Sunless eyes smolder from a fire neither of us can extinguish. And then it happens. The forbidden energy between us electrocutes me from the inside out. It absolutely terrifies me, but most of all, it excites me. With a rush of hormones, my core shudders and I breathe all of him into my soul. His taste, his scent, his power—combined, he's my weakness.
When his hands release me, he slots his wet fingers into his mouth and sucks them clean. Placing both hands back on the wheel, he glances over at my flushed face, his own twisted into a thoughtful scowl. His nostrils flare as if he’s falling from the heights of humanity.
“It’s not wrong if your instincts tell you it’s right. That’s the one thing my Uncle Angelo taught me. It’s what I live by. Always listen to your gut. If it feels good, enjoy it... becausenothinglasts forever.”
I’m still panting, sitting on a wet patch of my dress when he slams his foot on the gas again. In his own way, he showed me I’m not deranged for wanting dominant sexual thrills—but what I really learned is that I don’t always need roughness—I just need him.
“He sounds like a wise man.” I cross my arms over my chest in a self-hug.
“He wasmyhero.”
“Was?”
Tomás swallows, his spirit slipping into obscurity. “He’s dead.”
“Oh... I’m sorry.”
The cars gather speed. “Don’t be. I killed him.”
I freeze. “Why... why would you do that?”
“Because I loved him.” Pensive eyes drill into the windshield. “My baby brother Matheus was sick. Papá told Angelo to collect me from school. He took me with him to a business meeting in the city. Something felt off when we got there. By the time I listened to my gut, the building exploded.” My fingers dance over my mouth as he speaks—a nervous reaction to his terrifying tale. “His leg was blown off. He had a fatal injury to his head... so…” Suddenly his heavy scowl cuts to me. “No one knows what I did for him.”
“You... shot him?”
He nods slowly. “In a matter of minutes, my uncle had transformed from a respected god of great wealth and authority to a gravely weak, powerless mortal who was suffering... like pitiful roadkill. As his dying wish, he ordered me to end his life—as my duty. I was only a kid.” His voice slips into the shadows. “I’ve never told a living soul what he made me do. Until now.”
I’m dumbstruck. Shocked at the trauma he’d endured as a child. And even more surprised that he opened up to me about it.
“You’ve kept that secret all these years?” I stare at his beautiful profile—chiseled features kissed by a halo of the setting sun. He nods, not saying another word. “I won't repeat it. I promise.”
For a second, his eyes leave the road and his lungs rise as he inhales deeply, like the weight of his confession has exonerated his blemished soul. “If you do, I’ll kill you the same way I killed him.” Then he swallows hard, like he just told a fib. “The moral of the story is—had I trusted my gut sooner, he’d be alive.”
I swallow the flutters trying to escape my chest. “What do your instincts say about me?”
19
TOMÁS
I usher Carina through the quiet foyer of my late father’s sanctuary, up the ostentatious staircase, and straight into my suite without meeting another Souza.
This is the home where Papá had sought refuge from his enemies and spent hours muttering about imaginary plots against him and the Souzas.
She flinches when I lock the door, twirling the ends of her soft hair, quietly reminiscing the last time she was in this suite. I leave her side and stroll to the walk-in closet. The two of us alone in a small space fucks up my head. I need distance, violence, or a hard fuck.
The latter being the more urgent and the one thing I don’t have time for when my impatient brothers have assembled under the same roof.
I brought her here as a temporary fix to a permanent glitch. But for some reason, the withdrawal symptoms I get from not touching her puts me on edge.
Fate had been the reason she turned up at the plantation to begin with, and now the tables have turned. She’s by my side as a guest, or if I think about it with a clear head—an employee.
How can any man admit to the woman he’s captivated by that his gut tells him she’s his secret weapon? That she’s unlike any woman he’s ever met.
Our agreement was sex and obedience, not emotional warfare. My gruff response to her question earlier didn’t seem to annoy her. Sheistrouble.
The hot skin beneath my clothes itches. Not fucking her in the Bentley was an insufferable strain. A mist of sweat prickled my spine and my painfully swollen dick complained for the rest of the journey. When I use her body, it won't be a quick experience. I’ll take my time, do it right and ensure she’s well and truly spent. Now I’m fired up, antsy and in need of a clean t-shirt.
Changing into brand new track pants and a fresh white top marginally releases the tension in my muscles. I hate how I’d rather throw her onto the bed and bury myself inside her, especially when I haven’t seen my brothers for ages. I pinch the bridge of my nose, take a deep breath, and then check my hair is sitting as it should.