Entrusted: A Drug of Desire Novel

by Sidney Bristol

“They left me a while ago. About forty-five minutes after the phone died.”

  He didn’t know if that was good or bad. Was there someone else watching her now? He’d lost his as soon as he could. With all the calls he had to make, he couldn’t risk being followed.

  “Let’s go. There’s a lot to catch you up on.” Matías gathered as many of the bags as he could and Raven got the rest. “How did you carry all this stuff?”

  “Rented a cart, but had to return it. I was hoping you’d find me and I wouldn’t have to lug it all by myself.”

  He hailed a cab and stashed the incredible amount of stuff in the trunk. If he had to guess, she’d spent every penny of the five thousand he’d given her from the briefcase. In short order, they were zipping through the streets of the bustling district, toward the condo he’d rented for the week even though he hoped they wouldn’t be in Panama City that long.

  “Wow.” Raven peered up at the yellow and sea foam green building right on the beach as he retrieved their bags from the trunk and paid the cabbie.

  A doorman emerged with a luggage cart and helped Matías with the rest of the things. He would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit the condo wasn’t just to show his potential business partners he was a man of certain tastes. It was also for her. There would be hours spent here, just the two of them and he wanted to put them to good use and be comfortable.

  They made it up to the fifteenth floor, without losing a single bag. He held his breath as he pushed the double doors inward and moved aside so Raven could have the full impact of the ocean view.

  She gasped and stepped into their temporary home, Níłch’i cradled in her arms, and did a slow walk around of the living and dining area. He unloaded the bags and tipped the doorman for his service before locking the door.

  “Like it?” Matías crossed to a laptop he’d left on the coffee table and flipped back through the surveillance camera footage he’d been able to rig up. It gave him a view of the interior of the condo, as well as the hall outside.

  “This is amazing. And this balcony? It’s huge.” The glass doors whisked open and the sound and smell of the ocean rushed in to meet them.

  “They had a smaller unit on the thirteenth floor, but that might have been bad luck.” While he might not care about the number of a floor, people like Victor were not only suspicious, but also superstitious. They might back out of a deal if the room had the wrong number or a black cat happened across their path. It was frustrating to play their games.

  As he neared the beginning of the tape, two figures he recognized strolled down the hall. They were the idiots he’d lost. Not so stupid, if they’d found the condo so soon after he’d rented it. Matías would have to be more careful. The men jiggled the handle, shrugged and stood around talking for a little while, but no other efforts were made to intrude.

  For now, this space was safe, free of bugs and all theirs.

  He flopped back on the couch, ready for a shower, food and a change of clothes, not necessarily in that order. After hours of being on, he needed to switch off for a while and recharge.

  “This does not look like the Marriott.” Raven plopped down on the couch next to him, looking just as tired as he felt.

  He grimaced.

  “The Courtyard Marriott is where all feds stay. This whole fucking trip is to prove we aren’t feds, and they want us to stay at the Marriott, so we can be close to the team that’s flying in tomorrow.” It wasn’t even the first time a screw up like this had happened.

  He wasn’t going to let anything bad go down. It was his last gig. It wasn’t like the suits could slap him on the wrist for this. Hell, he didn’t even have to be here. He’d been within his right to turn down Victor’s deal and fly home, empty handed. And yet, here he was. He’d worked Victor for years trying to get something out of the man, and of course it came down to Matías’ final hours.

  “That doesn’t make any sense. If they know using that hotel would blow your cover—why use it?” Raven shook her head and pushed the sunglasses up on her brow.

  “You, my dear, are smarter than half the suits I work with.” He sighed and closed his eyes.

  “Suits?”

  “Desk jockeys. The guys who make all the decisions and never step foot in the field.”

  “Wait, you’re telling me the people you work for haven’t actually been out doing stuff before?”

  “Nope. There’s two groups in the DEA. The field agents, people like me or the guys doing busts on the streets. Then there’s the suits. The guys who want to work their way up through the ranks to get a nice, big desk. It’s the way things have been since they reorganized ages ago.”

  “That…doesn’t make sense.”

  “You’re telling me.” Matías laughed. “The first time I had a suit telling me what to do, I was seventeen. I’d been working for border patrol in El Paso, and some DEA guys were in working on something with the local narc officers. This suit comes over to me and says, ‘Hey kid, we need you to go over there and buy some product.’ Well, over there was rival gang territory. I lived in another gang’s area, and if I went where he wanted me to go, I’d get my ass beat as a lesson, if not killed. I not only told him no, I told him hell no. He got all huffy and demanded the narc officers do it, and they just laughed at him and said no, too.”

  “Sounds ridiculous.”

  “It was. And is. I keep thinking things will change, but they don’t.” He sighed.

  “Is that one of the reasons why you’re getting out?”

  “It’s part of the reasons.”

  “I don’t blame you.”

  He reached across the cushion and took her hand in his. There was a good chance Raven might still decide she resented him for last night, but with each touch, and the kiss earlier, it just continued to feel—right. He’d survived a long time by listening to his instincts. He doubted they were wrong now. He’d kissed her earlier, not because he’d seen Victor, but because he’d wanted to. It was an impulsive decision, one that he couldn’t say he regretted, even if he knew it wasn’t wise.

  “How are the marks?” He needed to apologize for the kiss, and yet, he didn’t want to.

  “They hurt. Thanks for that.” Sarcasm dripped from each word, but he didn’t mind because she smiled.

  “Show me.”

  She paused and he wondered if she really would.

  Raven kicked off her sneakers and socks, wiggling her bare toes. Even those were painted yellow. He was seeing a theme when it came to her color choices. She pushed up slowly and tabbed the capris open.

  “The swats aren’t so bad, but this?” She pushed the pants down around her thighs. She’d even changed panties. Now she wore some kind of soft, white material that was edged in lace and showed off a generous amount of her ass. Raven pointed at the bite marks, which were already a deep purple. “This hurts every time I take a goddamned step, and don’t even talk to me about how much it hurts to sit.”

  He grinned and poked it.

  “Ouch!” She twisted and stepped out of range, scowling at him.

  “Just wanted to make sure you were telling the truth. Show me the rest.”

  She continued to glare, but turned, showing him her other marks. The lines from the belt would begin to fade tomorrow, and chances were they didn’t ache much. He leaned closer and she shuffled a half step away.

  “I’m not going to poke you again, I promise. Come here, please.”

  She took a step toward him.

  “How’s your tailbone?” He’d really screwed up there. She was all lean muscle, and he was accustomed to women who had a little more softness to them.

  “That really hurts.”

  He didn’t doubt her at all.

  “I got you some bath salt and arnica gel. It’ll help relieve some of that.”

  “Arnica gel?” She twisted to peer at him over her shoulder.

  “It’ll reduce the pain and heal the bruises faster.”

  “Seriously? Get that shit out right now
.”

  He laughed and hauled himself to his feet. The bag from the drug store still sat on the kitchen counter. He retrieved the box and brought it back to the couch. There was something about caring for his play partner that utterly relaxed him like nothing else could.

  Matías sat back down on the couch and opened the box. It wasn’t a brand he recognized, but the ingredients were all right.

  “Do you want me to—”

  Before he could finish the sentence Raven tugged her panties down, treating him to the first sight of her bare ass. Her jeans hadn’t done her a service. She had a firm, round bottom he wouldn’t mind sinking his teeth into once more. But next time he’d be gentle.

  He squeezed a little of the gel onto his finger and focused on the bruises below her tailbone. He rubbed the arnica in as much as he could before moving on to the bite mark and slathering it in a light coating. The other marks, he’d leave for her memory.

  Matías cleared his throat. “All done.”

  “What about this one?” She wiggled the panties and capris back on before pulling her shirt aside to show him the mark on her shoulder.

  “I think you’ll live.”

  “What?” She made a grab for the bottle of gel.

  He held it out of her grasp. “Hey now, I told you there would be marks—and you said it was okay.”

  “Yeah, but I didn’t expect it would be this bad.”

  “Why not? I warned you it would be.”

  “I thought you were trying to scare me.”

  “I was.”

  “I didn’t think you’d actually do it.”

  “Babe, I’m not going to warn you about something I don’t intend on doing.”

  Her angry pout was pretty cute, especially since he doubted she meant it at all. Raven wasn’t the pouting type, though he didn’t doubt she was beginning to test the bounds of control. What was more remarkable…she likely didn’t even know she was doing it.

  “Come here.” He sighed and patted his thigh. “You get it this once. If it doesn’t hinder you doing your job, you deal with it. Understand?”

  Instead of sitting on the couch next to him, like he expected, Raven straddled his lap.

  Well, hello there.

  She was unlike any other newbie sub he’d ever met. Had she even paused to doubt what they’d done or consider if she was making the right decisions? Had she thought it through? He was inclined to believe she had, and was again surprising him with her ability to just keep going.

  He squeezed a little bit of the gel out onto his finger and she pulled her shirt and bra strap to the side. That wasn’t the last place he’d marked her, but would she show him the others?

  “What next?” she asked.

  “We settle in, get some dinner and wait. And talk.” He put the cap back on the tube and set it aside.

  “About?”

  “About earlier…” He needed to apologize for the kiss, and yet, he didn’t want to.

  “Which part?”

  “The kiss.”

  “What’s to talk about?” She shrugged. “It was part of the cover.”

  “Not exactly.” He stared at her, but her expression remained blank.

  “Then what was it?”

  “I’m not sure.” Lie. He liked her. Wanted her. “I think…”

  “I don’t mind that you kissed me.”

  “You don’t?”

  “No. I mean, we’re supposed to be a couple. Couples kiss.”

  “Raven…I didn’t kiss you because of the cover. I kissed you because I wanted to.”

  Raven’s mouth opened and closed. He seemed to have surprised her.

  “Oh.” She stared at him, but said nothing further.

  So much for being honest. He could feel the kernel of interest dying a painful death in his chest. Had he read her wrong last night?

  “It was inappropriate and I shouldn’t have done it.” He stared at the floor as he said those words.

  “Wait, why?”

  “It’s not usually polite to go around kissing random people.”

  “I’m not exactly a random person. I’m just going to say this.” She leaned forward, hands on his shoulders, and took a deep breath before lifting her gaze to stare at him. “Matías, I’ve had a ridiculous crush on you for a very long time. If you have to apologize about kissing me, then I guess I have to apologize for liking it.”

  Matías stared at her, staring at him. Was she serious? He thought back to that moment on the tarmac. He’d almost convinced himself she’d tripped into him. That last night was a dream.

  “Could you please say something and not just stare at me?”

  “Sorry, I just did not expect you to say that.” He put his hand over hers.

  “I thought I was being painfully obvious last night.”

  “I would never presume to assume...”

  “Never? Really? Is that a normal thing people do in your world?”

  “Yes, actually.”

  “Wow, I guess you’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” She leaned forward, her gaze on his mouth. “What if we tried that kiss over again? Sort of start from there.”

  Kiss her? Again? He could do that.

  He tugged her hand toward him, enjoying the hard press of her body, the way they fit together. Her gaze was on his mouth. He leaned in, tilted his head a little to the left and set his mouth against her. It was gentle and sweet, yet she gasped after a moment and he couldn’t stop himself from tasting her. Just a little.

  Desire curled through his body. It wasn’t an unfamiliar emotion, but it was stronger, deeper than he’d felt in a long time.

  She sat back, her lips damp and her chest rising and falling at an accelerated rate.

  “I think that was better,” she said.

  “I tilt left.”

  She smiled and he followed suit, completely enamored of her.

  “Do they have anything planned for tonight?”

  “No, we’re on our own.” He didn’t know how long they would be in Panama, or where this operation would take him next. What he knew was that tonight, it was just them.

  “What did you say last night?” She rested her hands on his thighs and leaned forward. “We’d have to renegotiate?”

  “I did.” His groin tightened, and he clenched his hands to keep from grabbing her, kissing her again.

  She didn’t know what she was doing. And he needed…a plan. Something.

  They were dangerously close to tipping over an edge without control.

  “I want you to go unpack, then take a salt bath. While you do that, I want you to think of five limits for yourself. They can be anything, but you need to establish boundaries or I won’t know where to stop.” He tucked an errant bit of hair behind her ear.

  “I thought we agreed there was no stopping.”

  “I wasn’t talking about sex, imp.”

  “Well, excuse me.” She bit her lower lip. “So how does this work? Do I have to ask permission every time I want to do something.”

  “Maybe. What do you want to do?”

  “Kiss you.”

  “I think you can do that on your own.”

  “Really, now?” She placed her hands on the back of the sofa and leaned down, her hair falling on either side of him.

  She leaned toward him. He held still, waiting for her to come to him. She kissed him, gentle at first. He tipped his head to the side and allowed her to set the pace. She cupped his face with one hand and suckled his bottom lip into her mouth. His cock began to grow hard, a reaction he’d experienced a few times being around her. Her teeth closed around his lip, applying the barest pressure, but it was enough to break his restraint. He dug his hand into her hair and deepened the kiss. They tangled together, hands grasping and tongues slipping past the other to tease. Given the opportunity, he’d eat her up.

  Matías sat up, breaking the kiss. They stared at each other, panting for breath. Her eyes were slightly dilated and her lips swollen.

  “Go unpack.” He sla
pped her hip and she yelped, scampering sideways off his lap and holding the spot.

  Oops. Did he do that?

  “Not funny,” she groused.

  “Unpack.”

  “What are you going to be doing?” She fastened her capris.

  “You weren’t the only one who went shopping.”

  Her gaze narrowed, but he wasn’t saying any more. Let her stew on that.

  It was amazing what interesting things one could find between hardware stores and bargain shops. Besides supplies, he’d done a few side expeditions, looking for interesting…things. He didn’t even need his toy bag.

  chapter eight

  Raven lay mostly submerged in the huge tub, keeping only her hair and face out of the salt mixture. Despite being physically exhausted, she couldn’t stay still.

  Matías had kissed her. He’d wanted to kiss her. And she’d kissed him. Among other things.

  Her energy was pretty much gone after unpacking, taking Níłch’i out for a quick walk, and showering. Not to mention, she was doubtful that another night like last night was a good idea. How many marks would he leave on her then?

  Someone tapped on the door. She sat upright, water trickling down her body.

  “It’s me,” Matías called out. “Can I come in?”

  She opened and closed her mouth. She was naked—but he’d seen most of her already. Hell, she’d pulled her pants down earlier in front of him, and she’d admitted she wanted sex. With him. Which kind of required her to be at least partially exposed.

  In for a penny, in for a pound.

  “Sure,” she replied.

  The door swung open and Matías leaned against the frame. He’d changed from the suit into a pair of basketball shorts and a plain white T-shirt. His gaze traversed her body, and even she could read the lust written there, now that they were being honest with each other. An unusual, rather feminine feeling uncurled within her. She didn’t often have an occasion to feel—sexy—but the way he stared at her, she wanted to give him something to look at.

  “You almost finished?” he asked.

  “I could be.”

  He grabbed a fluffy, white towel that still had the tags on it, and held it out. “Need a hand?”

  This was it. Whatever he had planned, she knew it would start momentarily.