Page 21 of Valentine's with the Cartel

I snorted, unconvinced by his excuses. He thought I cared about his family? "Poor you," I sneered. "Didn't you realize you were just a pawn to them? They never had any intention of keeping their end of the bargain."

As I interrogated him further, demanding names and locations and every scrap of information he possessed about my enemy, I found myself glancing at my watch more and more often, counting down the minutes until I could return to Anan.

By the time we had wrung all the useful intelligence out of the man and left him bloody and broken in our wake, over an hour had passed since I had left our bedroom. No doubt my omega was starting to worry about my delay, especially given the intimate celebration that awaited us upon my return.

Pushing the prisoner's fate from my mind for now, I hurried out of the warehouse and back to my car, barking orders to my team as I went about securing the site and neutralizing any potential evidence.

"I'll meet you back at HQ in two hours," I instructed Diego briskly as he moved to secure the captured man. "You know what to do."

Then I was behind the wheel of my car, peeling out of the warehouse lot with tires squealing against the asphalt as I raced back toward the mansion and the promise of Anan waiting for me there.

As I drove, I reflected on how swiftly the night had gone from a passionate reunion to an ugly reminder of the ongoing cartel war. It was a stark juxtaposition that left me feelingrestless and on edge even as anticipation built in my gut at the thought of returning to my omega's side.

And when I strode back into our bedroom mere minutes later, a fierce grin splitting my face as I took in the sight of him sprawled across our bed amidst a sea of chocolate wrappers, crushed flower petals, and scattered cards, I knew he felt the same.

"I thought you might have forgotten about me," Anan teased as he beckoned me closer with an outstretched hand. "But then someone came with these delightful surprises for me." He held up a handful of the truffles and roses before popping one into his mouth with a wicked wink.

I couldn't help but laugh at his antics, marveling once more at how easily he could charm me even when I was on edge from dealing with cartel business. It was a refreshing change that I never thought I'd want as badly as I did now.

"I may have underestimated just how much of a sweet tooth you possess," I mused as I settled myself on the edge of the bed beside him, plucking a rose from the bunch and twirling it between my fingers. "But don't let it go to your head or you'll be finding out firsthand exactly what this alpha does with an overindulgent omega."

Anan's eyes widened at the threat, a flash of excitement sparking in their depths before he caught himself and tossed me a playful smile instead.

"Promises, promises," he singsonged back at me before reaching out to loop his arms around my neck. "Now are you going to ravish me with your mouth or just keep teasing?"

I growled low in my throat, a purely animalistic sound of approval as I surged forward, capturing Anan's lips with mine in a brutal kiss that stole the very air from his lungs. He tasted divine and I couldn't get enough.

Chapter 13

Anan

The sharp rap of knuckles against the bedroom door startled us apart, a breathless moan spilling from my lips as I struggled to regain my equilibrium. What was going on? I asked myself before realizing what it might be.

Rafael's gaze flicked towards the entrance, narrowing as he clearly debated whether to ignore the interruption in favor of continuing what we were doing.

But then another, more insistent pounding sounded and he released me with a groan of frustration, striding towards the door with obvious reluctance. He hated it as much as me.

"What is it?" He barked sharply as he threw it open, revealing a tense-faced butler standing anxiously in the hallway beyond. I felt sorry for him. I wouldn't want an angry alpha glaring at me.

"The masseur has arrived, sir," the servant stammered out hurriedly, eyes darting between Rafael and me where I still lay sprawled on the bed. "Everything you requested for the massage is set up in your private spa suite." His gaze lingered just amoment too long on my nude form before hastily averting, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

I flushed hotly myself, remembering that we had left the door unlocked in our haste to reconnect after Rafael's unexpected departure. And of course I was completely exposed, skin glistening with sweat and desire.

But even as mortification threatened to swamp me, anticipation also surged through my veins at the mention of the massage awaiting us. I had, however, thought it was going to happen in this room, but maybe I had misheard. In any case, it didn't matter.

The special oils, the promise of Rafael's hands on my bare flesh once more—I shuddered just thinking about it.

"Well?" Rafael growled at the butler, clearly growing frustrated with the continued delay. "I'm sure you have more important things to do than lurk outside my bedroom door." There was a definite edge to his voice that made it very clear he expected the servant to scurry away posthaste. I did, too.

And indeed he did, bowing quickly before turning on his heel and hurrying off down the hall. I couldn't help but smirk at Rafael's commanding presence even as my heart raced with anticipation for what was to come. I just couldn't help but wonder what it was going to be like.

"So," I murmured once we were alone again, struggling to sit up amongst the tangled sheets even as I kept my eyes fixed hungrily on him. "This spa suite of yours... What exactly are the amenities there?"

Rafael quirked one brow at me in mocking surprise, moving towards the bed with a predatory roll of his hips that made my mouth go dry.

"Why don't you come find out for yourself, little omega?" He purred silkily, holding out a hand in blatant invitation. "I promise I'll guide you through it all."

As much as I wanted to stay in the relative safety of our bed, I found myself drawn towards Rafael like a moth to a flame. Not to mention, I was the one who brought up the massage with special oils.

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