His hand slides under my shorts and finds my wet pussy. I whimper and arch my back, wanting more. I ache for him to go deeper, but he holds his hand, not taking it away but not moving it deeper inside.

“I didn’t come here for this. I came here to just be with you, Dulce,” he says, rubbing my arousal over my clit.

His eyes dip between my legs, holding his bottom with his teeth.

I grind my hips, and he smiles. “Do you want to come?”

I nod because words have failed me and are stuck in my throat with the moan that wants to escape.

He leans over me, his finger swirling around my clit, flicking it back and forth, causing my climax to build. His other hand is flat on the mattress, muscles bulging beside my head.

“Show me?” he whispers near my ear.

I rub my pussy on his hand, and he matches my rhythm. His eyes watch me lose control until I come on a whimper. Flashing lights explode behind my eyes as I ride the wave. He covers my mouth with the palm of his hand. My eyes fly open, realizing thatmy grandmother or Mary could hear me and know what is going on in my bedroom.

He chuckles lightly near my ear. “Imagine if I was inside you, gorgeous. Everyone would know.”

23

FORD

Iwalk into Trent’s garage after I checked out of the seedy hotel and head upstairs to the spare room he offered, ignoring him as he watches NASCAR reruns.

“Busy night?” he asks, staring at the TV, and then takes a drag of his beer.

I smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

He nods, holding his beer in the air by the neck. “Want one?”

“I’m good.”

I’m almost to the top by the door when he asks, “You fucked her yet?”

I pause. “Be very careful and specific about who you’re referring to, or that mug you have for a face will be a permanent one.”

After a long pull, I can hear the smack of his lips. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Well, get used to it. You keep her name and any of your crass bullshit out of your piehole. What I do with her is none of your fucking business.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m worried you’re going a little too fast.”

I turn around, taking the steps two at a time, jumping on the last two, and getting in his face. “FAST FOR WHAT?” I grip his shirt in my fist. “You’re going all sentimental on me, Trent? Did you consider that when you abandoned her on the side of the road?”

He swallows visibly, then winces. I’m choking him with his shirt, wanting nothing more than to squeeze the life out of him for what he and Chris did. I’m sure if I wasn’t a celebrity and didn’t have so many eyes on me, I would have killed him, tied him and Chris to the fucking tires of their precious cars, and lit them on fire for what they did to her. But I have to find something—or rather, someone else. Her true attacker.

Leaving her asleep on her bed was one of the hardest things I had to do. Before leaving, I checked her monitor to make sure her grandmother was stable.

I wanted nothing more than to go back to Dulce’s room, crawl in her small bed, and fuck her. Eat her pussy like a fucking buffet.

“I-I know, Ford,” he stammers. I can see the terror in his eyes. He’s afraid of me like he should be.

“You know what?” he says like I care what he thinks only what he did.

My anger builds to the surface when he puts in his invalid two cents, but I have to listen. Analyze every word because something is missing from this puzzle.

“She doesn’t trust easily, and you need to be careful, or you’ll lose her.” He swallows. “Forever.”

"You think I don't know that she's terrified, asshole? She has every right to ask questions and not trust anyone. What else do you know about that night?” I press.