Page 75 of Café Diablo

“Here’s what I need you to know,” she says delicately, her hands moving from my chest to cup the sides of my face, keeping me trained on her kind eyes. “I’m not going to leave tonight.” She holds my gaze, waiting, making sure I feel the full significance of that comment. “I understand that a piece of your world fell apart, but I’m not going to bail on you simply because it’s complicated.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Edwin, stop!” She puts her thumb over my mouth. “Stop trying to pretend you’re strong and invincible and you don’t need anyone.”

She holds my gaze, not faltering when the discomfort of all of my anger and instincts heats my face. My impulse is to lash out and say something unkind, but she holds my head steady and keeps talking.

“Of course, I don’t have to stay,” she says calmly. “And it’s easy to push me away and reinforce all of your fears by letting me go. Hell, by suggesting I go, it allows you to feel vindicated and chivalrous, so you can keep the illusion that you have some sort of control over what’s happening.” Her thumb moves off my lips and starts to stroke my cheek. “But I wantto stay. You hear me? I want to. I’m not going to leave.”

My jaw grits, my teeth clenching at what she’s saying, but she cups my face more firmly.

“Nope,” she pushes back against my resistance. “You don’t get to sit in that circle of self-pity and reject what I’m saying simply because your father’s an asshole. I’m not your father, and I won’t leave you high and dry on this bed handcuffed and abandoned. I promised I will figure out a way to get these off you”—her hands wrap around my steel covered wrists—“and I will. Then, I’m going to lie down next to you and hold you all night until your heart calms down and stops making you think you aren’t the most perfect and amazing human being that you are.”

She looks at me for a long time with her brown eyes sparkling and determined, as if she can burrow all the things she’s said into me with mere intention. My jaw stays clenched, tight with rejection and not wanting to listen, but she leans in and kisses me to soften that knot of disbelief that runs through all of my muscles.

“Being with you wasnever a pity fuck, Edwin.” Olivia’s body starts to move as her mouth brushes my lips, her hips undulating hotly, waking me again. “Being with you has always been because I am in complete awe.” Her hands slide down my neck and dig into the fists of my shoulders. “Yes, I push your buttons, Edwin,” she whispers, her fingers unraveling me. “And yes, you also push mine. Maybe that’s because we are already so perfect for each other, we’re already in alignment. Or maybe, it’s because I’m so stupidly head over heels in love with you that I want every hot, angry, infuriating moment.”

My eyes flash to hers, my adrenaline spiking.

“That’s right, Edwin. You heard me,” she says, her own body tightening with her admission. “You may not be ready to trust me, but I know what my heart wants. And if you haven’t learned yet, I’m that wild girl who wasn’t afraid to take you down her throat the first day we met. I go after what I want.”

Her mouth covers me.

Her body covers me.

Her arms wrap around my neck and we burn so hot that I think the entire universe winds tight with our fervor.

She reaches between us and strokes my cock, making me curse.

“Jesus Christ!” I pull back to glare at her, but she smiles even wider, my annoyed reaction only making her hotter and more determined. Her fist clasps around my girth and I’m hard, twitching in the hot warmth of her hand as she strokes me several more times.

“Olivia, you can’t just—”

“Edwin!” she scolds, her tits searing up my chest. “I’m not going to fuck you and walk out on you. Haven’t you been listening? In fact, I’m not about to fuck you at all.”

I shake my head and start to speak, but her mouth is on my mouth, her breath on my breath. She steals all of my words and eats them.

“Edwin,” she breathes heavily, panting as she strokes my shaft and builds my delirium. “Actually,Ned.”

“Ned?” I quirk to look at her. My nickname on her lips sounds absolutely absurd. “You’re calling me Ned, now?”

“Don’t you think Edwin is too formal?”

“I like it when you call me Edwin.”

“Yeah, I know.” She nods. “But maybe I should start calling you Ned if I’m going to make love to you.” She lifts her hips and suddenly my cock is at her entrance.

“Olivia, woah—!”

I jolt forward—shocked, turned on—my fingers gripping the handcuffs angrily and clanging.

“Wait, wait—” I rasp out, the tip of my cock snug against her aching wetness. God, all I’d have to do is lift my hips and all her silken warmth would sheath me. “I—I—” I’m not even sure what I want right now, other than the fact that this is happening too fast, and I’m out of control, and I’ve barely had a chance to register her saying the L-word, before she’s threatening to—

I gasp and gobble down air, tripping for words.

“Condom,” I finally manage, nodding to the bedside table. She moves off of me momentarily to retrieve it, looking straight into my eyes as she opens the packet and rolls it down my aching member. “And, I want my hands,” I say, as she repositions herself.

Olivia reaches up and puts each of her palms flat against mine, pressing them back against the headboard. “You don’t need your hands, Ned,” she says softly, her mouth swooping forward to hover over mine. “I know you want them so you can have some say over what’s about to happen.” Her hot breath rolls down my throat. “So, let me tell you, so you feel more comfortable with letting go.”

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