22. Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
W hat a clusterfuck!
Exhausted and weary, Steve dropped onto the sofa in the guest room he’d been given. He tossed aside his phone and cradled his aching head in hands. He tried to quiet the racing thoughts galloping through his mind. His ears still rang from the vicious ass-chewing his boss had given him over the phone.
I’m getting fired.
Or, if I’m really luck, only demoted.
Either outcome spelled disaster for his career. But, hey, at least I’m not going back to jail.
56 hours in a holding cell. He wasn’t stupid. He knew the game. They had been sweating him and punishing him for interfering in a local case. He’d stomped all over their jurisdiction, and they’d tossed him in the clink as punishment.
But Soila Farias had made so much noise about his arrest that he’d finally been allowed to leave. She had accompanied him to his final interrogation and had insisted on having two lawyers present. She’d barely let him speak a single word.
He wanted to think it was because she liked him, but it was actually because she wanted to protect Dani and Camila from any blowback.
That poor kid.
Camila had experienced so much trauma. He trusted Dina would take care of her, get her therapy and whatever else she needed to heal, but it would take a long time. A teenage girl didn’t just get over seeing her grandmother and father murdered or having a gun held to her head. She’d been further traumatized by the intense interrogation of the PFM inspectors.
A knock at the door drew him away from his troubled thoughts. He rose on tired legs and crossed the room, his footsteps muffled by the antique rug. He opened the door expecting to find Beto or Lola, but it was Dina waiting for him.
She stood there in leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, her left shoulder bare. The hair she normally styled in a sleek no-nonsense way fell around her shoulders in loose curls. There wasn’t a hint of makeup on her face or a single piece of jewelry anywhere.
He would always love seeing her dolled up in expensive clothes with flashy gold jewelry and strawberry-red lipstick, but there was something alluring about seeing her like this. Natural. Comfortable. Vulnerable.
“Can I come inside?” she asked, her voice soft and uncertain.
“Of course.” He stepped aside and let her walk by him before closing the door. Uncertain what she wanted, he leaned back against the door and watched her. She moved around the room without purpose, touching a chair, running her fingers over the exquisitely tiled fireplace surround. She seemed nervous, and he couldn’t figure out why.
“I’ve missed you,” he confessed suddenly. The words came rushing out and seemed to shock her as much as they did him.
She whirled around, her expression one of confusion and amusement. “I’ve been right here.”
“You’ve been within arm’s reach since we left the ruins, but you’ve been untouchable.”
“That’s a very poetic way of putting it.” She took a tentative step toward him. “You really are a romantic at heart.”
“With you,” he said, his voice rough. “You make it so easy to be honest.”
“Steve,” she whispered. “I want...” She stopped and bit her lower lip. “I want...”
“I know.” He didn’t need her to say the words. He didn’t need her to say anything. This wasn’t a time for talking. It was a time for doing.
Carefully, giving her time to reject him, he slipped his arms around her waist and gently tugged her into his embrace. She came willingly, floating across the small distance until her head rested against his chest. She wound her arms around him, locking them behind his back.
For a long time, they stood like that, just holding each other. It felt so damn good. Soothing. Invigorating. He was certain she hadn’t slept much more than he had. They were both exhausted and desperate for sleep.
But right now?
Right now, they needed something else even more.
The first kiss set off an explosion of pent-up lust. After all the denial, he couldn’t get enough of her. Cupping her face, he claimed her mouth again and again, each kiss more erotic than the last. Not wanting to be interrupted, he carefully walked her backward just enough to reach the lock on the door.
“Can’t be too careful in this house,” he said in between kisses.
“Boundaries aren’t our strong suit,” she agreed before practically climbing him like a tree. He laughed and barely managed to stay upright as she wrapped her thick thighs around his waist. He hoisted her up, grasping her ass in both hands, and stumbled toward the bed. They clumsily fell onto it, laughing and smiling as they struggled to find their balance.
“I haven’t stopped dreaming about you since you left me,” he confessed. There didn’t seem to be any point in holding back now. He had a feeling he would be walking out of this house alone. “You don’t know how many times I nearly bought a ticket down here.”
“I came up with fake reasons to travel to Dallas again,” she admitted, her face flushed. “I just didn’t know what I’d say if I managed to track you down again.”
“Take me to bed?” he suggested before tugging her oversized sweater up and over her head. “Do dirty, filthy things to me until we’re both exhausted and dehydrated?”
She gasped as he nibbled her neck, right there at the sensitive curve. “I guess that would have worked.” She gasped again. “Help me get these stupid leggings off!”
He bit back laughter at her sudden impatience and did as she asked. It didn’t take them long to undress. He reveled in the silky heat of her bare skin against his as they writhed atop the bed. She mewled needily, and he lowered his mouth to her breast, teething her peaked nipple and laving it after a soft bite.
He wanted to spend the rest of his life with this woman, discovering all the things that made her cry out with passion. He wanted to explore every last inch of her body with his hands and mouth. He wanted to mark her, own her, keep her.
She’s not ready for that.
She might not ever be, not after what she’d been through, and he had no other choice but to accept what she could give him. Even if it was only tonight.
Desperate to show her he could be good to her, could love her the way she deserved, Steve slowed down his seduction. He alternated deep, sensual kisses with soft caresses, moving his hands over her curves. She responded with sighs of pleasure and moans of enjoyment.
When she ran her fingers through his hair, she lightly scratched his scalp, setting his nerves alight. He shuddered in her arms and stabbed his tongue against hers, fighting for dominance. She let him have it, and he treasured her surrender, knowing full well how hard it was for her trust.
“I need to taste you again,” Steve all but groaned. “I want to feel you go wild under my tongue.”
“Steve!” She clawed at his back as he shifted above her, sliding down her body and pausing only to kiss and lick all the interesting places along the way. He used his shoulders to force her thighs open and nuzzled into the sweet heat of her. She whimpered, and he decided not to make her wait a moment longer for what she really wanted.
Her manicured nails bit into his back, but he paid the sting no mind. His sole focus was on her pleasure. Lips, tongue, fingers—he used every weapon at his disposal to drive her absolutely insane.
She was quieter tonight than the last time they’d been together. He didn’t blame her. The anonymity of the hotel had empowered them to be loud and dirty, to let go without worrying that they’d be overheard or judged.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try his damnedest to make her break. He wanted her clawing and shaking and begging him to stop before he was done with her.
He savored the taste of her, letting his tongue flutter over her clitoris while spearing two fingers inside her slick hole. She rocked her hips, driving her body against his mouth, and he hungrily ate her, determined to make her come. Her thighs bracketed his head, closing in tighter and tighter as he worked her with his mouth and fingers, pushing her closer and closer to the edge.
She came with a shocked gasp and a low moan. Her wet heat flooded his tongue, and he nearly lost control. He pressed down on her lower belly, keeping her pinned where he wanted her, and went wild between her legs. She snatched his hair and dug her toes into the mattress. Muffled cries filled the air, but he didn’t let up.
She tried to roll away from him, but he followed her movement, rolling onto his side and then ending up flat on his back with her straddling his face. She finally had enough leverage to lift her pussy away from him, but he swiped his tongue between her folds, daring her to let him keep going.
Eyes dark with lust, she stared down at him in wonder. She licked her lips, and still shuddering with aftershocks, lowered herself back onto his mouth. He went slowly now, just licking idly and avoiding her overstimulated clit. He cupped her full ass in both hands and silently urged her to use him.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered nervously.
Steve pulled away from her delicious pussy just long enough to say, “Darlin’, ride my face until you make a mess of me.”
“Steve!” Scandalized, she flushed again and hid her eyes from him. Even though he’d embarrassed her with his filthy mouth, she stayed in the saddle, so to speak. He nuzzled her thigh, and she relaxed above him, slowly lowering herself back into place. He held perfectly still, letting her set the pace.
It was pure torture on his end. She was hesitant in her movements, and he tried to give her more confidence by tenderly rubbing her hips and thighs and lower back. He kept his tongue pliable, only firming it up when she began to apply pressure and sway a little faster.
His cock throbbed almost painfully. He’d been hard since the moment they fell onto the bed together. A few drops of precum had dribbled out, leaving a cold spot on his otherwise hot shaft. He flexed his thighs, hoping to ease some of the discomfort building.
Dina must have sensed his need because she stunned him by reaching back and stroking his cock. He nearly came right then and only managed to keep it together because he was distracted by the sudden grinding pressure on his mouth.
Remembering that he’d told her to use him, he decided to keep his promise. He remained almost passive beneath her, responding only when she asked for something. Harder. Faster. Suck.
And all the time, her skillful hand stroked up and down his shaft, keeping him hard and on edge.
Her hand stuttered on his cock. Her grip faltered. He clasped her waist and held on tight as she chased her climax. He tried to imprint the moment in his brain, wanting to forever remember all of this, the taste, the smell, the feel of her pulsing against his tongue.
When she finally tumbled over the edge, he latched onto her clit, suckling and fluttering his tongue until she damn near passed out on top of him. She collapsed onto the bed, falling off him and panting for air. He couldn’t wait another second to be inside her and crawled over her.
She didn’t show even the tiniest hint of shyness as she wiped his glistening mouth with her thumbs. She lifted up to meet him halfway, capturing his mouth in a passionate kiss. She ran her hands down his back, gripping his butt with one and drawing him in between her thighs.
“Make love to me, Steve,” she pleaded. “Love me.”
He crashed their mouths together and thrust inside her. Lush, slick heat welcomed him, and he saw stars at the incredible sensation. He'd never been with a woman without a condom, and he guessed by the shaky smile on her face it had been a long, long time for her as well. “Do you want me to—?”
“Don’t you dare!” She all but trapped him in place.
Throwing caution and sense to the wind, Steve embraced the romantic excitement of the moment and continued. She felt so damn good. Too good. He didn’t want to finish too quickly. He wanted to enjoy her as long as possible.
But she wasn’t making it easy on him.
She wrapped her thighs around him, cushioning his thrusts, and caressed his back and shoulders. She sneaked in a few kisses and even nipped at his chest, making his whole body vibrate. She wasn’t going to play fair, and he decided there was no point in holding out when she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
Planting his hand on the mattress, he drove into her with hard, deep thrusts. She shifted her hips, lifting her bottom up and making the angle all that better for both of them. He fucked her like a wild man, and if that ancient bed hadn’t been handmade from solid wood, it likely would have battered a hole in the wall.
Not that she seemed to care. She clung to him, panting and gasping against his ear. She whispered his name, encouraging him with her soft voice. “Come inside me, Steve. Make me yours.”
He lost it. He saw stars. The risky request was just taboo enough to set him off without warning.
She kissed him, claiming his mouth with a kiss so tender it made his eyes sting. He shuddered between her legs, thrusting shallow and fast as he spilled his seed. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder and closed his eyes. She embraced him, holding him close and combing her fingers through his hair in the most soothing way.
“You keep that up I’m going to fall asleep, darlin’,” he warned.
She brushed her lips along his temple. “I’m not going anywhere.”