Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Armando
“We need to get you in the shower.” I nudge Hannah to the bathroom in her apartment.
When my hand reaches the small of her back, I feel a tremble. Fuck. She’s probably still in shock.
I hate seeing the blood on her. Though it isn't hers, it still makes me sick to my stomach imagining what could have been if Marco wasn't there to take the bullet.
I guide her into the shower, turning on the water and adjusting the temperature until it's warm but not too hot.
She stands there, eyes closed, steam rising around her as the water cascades down her body.
I can see the tension in her shoulders start to ease as she relaxes, and for a moment, I allow myself to let go of the dread that's been gripping me since I found her and Marco in the alley.
She closes her eyes and tilts her head back, letting the water soak into her hair. I reach for the body wash and lather it up in my hands before gently massaging it along her bare flesh.
“Are you okay?” I croak. “Really okay?”
She nods, the tension leaving her body. She's safe, at least for now. I know I can't stay in her life much longer. Not when I'm putting her through this kind of shit.
“It's okay,” I murmur, “I won’t let you be involved in anything else. I promise.”
Twenty-four hours ago, there would be no way possible I could simply bathe this woman and not want to thrust my cock up inside of her.
Soapy water streaming down her dark skin has my dick hardening, but I focus on my goal.
Right now, all I want to do is soothe her.
Wrap her in a fluffy blanket and chase away all her monsters.
Once she's clean, I help her out of the shower and wrap her in a towel. I lead her to the bedroom and help her into a fresh pair of pajamas before tucking her into bed.
“I’m fine, Armando,” she insists again.
I sit beside her, unable to think of anything but the shooting. The blood pooling under Marco. He took a bullet for Hannah. I know he’d do it again in a heartbeat.
She shouldn’t be involved in any of this. Shouldn’t have seen me choke the life out of a man on her shop floor. Shouldn’t have been shot at in the alleyway.
She’s an innocent, and we don’t involve innocents. Especially not women.
Fuck. I stand. “Get some sleep,” I say gruffly.
She grabs my hand to stop me. “Don't go. Come to bed with me.”
Oh, the temptation. She’s looking at me with those big, brown eyes. So beautiful in her bed.
But she doesn’t need sex right now. She needs comfort.
I kick off my pants and climb into bed beside her, and she snuggles into my chest, her hand resting on my heart. The rise and fall of her breaths are soothing.
I lie there and stare up at the ceiling, my mind chewing on the day’s events.
I shouldn't have let myself get close to this girl. I feel I'm signing her death certificate.
Being with me is the same as walking toward the Reaper himself.
Fuck, I should leave...
“What happens now?”
I don't have the answer to that. All I know is that I can't keep putting her in danger.
I can't keep this up forever. “I don't know,” I admit.
“But I'll figure it out. I won't let anything happen to you.
Whoever shot at you and Marco is going to die.
I'm going to tear his head off with my bare hands.”
I feel her tense.
“Sorry.” I should definitely spare her the details of my revenge plan. “What I mean is, what happened today will never happen again.”
She gives a wobbly nod. Her gaze doesn’t reveal any fear or revulsion for me. No, this is the girl who watched me kill a man with my bare hands and still kissed me.
I lean in and taste her mouth.
As her lips part, I deepen the kiss, exploring the sweet depths of her mouth with my tongue. She responds to me, her body pressing against mine with increasing urgency. Our breathing becomes ragged as we continue to kiss, lost in the intoxicating sensation of each other's touch.
I slide my hands down her back, pulling her in closer to me. Her breasts press against my chest, and a moan escapes her lips.
I pull away for a moment to catch my breath, looking into her eyes as I run my hand through her hair.
We're lost in each other, and the world outside of this moment doesn't exist. I lean in to kiss her again, and I climb on top, my hands roaming over her body as I kiss her deeply.
She responds with fervor, her hips grinding against mine.
I can feel her wetness through her panties and makes my cock rock hard.
We both slowly remove the rest of our clothing, not wanting anything to prevent our skins from merging as one.
I trail kisses down her body, starting with her neck, continuing down to her breasts and then further down to the soft patch of dark hair between her thighs. I kiss her softly at first, and then I part her lips with my tongue and plunge in, tasting her.
She lets out a gasp, her hands grabbing onto my head as she arches her back. I continue exploring, my tongue darting with quick flicks as I lap up her juices. She gasps again, letting out a high pitched moan as she claws at my hair.
I part her thighs wider with my hands, running my tongue slowly through her folds. She shudders in response.
“Oh God.” She lets out a shaky breath.
I slide my arms underneath her thighs, pulling her legs up to my shoulders.
Her breathing quickens as my tongue flicks against her clit.
She digs her nails into my back, arching as I lick her slowly, my tongue brushing over her sensitive nub.
Her body tenses up as I flick faster, her muscles tightening as I push her closer and closer to the edge.
I continue my assault on her clit, running my tongue around it in tight circles. Alternating between licking and sucking as I hear her breathing deepen and grow shaky.
“I'm going to come,” she mumbles. Her entire body is trembling now, her muscles tensing up and releasing in a powerful orgasm. Her juices flow into my mouth as she moans loudly.
I continue until she's done, finally sitting up and looking at her. She's breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling quickly. She wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me into a kiss.
I grab a condom from the bedside table. I tear the wrapping open with my teeth and slide the condom on.
I lift her legs back up to my shoulders, looking deep into her eyes as I enter her with a single thrust. We both gasp, lost in the sensation of our bodies joining together.
I pull out and thrust into her again. I pull back and thrust a third time, each thrust growing more and more powerful.
She pulls my head to her and kisses me, her lips meeting mine in a powerful, soulful kiss as we continue to make love to each other.
Not just fucking. Making love. My penance for all I've put her through.
She breaks the kiss, pressing her forehead against mine, and we continue to move together in unison.
Her breath is hot against my face. My own desire builds, and I start to thrust harder and deeper into her.
I begin to feel the familiar tingling sensation in my groin as she continues to moan and whimper, her breath getting more and more ragged.
We're both nearing the edge now, and she tightens her legs around my waist as her breath quickens.
I thrust into her one last time. We explode in a series of moans and groans, riding the wave together until it breaks.
I slowly slide out of her, lying beside her in the bed. We're both trying to catch our breaths.
She turns to me, snuggling up to my heated body. I wrap my arm around her, holding her close to me. Despite the shitshow of the day, this feels right.
Being here, with Hannah. This connection.
Yet, this is the exact thing I need to give up if I care about this girl.
As she rests her head on my chest again, I can feel her body relax and her breathing grow slow and steady. Her eyes close, and I know that she's finally given in to the exhaustion that's threatened to overwhelm her since I found her in the alley.
I lie here, holding her close, and I can't help but think of how ironic it is that the one woman I should keep at arm's length is the one woman I can't bring myself to let go of.