Page 19 of Defy

I lay her down on the mattress, pulling my lips from her neck briefly so I can slide my shirt over my head wanting to feel her skin to skin. The movement’s far less taxing on my body than it’s been in the recent past.

“I want to spend years worshipping your body, Libby.” I feel her shudder against my fingertips as I start to trail my fingers down her thigh. She squirms beneath me, making me even harder. She’s arching her back and trying to get friction anywhere she can. I mean to simply exhale but it comes out as a possessive growl.

“I love it when you make that sound,” she says, digging her sharp nails into my exposed back. I have no condoms and who knows when she last took her birth control pill, but I’m clean and so is she, and nothing short of a tidal wave, an asteroid, or God, Himself, could stop us now.

She reaches between us and unfastens my belt in record speed. Pushing my pants down, she wraps her hand around me to guide me in, but as soon as I wasn’t constrained, I was already at her entrance. No guidance necessary.

“Fuuuck, Dominic.”

“That’s it, Princess. I’ve got you. Let me watch you fall apart.” Her whimpers grow louder as I slam into her and she bites my uninjured shoulder to stay quiet. It doesn’t take long before I feel her start to tighten around me so I graze my thumb over her clit knowing it will send her over the edge. Her staccato whimpers send me plummeting with her.

I want to stay and hold her. Embrace her. Reassure her. The last thing I want is for her to feel used but our time is truly limited tonight.

I grab a washcloth from her bathroom and clean her up.

“Let me tuck you in.” The smile she gives me is so full of trust and love and I feel so undeserving.

She brushes her teeth, puts on a nightgown and climbs under the covers. I trace the contours of her beautiful face before I lean down to give her another kiss. I’m struck by her beauty in a different way tonight. Her resilience, her honesty, her fight, they curl around me and cause my chest to constrict.

“Libby, I…” I stall but try again. These words don’t come naturally for me. I take a deep breath and get lost in her eyes. She’s the only person I’ve ever met with eyes as striking as my own. They say our eyes are the windows to our souls. Perhaps if that’s true, then this was my sign that her soul mirrors mine as well. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

She gasps quietly before a peaceful expression falls over her features. “Oh, thank God, because IknowI’m falling in love with you.”

I’m both relieved and terrified and I can’t shake the feeling that I’m going to royally fuck this up somehow.

Eight

A FIST BEATS ON MY DOOR relentlessly, pulling me from a deep sleep. I’ve slept like the dead here, despite the demons that haunt my dreams. In fact, I sincerely hope no therapist gets a hold of that last dream. I’m sure they’d have a field day trying to interpret why Libby and I were fucking while drenched in blood with bodies all around us on the ground.

My first thought at the pounding is that Luis has done something stupid again and someone needs me to bail him out, but when I rip the door open, none other than Luis, himself, is standing there with a cup of coffee and a shit-eating grin on his face. All traces of anger over last night’s dinner debacle seemingly gone.

Dressed to impress with imported name brands from head to toe and a watch that costs more than an entire Venezuelan family - minus mine - makes in a year, he says, “Come. We’re meeting with our parents so I can request,again,to have you officially instated to the security team. You’re welcome by the way.”

I have the not-so-sneaking suspicion that me being placed on the security team has less to do with Luis asking our parents and more to do with me offing Jugo Garcia’s men in the front yard, but I keep my mouth shut. Luis is more likely to talk if he feels like he’s in charge and quite frankly, I don’t give a damn who calls the shots as long as I start getting information.

But just to play along, I ask, “Why are you so adamant to give me a spot on the team? I figured you’d rather see me locked away in this room like a true prisoner.”

“People still talk about the shit you did when you were here. I knew bringing you back would be worth it. Seeing you handle your shit with the Dutch confirmed that it makes no sense wasting those talents.” It doesn’t escape my notice that he used me offing theDutchas the reason he wants me protecting him andnotthe episode where Iactuallyhad to save his life. He pauses while I take the coffee from his hand and finish getting dressed, still moving slowly, but much better every day. “Besides,” he says casually, “if you screw me over, I’ll fuck your girlfriend and make you watch.” He gives me a snort of laughter when I whip my head around, murder shining through my eyes so clearly I might as well have a ticker tape running across my forehead displaying the wordsstay away from my woman. “So much for being less obvious, Dominic. The sooner you forget about her, the better, and for the love of God, don’t let Omar see those hearts in your eyes.” His tone is light like he didn’t just threaten to fuck Libby and is just offering some brotherly advice.

Yesterday it was Camila sniffing us out. Today it’s Luis. I’ve really got to get my head in the game. Apparently, I’m not selling my playboy act well enough. My stomach churns at the prospect of having to make that role more convincing.

I’m already on thin ice with Libby as it is and this balancing act is beginning to take its toll on both of us.

“I already told you, I’m responsible for her. It has nothing to do with hearts or feelings.” I throw a shot over the bough, “Besides, it looks like I still have my touch with Camila.”

Luis gives me a tight smile and says nothing. His eyes narrow briefly but then quickly return to normal. A flash of anger? Jealousy? Unease creeps in to the pit of my stomach but there’s no time to dwell on it now.

Forty minutes later, we’re sitting with our parents on the veranda, a third cup of coffee in my hands, as Luis makes his closing argument. “Either we kill him or we make him useful, don’t you think? When I found him, he was running security. I think his previous reputation is confirmation enough that he’s good at it. There will always be others to keep him in check. Besides,” he adds, “it’s a better use for him than making him a lawn ornament for Irina and Camila,” he says as he waves a hand vaguely in the air. I’ve been trained not to miss the note of annoyance in his tone.

I’m not proud of the fact that I fucked my way through young adulthood. My life was lavish. More money, cars, and power than I knew what to do with. Second-in-command of my family’s empire, people everywhere wanted to be on my good side and everyone kissed my ass. Women flung themselves at me and I was young. The power went straight to my head… both of them.

I’m pulled back into the conversation when I hear my father’s voice but I miss the first few words.

“…already saved your ass once and he had barely been back twenty-four hours.Security detailseems a little lacking considering histalents, but what the hell, maybe it will give you two time to figure your shit out. Let’s let him start there.”

The look Omar is giving me says a lot of things. However, he makes itveryclear that if I fuck this up and they have no use for me, they’ll shoot me and throw me in the ocean to see if I can swim back to Aruba before the sharks get me as my blood stains the water.

Such a lovely couple.

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