Page 37 of The Devil's Pawn

Her beauty, those deep brown eyes…they fuel me like no one before her. The attraction between us lights me on fire, and I can’t deny it’s there, burning through my walls.

She has no idea I have cameras all around, including in the bedroom we share. She doesn’t know how much I enjoy watching her whenever I’m at work, like I’m doing right now in my office.

Raquel walks out of the shower completely naked, the ends of her dried hair dipping to her ass. I grow harder, my cock surging to move inside her the way my fingers did last night.

She felt damn good and tasted like heaven, and every time she said my name, it made me want to make her come all over again. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

My door opens unexpectedly, and I fumble with my phone like I was caught doing something bad. And I guess I was.

“What you got there?” Enzo wags his brows as he strides inside. “Watching porn on the job again?” He tsks, sitting down on the seat across from my desk. “Don’t make me report you to the boss.”

“Is he even here?” I ask about Dom, who’s the CEO of the hotel chain Tomás used to run before his death.

Enzo and I are on the board of the company, and all three of us also co-own the nightclubs we started together.

“Nah. He’s probably torturing Chiara again,” he chuckles. “I really can’t believe she doesn’t know who he is. I bet she’d remember me though.”

He says it like he was some hot shit back then.

“You were barely in puberty. You didn’t even have hair on your balls then, baby bro. She wouldn’t know who the fuck you were.”

We’re lucky we never came face-to-face with her at the strip club she runs. But that place is so dark and creeping with so many people, it was highly unlikely.

“Screw you, man.” Enzo’s shoulders rattle with a snicker. “You sound bitter as hell. I’m sorry if you’re not getting any pussy, but don’t take it out on me.”

“I get all the pussy I need.”

“Really?” He rubs his palms together. “Finally, this conversation just got interesting.”

I crush a paper in my palm, one intended for the trash, and toss it at his head. “I’m not telling you shit. Get out of here and go work or something.”

“I’m done, actually. I was heading out in a bit.” He gets to his feet. “Marissa texted for a quickie.”

“Which one is she?”

“The one with the pink highlights, or whatever that shit is called.”

“All you had to say is the one who gave you head in the VIP room.”

He bursts out laughing, and I do too, remembering that night filled with too much booze and too many women. It was weeks ago, but it might as well be a lifetime.

“All right, I gotta get out of here too,” I tell him, putting away the files I was working on and following him out of the office.

“Have fun with Marissa,” I throw over my shoulder as he heads toward his car.

“Have fun with Raquel.” He smirks knowingly.

I plan to.

* * *

RAQUEL

I decide to take a pre-dinner dip in the pool. The days are still in the low seventies, which is my perfect weather. I hate the New York summer heat and humidity, and so does my hair.

Dante’s men pay me no mind as I strut out the door to the pool, but I know they’re aware of everything as they stand there like statues. It’s weird. I’m not used to it at all, but at least I feel safe knowing they can protect me if the need comes.

I don’t know what my father will do if he finds me before I can get away. It’s probably nothing compared to what Carlito will do. I don’t think my father would physically hurt me, but I can only guess how mad he is. I’m sure he has men out searching for me, with Carlito leading the pack. My dad is very protective of his family name—all my uncles are—and I bet once he found out his precious, dutiful daughter ran away so she could avoid marriage to a man he deemed her match, his head was rolling.

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