“I’ll take my chances?—”
“No, you will not. You will not endanger yourself. I won’t allow it.”
“You don’t get to decide. Why does it even matter to you?”
“I don’t need your death on my conscience,chiquita.”
“I’m not your problem, Pablo. I don’t matter to you. You’re just worried it’ll be bad for business. You’ll have to find someone new to develop the product, and that’ll cost you.”
I take a step toward him, closing the gap he made when he let go of me. I don’t realize I’m doing it until the tips of our shoes touch. We stare at each other for a moment before his hand fists my hair, and his arm wraps around my waist. He pulls me against him, and I clutch his shirt. His mouth crashes down on mine, and I open to him without resistance.
What the fuck, Florencia?
One moment, you’re refusing to consider the common sense he speaks, and the next you want to jump his fucking bones.
I’m completely consumed by the kiss as his tongue slides into my mouth. I open wider to him, and his hand glides down to my ass. He squeezes hard enough to bring me onto my toes. I press my pussy against his dick, and I want to rub when I feel how hard and long he is. His other hand continues to hold my head in place, but rather than fist my hair, he cradles my skull.
As the kiss draws on, that hand eases down my neck to my breast. He cups it, and I arch my back with a moan. His lips follow the same path his hand took as he kisses behind my ear and down my neck before traveling back to where he started.
“Now I’m definitely not letting you decide.”
Before I know what he’s doing, he hoists me over his shoulder.
“Pablo!”
I try to kick my legs, but he wraps his arm around the back of my thighs. I liked it far more when it was around my waist. I slap his back before pushing up to grab a handful of his hair. I don’t mean it to be erotic as fuck like it was when he had his hand in my hair. I pull hard, and all I get is another three spanks across my ass. He carries me into my bedroom and dumps me on my bed.
“Unless you want me to pack for you, pick what you need for the next week.”
“You’re insane if you think I’m going anywhere with you. I don’t know you, but I know your reputation.”
“The one I’ve justly earned. I warned you,chiquita. I will kill mytío abueloif he hurts you. Do you want his death on your conscience? You want the death of any more mercenaries on your shoulders? I’ve killed for you already, and I’ll keep doing it. If you want me to stop, then you come with me to a safe house where no one can find you.”
“I didn’t ask you to kill anyone!”
“You don’t strike me as being ready to die, so stop refusing help when it’s offered.”
“I don’t trust you. How do I know you won’t do worse to me than Humberto?”
“Because I don’t rape women or allow my men to. Because I don’t torture or kill women. Because I’m not my fuckingtío abuelo.”
He’s pissed I compared him to Humberto again. He takes it as a slight against his honor. It’s not just anger; it’s hurt I see. I get that now. He may bully me, but he doesn’t want me to see him the same way I do Humberto. He’s doing it because he wants to protect me and because I am being stubborn. Humberto does it to silence me and demean me.
“Pablo, breaking into my apartment and barking orders doesn’t make me trust you, even if you aren’t like him. Where will you send me? How long do I have to be there? Why does it matter to you? How can I be certain your offer will keep me safer than going to my family? How do I know you won’t do something to me, even if it isn’t rape, torture, or murder? I don’t know you. I’m not going anywhere with a stranger.”
He leans forward, and his hands bracket my hips. I lean back, but we’re still nose to nose. I don’t stop him when his lips pressto mine. This isn’t like the kiss from a couple of minutes ago. It’s gentle. I don’t resist this any more than I did the last one.
How can I trust him to touch me?
Why would I have sex with him right now if I could, yet I refuse to believe he’s here to help me? Because you don’t believe he’s above seducing you to get what he wants. You might enjoy fucking him, but you won’t give in to his demands.
You wouldn’t give in even if he said please. You’d be batshit bonkers to go anywhere with him voluntarily.
“Florencia, please. There were five men here when I arrived. I recognized all of them. They were all mercenaries. I know Humberto put the bounty out for you. There will only be more, and it may not just be men. Many women might try, assuming you’ll lower your guard around them. That you’d be likely to trust them and be an easy mark.”
“Your family left here because they don’t have a record for surviv?—”
“Do not finish that thought.” His voice is a gravelly whisper.
