“I’m scared, Carlos,” I finally say out loud, twisting around to fully face him. “I’m scared something bad might happen to you.”
Carlos takes my hand in his and places my palm against his chest. I feel his heart's strong but steady beat beneath my palm and raise my eyes to his.
“I’m scared too,” Carlos says softly. “But I’ll do whatever I can to come out of this in one piece. For you. For us.”
“Promise?” I ask, swallowing softly.
Carlos nods. “I promise. You won’t have to fix me a second time.”
I chuckle, and Carlos joins in, leaning in to place a kiss on my forehead. I love when he does that, somehow, it connects me to him on a deeper level.
I pounce on him so that he’s lying beneath me. Carlos barks out a surprised laugh at my move. “Well...well...” he murmurs, folding his arms beneath his head. “This is a surprise.”
“Well...,” I reply with a teasing smile, running my hands up his broad chest. “I was thinking of giving you a fix. Something...euphoric.”
Carlos’s eyes instantly darken with desire. “I’m all yours, my lady,” he says in a husky voice.
“I’m all yours.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Carlos
I look around my new office once more. Mandy’s done a great job with the interior, decorating the large space with tasteful furniture and artwork pieces. But despite it all, I still feel uneasy and suffocated.
Maybe it’s the official atmosphere, choked with rules and expectations. And workers who stare at me with fear and whisper when my back is turned. Or maybe it’s that distinct little voice telling me that I’m going to mess things up, eventually.
But thinking back to the moment before I left home, I remember Abby fussing with my tie and blinking back tears. She’d complimented on how handsome I look and whispered sinful promises in my head for my return home.
I allow a small smile at the thought. That woman is extraordinary. My woman. She’s enough reason to keep me going.
I return my attention to Mandy, who seems to have caught me zoning out. She has a slightly frustrated expression on her face as she glares quietly at me.
“I’m sorry,” I say to her with an apologetic sigh. “What were you saying?”
Mandy lets out a small huff and rolls her eyes. “Well, before you completely shut me out, I was talking about the company dinner and the guest list.”
“A company dinner?” I ask, shaking my head in confusion. “What for?”
“Well, it’s primarily to welcome you into the company and to familiarize yourself with your workers,” Mandy says with a small shrug. “But it’s also to meet possible investors and competitors in the industry. If this is going to be your life now, you have to know all the players.”
I snort softly. “I suppose corporate life is not much different from gang life. It’s all about playing your cards right.”
“I suppose you could say that,” Mandy says with a small chuckle. “Guess what? Diane is back in town. Do you remember Diane? You two were quite a match, and I remember she wasn’t quite like the other women. She was...special?”
“She was exactly like the other women,” I reply in an emotionless voice. “A meaningless fling.”
Mandy laughs like I’ve just made the funniest joke of the century. “Well...she called me the other day. She kept going on about how she misses you and all. I couldn’t give her your phone number, so I invited her to the dinner party instead.”
“You are not trying to set me up, are you?” I say, narrowing my eyes suspiciously. “Remember, I’m with Abby. She’s my woman now.” And forever, I add silently.
“Of course,” Mandy says with a quiet chuckle. “How could I ever forget that.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Abby
I glanced at Sarah and catch her looking at me funny. Again.
For the past fifteen minutes, she’s been this way, throwing funny glances at me when she thinks I’m not looking. I suppose she was still shocked after walking in on Carlos and me in a compromising position earlier. Even now, remembering that moment makes me burn with embarrassment.
I sigh softly and turn to her, folding my arms over my chest. “Okay, Sarah...out with it. You’ve been unusually quiet, and I can feel your eyes on me whenever I turn.”
Sarah chuckles quietly and turns away from the carrots she’s chopping to face me, a small smile playing on her lips. “It’s just I’m surprised. That’s all .”
“You’re surprised that Carlos would go for a woman like me?” I ask with a self-deprecating laugh.
“No,” Sarah says, shaking her head. “I’m surprised to see him so happy. I’ve never heard him laugh so hard as I did when I walked in earlier.”
“Oh,” I say, ducking my head to hide the blush of embarrassment burning hotly on my cheeks.
“And you...,” Sarah continues quietly. “Something has changed about you in a good way, too. I can’t put my finger on it, but you seem different. I suppose you both are good for each other.”