Page 121 of Deep In Love
There’s this throbbing in my chest, a small kernel of heat lodged in my diaphragm. It flares when Mateo enters a room or calls me bruja.
I’ve sat on the feeling, trying to uncover every intricate layer, but I don’t think it’s something meant to understand, at least notfully. Love is meant to be felt. It is meant to be given and received without judgment or forced reciprocity.
Before Mateo, love was obligatory. Amy loves me because we’re best friends; my family loves me because we’re related. It’s never felt like someone loved me simply because they could, and I had neverfallenin love with somebody. Uncovered small pieces of a person until they became a work of patchwork art.
There’s so much I still don’t know, like how he celebrates holidays or if he has any superstitions. If it was possible, I would enter his mind through his nose and go on an expedition like Charles Darwin, learning and uncovering everything unknown to me. Like Osmosis Jones, minus the evil bacteria.
I’m not convinced I’m not insane for telling a man I’m in love with him after only a few weeks, but there’s a fine line between love and hate, and I’ve walked the line for so long it was an easy push.
His fingers are in my hair, tangled in the strands, as he works down my neck, peppering kisses against my skin, pausing to nip at my small scar.
“Say it again,” he demands, his grip tightening around my hair until the column of my throat is exposed.
“Won’t it get old if I say it too much?” I tease, grinding my hips against his dick, which is begging for freedom.
“Never.”
“I love you.”
The words give meaning to the sensation in my chest. There’s another living presence lodged there, right beside my heart. It’s where Mateo has taken root in my soul.
He pounces the moment the words are out, and the kiss is primal—it’s overflowing with emotion, with words unsaid, but I understand every one, like a secret language between only us.
“I need you,” he whimpers, andholy fuck,I don’t think I’ll ever hear anything hotter than Mateo begging. His hand slips under thedress and between my thighs, dragging a finger along my soaked panties. “So wet for me.”
“Mateo.”
He pushes the thin fabric to the side, plunging a finger inside me, and a loud moan tumbles from my lips.
“You need to be quiet, bruja, or we’re going to get caught.”
It’s that comment that clears the haze enough to recognize that anyone could walk up the stairs to the top deck and catch us. A tingle travels down my spine, my core clenching.
“Oh, that excites you,” he murmurs, adding another finger as he increases his pace.
I scramble at his belt and zipper, tugging at his belt loops so he lifts his hips. I slide his pants down just enough to free his erection.
There’s no lead up as I reposition myself over his lap and guide him until his tip is pressing against me. He slips inside me easily, stretching me until I’m fully seated and have to take a moment to breathe. His hips thrust upward, and I have to bite down on his shoulder to suppress the small scream that wants to escape.
The angle is glorious, but his pace is tortuous—slow, deep thrusts, both too much and not enough.
“More,” I demand. His chuckle is sinful, and his movements stop. “That’s the opposite of what I asked,” I growl.
I’m on the precipice of a mind-blowing orgasm; this is not the time to stop.
“If you want it, take it, bruja.”
He leans back on the deck chair, his arms folded behind his head and a mirthful smile on his lips. His pupils are blown, hair unruly. Mateo looks undone, and it only pushes me closer to the edge.
I sway my hips, back and forth, palms pressed against his thighs for leverage as I take what I want, and he watches like I’m the center of the universe—his point of gravity.
“You’re so beautiful,” he praises. “Look how you take my cock so well.”
He sits forward to lift the hem of my dress, guiding my gaze to where we meet. His finger brushes against my clit, and I nearly levitate from the sudden zap of pleasure. His touch is feather soft, and I begin to unravel, my movements choppy, breath labored.
“O-oh,fuck.”
Stars flicker across my vision as he pistons into me.
