“You like my dress?”
“Calling it a dress is a little generous, don’t you think?” He walked over to her. “You think I’m going to let you leave the house like that?”
“You think I’m asking your permission?” she countered.
He chuckled and turned away from her, picking up a bag from his dresser. “I don’t know how I’m going to enjoy my birthday when my dick is already this hard from just looking at you. But as long as you’re going to be torturing me all night, I’m glad I bought this.”
“Why are you giving me a gift on your birthday?”
“You might call this something for me, too.” He winked.
She took the bag and reached into it. He smiled as she pulled out the small handful of lace. “What’s this?” She held the panties up, and her eyes widened when she saw they were crotchless, but for the string of pearls that connected the front and back.
He’d picked them up at a sex shop on his way home from work. He couldn’t wait for her to put them on. He wanted to know that every step she took that night would send ripples of pleasure throughout her body, and it would be caused by him. “I want you to wear them tonight.”
“Oh really? What if I’d already committed to not wearing panties tonight?” She lifted the hem of her skirt, past her hip, revealing her tattoo, but still covering her pussy, teasing him with nothing but bare, smooth, golden skin.
His groan was pained. Why had he agreed to a birthday party at Di Terrestres? He wished that he could just stay home and wrap himself up in Maria. He went to her and brushed his hand over her hip, under the dress. The material grazed his hand, but its softness was nothing compared to the feel of Maria’s skin. “Do we have to go?” he asked, burying his face in her neck. “I’d rather we stay home.”
“Are you asking if we have to go to your birthday party?” she asked, pushing him away. “Yes. I think people might wonder where you are by the time the cake comes out. It’s just for a couple of hours. And I’m going to be the one wearing these,” she said, stepping into the lace panties. She pulled them up, and a wicked smile adorned her lips when they settled into place, the rope of pearls nestling against her clit. He knew that by the end of the evening, she would be wet and needy. “So, here’s the deal. I’ll wear these,” she said with a whisper. “But you don’t get to touch me until the evening is over.”
He raised his eyebrow, seemingly intrigued by her offer. He reached for her, but she moved back, out of his reach. “Not many people give me commands,” he told her.
She smiled. “I know. But I’m different.”
“You certainly are.” He regretted that they had to arrive separately, and that she and Beth would show up just after he did. He wanted her on his arm. He wanted to show her off. Several times that week, he’d tried to tell Rafael that he was in love with Maria, but every time, something had interrupted him.
He snaked his hands under the silk of her dress, and cupped them over the lace that stretched across her hips. He gripped the lace and jerked the panties up a little farther, making her squeal in surprise as the pearls lodged themselves between her labia. Her brown eyes turned black with desire, and using his pinkie, he traced the edge of the lace and was satisfied by her lustful gasp when he hooked his finger underneath the material and pulled, causing the pearls to move against her most sensitive flesh.
His lips grazed her ear, and he whispered, “So tonight, when you’re walking around the party, dancing with your friend, every time you move, how will you feel knowing that I’ll be watching you, knowing that you can feel those pearls in your pussy, wondering how long it’ll be before I sink deep inside you?” He pulled the panties again. And she hissed. He moved back and let her straighten her clothing. “The sooner I get you home, the sooner I can completely ravish you. Let’s go.”
She hummed in approval and closed her eyes, leaning into him, as if savoring their nearness before they were scheduled to leave.
“But before we go, there’s something else,” he said.
Her eyes flew open at his tone. “What is it?”
“I want to tell him about us. Rafael. I’m tired of hiding this.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ve almost told him a couple of times now. But I needed to talk to you first. Are you ready for it?”
“Yeah, but what about all the reasons we had for keeping it secret?”
“Fuck it. This is too important. You’re too important. I love you.” He relished saying the words. They had become easier to say each time. But even though he’d never known love before, he knew that Maria was the most important thing to him.
“I love you, too. And I’m ready. I don’t know why I thought we needed to hide.”
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I know I don’t deserve you, but I want be able to take you out, show you off.” He put his arms around her again. “Even if Raf decides to never speak to me again, even that will be worth it. We need to do this.” Maria smiled, and Alex realized that he wanted to put a smile on her face, every day. “I love you,” he whispered, cupping her face in his palms and drawing her nearer for a kiss. His lips grazed hers, and his phone vibrated on the dresser. Alex knew without looking at it that it was his driver, coming to take him to the club, and Maria to her house to pick up Beth. “You’ve got to go.”
* * *
Even though her brother owned the club, and Alana had added her permanently to the guest list, Maria had only been to Di Terrestres once. That night was still at the forefront of her mind, and her loins. It was the night that she and Alex had first been together. That night at Di Terrestres had marked the beginning of the most incredible relationship she’d ever had. The attraction between them had been potent, combustible enough that it almost destroyed them, and now this night at the club, they would tell Rafael about their relationship.
She and Beth walked in together, and the vibe at the club was much different than it had been that first night. The music was heavier. Alex’s favorite hip-hop tracks pulsed from the speakers, played and manipulated by one of the country’s hottest DJs. Scantily clad men and women danced, gyrating, on platforms along the walls. For Alex’s birthday, Di Terrestres had turned into one of the hottest nightclubs she’d ever entered.
A hand cupped her shoulder, and she turned around to see her brother. “I can’t imagine what Mom and Dad would say to seeing you dressed like that.”
She rolled her eyes. He didn’t know everything she wore. She thought of the string of pearls that his best friend had given her, rubbing against her clit with every step she took. “You don’t like my dress?”
“That’s barely a dress.”
“Well, it’s a good thing Mom, Dad and Father Carlos aren’t here then, huh?” Every movement that Maria made was delicious torture. She tried to keep it under wraps. But she couldn’t keep the grin off her face. She and Alex had a secret that no one else knew, but soon, they would tell everyone about their relationship.
“It feels like I haven’t seen you in weeks,” Rafael said. “Not since you started with Brett and Alex. How is it going?”
“Pretty good. I’m learning a lot and it’s great experience. It’s really taking away from my volunteer work, but you know, I’ve got bills to pay.” She shifted, and the pearls slid along her body. She bit her lip to quell the moan that almost poured from her mouth.
“You wouldn’t have to if you moved back in with Mom and Dad, or me and Jess.”
“Yeah, it’s not like you guys need your privacy or anything.”
“I just hate where you’re living.”
“I know you do, and I promise, it isn’t that bad.” Not that she’d spent any time there recently. Most of her free time was spent curled up in Alex’s high-rise condo. “If it wasn’t safe, I wouldn’t be there.”
But then her thoughts turned to Alex; her relationship with him
certainly wasn’t safe. She would never put herself in a position to be hurt, but she knew that if anyone could hurt her, break her heart, it was Alex. And she was a willing slave to her feelings for him, drawn to him—she needed to be with him. But that was what gave her a niggling doubt. It gave him the power to hurt her. To completely break her. Over Rafael’s shoulder, she watched Alex as he mingled with the people in attendance. He was so confident and so sure of himself. Even when another woman threw her arms around him. Maria watched as she leaned in and said something in his ear. She tried to tamp down the anger and jealousy that simmered within her. She kept it under control until Alex disengaged from the woman, deliberately putting space between them. She turned back to Rafael and realized she’d been completely oblivious that he was still talking.
“—until the wedding, at least,” he finished.
“I’m sorry, what was that?”
He eyed the glass in her hand. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Not nearly enough.” Beth came up behind her, holding two champagne flutes, and passed one over to her.
“Is everyone having fun?” Alex came up behind them and draped his arms over both Maria’s and Beth’s shoulders. Maria wanted nothing more than to lean into him and somehow managed to maintain a distance from him. But then his fingers curled over her shoulder and trailed down her back, touching her so intimately in front of everyone. Marking her as his, reminding her that she was with him, without anyone even noticing. He was teasing her, torturing her, and with every shift her body made, it moved the pearls, dragging them along her most intimate flesh, sparking a fire deep within her. She clenched her thighs together and felt the wetness grow. If she didn’t find release soon, she might explode.
As covertly as she could, she looked up at him and saw that he was watching her, his eyes locked on hers. If her panties had had a crotch, they’d definitely be wet with her desire, as moisture began to trickle its way down her thighs. They were ready to tell everyone about their secret relationship, and she was relieved, but that didn’t mean the secrecy wasn’t still a huge turn-on. She and Alex shared something that no one else did.
“Do you guys want to grab a seat?” he asked, pointing to their usual table.
She might have been in love with Alex, and she relished his lovemaking, but it was dirtier stuff, the toys, the dirty talk, the tricks, that really set her on fire. Her naughty streak hadn’t been fed in too long, and Alex was an excellent cook. But while she was wearing the panties for him, she would torture him in the meantime.
They were joined by Alana, Gabe, Brett and Rebecca, and they all took a table above the rest of the party. She sat, and the stimulation against her swollen, needy flesh almost did her in. But when Alex pushed in her chair, it shot vibrations of pleasure that ricocheted throughout her and made her clench her fists as he took a seat next to her. Everyone at the table talked around them. Alex put his hand on her thigh under the table and swirled his fingertips over her electrified skin. She’d made the no touching rule, but she should have known that Alex wouldn’t stick to it. And she was glad for it. With his sure fingers on her electrified skin, she was unable to focus on anything but the pounding of her heart.
She took a gulp of the wine that had been put in front of her—the waitstaff at Di Terrestres were really on their A game—and tried her best to remain composed as the pearls moved again. Feeling the moisture, she hoped it didn’t soak through her dress. She took a deep breath and looked around at the rest of their group, who were oblivious to her intimate secret, and that Alex was drawing lines with his fingertips on her inner thigh. She bit her lip, and when she thought she might chew through it, she stood, the vibration still shooting throughout her. “Excuse me, please. I need the ladies’ room.”
Presenting a calm demeanor to everyone else in the room, she slowly walked out of the room and slipped into the women’s restroom. The pearls slid along her slit with every step, and she wanted to cry out from the sensation.
She was surprised when Alex opened the door to the women’s room. “What are you doing in here?” she asked him.
“I followed you,” he said as if that answered her question, flipping the lock on the door. He stalked to her and put his hands on her hips.
“They’re going to wonder where we both went.”
“We’ll think of something,” he murmured against her throat, repeating what she’d said to him when they’d sneaked off at her parents’ house. “Plus, the conversation broke up, everyone parted ways. Your friend Beth found a guy at the bar and is chatting him up. No one is missing us.”
He whipped her around and bent her over the counter. Her shoes added enough height so that her ass could push against his crotch.
“This fucking dress,” he muttered, smoothing the satin over her ass, squeezing her. “Do you know how much you’ve been torturing me all night? In this dress that shows off every fucking curve. All my favorite things.”
“When I picked it out, I knew it would drive you nuts. That was my goal.”
“Well, mission accomplished, I’d say.”
He pushed her skirt over her hips with one hand, revealing the cream-colored lace that rode high on her cheeks. She felt him run his finger down her crack, against the pearls, and when he pushed them against her back entrance she gasped.
“Did you like that?” he rasped.
She nodded her head, unable to form any words.
He pushed in a little more, and her response was even greater.
He went lower, reaching underneath between her legs to cup her needy flesh. His fingers danced along her seam, tickling, striking the pearls and sending tremors of pleasure that shot from her core and made her arms shake as she held herself up on the counter. She was dripping wet. Using those talented fingers, he spread her moisture around her, and she could feel she was close. He gripped the pearls and pulled them roughly. Her already needy clit sought the relief, and it was enough, and a thunderous orgasm rushed through her body.
“Maria, I need you so fucking bad,” he muttered. As she came down from her orgasm, he lowered the straps from her shoulders, pulled the flimsy satin over her breasts and pushed it down, so it gathered at her hips, and then he squeezed her breasts, pinching her nipples between his fingers. “I want to take every part of you. Bury my dick deep inside you, your hot mouth, that sweet pussy, tight ass. I want to slide my dick between these tits and come all over your chest. I want it all.” He groaned and leaned over her, his warm, strong chest at her now-naked back.
His dirty words, the low timbre of his voice, struck a chord deep within her, plucking at her every desire, and the urgency to feel him inside her deepened. She felt the waves of pleasure as they started low in her core and radiated throughout her, washing over her limbs, until he pressed his still-clothed, rock-hard cock against her ass.
“This will have to do for now.” In the reflection of the mirror, she watched him as he unbuckled his belt and lowered the zipper of his pants. He pulled out his dick, huge and hard, for her. He rolled a condom over himself, and in just a couple of seconds he was inside her wet heat.
Maria’s moan was loud, and Alex clapped his palm over her mouth and pulled his hips, withdrawing from her, then filling her over and over until her breath became more shallow and her movements more frenzied.
He grasped her hips, his fingertips digging into her flesh, but she didn’t complain. She wanted every one of his touches, rough and soft, especially when he pulled her to meet him, all but impaling her with his cock. Her pussy tightened, gripping him in a way that always made him growl out in satisfaction. He pumped in and out of her, their eyes meeting in the mirror. Her breasts bounced with their movement, and he palmed them, pinching and stroking her stiff nipples. She felt so much, and she was again unable to hold on. Another orgasm tore through her and a scream ripped from her lips. If anyone was outside the door, they would have surely heard her.
Maria felt herself clench around Alex’s cock, and he came with a grunt through clenched teeth. She felt his spasm as she milked him. He stayed with her until her tremors stopped, before he released his firm grasp on her thighs, and then he stood up straight.
She straightened and fixed her dress. Alex threw the condom in the garbage and zipped himself back into his pants. “Happy birthday,” she told him, pulling her straps back to their place on her shoulders.
He smiled and drew her back to him. “Best birthday ever,” he whispered against her lips. “Why don’t we go find Raf now? Tell him and get it over with?”
Maria nodded. “Let’s do it.” She opened the door, but Alex had different thoughts, and he took her face in her hands and kissed her, pushing her against the open door. She sighed and kissed him. Maria loved everything about Alex’s kiss. The softness of his lips contrasted deeply with the scratch of his stubble. His taste, his scent. She fell completely under his spell every time and let the world fall away.
But it was banished for only a moment, until an outraged male voice broke through her fantasy and brought her back to the real world.
“What the hell?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
FUCK. ALEX PULLED away and put himself between Rafael and Maria, turning to face his friend. He could see the way Jessica clenched his arm, as if holding him back. “Raf, man, this isn’t what it looks like.” He put out his hand to his friend at a distance.
“What do you mean, Alex? Maria? What the fuck is going on here?”
“Rafa, stop,” Maria said, trying to get out from behind Alex’s bulk. But there was no way he would let her step between them, into the fray. He knew that neither he nor Rafael would hurt her, but he wanted to keep her away from was about to go down between him and his best friend.
“What’s it supposed to look like? It looks like you’re kissing my sister. Tell me, please enlighten me, what is going on here?”
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