing every inch of exposed skin. My lips dip even lower, tracing the outline of her collarbone and making her moan.
The tension between us builds, the electric charge that ignites whenever we”re close turning into a palpable force. Our eyes meet, and for a moment, neither of us can look away.
As I gaze at Carmina”s gorgeous face, my mouth forms a path down to her chest. My eyes never leave hers as I wrap my lips around one swollen nipple, sucking the sensitive nub between my teeth until Carmina gasps.
She closes her eyes, lips forming a circle. ”Quentin,” she whines, her fingers slipping into my hair. I lick the peak of her breast, savoring the sweetness of Carmina”s bronzed-brown skin.
”God, you”re sweet. Every inch of you,” I murmur over the supple swell.
My hands wander, skipping her waist and hips, until my mouth follows suit. Right until I”m between Carmina”s thighs. Small tufts of her hair peek between her hips, and she begins to close her legs, biting her bottom lip.
”I-I”ve been busy. I haven”t had time to--”
”Don”t,” I command, gripping the back of her knees. I nudge her thighs apart, looking up into her eyes. ”You are perfect, Carmina.”
”No, I”m not. I--”
”Listen to me,” I grit out, staring. ”Perfect.”
Leaning down, I release one of her knees, brushing my knuckles against her pussy. Slowly, she opens for me. With every brush of my fingers, Carmina comes alive.
I blow softly over the tender folds between her legs, and she squirms.
”Ahh,” she inhales sharply.
”Shhh. Relax, baby.” I smile, dipping my head down until my mouth is inches away from the swollen lips between her hips. ”I haven”t even started yet.”
And so I do.
My head inclines, lowering my mouth to kiss the length of one soft lip before switching to the other. It”s a tease, I know—just a hint of what”s to come as I test her. Test her body. Test what she likes with every kiss, every lick, every touch.
I can tell she likes kisses more on the left side. I can tell she likes long licks down the center and a suck just below her clit. I can tell she”s as vocal as she is sensual, and when I press the heel of my hand against her mound, I unlock something.
Something primal. Something subconscious. Something she didn”t even know was there.
But I know it.
Because I know what makes Carmina Sanchez tick. What makes her laugh. What makes her frown. What makes her dance.
And I definitely know what she sounds like when she”s coming into my mouth.
I French-kiss the length of her swollen clit, letting one finger and then two curl inside of her. And she explodes.
Her grip on my hair tightens until my roots ache, and still, I don”t stop. I keep tugging, licking, sucking, swirling until finally Carmina”s body slumps onto the bed—spent.
Sighing softly, I place a final quick kiss between her legs, sliding my hand from the top of her pussy up her body towards the curve of her neck. There, I hold her, marveling at the perfection that is her gorgeous face, her eyes still closed, squeezed in ecstasy.
I can”t help the laugh that escapes my lips. ”Sanchez, are you okay?”
She exhales, biting her bottom lip before speaking. ”I don”t know. Is being half-alive considered okay?”
”Depends on which half,” I say, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. ”How about I get us some pancakes so the dead half can come back?”
She nods, eyes closed, a smile forming. ”The Gordon Ramsay pancakes?”
”Uh, sure?”
”Valeria told me. She calls them Gordon Ramsay pancakes. They”re the only ones worth coming back to life for.”
”Really?” I press my hardness against her thigh, kissing her neck. ”The only things worth coming back to life for?”
She grins and opens her eyes. I grin back.
I swipe my thumb over my mouth, licking the last taste of Carmina from my lips. With a lingering smile, I hop out of bed, stark naked. ”Be right back. Try to wake up the other half of you. I”m not done with all of you yet.”