“For the record, Tomás. What I said to my brother about you being a nobody—I meant it. I’ve accepted this charade between us for his sake.”
“Liar.” I trap her wrists and thrive off the struggle she puts up. “I think you’re fascinated with what I can teach you.”
“I think you’re too high up on that throne of yours to see clearly,” she counters. Her anger is a thing of beauty, red-hot beneath my fingers where her silky skin is held. “I can’t wait until this is over so I can find a normal man, a guy who has a normal job and makes me feel... normal things.” Her eyes spark with scorching sincerity.
I let out a frostbitten laugh to curb my temper. “Normal is overrated,Cari.” The use of her shortened name makes her freeze like a sculpted ice statue. “Neither of us are normal. I understand the perversion inside of you and you know exactly what gets me off. Now, be a good girl and run along. We don’t have time for your pointless denial. My family is expecting me at the plantation in the countryside this evening. Be ready to leave in an hour.”
18
CARINA
I’m sitting in the passenger seat of a sporty car with tinted windows. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever been in before.
The matte black exterior and red detail trimming the wheels gives the sporty Bentley a futuristic look, and with Tomás in the driver’s seat, it’s the personification of sex in a vehicle.
He’s been at the wheel for over an hour now while I’ve hummed along to his Spotify playlist. I’m slightly surprised, given the ten-year age gap, that we have the same taste in music. While his tunes fill the lull of muted thoughts, I take the opportunity to mull things over.
Once our time together runs its course, I’d return to the city and continue searching for the vices that make me tick. Perhaps it would be the kiss of a different devil who offers unsanctified ecstasy. I’m nervous I’ll never replace the unusual passion I have with Tomás, that the simple sex I’ve only read about won’t cut it for a broken girl like me.
It’s just him and I traveling together in a very fast car. Before we left the hillside compound, Shane hopped into a waiting chopper with my filled weekend bag and a troop of armed men. They’ll arrive ahead of us to ensure everything is in order for Tomás’ arrival. I pray Shane doesn't go through the contents of my bag, or he would find Elias’ ring wedged in the inside zippered compartment.
I fidget with the hem of my dress and stare out of the passenger window, unsure why the old man's ring holds so much meaning to me. We’ve left the city of Bogotá behind and now I’ve no clue where we are. It’s both daunting and exhilarating.
I’m going on an adventure with a handsome stranger, who made sure I’d eaten a chicken salad sandwich before we left and packed a crate of spring water to keep me hydrated after he poured tequila over his dick and into my throat.
Tomás lowers the volume. “Do you want to stop off somewhere to get a coffee?” he asks out of the blue.
“No thanks.”
He keeps his eyes trained on the road and continues to make conversation. “Your brother sounds like a decent guy. I could use a loyal soldier like him.”
I side eye him. “My brother isnoton your radar. It’s me you’re fucking with. Not my brother. Pretend he doesn’t exist. I never want to see you anywhere near him. Ever.”
Tomás shakes his head and grunts in a half laugh. “I respect the guy for looking out for his little sister. Loyalty and honor are priceless. I’m not interested in fucking him, Carina. Only you.”
“Well... he’s my hero. No man will ever compare to Sal.” I smooth out the pink buds blooming on another new dress and skip to the next track on his playlist.
Closer by Kings of Leon haunts the limited space between his solid body and mine, the intro making my skin prickle and my heartbeat flutter.
“He tries to understand how messed up I am.” I continue, gazing out of the side window. “He wants to help me figure it out... I guess no one can.” I bite my tongue to stop myself from saying more.
The Bentley's speed goes from breaking the speed limit to a snail's pace. Tomás takes his foot off the gas and steers the car over to the side of the road. With one hand on the wheel and the engine purring, he angles his torso and stares right at me. “Messed up?”
“Messed up,” I repeat, intentionally diverting my gaze to lessen the intensity of his unsettled mood.
“Eyes up,” he snaps as quick as a bullet. When I look at him, I find his serious, dark gaze. It lingers a beat before dropping to my wrist. “What happened to make you try something so final?”
Soft strokes brush over my self-mutilated skin, visibly chilling me. I watch his fingers navigate the silvery ridges and embrace the odd show of tenderness he offers. I’m suddenly filled with so much emotion that my mouth dries.
“It’s personal,” I whisper.
His hand leaves the old scars and pinches my chin, guiding it upward until our gazes meet once more. “If I’m to trust you, I need to know all your secrets, Carina.”
“Trust works both ways.” I counter.
I can’t escape his patient silence or how his eyes glitter from the electric blue lights on the dashboard. My lashes drift lower, unsure if I should explain honestly, or lie. Should I trust him not to make fun of me for being so disturbed? Then again, he’s the one who cut the anchor to my carnal side and left me floating in an ocean of desire.
What he serves up, I enjoy. Before I met this man, I looked at the world through the eyes of a child and now I see things very differently. My heart skips a beat. The two of us alone in a confined space with his attention entirely focused on me. Even if I try to stand my ground, my vulnerability is in his hands.