by Eden Fortae
"How was your day?"
"Good. Worked out, trained, had lunch with my parents, and now I'm here with you. How was yours?"
"I had a video call with my girls and wrote down some plans. Oh, and I went to see my dad and told him I'm out of his family."
Donny pulled back, surprise fixing his features. "You did?"
"Yes."
"How did he take it?"
"He didn't beg me to reconsider if that's what you're asking. He cried by the time I left, though."
"And how do you feel about it?"
"Honestly," she glanced at her feet as she pulled away completely, "I don't feel anything. A small part of me hoped things would change, and I'd feel like I had a loving family behind me, but that'll never be. When you and the girls walked in during my interview, Maxine implied you're my new family. I think that was the turning point for me. I may not have parents, but I still have two sisters."
First, one corner of his lips tipped, then the other followed, "And me? What am I?"
"You're my Spanish teacher who's also schooling me in the art of badassery while being my Dr. Phil."
He huffed his laughter, raising a brow. "So Kya and Rina get a family position, and I don't?"
"You're family, Donovan. I just don't have a title for you, yet."
He laughed again, but there was a sudden feeling of sadness between them. Eden felt it immediately, but before she could address it, he switched lanes.
"Tell me about your plans."
Eden shook her head, not wanting to ignore his feelings. She also didn't want to cause tension. So, she indulged him. Heading for the sofa, Eden picked up the notebook as they sat.
"I'm going to embrace my talent like Kya said and focus on marketing myself rather than trying to work under an already established brand. Kya wants to commission me to do a collection of honeymoon pieces for her shop. Eventually, I'll consider a shop of my own, but I'll be my brand for now. That gave me another idea."
She flipped the page to reveal a sketched logo and notes. "What if there were a site and an app that allowed people to create an online portfolio for commission purposes or a means of helping them get the recognition they need to get into art schools, scholarships, or internships? If something like this had been around when I was looking for a way out, I wouldn't have modeled to pay for college classes."
His smile returned, pointing to the infinity symbol with different types of drawing tools. "Why Infinite Art?"
"Because the possibilities are limitless. I don't want this to be just for those who are into fashion illustration. I want it to be useful to comic artists, cartoonists, future architects, painters, and everyone with a love for art. And maybe you're the inspiration behind that symbol. Kind of."
"Me? Kind of? Sort of?" His grin made her heart thump.
"Yes," she leaned closer to take hold of the chain around his neck. "I never asked you what it means to you. I just made up my own. I see you as someone who is limitless because you don't give up. I want these kids and everyone who uses Infinite Art to have the same energy. To see that logo as a club or a family. A feeling of belonging. Does that make sense?"
He didn't say anything at first. Just stared with a smile. "Yes. I think you're trying to tell me you like me."
Eden caught herself before she could laugh. "That's what you took from that? Of all things?"
"Yes. You were thinking about me enough to explain why I wear an infinity symbol around my neck, and you used your explanation, which elevates me, to elevate the people you want to help. I think you're amazing, and you like me."
Her laughter drew a bigger smile from him. "When you put it that way, it does sound like I have a slight crush on you, doesn't it?"
"Not slight. A big one. And I'm with that shit."
"I bet you are. Since we're discussing it, why do you wear the infinity symbol?"
"Basically, what you said. Like the dragon, it represents me. What information I had about my birth mother before I found her suggested she loved me enough to want me to have a complete family. I went through hell first and met Tonito. That friendship represents the meeting point. I loved him like a brother, then, but I still hurt. In the end, I got a family and was loved again, but there's no real end. I'll go through hell again. One way or another, but it will always end and begin with love."
Eden absently shook her head, staring at him with a look of amazement. "How do you do this? You're a government clone, aren't you? They found some sexy piece of man to copy but programmed you to be so sweet and perfect for a bigger purpose, didn't they, Cyborg 2030?"
Heavy laughter surrounded her. She wanted to join him; however, the visual of him was too good to miss.
"If I'm a clone or a robot, being here with you would mean I've abandoned my mission and gone AWOL, does it not?"
"Not necessarily. The other clones could be working while you set me up to have my face stolen."
"If I were setting you up, I'd be stealing more than your face."
Knowing what he was implying, Eden smirked. "Are you hungry?"
"Depends on what you're offering." He fired back with a mirrored expression.
"Food. You don't want anything more than that."
"Did I say that?"
"You said it's all or none of you, Donovan."
"Because I don't just want a piece of you or to give you a piece of me. Imagine how good we could be to each other if there weren't restrictions. I could show you what you've probably never dreamed of, and it would feel good to both of us. Not just physically but on a deeper level. Things may have changed between us, but I still won't do some things without your permission. That's one."
This was where the conversation should have ended. He was saying everything she needed to be comfortable with their closeness. By all accounts, he'd confirmed that he wouldn't take things further. However, her mouth chose a side between her heart and her brain.
"You think you'd be happy with me?"
"I know I would be," he caressed her cheek, allowing his thumb to just barely graze her lips. "You're still unsure."
She shook her head no and whispered, "Yes."
Light laughter, although pushed through sadness, met her with more warmth. "Which is it, love?"
"I don't know. You make me want to try, but I'm afraid of who I'll become if things go left."
Donny moved closer and slid his hand along her neck. Effectively, he brought them closer but in a way that was as intimate as it was serious. The purpose of his embrace meant to convey a message. To make her feel it and hear it at the same time.
He waited until he had her undivided attention and smiled again, "No matter what happens between us, you'll always be stronger tomorrow than you were today. To be afraid is to prevent your happiness. With or without me, you're going to be happy, Hermosa. I'll see to that."
"Even if we're no longer cool?" She searched his eyes for any traces of uncertainty or a tell. It was hard to believe that anyone would stick around after a fail. Then again, he wasn't just anyone.
"Yes. Nothing will change the fact that I want to see you win."
Her heart took on that slow beating again. It felt like a dream, so unreal to have ended up in the comfort of a man like this. Without thinking, Eden pressed her lips against his. Donny let Eden control it until he felt her tongue. From there, he took the lead. When she tried to pull him down with her, he resisted but never let her go.
"Say it," he mumbled against her lips. Eden took advantage of the break to plant kisses along his jaw and neck. "Say it." Her hands roamed, going to the hem of his shirt, where they explored his waist and back. "Eden."
"I want you," she worked at his belt without gentleness. At the same time, the kisses on his neck turned into bites.
"Fuck," he whispered as she climbed into his lap. The war wasn't one she was fighting on her own. While coaxing Eden to tell him what he needed to hear, his hands were beneath her shirt, unhooking her bra. "Say you want all of me."
"I do."
Forcing her to look at him was torture in itself. Small but harsh kisses were placed on her lips. Repeating his actions, she took it a step further by raking his with her teeth. "Give me the words, Eden." His heavy breathing symbolized a lapse in control. To do that to him empowered her. Fueled her belief that it was what they both wanted.
"I want all of you."
He kissed her long and hard, flipping her onto the seat beside them. Her leggings were damn near ripped as he pulled them down. Too eager to remove her panties, he pulled them to the side and got down on his knees. Eden's breath caught with the initial contact. Even with toys, nothing felt as good as this. His hands kneaded her thighs roughly. Then he had them pushed back as far as they'd go. His tongue dipping inside her felt like heaven. The way he moaned with her was like throwing firecrackers into an open flame. Eden was bursting at the seams. Coming apart far too soon and yet not quickly enough. Donny added one finger and then another, quickly finding her spot. Not even ten thrusts of his fingers later, she felt the pressure growing.
And then his phone rang.
Donny ignored the call and continued bringing her to an overdue orgasm. But when the phone immediately rang again, he withdrew.
Eden watched him pull his phone from his back pocket and frowned at what he saw.
"¿Tío? ¿Que pasó?" His frown deepened, and in a flash, he jumped up. "What?! Where is he?" He fumbled with his clothes, looking so frantic Eden jumped up with him. The conversation went from English to rapid Spanish that she couldn't keep up with to pick out the words she knew. All she could hear was a deep male voice from the other end. "I've got tracking on his truck. Call me if you get to him first. I'll do the same."
As soon as he hung up, he rushed to the door with Eden hot on his trail. "What's wrong, Donovan? Is someone hurt? Where are you going? Please talk to me!"
He turned too quickly. Eden stumbled backward, but he caught her by the shoulders. What she saw unnerved her. He looked like he was on the verge of tears.
"Tonito got shot."
"What?! Where?!"
"I don't know yet. His father said he called him, but before he could get any information, Tonito passed out or something. I have to go find him."
She grabbed him before he got too far. What she wanted to say must have been evident. Instead of answering her question, he kissed her quickly and pulled away. "I'll be ok, hermosa. I'll call you. Please don't say anything to Kya or Rina."
With that, he was out the door and down the stairs. As she rushed to the window to see him off, the truth hit harder than a ton of bricks. The thought of never seeing him again bothered her. He truly meant a lot more to her than she wanted to believe. Now there was no choice but to face it. As she found herself silently praying for his safety, she included Antonio in it. For Donny, Kya, and Rina's sake and maybe her's, too.
TWENTY
“Donovan?” How quickly she answered the phone tugged at his heart. Fatigue was evident in her tone. Her breathing furthered his belief that she’d been asleep. He kicked himself for calling so late. At the same time, Donny was comforted by the sound of her voice.
“I should have known you were sleeping.”
“I wasn’t. Not really. Is Antonio ok?”
Donny sighed, scanning the road ahead as he drove. “Thankfully, he will be. Jay knows, but we’re not going to mention it to anyone else in the family.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief, making him smile slightly. “Are you ok?”
At that, he smiled. “Yes, beautiful.”
“Good. Are you coming back?” She latched onto his hesitation immediately. “I mean, I understand if you want to be alone right now.”
“It’s not that.” The light ahead of him turned red, providing Donny the opportunity to massage his temples and find the right words. “Someone followed Tonito from Kya’s shop. I don’t know if being around me is the safest right now. If something happened to you because of me, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”
A long stretch of silence stood between them. Eden had taken his role beside his cousin in stride. He fully expected her to back away from him. When she didn’t, he made it a point not to bring it up or discuss any parts of that world to ensure it didn’t change her mind. But there was no faking his reaction to that call or hiding it. As he stood over his cousin, thinking of how the rest of the family would take it, Eden entered his thoughts—losing her, mostly.
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. You want to protect me. I get why it’s necessary.”
“Does that upset you?” Regret kicked in immediately. Eden wasn’t the typical woman. Discussing her feelings wasn’t high on her list. That seemed to be the easiest route to regression. Eden also wasn’t the type to hold her tongue. The need for validation outweighed logic. While he wanted her to say she didn’t want to be without him, he expected her not to care as much as he did.
“If I’m honest, yes, it bothers me.”
“Why?” He asked without thinking.
“Because I’ve gotten used to having you around. Your face is nice to look at.”
“Just my face?” He cracked a smile, looking both ways before making the turn onto his street.
“You’re enjoying this ego boost, yeah?”
“I was. I’m going to make it up to you, Hermosa. Until then, I want to speak to you daily. I want to know how you are, about your day, what color panties you’re wearing, and a picture of you in those panties.”
Light laughter brought him a smile. Imagining her in bed lying on her side, eyes closed with the phone resting against her face was pleasing. To join her would have been ten times better.
“I’ll think about that last part.”
“Don’t turn into a prude on me, now.”
She laughed again, and he could envision her shaking her head. “I said I’m going to think about it, not I’m becoming a nun.”
“Sounds the same to me.”
“You’re a brat, Donovan.”
“But am I going to get my way?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Are you home?” He picked up on her failed attempt to muffle a yawn and wanted to lie.
“I’m still in the truck. I’ll go in as soon as we hang up.”
“Nope,” she yawned again. “I’m staying on the phone until you make it inside.” Her concern meant the world to him.
For a while, he sat there, smiling. Once he realized it, he got out, went inside, and set the alarm. “I’m in, hermosa.”
“Good. Tell me a bedtime story.”
He could hear her smiling and did the same. “We talking three bears, princess in a tower, or x-rated?”
“Either. I need your voice a little longer so I can stop worrying enough to sleep.”
“Worrying about?”
“Losing my newest best friend before I’m able to enjoy him.”
Even if he wanted to withdraw from this situation, he couldn’t. This woman with a hardened heart and thick armor had her hooks in him. There was no way to fight it.
“I’m not going anywhere, Hermosa,” he whispered. “Ok, I got one. Once upon a time—” giggles cut him off. “Ma’am.”
“I’m sorry. Please, continue.”
“In a city filled with smog and monsters, a scarred man named X bumped into a special woman named Peaches.” Eden giggled again and almost threw him off. “Initially, he saw Peaches as out of his league. Her skin was smooth as silk and as enticing as a golden sunset. So taken by this woman’s beauty, he worked up the nerve to speak to her. When she smiled at him, she took his breath away, but behind her smile, he saw sadness. How could a woman so beautiful with a smile bright enough to illuminate the world be so sad, he wondered. It turns out, Peaches was scarred just like X. Only, hers were on the inside.”
Pausing to get out of his clothes, Donny laid back on his bed and continued.
“Something about Peaches stirred his soul. No matter what he told himself, he couldn’t stop thinking ab
out her. After a while, he didn’t want to stop. One day X went to her and explained the origin of his scars. Instead of running away from him, Peaches bared her soul and shared her pain. From that point forward, X deemed himself her protector. He told himself he’d go to war for her. So every sunrise, he opened his eyes with one mission in mind. To see Peaches and live for her smile because he was falling in love with her.”
The other side of the line was quiet, aside from the sound of steady breathing. Just as he was about to hang up, Eden’s voice stilled him.
“Peaches, the scarred woman, cherished the beautiful man knows as X, for he taught her how to smile and made her want to live. You forgot that part.”
Donny chuckled, holding his hand over his heart as if it would slow the beating. “My mistake, hermosa. Get some sleep for me?”
“Ok. You, too.”
“I will. Sweet dreams.”
“Night, Prince Charming X.”
He laughed to himself, keeping the phone to his ear until he heard the call end. He stayed in that position until thoughts of Eden drowned out everything worrying him. Although things were getting dark, she was undoubtedly his light.
Donny assumed the distance would only be necessary for a couple of weeks. A month went by, and they were coming up on a second. The video calls, picture mail, and late-night talks were the highlight of his day, but not enough. Especially after the picture she’d just sent to him.
He looked up at the men and women sitting at the long table with him. The meeting technically ended minutes before, but as usual, they liked to sit and discuss their latest assignments. Since it was always lighthearted and mostly comical, Donny allowed it. To ensure there was a relaxed atmosphere among his employees, he exchanged stories of his own. Today, he couldn’t focus.
