21. Chapter 21
Remus
When Ines leaves the Murrieta box, I have an unwavering urge to check on her. Is she in danger? I doubt it, but I need to be sure. At least, that's what I tell myself.
Quietly, I tell my date for the evening I'll be right back and without further explanation, I slip out before she can question my whereabouts.
Finally, a free moment away from the touchy-feely woman has me breathing a sigh of sweet relief.
There are only so many ways I can politely decline her forward advances.
Once the opera is over, I intend to have my driver take her wherever she wishes to go while I make my way on foot elsewhere.
But for now, my focus is on Ines and what she's up to.
I berate myself for acting like some lovesick teenager, realizing she is most likely in search of the bathroom and if she catches me snooping, she will be enraged. The image of her scrunching the right side of her nose upward in disgust has me willing to risk her ire.
My steps increase in speed, hoping I can at the very least catch a glimpse of her before she returns to Rogelio.
What I don't expect to find when I saunter around the curvature of the hallway is her standing outside Senor Montenegro's box with tension in her shoulders as if she's positioning herself to strike.
A tip of a knife pokes from the bottom of her sleeve and recollection floods me. Senor Montenegro is the reason Ines was in prison in the first place and her need for retribution will undoubtedly be fueling her next move. A stupid move, but an understandable one.
I rush to her, light on my feet, and smack my hand over her lips before dragging her into a narrow closet across the hallway. Despite her squirming, I pin her to the wall, rip the curtain closed and growl, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Once her eyes adjust to the dark space, the only source of light streaming in through the curtains from the corridor, she frowns and shoves my hand from her person. "Nothing," she hisses, guilt written across her angry features.
"Don't lie to me." I furrow my brow and point an accusatory finger in her face. "I know you have unfinished business with Montenegro, but do you really think you can get away with murdering him in such a public place?"
"I was searching for the bathroom." She narrows her eyes, doubling down on her falsehood.
"I know you have a knife up your sleeve, Vibora."
Her face remains neutral, even though I know I've caught her red-handed. "I don't – "
I grab both of her wrists and press them above her head, wrapping one of my hands around them as I retrieve the dagger hidden up her right sleeve. "No dagger, huh?"
Ines wiggles beneath me but my hold on her is tight and unyielding. "Release me," she demands.
I shake my head. "No."
"If you care for your balls, I suggest you let me go."
I know all too well she does not make idle threats, so to ensure the safety of my manhood, I thrust my hips against hers. My mouth hovers above her lips as I say lowly, "Now what, Ines? I have you pinned, I have your weapon, and there's no room between us for you to cause me true harm."
"Then perhaps think of our mission," she taunts. "Ever the gentleman, Rogelio will be looking for me soon enough thinking I'm a damsel in need of saving. And your lady friend will certainly grow bored in your absence."
"My lady friend?" I smirk, my heart racing at the envy lacing each word. "You sound jealous, Vibora."
She scoffs, once again attempting to free her wrists to no avail. "Oh, I'm the jealous one when you haven't been able to keep your eyes off me all night?" she spits.
Satisfaction spears through my body. Knowing she's experiencing the same negative emotions as me from across the theatre makes my cock twitch.
"You think she hasn't noticed when she giggles and flirts, your attention hasn't been on her for one second?"
"Maybe I've kept a close eye on you because I was asked to."
"Then release me so we can go back to doing our jobs." Knowing I can't keep her here all night, I allow her to lower her arms but keep her pinned in place. Before I can say anything, she slams her hand against my chest and hisses, "And be ready for a fucking show, Remus."
My nostrils flare and my eyes narrow. "What's that supposed to mean?" I tilt my head to the side, anticipating the next words she's going to spew.
"You know exactly what it means." She seems all too pleased with herself, as if she understands the power she wields against me.
"If you think Rogelio is falling for me now, wait until I lower my inhibitions and encourage physical touch.
Are you ready to see his hands roaming my body?
Are you prepared to watch his lips press against mine and listen to the blissful sounds I moan when he has his way with me –"
"Stop talking," I command but she scoffs.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" She rolls her head and teases, pressing her chest against mine, "Or does the thought of the pleasure he could elicit – "
I jab my hand to grab her neck and squeeze gently, silencing her. "He will not touch you," I grind my back teeth.
She laughs and it challenges my resolve to keep from whipping her around, lifting her skirts, and having my way with her. "I'm afraid that's not up to you. Now go back to your lady friend, Remus, and leave me to do my job."
Dismissing me so easily won't fly. "You are dangerously close to crossing the line, Vibora."
"What line is that? Your patience?" She slides her fingers up my chest and neck until she reaches my lips and sweeps her thumb across my mouth. "We both know we're far beyond that now."
"Then let me speak plainly." I slide my hand from her neck to fist her hair and wrench her head back to meet my fiery gaze. "If he lays one finger on you, I'll cut it off and feed it to his dogs."
"Now who is the jealous one?" She smirks, and a wicked moan escapes her lips. "Admit it."
"Admit what?"
"Admit you want me." She slithers her heel up the side of my leg.
"Admit you can't stand seeing me with another man.
" Her breathing hitches when my grip in her hair tightens, and I can't help but stare down the front of her dress as her breasts rise and fall.
"Maybe then I will have mercy on you and behave with Rogelio. "
I know she's baiting me, hoping to get a rise out of me, but I don't care. She's right. I do want her, and I can't stand seeing her with another man.
Suddenly, I'm wondering what Ines tastes like. I hate that I fantasize about her plump lips dragging across my skin, leaving a trail of forbidden kisses in their wake.
I shouldn't want her.
I can't have her.
But the resolve to keep my hands to myself vanishes. She's mine.
"Fuck it." I slam my mouth against hers and to my surprise and delight, she kisses me back.
As I imagined, she's just as passionate and fierce when kissing as she is when she's arguing with me. I find it difficult to breathe, think, or speak when she stares at me, but here in my arms, it's similar to how we dance. We move perfectly in sync, as if we share one body.
This woman. This woman drives me insane and has me questioning everything I've ever wanted.
Since my youth, I've sworn off love, sworn off any woman getting close enough to distract me or soften my rageful resolve, but here I am in a tiny closet ravaging my spy.
I find purchase on her waist and when she tugs the front of her skirt up, I lift her so she can wrap her legs around my torso.
She sweeps her tongue in my mouth and hell, I wish we were anywhere but here so I could truly have my way with her.
Her fingers drag through my hair as she moans against my lips.
I palm her ass, allowing one of my hands to slide up the slit in her dress and dig my fingers into her thigh.
The fervor in our kiss is borderline violent and the rougher she gets, the more I want her to shed her clothing.
In this moment, there's nothing I want more than her, which is a dangerous, traitorous thought. If we're caught tangled up together, our plan will go up in flames.
I'm a selfish piece of shit.
But am I truly that selfish if I've denied myself every pleasure in life seeking revenge only to permit myself one indulgence?
"Remus," she groans my name, and I come undone.
I don't give a shit if she's toying with my emotions. I don't even care if she's using me hoping to gain something, she can have whatever she wants. All I want is her.
She pulls away, taking a deep breath, giving our eyes the opportunity to lock and see the hunger, desire, and succumbing to forbidden temptation ripe in our faces.
Then she smiles and I'm ready to promise her all the jewels money can buy just to see her smile again.
She takes my hand and guides me down the front of her dress where her pebbled nipple beckons me to claim her for myself.
"Shit, Ines." I rest my forehead against hers as I palm her breast, and she giggles against my lips.
"The phantom swears," she teases, and I have half a mind to thrust my hand underneath her dress and teach her a lesson. To see her come undone for me, to have her writhe against me, ride my fingers, moan my name in pleasure once more instead of speaking it with disdain.
"I do a lot more than swear, Vibora." I whisper and bite the tip of her earlobe, relishing the shuddering breath she hisses when I gently pinch her nipple. "Perhaps, I should show you."
Suddenly, she stops moving and I draw back to look at her. The passion in her green eyes is gone, replaced with sobering fear. She clears her throat, and one-by-one places her feet back on the floor.
"Ines?" I remove my hand from her chest, worry rippling across me like the morning chill on a frosty day.
"I should get back," she whispers and nausea bubbles in the pit of my stomach. "Rogelio will be wondering where I am and if he discovers me with you, it would be devastating."
"Devastating for him."
"Devastating for everyone," she says harshly, catapulting me back to what's truly at stake.
Does Ines drive me wild? Absolutely.
But as much as I hate to admit it, she's right. There's a lot more at stake than my own feelings.
I release her and immediately regret it.
She quickly smooths her skirt and does her best to reclaim her decency.
Without thinking about it I stretch my hand toward her face and gently tuck loose strands of hair behind her ear.
When our eyes meet this time, there's no flare of wicked intentions.
There's a suppressed longing and it cleaves my blackened heart in two.
If I wasn't committed to my people and a plan we'd spent a lifetime plotting, I would toss all inhibitions to the wind and claim her here in this closet.
I crave to feel her, to hear my name on her lips, to watch her lose control and use her rage to fuel our passion.
Instead, I take one step away from her, since that's all the tiny closet will permit, and say, "If you need me – "
"You're a glance away."
As if I didn't just ravage her moments ago, Ines peeks out the curtains and with the hallway clear, she slips out and trots back to her side of the auditorium.
I do the same and march to my booth, wishing we could stay in the closet longer.
I finger through my hair, fixing whatever she messed up and open the drapes to saunter to my seat.
I know I shouldn't, but I can't help myself.
I glare across the auditorium and watch as Rogelio smiles at Ines.
He takes her hand in his and lifts it to his lips to plant a kiss.
If only he realized her hand was just caressing my body.
My mouth was momentarily dragging across her hot skin.
"Is everything alright?" Rosa – no, Ramona…
Raquel – fuck, I don't remember. My date smiles at me, running the tips of her finger over my hand and I force myself not to flick her from my person like an irritating fly.
She hasn't done anything to deserve my ire.
My cranky mood is due to watching the woman I desire flirt with another.
It's my fault she's in the booth with him – she was hired to do exactly that, win his heart and hand.
I hate that I've mixed business and pleasure.