Page 69 of Dina's Favorite Mistake

He lost it. He saw stars. The risky request was just taboo enough to set him off without warning.

She kissed him, claiming his mouth with a kiss so tender it made his eyes sting. He shuddered between her legs, thrusting shallow and fast as he spilled his seed. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder and closed his eyes. She embraced him, holding him close and combing her fingers through his hair in the most soothing way.

“You keep that up I’m going to fall asleep, darlin’,” he warned.

She brushed her lips along his temple. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Iwish we’d gotten some closure,” Dina said later as they cuddled in bed. She had one bare leg draped over his and rested her cheek against his chest. It felt a little strange to be discussing her dead ex while naked in bed with Steve, but she sensed they both wanted to talk about it.

“Well, I had low expectations when I was sent here to liaise on his recapture,” Steve admitted. “I hoped I’d get a chance to talk to him, to get answers to questions that have haunted me since I was a kid, but I didn’t count on it. I figured I’d be lucky to see him caught at all.”

“I’m sorry, Steve.” She understood only too well the pain he carried all those years.

“I wish it hadn’t gone this way for Camila.” Steve heaved a tired sigh. “The last memory of her grandmother and her father, and it’s so awful and ugly.”

Dina gulped. “I hate it. I hate that he hurt her again.”

“I know.” Steve tenderly kissed the top of her head.

“And we’ll probably never get any answers about what Jose was doing,” Dina groused. “His betrayal hurts the most. He was family to us. We trusted him to protect us, and he tried to kill my daughter.”

“Money. Greed. Resentment. Take your pick.” Steve drew lazy shapes on her shoulder. “What are y’all gonna do about the rest of the team?”

“I don’t know.” Now, it was her turn to sigh tiredly. “Rafa is furious. He wants to fire everyone and clean house, start all over again. He tends to go to extremes.”

“He’s probably right.” Steve’s finger moved along her skin, leaving a trail of heat. “It’s always easier to start over, especially when you’re talking about keeping the family safe.”

“But the entire security staff? All of them out without jobs? Without benefits? As if that won’t create more enemies for us?” Dina disagreed wholly with Rafa’s desire to fire everyone. She feared it would make things worse.

“That’s a risk, yes.”

“It’s one I don’t want to take.”

“What does your mother think?”

She shifted and glanced up at him, brows arched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you and your brother might run the family business, but your mother runs the family. If you and Rafa can’t decide on what to do about security, she will.”

Dina huffed in annoyance, mostly because he was correct. “You’ve been here a week and already you’ve got our family dynamic figured out.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Steve’s hand drifted lower along her arm before sweeping up toward her breast.

She suppressed a shudder of need as his fingertips grazed her nipple. “You’re going pretty far right now.”

Steve laughed softly. “Can you blame me? I’ve finally got you back in bed. I want to enjoy every single moment we’ve got before I go.”

I wish you didn’t have to go.

She couldn’t say that, of course. She wasn’t some silly, naive girl. Steve had to go back to Dallas, and she had to focus on her daughter and the business and her family. No matter how much she wished it otherwise, this was never going to work.

But right now?

Right now, she could pretend.

***

---