Page 55 of Betrayed

“I’m seeing that. And Arturo, well... He makes me feel alive again. I didn’t think it was possible.”

“Are you in love with him?”

“It’s soon, and I’m trying to go slow—although I’m not sure Arturo has that speed—but I think I’m halfway there, Lex. Truly.”

She hugged her. “I’m so happy for you. Does this mean you’ll hang around afterward sometimes? Arturo likes to dance, as you know. I saw you two putting on a show the other night. And if you like music, Elena and her band are awesome. Plus, you need your girls, and by that, I mean other submissives. These men we’ve latched onto are bigger than life. You need sisters to help keep you from getting squished. We’ll help you navigate around the pitfalls. Believe me, we all have needed support at one time or another.”

“Derek and I were loners. He didn’t want anyone to know about our lifestyle, but watching all of you at the club, and seeing the friendship and support you give each other, I think we really missed out.”

“You were isolated. That can be scary when you’re starting out.”

“I wasn’t scared so much as, I don’t know, embarrassed. Derek was, too, and he worried that if others found out... Well, it would have been nice to know there were others out there besides us who were as bent as we were.”

“Jonas believes a community is essential and I’ve come to see that, too. It becomes rather like family. You look out for one another. It’s like that at Club Decadence, but when you add the Rossi bunch on top of that, well, someone is always in your corner. Which isn’t always a good thing, honey. These doms stick together and tell each other everything.”

“But Arturo doesn’t work for Rossi, does he?”

Her eyes got wide. “Uh, well, I guess you’re right. He’s in the business, though, so you know.”

She frowned. “No, I don’t know. What do you mean the business?”

“Hey, sunshine! My sweet tooth is killing me. Are you coming out, or are you two gonna hang in the kitchen gabbing all night?”

“Coming,” she called, leading Mari out onto the deck. And she swore she saw relief on Lexie’s pretty face. There was something she knew but wasn’t telling her.

Once outside, Arturo took the bowl and cream from her then rubbed the cold spot the can made on her arm. When he settled back in his chair, he surprised her by pulling her into his lap.

“Time for a little payback,” he said, curling his arms around her hips. “This time, you feed me dessert,minou.”

She accepted the heaping dish from Lexie and snuggled against his chest, alternating bites on the same spoon between them. Her conversation with Lexie lingered in her thoughts until Arturo’s wandering hands and sweet-tasting lips pushed it to the back of her mind.

* * *

IT WAS APPROACHINGmidnight when they entered the third-floor guestroom that offered a sweeping view of the gulf during the day and a moonlit seascape at night. Arturo closed the door behind them and gathered her close as she stifled a sleepy yawn.

“Tired?”

“Sun and sea air always do it to me. I’m not sure why.”

His phone buzzed in his pocked. It was a prearranged text from Jonas, providing him an excuse to slip away. “Why don’t you get ready for bed while I return this call? I’ll try to make it brief.”

She nodded with a drowsy smile, gathered the things she needed from her suitcase, and walked into the ensuite bathroom. While she was occupied, he stepped out onto the balcony as if to make his call. He felt like a real shit for deceiving her.

A throat clearing made him look up. Jonas was standing on the balcony at the other end of the house. He said nothing, simply looked at him, giving his silent support. Arturo repeated in his head; priority one, clearing her name.

After lifting his chin in acknowledgement, he turned back inside. Mari was just climbing into bed.

“I hate to do this to you,minou,but I must leave for a while to take care of something urgent.”

“Business?” she asked, blinking up at him like a drowsy kitten.

“Yes, it shouldn’t take too long.”

“Exactly what do you do, Arturo? You never said.”

“Security and investigations, mostly.” Which was true but evasive.

“Like Jonas does for Rossi?”

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