Carlos

by Krista Carleson

  “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow, preciosa.” He told me, brushing my lower lip with his thumb. “Good night. Sleep tight.”

  “Good night, Carlos.” I pecked his cheek and got out of his car. I turned to close the door and noticed that his eyes had been on my ass before he met my gaze. I smirked at him. “Like what you see?”

  “Always. By the way, you have a very sexy ass. Those tights fit you so nicely.”

  “Why, thank you.” I chuckled and closed the door, in seventh heaven. I could feel his gaze on me as I walked over to my building, a permanent smile on my face. The whole evening had been perfect.

  I climbed the stairs, thinking about Carlos’s fingers on my bare mound… Then his eyes that seared into me in the mirror… His strong body that made me feel safe… And then that moment when I came, my mind going blank...

  I’d never felt this way with anyone so quickly before. I entered my apartment and threw myself on the couch, my mound throbbing with desire. I touched myself over my tights, imagining it was Carlos who was touching me. Maybe it was a mistake to deny him tonight. I should have let him take me right away… Yes, it had been definitely a mistake.

  The doorbell broke into my little moment, and my lips curled into a smile. Carlos was back. Yes.

  I jumped to my feet, feeling so turned on that I rushed to the door to open it. Without even looking through the peephole, I flung the door open, carrying a seductive smile.

  My words died on my lips when I saw the person on the other side of the threshold.

  It wasn’t Carlos.

  It was Glen.

  8

  At first, all I could do was stare at him, thinking he was an illusion and wasn’t actually here. And then his appearance sunk in. His clothes looked like they had seen better days—all creased—and his beard was weeks old. But what made my skin crawl were his bloodshot blue eyes that had a crazy glint in them. He was reeking of alcohol, swaying, which told me he’d had too many drinks.

  I shuddered in terror, alarms activating in my head. He was here. He came to my place.

  “Glen, what are you doing here?” I asked, but I immediately regretted it because I realized a second too late that I should’ve just slammed the door in his face and locked it. He barged inside, his body pushing mine aside too easily, and my fear reached an all-time high.

  “Glen?! Get out of my place! Now.”

  He didn’t even listen to me, going straight to my living room, and I deeply regretted not looking through the peephole first. I was such a fool. I scurried after him, beside myself with fright.

  “Get out!”

  He turned to face me, unfazed by my screaming. “Who’s that guy who drove you home?”

  I was rooted to my spot, horror chilling me from the inside out. “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play dumb!” I flinched at the sudden increase in his tone. “Who the fuck is the guy who drove you home?!” I staggered and had to catch myself against the back of the couch.

  I was shocked that he’d been standing out there in the dark, waiting for me like some stalker. It was a hard pill to swallow.

  “What were you doing in front of my building? Are you spying on me?”

  “Answer me!”

  I dug my fingers into the material of the couch, shaking like a leaf. “You have no right to ask me that, and you also have no right to be here.”

  He approached me in two menacing strides, and only the couch separated us. I whimpered and took a few quick steps back, fully realizing how dangerous he was. He could hurt me easily if he wanted to.

  “Tell me the goddamn truth, Lindsey. If not, I swear I’ll make you regret it.”

  For the first time ever, I was afraid he was going to hit me or worse. Yes, he’d always been an aggressive guy, but I was never at the receiving end. But now… Now there was something in his eyes that wasn’t there before, and all my instincts screamed at me to run.

  I headed for my purse on the other side of the room, where my phone was. “I’ll call the police if you don’t leave right away.”

  I didn’t even manage to reach my purse, because before I knew it, he grabbed my upper arm and pushed me against the wall. I screamed, trying to get my arm out from his grip, but it was futile. His foul smell hit me, and I scrunched my nose up in disgust.

  “Let go of me!”

  “You’re mine, Lindsey. Mine. And I won’t let you be with anyone else.”

  “Jesus, you can’t be serious. What the hell is wrong with you? We’re history, Glen. We’re done. I can’t believe you’re doing this now.”

  “No!” He shook me, his fingers gripping my arms hard, and I was sure it was going to leave bruises. “We’re not done. We’re far from done. Can’t you see? We’re perfect together. We’re meant for each other.”

  I frowned at him, unable to believe his words. For the last three years he had manipulated and used me, never showing me real love. He was sweet to me only when it was convenient for him or when he fucked something up, and now he was telling me we were perfect together?

  “If you thought that way, you should’ve fought for us. You should’ve changed. But you didn’t.”

  “Oh, but sweetie, I’m changed now. I know how wrong I was. I know that very well. I’ve changed, and I swear to you, I’ll treat you a million times better than before. Just give me a chance.”

  “What part about no don’t you understand? I already told you it doesn’t matter. I don’t love you anymore.”

  His eyes widened, and he pushed into me, his gaze darting between my lips and my eyes.

  “No, no, sweetie. Please. Listen to me. Just listen. You’re wrong. You think you don’t love me, but that’s just your anger talking. I understand that. I understand because I was angry too when you broke up with me and I thought you were a bitch. I thought I hated you. But that was only because of my anger. I love you. And you’ll see that I’m the best thing that has ever happened to you.”

  Oh my god. He was totally deranged. It was hard for me to comprehend that this was the same man I had once wanted to be my husband. The same man that I loved more than I’d loved anyone before. I’d been ready to spend my whole life with him. He was destroying everything, hurting me on so many levels, and I wanted to cry at how unfair it was. I didn’t deserve this.

  “I don’t care. Please, leave. I can’t and I won’t be with you.”

  His pleading look was gone in a fleeting second, replaced by sheer fury. “I refuse to accept no for an answer!”

  He buried his face into my neck and pressed me further against the wall, caging me with no means of escape. Panic rose up in me, threatening to suffocate me, and I screamed.

  “Get off me! Get off me, you bastard!” I kicked and tried to push against him, fearing that he would actually rape me, but he held my arms too tightly. His lips on my neck were rough, stripping me of all dignity, and my heart threatened to burst. Weren’t the neighbors able to hear this? Why didn’t anyone come inside already or call the police?

  “Let go of me,” I screamed the loudest I could and kneed him in the groin, hoping all those times I saw this move in the movies could prove useful.

  He cried out and grabbed his groin, falling down on the floor. I didn’t waste time. I rushed to my purse and snatched my phone out of it. My hands were shaking terribly, so I missed the numbers several times before I managed to make a call.

  “911, how can I help you?”

  I let out a barrage of words, backing to the front door, ready to bolt outside if needed. Glen was still lying hunched on the floor. The dispatcher assured me they would have someone on their way ASAP and not to panic. He also told me to get out of the place if I could, keeping me on the line.

  I didn’t need a further encouragement to do exactly what I’d been told. I rushed out of my place, hoping the police would come soon.

  The police arrived quickly, and I took them upstairs to my place, describing them the situation, but by the time we entered my place,
Glen was already gone.

  9

  Dinner with Carlos was a much-needed distraction because I was still deeply disturbed about Glen.

  I’d spent the whole day thinking about last night, in shock. Luckily, Glen didn’t leave me bruises, but the memories were equally unpleasant and painful. After the police officers were gone, I checked three times that I’d locked my door, and I also locked myself in my bedroom.

  It was there that I succumbed to my tears, my limbs still cold after that dreadful encounter with him.

  I was sure that if I hadn’t been able to free myself, he would have raped me, and knowing he could hurt me that easily made me feel more fragile than ever. I even had to call in sick, incapable of working after last night’s stress. I could barely sleep, and when I did, I had nightmares about Glen.

  I was emotionally exhausted, and the only bright spot in my day was Carlos. So when he took me to a restaurant on top of a hill that overlooked the city, I felt a whole lot better.

  He was dressed in a black suit, and at first, all I could do was ogle at him when he showed up at my place. It was such a contrast to his usual dance clothes, but he looked striking in it. Actually, it was more than striking, and when we entered the restaurant, several ladies stared at him.

  He didn’t acknowledge their attention, his eyes solely on me across the table. He made me laugh, and I managed to relax enough to forget about Glen for a while.

  “So what do you think about the classes so far? Are they meeting your expectations?”

  “Actually, I think they surpassed them, but maybe I’m biased because of you.” I giggled.

  A smile spread across his face. “It’s nice to know that.” His thumb rubbed my wrist in circles. “You’re a good dancer.”

  “Thanks, but I think you’re flattering me.”

  “Not at all. You’re doing well, Lindsey. No, well doesn’t cut it. Even with your injury, you’re showing great progress in such a short period of time. I think you’re a natural.”

  I returned his smile, basking in his praise. “That may be true, but still, I have to give you credit. You’re an amazing teacher. I think that if you compete in salsa competitions, you’ll always be the winner.”

  “Actually, I did participate in various competitions. Back then, when I opened my first dance studio, I thought I could try competing, and it was fun. There’s something about going through several rounds and competing against the best dancers. It’s a great feeling you get. The adrenaline. The excitement. The passion that courses through veins as the music guides you…”

  “That sounds pretty exciting.”

  “It is. And yes, I may have won a few competitions.” He flashed me his smirk. “As I said, it was fun, but it also allowed me to find new clients and expand my business.”

  “Expand your business? What do you mean?”

  “I own several salsa studios around the city.”

  “Wow. Amazing.”

  He chuckled. “It’s not like I started from scratch if that’s what you’re thinking. I already had enough capital to start a business. Besides, I had a side job that allowed me to do it. I still have.”

  I raised my eyebrows at him. “Oh? And what’s your other job?”

  “I’m a real-estate investor. I own a couple of properties around the area.”

  “That’s impressive. Real estate investing and salsa, what an interesting combination. What made you decide to open a salsa club?”

  “I think you’ve probably figured out that I’m not born in the U.S. I come from Colombia.”

  “Colombia. The home of coffee and Shakira!”

  “Exactly. You see, in Colombia, we have a dance similar to salsa called cumbia. My mother is a cumbia dancer and she taught me this dance from early childhood. Also, a lot of people in my family dance cumbia at gatherings, which we have pretty often, by the way.”

  I erupted into chuckles. “I can imagine.”

  “Yeah. I love my family, but they can be pretty overwhelming when you meet them for the first time. Even if they never saw you before, they would hug and kiss you as if you’re one of their own.”

  I smiled tenderly, touched by his words. I could see how much he loved them, and I envied him a bit.

  “They sound better than my family, to be honest. My parents are not fond of PDAs, and especially not with strangers. We’re usually pretty stiff at gatherings, which may look at bit weird to outsiders.”

  “I guess some families can be like that. But I’m jumping from one topic to another. I came to the U.S. and went to a salsa club with some of my American friends. I fell in love with the dance, and already knowing cumbia, it was easier for me to pick it up. Soon enough, I followed my passion and opened my first studio.”

  “I think you can guess why I’m glad you decided to become a salsa teacher.”

  His eyes twinkled with humor. “Would you believe me if I told you that meeting you proved to me once more that it was the best choice of my life?”

  I was speechless for a few moments, deeply affected by his words. The more time I spent with him, the more I was sure that luck had smiled on me at last. I’d never met anyone like Carlos before.

  “Would you believe me if I told you that you have me melting here? My heart is already making a puddle on the floor.”

  He laughed, his fingers wrapping around my hand before he brought it to his mouth and kissed it. “You’re so sweet and charming, Lindsey. Time passes too quickly with you. It’s like nothing else matters but this moment here with you.”

  I glanced away in slight embarrassment, and he laughed, the rich sound pure pleasure for my ears.

  “You’re so cute when you act shy. Now, how about you? What are your hobbies? Your job?”

  “I’m an assistant in a PR firm, but it’s not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. We have a ton of work to do every single day, and we have a lot of clients who mess things up often, so we have to cover for them.”

  “Hm. Your work seems stressful.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “It can be stressful, but I love it. Whenever I need to get away from the stress, I go on a movie marathon or go hiking with my best friend.”

  “You like hiking?”

  “Yeah. My dad used to take me on hiking trips all the time when I was a child, and I grew to love it. We often camped along the way, and those are some of my fondest memories with him.”

  “Your dad sounds cool.”

  “He is. But then again, he was also pretty strict. For example, boyfriends. I couldn’t date until I was 18! Imagine that. I used to hide when I was with my boyfriends so he wouldn’t find out.”

  “I bet a lot of guys chased you. I bet they chase you even more now. How come you’re single?”

  I tensed because he had broached a touchy subject. I was single because my ex was horrible, but I couldn’t tell him that. I wasn’t ready to talk about Glen. I was still shaken because of him—last night a rotten cherry on the top of the cake of disasters.

  “That’s just the way it is.”

  “Impossible. I’m sure there’s someone out there.”

  I pursed my lips together, staring at my glass of wine. He observed me quietly, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He became serious, his playful smile erased.

  “I’m sorry, Lindsey. I didn’t realize this topic was sensitive for you. I won’t push you to talk if you don’t want to.”

  The tears prickled my eyes, but I refused to cry. This was not the time for me to lose it because of that bastard Glen.

  “It’s okay. It’s not your fault, so don’t worry about it. It’s about my ex, but I don’t like talking about him. We have a bad history, so, you know.”

  He nodded. “Comprendo. I get it.”

  I smiled, thankful for his understanding. “How about you? Likewise, I’m sure lots of women are chasing after you.”

  He laughed and took a sip of his wine. “That may be true, but I’m not interested.”

  “Oh? And why is that?�
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  The way he looked at me stole all my breath. “Because I’m more interested in finding the right one for me. I’ve always dreamed about finding someone who I can spend my whole life with. I’m not a Cassanova. Love is the most important for me, and if there’s no love, there’s no point in being with anyone.”

  I wanted to tell him that I felt the same way, overjoyed that he wasn’t a player but someone who cherished connection and true love, but the waiter came just then to bring us our food, and our conversation headed into a different direction.

  Two hours and two glasses of wine later, we ended up at his place, which was a penthouse with a view of the nearby sea. He led me to the balcony and caged me in between him and the railing. I shivered, gazing at the full moon and the beautiful starry sky. This evening was getting better and better.

  “You’re so lucky,” I whispered, leaning into him.

  “Why?” He moved my hair to the side to get access to my neck and kissed it. Another shiver coursed through me. His lips skimmed over the side and the back of my neck, and I closed my eyes, losing myself in his kisses.

  “Because you get to see something like this. All I get to see from my balcony, if that two- feet-deep space can be called a balcony, are the dumpsters placed behind an eyesore brick building.”

  He chuckled into my neck, wrapping one arm around my waist. I grabbed the railing to support myself, swaying on my feet.

  “It’s true that the view here is outstanding, but it means nothing when I can’t share it with someone.” He wrapped his lips over the tip of my earlobe, and I moaned. “It can get lonely sometimes when you live in a huge space like this all alone.”

  As my fingers gripped the railing hard, my pussy started getting wetter and wetter. He caressed my stomach in slow circles, taunting me with a promise of the touch I needed more than anything, his lips moving over all the right places. I was trembling and on the verge of begging him for more, all my doubts and insecurities silent under the powerful wave of desire that hit me.