by Orton, D. L.
“You’re going to have to try harder than that, shooter.”
“Mierda.”
He grabs my wrists and throws his weight sideways, making me lose my balance, and I collapse against him. Before I have a chance to react, he wraps his arms around me, pinning my hands against his chest, and then he attempts to roll over on top of me. But I push him away and try to duck out of his hold. “I call the shots, Nadales, and you’d better get used to it.”
He grabs my head and holds on tight. “Get used to disappointment.” He kisses me, sucking on my lip and teasing me with his tongue, but not letting me kiss him back.
“Who the hell taught you that?”
“You did.”
We wrestle on the bed, pillows flying everywhere, and I’m grateful we’re not in a hotel room because the neighbors would be banging on the walls by now. He’s much more comfortable with the mock fighting now, and despite my best efforts, he manages to get on top and pin down my shoulders with his hands.
I stare up at his full lips and dark brown eyes, both of us breathing hard.
God, I’ve missed you.
He slides his fingers into my hair and grabs on, holding my head still. I try to twist away, but he doesn’t let go. “Nice try, Iz, but I’m calling the shots now.”
“That didn’t take very long.”
He waits until I stop struggling and then strokes my cheek and places his mouth above mine. “So are you that kind of woman?”
I slide my hands across his flexed biceps and then run my fingernails down his back. He squirms against me, but doesn’t let go. I gaze up into his face. “Seems your pony’s a bit skittish tonight.”
He lets go of my hair and lifts my arms above my head, holding them there with one hand. I try to pull my hands free, be he doesn’t let go of my wrists.
“Yeah, he can be a real nightmare.”
I laugh. “Damn, you’re good.”
“And you are very, very bad.” He starts at my wrists, drawing his lips across my skin, kissing and nibbling his way up to my shoulder. I squirm beneath his touch, my pulse quickening.
“But I know just what to do about it.” He slides his open mouth up to the crest of my breast. I twist my body, trying to get my nipple into his mouth, but he shakes his head. “Uh-uh. It’s my turn to torture you, and believe me, I’ve been thinking about it non-stop since the first time you touched me.”
“Well that explains why you weren’t paying attention this afternoon.”
He nudges my chin with his nose, tipping my head back and exposing my neck. “Shh.” He puts his hand on my chin, holding me still, and then places his mouth lightly against my neck.
A soft moan forms in my throat and slips out my lips.
He lifts his head, gazing down at me. “Shit, you look hot.” And then he presses his wet, open mouth into the soft hollow beneath my jaw and kisses me hard.
I writhe beneath him, sighing with pleasure.
He releases my hands, his lips still touching me. “Enough with the horseplay.”
I smack him hard on the butt.
His gaze dances between my eyes and my lips. “I think you like to be dominated. In fact, I think you crave it.” He strokes my face with his fingertips, not breaking eye contact. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
I reach up and pull his head down very, very slowly. “You’re wrong.”
When our lips touch, he opens his mouth, waiting. “Oh, I think not.” He slips his fingers in my hair. “And I’m definitely up for it.”
My breath catches in my throat and it takes me a moment to respond. “So tell me, Mr. Grey, what is it that I crave?”
He tips my head to the side and places his lips against mine. “Oh, I’d say you’re dying to be fucked. Deep and hard. Slow and wet. Gentle and desperate.” He lifts his mouth away. “Did I miss anything?”
“Shit, you’re good.” I lift my lips up to his—and then push him over and roll on top, grabbing onto his hair and slipping my hand down onto his hard cock. “You got the deep, hard, and wet part right.” And then I kiss him, sliding my hand over his hardness as I press my body against his, wanting him inside me.
He grabs my head and forces it down against his shoulder and then pins my hand flat against his belly, his body rigid.
I exhale, my heart still racing, and collapse against him.
He stares up at the ceiling. “Don’t say it.”
I wiggle out of his grip and kiss him on the shoulder. “I know why you just stepped back, but your Isabel is going to take that as negative feedback.”
“Can’t help yourself, huh?”
I smack him on the chest.
“That was not stepping back, Isabel, and you know it.”
I try to keep the condescension out of my voice. “She’ll think that you’re tired. That you’ve had enough. That something about her turned you off.”
“She’d have to be goddamn deaf and blind.”
I poke him in the chest. “And all sorts of terrible things will flash through her over-active imagination, each and every one causing her pain—which she will cover by getting mad. At you.”
He gives me a look of disbelief. “You’re not serious.”
“I’m dead serious. After what happened to her, you can hardly blame her.”
“So what happened to her?”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you won’t have any idea why she’s torqued, so you’ll back off, and she’ll take that as confirmation that you don’t want to be with her, and before you can say ‘disastrously dysfunctional date’—poof—the evening will be over. Ten minutes later, you’ll be driving home in the pouring rain, wondering what you did to make her cry.”
“Ouch.”
I draw my fingertip across his lips. “Of course, if you told her what was going on, then she’d be flattered rather than threatened. You are, after all, withdrawing your affection with no attempt at explanation, and if she did the same thing to you, I guarantee that you would take it as negative feedback.”
He bites my finger. “Except that I’ve been hard for two days, and you know exactly why I stopped you from touching me.”
“I do. But to be honest, Diego does the same thing, and it makes me uncomfortable.”
His eyes get big. “You have a Diego?”
Oops.
“There’s a me in your world?” He smacks himself on the forehead. “Of course there is.” He flexes his biceps. “Is he as manly as I am?”
I roll my eyes.
“Can you at least tell me if I’m going to be rich and famous?”
“Did you even hear what I just said?”
“Yes, his Isabel. Sheesh, you’re demanding.” He gives me an annoyed look. “It’s sort of embarrassing, not having as much control as I want. So, it’s not something I’d want to call further attention to by talking about it.”
“Well then, her Tego, you just need more practice.” I nod in encouragement. “Go on, give it a shot.”
“I thought I was trying to avoid that.”
I smack him on the shoulder.
“Ouch! Okay, okay.” He theatrically clears his throat. “Isabel, Queen of Sheba, I stopped you from touching me because I’m too excited. I can guarantee that it’s not because I dislike the way you’re touching me or any other goofy idea you might have in that nefarious brain of yours involving me being anything except delighted with your overtures.” He takes my hand, kisses it, and places it back on his hard cock. “Thank you for your attention. Carry on.”
“Not bad, not bad. But I have a better idea.” I prop my head up on one hand. “Make yourself come.”
He gives me an incredulous look.
I pick up his hand and wrap it around his cock. “Seriously. On your mark, get set, go.”
He remains motionless.
“It’
s not that big a deal, Diego. Simply apply up and down friction to your erect penis, causing ejaculation. Do you need me to show you?”
“No, I don’t need you to show me.”
I let out an exasperated sigh.
He gives me the Spock eyebrow. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Just trust me on this, okay?”
He gives it a half-hearted stroke, and I stifle a laugh. The expression on his face takes a turn for the worse.
“Shut your eyes,” I say.
His hand falls back onto the bed, and he glares up at the ceiling. “And only my mother calls me Diego.”
“Oops. Sorry. It won’t happen again, Tego. Please. Shut your eyes.” I brush his eyelids down with my fingertips. “Perhaps I can give you a head start.”
His erection regains a little of his zest, and a smirk ripples across his face.
I lean down and slip my tongue in between his hand and the hard shaft of his penis, letting the wetness from my mouth flow onto his cock. When his hand starts moving in time to some internal beat, I move my mouth up to his nipple and match his tempo with my tongue. He grabs my head and comes in a matter of seconds.
Youth is wasted on the young.
I give him a few moments to catch his breath. He looks gorgeous lying there with his eyes shut, still hard, his breath slowing. I reach over to the chair, grab the towel, and then wipe off his belly and chest, enjoying the bashful expression on his face.
He peeks with one eye. “Bedtime?”
“Did I mention that Lorena Bobbitt is a relative of mine?” I give his penis a knowing glance and pantomime scissors.
“Ay!” He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me over on top of him. “Mierda, Isabel, I can’t believe you talked me into that.” He gathers my hair behind my head. “Of course, the best defense is a good offense.” He pushes me over onto the pillows, rolls on top, and moves down my body.
I grab onto his shoulders. “Whoa there, shooter. We got another horse to break before you consider heading south.”
He groans. “How about I head south and then you ride the pony?” I laugh, and he looks up at me. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
A wave of powerful emotion crashes over me. There is chemistry between us that is impossible to fight, impossible to ignore, and impossible to live without. I am hopelessly addicted to the euphoria I feel when I’m with him, but at the same time, terrified of all that I have to lose. After only a matter of hours, I’m madly in love with him, desperate for his touch, unable to imagine life without him.
And I’m going to lose him all over again.
I run my fingers through his dark hair, blinking back tears. “Come here.”
He kisses my belly, and then lifts his head, his lips slightly parted. “Let me make you come first.”
I gaze down at his upturned face and then stroke the line of his jaw. His facial hair is soft and fine.
So young. So full of possibilities.
“Thanks for the offer—and I mean that sincerely—but no.”
“Why not?”
I force down the voices in my head. “Because I don’t want to, Tego. But thanks.”
He puts his head down on my belly. “So what’s going on here, Isabel?” He draws his fingertip across my hipbone. “Are you testing me? Should I push you? Should I let it drop?” He lets out a frustrated sigh. “You’ve been lecturing me all day about returning affection and paying attention to her needs, and now you’re pushing me away?” He glances up, his jaw set. “So, help me out here, because I’m at a complete loss.”
“It’s not like that at all, Tego. Can you please just let it go?”
“No, I can’t.”
I pull on his shoulders, already in too deep, knowing I’m going to drown, but unable to stop myself. “Please.”
He hesitates, his lips tight, and then moves up next to me and props his head up on his hand. “I want to know what’s going on, Isabel. You owe me that much.”
I tussle his hair and look away, trying not to cry.
“Hey.” He kisses my palm. “You just made me come, and I’m not complaining, but now I’m in some sort of temporary limbo where my body and my brain are strangely disconnected, so maybe you could trust me enough to let me return the favor.”
“No.” I take a ragged breath. “I don’t want to talk about it, Tego.”
“Well, I do. And I think I deserve an explanation.”
“It happened a long time ago, but the scar is still fresh.”
“What are you talking about? What scar?”
I glance away. “It’s nothing like that. As far as I know, there isn’t anything physically wrong with me.”
“Mierda, Iz. That sounds ominous. Just tell me what happened.”
I stroke his face, not meeting his eyes. “Patrick happened.” I spit the name out like an obscenity.
“Okay,” he says. “Married to Dave the Asshole, scarred by Patrick the Bastard, and saved by Tego the Hero. When should I expect the bastard to barge onto the scene?”
“Never. It’s already too late—even in this universe.” I trace the muscles in his forearm. “But you will definitely have to deal with the fallout.”
“Fair enough. So tell me what he did.”
“I can’t, Tego. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to forget it. I never even told Diego.”
He kisses me on the shoulder. “Well, then teach me what I need to know.” He raises his eyebrow. “I assume this involves making you come?”
I close my eyes, unable to speak.
He leans in and wipes an escaped tear off my cheek. “Iz?”
I open my eyes and stare at his mouth, my heart in my throat. “I don’t know what to teach you, Tego.” I swallow and look away. “Just thinking about it terrifies me—and it’s going to be even worse for her.”
“Forget about her, Isabel. I want to make it work for you.”
“Well I don’t even know where to start.”
He leans over and kisses me, slow and soft. “Okay. Then we’ll figure it out together.”
I scan his handsome face, my pulse racing. All along, my mission has been to ensure that things will work between Tego and some other woman. Someone I happen to know a lot about, but still, another woman. Now, a fierce and intoxicating thought forces everything else out of my head.
What if I don’t let him go?
I move my gaze across his full lips, the sharp line of his jaw, the long eyelashes and dark brown eyes—hopelessly in love.
“Say yes.” His voice is warm and gentle.
I shut my eyes, holding back tears. “Yes, but—”
He puts his finger up to my lips. “Shh. The journey is the reward. Remember?” He pulls me over on top of him and wraps his arms around me, kissing my hair and holding me while I sob into his chest.
All that I came for is lost, but I am found.
When I manage to get my emotions back under control, he lifts up my chin and wipes a tear away with his thumb. “Have I told you recently that I’m madly in love with you?”
I grab onto his head and kiss him, passion and need and hope pushing out everything except the exquisite pleasure of being in his arms.
Chapter 45
Tego: Over My Head
“Don’t tell me goodnight.” She blurts it out, her voice laden with angst.
I snuggle against her back and slip my arm around her waist. “Is buenas noches out too?”
She tries to pull away, but I don’t let her.
“Hey. It’s okay, Iz. I’m not going anywhere.” I sweep her hair to the side and kiss her shoulder. She’s ticklish there, and she wiggles against me as I move my lips up to her ear, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her. “I’m yours. For as long as you’ll have me.”
She lifts my hand, kisses my palm, and holds it against her
cheek. My fingers comes away damp with her tears.
Okay, so maybe we’re both in a bit over our heads.
I slide my fingertips across her skin, enjoying the velvety softness of the inside of her thigh, the smooth curve of her ass, the sensual line where her breasts emerge unannounced from her ribs. “Go to sleep, mi amor.”
She sighs with pleasure as I touch her, and the sound fills me with a powerful need to protect her, to stay close to her, and to make her happy.
“I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
When her breathing slows, I leave my hand on her thigh and drift off into a deep and welcome sleep, happier than I can ever remember being.
∞
In my dream, she presses her breasts against my back and kisses the hollow between my shoulder blades, her open mouth soft and wet. Warm desire flows into me as she glides her palm across my biceps, over my shoulder, and up to my lips. She slips one fingertip into my mouth, and then rubs the cool wetness across my nipple, sending sparks of electricity down to my cock.
I lie perfectly still, afraid of falling out of the compelling fantasy.
She slides her palm down my chest and wraps her hand around my awakening cock. It stiffens in her encouraging grasp, and I let out a moan, my whole body flush with desire.
And then realize I’m not dreaming.
She places my hand between her thighs, making my heart race, and then pushes my fingertips inside her.
“Mmm,” I say. “You’re so wet.” I turn over, keeping my hand pressed against her. “Mierda, you make me hard fast.”
She bites me lightly on the shoulder and pushes her hips against my hand, forcing my fingers deeper inside her. “I want you.”
“You had me from the first smile, Iz.”
She pulls my hand away and rolls over on top of me, tossing the covers off both of us.
I put up no resistance, simply pushing locks of her hair back from her face. She places her lips against mine, and I open my mouth to her, caught up in her deep, wet kiss and provocative scent. She moves her mouth slowly down to my chest and teases my nipples with her tongue. My erection swells against her well-placed hip.
