I looked up at him like I didn’t have the faintest clue what he was rambling about.
“Are you trying to reconcile it or something? Convince yourself it’s not happening?” He smiled cheekily.
My impatience was growing by the second. “Spit out what you’re trying to say.”
“You’ve said two words at lunch.” He waved to my food. “You’ve barely eaten. I’ve never known you to leave food on your plate.”
“I had a big breakfast.”
A shit-eating grin spread across his face, but his victory was short-lived. Whatever he saw in my expression stole his joy. His eyes widened and he shook his head.
“Are you okay?”
I never answered him, and in truth, I don’t know if I’m okay, not now as I’m on my knees in front of Isabel, feeling like she’s already slipping through my fingers even while I can still feel her,tasteher.
I can’t make it to my bedroom. I pull down her panties and unzip my suit pants and we tear at each other with an eagernessthat terrifies me. We let the passion bleed out of us in that darkened hallway and I feel split in half by it, by her.
I lock our fingers together and drag her hands up over her head, holding her captive like that so I can look down into her eyes and search for truths lurking in their depths. She closes her eyes and looks away like she’s trying to shut herself off from me.
Stay.
I sink into her until I’m seated all the way and then I hold still, feeling my body shiver with a wild rush of pleasure.
Stay.
I draw out and pin her hips to the wall, slowly repeating the same maddening process, watching her every little reaction, her pink lips parting, her soft inhale, her eyes partially closed and drugged with need. I kiss her and her arms wrap possessively around my neck, gathering me even closer. She’s shaking as I hold her steady, trying to sate my insatiable craving for her.
I know I’m not wearing a condom, and it kills me to have to pull out of her.
“No,” she begs, gripping my backside.
I smile and murmur warnings in Spanish. She shakes her head and tilts her hips, seating herself on me again, forcing the issue.
“I’m on the pill, justplease.”
“Joder.”
My self-control melts away in an instant, all of it—gone. I pump into her with such rapid strokes I’m scared I might hurt her. Her nails dig into my skin and her head tips back against the wall as her eyes squeeze closed. She bites her lip, but I still hear her stifled cries.
My hips don’t slow even as I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and press my lips to her pulse. Her breathing is so hard, so quick. I can feel our hearts thundering together. She turns her head, her lips collide into mine, and then at once, the pleasure is blinding, all-consuming. I fill her and she whimpers. I kiss her and plead with her: “Stay.”
I finally say the word out loud, hoping it might convince her. She can’t go back to California.
She opens her eyes and looks at me, then leans in for another kiss.
“Stay,” I whisper.
I feel her wistful smile. “C’mon, let’s go take a bath.”
Later that night, I’m drawn out of sleep. Pale light from the full moon filters through the thin drapes and I’m about to drift back off when a hushed voice carries in from the hallway. I glance back to see Isabel’s side of the bed is empty and my bedroom door is slightly ajar.
“I already said I’m sorry I didn’t answer earlier,” Isabel says, sounding distressed. “I was—”
I sit up and throw off my blankets, already standing to go to her.
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ll get there as soon as I can.Please… Mom…”
I open the door and Isabel whips around to face me with tear tracks down her cheeks and sorrow marring her features. She shakes her head in warning and turns away, giving me her back. She’s not dressed. Earlier, after our bath, we fell into bed together. Now, she hunches her shoulders, concealing her nakedness from me, embarrassed by it.
