Page 4 of Lucy and Her Wicked Three

We finally order drinks once Delaney's done chatting with complete strangers. Mateo's back to staring at his phone, likely working or doing absolutely anything to avoid being sociable. It's probably weird to some people that we fit so well together, but then, opposites do attract.

Or maybe I'm just not interesting enough to keep his attention.

I pick up my drink and down it, the muddled fruit at the bottom getting caught in my straw, so I tilt the highball glass and chew on a piece of ice, the room feeling strangely warm, my anxiety spiking for no logical reason.

Portia and I eventually discuss the photoshoot, but my focus shifts when I notice Delaney leaning toward Mateo, placing herhand on his shoulder to grab his attention. Absorbed in his phone, he takes a second to respond, then shoots her a sharp look, and she slowly removes her hand.

I think she's asking Mateo about the stock market since she recently invested, but I can't make out everything she's saying, with Portia talking in my other ear.

Delaney tried to persuade me to get Mateo to accept her as a client, but I repeatedly reminded her that his job didn't work that way; he worked with huge corporations. Even if he were to help a friend, it wouldn't be her. Though I would never tell her that, I wouldn't want to hurt her feelings.

But she's been annoyingly fixated on Mateo over the last few months, and I wonder if this is just another ploy to get close to him.

My chest pinches while Portia gapes at Delaney. We share a knowing look, and I can tell Mateo's doing his best to be nice—for me, I imagine—but there's a line, and she's pushing it. I don't appreciate the way Delaney leans forward, her low-cut dress spilling her chest into his face, or how she giggles and leans closer, lowering her voice to speak into his ear. She can't possibly be asking him about her financial portfolio, can she?

Mateo grunts in discomfort, shooting me a pleading look. His fuse is short, and I can tell he's ready to snap at her, even if she hasn't technicallydone anything wrong. I hop up off my stool. "Well, y'all, it's been a crazy long day, and I'm about to fall over."

I reach my hand out, and Mateo takes it, climbing out of his stool. He digs a few hundreds out of his wallet and tosses them on the table to cover everyone's drinks and then some.

"Thanks again for today, babe." I lean forward and kiss Portia on the cheek.

"Love you, Lu. I'll see you at brunch Sunday. Don't forget, we're doing that photoshoot after."

"Oh, I might join you guys for that," Delaney adds, her attention back to her phone.

"For sure, D. Love you," I lean forward, and she drops her phone, returning my cheek kiss.

Clutching Mateo's hand in mine, we make our way out into the early spring evening, a hint of humidity trapping the scent of hot dogs, kebabs, and car exhaust fumes all around us. Mateo flags down the next yellow cab that moves toward us, and we head home.

Chapter 2

Lucy

I don't remember falling asleep. We got home last night and barely reached the bedroom before Mateo freed me of the romper, grumbling about how to take off the stupid thing, making me laugh.

With a fierce kiss, he worked my body like we'd been apart for years. It was one of those nights he didn't hold back at first.

Wrapping a hand around my throat, he gently squeezed, fucking me hard and fast, almost punishing, forcing me to submit. My self-doubt and anxiety dissolved with each heavy thrust, giving me a glimpse of the real Mateo, the one he keeps hidden.

Like all previous times, though, his grip eventually loosened. He eased his weight off me, letting my head fill again with unnecessary bullshit because I'm too embarrassed to admit what I want.

More.

Harder, faster, rougher.

I want his weight holding me down, forcing me to stop thinking. I want him to tie me up, to restrain my limbs so I can squirm and struggle against his strength.

If only we had better communication, if I was more confident and less anxious, if he could spend more time with me… maybe Icould figure out what's wrong between us, or why he holds back. Maybe I could admit that I want the darkness I know he's hiding.

Truthfully, my sex life has always been a little vanilla. I hadn't thought much about it before. I rarely came with penetrative sex unless I helped myself, and it was often missionary, quick and simple.

But then I met Mateo, and it didn't matter if we were having lazy Sunday morning sex or a can't-keep-our-hands-off-each-other fuck fest; I always come, and it's always amazing.

Even though he holds himself back, our sex life is great.

I've tried things with Mateo I never knew I wanted. He spent weeks prepping my ass for anal sex. It was my first time, and he only admitted to wanting it in the heat of lust one night, and I thought: hellyes,I want that.

It made my imagination go wild, thinking about all the other things we could try. But he never pushed past what we've done, and I'm too chicken-shit to ask for more.

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