30. Pedro
Pedro
“Can we talk?” I knock lightly on the guest room door set up for Bay and ask when I see her back is turned to me, her fingers running through her wavy red hair as she looks in the mirror.
She turns to look at me, her expression confused. “Talk about what?”
“About what happened that night. About what’s happening between us,” I finally allow myself to be open about my intentions.
After a deep talk with my brother—who likely got a few kicks from his wife because he wasn’t pleased at all—he lifted his order, on the condition that I take things slow and carefully.
I can do slow and carefully. Fuck I can do anything if it’s for her.
“To be honest, I don’t remember anything from that night.
I remember being in your room, I remember leaving, but beyond that, nothing.
So if I said anything wrong, I’m sorry,” she replies casually, completely ignoring the seriousness I’m actually showing for once, as she walks over to the large wardrobe in her room.
She pulls out her evening dress, covered in a long black garment bag, and lays it on the bed.
“You didn’t say anything wrong—I did. There won’t be any more complications between us. I’m yours to do with as you please,” I throw a half-scheming smile in her direction as the lace strap of her tank top slips off her shoulder while she bends down to unzip the bottom of the garment bag.
She straightens up now and meets my gaze, clearly surprised by the statement that just came out of my mouth. “You’re mine to do with as I please?” she repeats my question with a sarcastic laugh. “Great. Then get out of my room and don’t come back.”
I can’t hide the surprise on my face at her response. “Did I miss something?”
“I’m done waiting for you, done believing in fairy-tale romances, and completely done with adventures in my life,” she says, anger flashing in her voice as she picks up a small piece of paper from the nightstand, walks over to me, and presses it to my chest before storming out of the room. What the hell?
The paper slips from my fingers as I recognize the picture on its back. Fuck. She’s going to think I have some bizarre obsession with my sisters-in-law’s family.
“Bay!” I call out and immediately run after her. She’s already halfway down the stairs to the second floor, but I manage to catch her arm before she reaches the landing and we become today’s main spectacle—exactly what Luca wanted to avoid.
“Let me go,” she hisses, her voice sharp and venomous. Her eyes flash a warning, the kind that burns like acid, and I know she’s just as aware as I am that this isn’t the place for a scene.
“I’ll let go,” I growl, tightening my hold, “if you give me five seconds to explain.”
Her breath catches, and for a moment, I see the hesitation flicker across her face. She glances down the stairs to ensure no one’s watching before sighing heavily. “Fine,” she snaps. “Speak.”
I loosen my grip cautiously, pulling her closer instead of letting her go. She’s so close now, her warmth radiating against me, but her crossed arms and the fire in her glare remind me that she’s one breath away from walking away forever.
“It’s not what you think,” I explain, carefully loosening my grip on her arm.
Her laugh is bitter, slicing through the fragile tension like a blade. “Oh, really? A picture of you with your arms wrapped around Cora’s cousin, grinning like you’re the happiest couple alive? Do you think I’m stupid? You clearly have a type. Does playing with family excite you?”
The venom in her words twists in my gut, and I clench my fists tightly to steady the growing burn in my palms. “There’s nothing between us. There never was, and there never will be. Rina’s like a sister to me. She had feelings for me years ago, but I shut it down. Completely.”
“Sound familiar?” she bites back, her voice dripping with mockery.
I grit my teeth. Damn it. “It’s not like that. I told you we were family because—”
“Because what?” she interrupts, her brows furrowing in suspicion. “What are you hiding from me now?”
Her anger softens, barely, as the frustration takes hold. It’s a small victory, but I cling to it. I’ve already lost too much to lose her now.
“Because Luca ordered it,” I admit, my voice rough with a mixture of anger and desperation. “He thought our relationship would affect my performance in the field—and his relationship with Alin.”
Her lips part, as if to respond, but no words come. For the first time, she looks… uncertain. Vulnerable. It’s a look I’ve never seen on her, and it tears at me.
“Did Alin know?” she asks finally, her voice quieter now, almost hesitant.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Not until the night you were drunk in my room. She found out, raised hell with Luca, and he lifted the order today. That’s why I’m here.”
Her eyes search mine, stormy with conflicted emotions. She’s trying to process it, to make sense of it all. I can’t let her slip away—not now.
I close the distance between us, watching her retreat until her back meets the wall.
I plant my hands on either side of her head, caging her in.
“Yell at me. Curse me. Throw whatever you want at me—but don’t you dare say you’re done with me,” I rasp, my voice low and raw with emotion.
“I’m yours, Bay. Just like I know you’re mine. That’s not changing—not now, not ever.”
Her breath comes faster, her lips parting slightly, and her amethyst eyes lock onto mine with a look that sends fire through my veins. I don’t wait.
My lips crush against hers, slow at first, but quickly intensifying as I pour everything into the kiss—every ounce of frustration, desperation, and need. Her lips move against mine, soft and intoxicating, as though they were made just for me.
Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer, and I growl, gripping her hips as I lift her off the ground. She wraps her legs around me, biting my lower lip with a playful smirk that makes my head spin.
Her taste, her scent, the fire in her touch—it’s all-consuming. I carry her back to her room, her lips never leaving mine, her soft breaths driving me mad.
I kick the door shut behind us and lay her on the bed, her body arching beneath mine as I lean over her. For the first time in forever, the chaos in my mind stills. There’s only her—only this moment.
“I want you,” she whispers hoarsely, causing me to curse under my breath.
“Fucking. Sexy. Fucking. Mine .” I growl, slowly peeling away the tiny lace fabric that’s barely covering the masterpiece of her body before me. She lets out small moans with every touch of my fingers on her skin.
Her pink nipples are exposed to me, already hard, peeking out from the ends of her long red hair, splayed across the bed. A. Work. Of. Art.
She reaches for my zipper, sliding it down and letting my pants fall to the floor, leaving me leaning over her in just my shirt and black boxers, which are threatening to tear at any moment with the erection straining against them.
My hand glides along her stomach, her skin impossibly soft, like silk warmed by the sun.
The heat radiating from her body draws me in, every nerve in my fingertips alive with her touch.
As I slide her shorts and underwear down, leaving her bare beneath me, I’m struck by how utterly perfect she looks—vulnerable and powerful all at once, completely at my mercy.
She bites her lip, her gaze dropping to the strained fabric of my boxers. The intensity in her eyes sends a jolt of electricity through me, making every muscle in my body tighten. For a moment, I hesitate, caught between my overwhelming need for her and the gnawing question in the back of my mind.
“This is the last thing I want to ask, and the last thing I want to know. But I need to.” I stop everything, even as her body presses up against me, her soft moans calling to me.
“I need you…” she pleads, almost begging.
I groan in frustration. I feel like a fucking coward, but I’m not about to make any more mistakes with her. “Is this your first time?”
She chuckles, her eyes glazed over with desire as she reaches for my neck, pulling my face close to hers. “As a mermaid, definitely not. As a human, yes. Don’t go easy on me—I’m not made of glass.”
I give her a wicked smile. That little request shattered all my barriers. I’m her fucking first.
I take her wrists gently, pinning them above her head, her pulse fluttering beneath my touch.
My lips find the curve of her neck, tracing the soft line with my tongue before I suck gently at her skin, just enough to leave a mark—a claim on the flawless canvas of her body.
Her soft whimper fills the air, and it’s all I can do not to lose myself completely in her.
Her legs wrap around me, pulling me closer, her nails raking lightly along my back as I kiss my way down to her collarbone. I pause, absorbing the way her chest rises and falls, each breath heavy and intoxicating.
When I take her nipple into my mouth, swirling my tongue around the soft, pink peak, her body trembles beneath me. “Pedro…” she whispers my name, and the sound is more powerful than any spell, more addictive than any drug.
I smile against her skin, dragging my teeth lightly over the sensitive bud before letting my tongue flick against it again. Her fingers tighten in my hair, her quiet moans turning into desperate, breathless pleas.
“Please…” she begs, her voice barely above a whisper.
But I take my time, wanting to enjoy every second of this.
I’ve never been one to rush through anything worth savoring, and she’s no exception.
My hand glides down slowly, teasing her most sensitive spot with feather-light touches, feeling her body tremble beneath me.