27. Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Kassie Ramirez greeted me at the door to Monty’s new apartment, which was a couple floors above mine. The gorgeous Latina woman was dressed in dark-wash jeans that fit her curves perfectly and a cream-colored asymmetrical-hem top that set off her dark hair and eyes.
I didn’t know all the details of hers and Monty’s past, but what I did know was tragic. My heart was so happy they’d reconnected and seemed to be getting their second chance at love.
Walking into the apartment, the first thing I noticed was the eggplant-colored sectional couch that took up half the living room. Or rather, the man that was standing from said couch with a shy smile on his face.
Our eyes locked, and it took all my strength not to blurt out something stupid in front of the entire party. Hey, Cruz. I’m so sorry I tied you to your bed last night when I snuck in and pretended you were my prisoner. I know when we started our sexual arrangement, you indicated that was a limit for you, and I apologize for crossing the line. I hope your fine ass still wants to fuck me because you’re, hands down, the best sex of my life. And also, I might be falling for you.
“Hi, Lehra,” he said, his gaze running up and down my body.
A blush rose to my cheeks. “Hi, Cruz.” And then I high tailed it after Kassie to put the wine in the kitchen, waving a hello at Monty as we passed him.
“You could have stayed out there and talked to your friend,” Kassie commented as we entered the kitchen. It was homey and modern, with dark-green countertops, fancy appliances, and frosted-glass-fronted cabinets.
“He’s not my friend,” I said quickly before amending that. “I mean, he is my friend, but only my friend. That’s all.” Yeah, that sounded convincing.
Gianna strolled into the room, wine glass in hand. “What’s up? Are we talking about why Cruz was literally panting after Lehra?”
“He was not!” I protested, and Gianna rolled her eyes toward the other woman for confirmation.
“Kassie?”
“Oh, he was definitely feeling you,” she said, grinning as she located the wine fridge on the counter and put the bottle on the top rack.
“Come on, Lehra, don’t you think Cruz is hot as fuck?” Gia cajoled.
I folded my lips between my teeth before finally admitting, “Okay, he’s nice to look at.” They teased me for a couple more minutes until I changed the subject. “Let’s talk about how Monty looked like he was about to gobble Kassie up in a single bite.”
We stayed in the kitchen for almost an hour, laughing, talking, and sipping wine. I hadn’t spent much time with Kassie before this but found that I really liked the sweet, funny attorney.
At one point, Cruz and Monty came into the kitchen to replenish the food tables in the living room, and my heart rate sped up when Cruz gave me a sexy smile that would melt butter.
“Uh, no sir, dear brother-in-law,” Gianna said, smacking Monty’s hand when he reached for the tray of shrimp toast on the center island. “We’ve claimed these for ourselves.”
“You ever noticed how much Cruz and Monty look alike?” Kassie asked after the guys left.
I nodded, comparing their similar faces and builds in my mind. “They do, though, of course, Cruz’s skin tone is darker.”
“And they and Auburn all have those amazing blue eyes,” Gianna said, nibbling on a piece of the delicious shrimp toast. “Hey, we should have a girls’ night at my house next weekend.”
“That sounds fun,” Kassie said, and I nodded my agreement. Cruz would be working, so I knew we wouldn’t be doing any of our role playing scenes. That is, if he even still wants to.
“Good. See if Artie wants to come. I miss his face,” Gia said.
“Let me text him.” I pulled out my phone and sent him a message, receiving an instant reply. Laughing, I met Gianna’s eyes. “He said he’s in as long as Auburn will be there. Shirtless.”
“Tell him he can look at my man candy, but no touching,” she replied with a cheeky grin, rising from her plush barstool. “I need to go check on the kids.”
“I’ll go with you. I want to check on Sully too,” Kass said.
“I’m going to get another glass of wine,” I told them as they left the kitchen. Going to the small wine fridge, I pulled out the bottle, almost dropping it when a pair of hands landed on the counter on either side of me.
The sultry scent I knew so well surrounded me as firm lips lightly grazed my neck. “Were you a dominatrix in a former life, Tink?” Cruz asked, and a shiver passed down my spine at the sound of his husky, deep voice.
Setting down the wine, I turned to face him, and he took the opportunity to step even closer, plastering his front against mine.
“I’m so sorry about last night,” I blurted, and his sexy smirk morphed into a frown.
“What are you sorry for?”
“I tied you up, and you didn’t want to be tied up. I read your list, I really did, but I guess I just got caught up in the moment, and then I remembered this morning, and I freaked out and came to your apartment, but you weren’t there, and I’m so sorry.” I realized I was talking in one long, run-on sentence, but I was unable to stop myself.
Cruz stopped me though. With gentle hands on my face and a not-so-gentle kiss against my lips. “Shut up, Lehra.”
“I… what?” I was feeling a bit dazed from the kiss.
“I liked it. I liked everything you did last night. In fact, if you want to tie me up and have your filthy way with me every fucking day, I’m down for it.”
My eyes searched his. “Y-you’re not mad at me?”
Those panty-dropping dimples appeared alongside his slow smile. “I’m not mad, sweetheart. I put no on that question because I didn’t think it was something I’d be into. I was wrong. If I didn’t like it, I would have told you.”
My entire body melted with relief, like a chocolate bar left in the sun. “Okay, good. I got in my head and freaked out.”
His thumbs brushed lazy circles on my cheeks. “You know you can always talk to me, right?” I nodded, my lips parting when he lowered his mouth to mine. Diving in with his tongue, Cruz ran a hand beneath my curls to grip the hair at the base of my neck. The kiss was deep and perfect, his fingers massaging lightly against my scalp.
When he pulled back, his thumb dusted over my bottom lip. “I think—”
“Does she have food on her face?”
We jerked apart as soon as we heard the small voice. Kassie’s little boy was standing only a few feet away, looking curiously up at us.
“Sully, my dude,” Cruz said, with faux cheerfulness, taking another step back. “Yeah, uh, Lehra had something on her mouth.”
Uh-huh. Your mouth.
“You have to do it like this,” the boy said, licking his thumb and miming rubbing something from an imaginary face. “That’s what my mom does.” His cute nose wrinkled as his voice lowered. “With spit.”
“Oh, good tip,” Cruz replied, fighting a grin.
“Monty says Mommy spits on him sometimes,” the kid said conversationally, and poor Cruz fake-coughed to cover up his laughter. Then he squatted to Sully’s level and ruffled his sandy-brown hair while I covered my smile with my fingertips.
“Did you need something, bud?”
The kid’s eyes darted around the room. “Some more of those piggies-in-a-blanket,” he whispered, and I wondered if maybe Kassie had told him he couldn’t have any more.
Cruz took the boy’s little hand in his big one, and my core clenched at the sight. He was always so sweet and gentle with kids. “Let’s go, Sul. I could use some of those myself.”
Then he turned and gave me a questioning look, asking me with his eyes if I was okay. When I nodded, he gave me a wink before herding Sully from the kitchen. Of course I was okay. I was convinced that man’s kisses could bring about world peace.
Over the next six weeks, Cruz and I did two more role playing scenes. Mine was an adventurous Bonnie and Clyde theme, and we had dressed the part in vintage clothing. Cruz took me on a tour of an old-fashioned bank that had been closed for years, and afterward, we went to a cool-as-hell speakeasy for dinner and drinks. Then we’d had sex in the back of the vintage car he’d rented.
His fantasy had been hitchhiker themed. After driving us upstate, Cruz had pretended to “pick me up” on the side of the road. With a few casual brushes of his hand against my leg, and some extremely dirty innuendos, I found myself in a field, spread across the hood of the car with a big, sexy man between my legs.
But in between those times, we spent more and more time together. Cruz Estrada was everything I wanted in a man: fun, attentive, respectful, and affectionate. He was my best friend in the world.
And I was irrevocably in love with him.