Page 15

“You know a lot about me, too. You know I’m stubborn, but Enrique is one of the few people who can get me to agree to just about anything.

You know I hate being reminded I’m the baby of the family when the three of them tease me.

You know my favorite colors are green and purple because you always made sure the thank you cards you emailed had lilacs or violets on them.

You know how homesick I was when I first moved to LA.

You sent what probably should have been a year’s supply of Achira del Huila for me because you knew my favorite snack.

No one else in my dorm had ever had anything like them before.

They all wanted the crispy cheese sticks, but I ate them all in three weeks.

I nearly puked every day after soccer practice, but I devoured them.

You sent me more for Christmas. You sent me an autographed ‘El Pibe” jersey for my graduation two months ago.

Even Enrique didn’t know how you got one of them from Carlos Valderama since it definitely didn’t come from eBay or some other online auction site.

Do you know more about me? Have you had an advantage since the cafe? Is that?—”

“ Chica , Enrique isn’t one to keep family photos around, and neither am I.

I saved the one I showed you of Enrique and me on an encrypted cloud.

It’s not safe for the people we care about.

I met you in passing when you were like fourteen.

You were my best friend’s kid sister, but nothing more.

Humberto wanted information about you, and I wanted to keep my promise to Enrique that I’d watch out for you once Humberto started poking around.

I had no idea I’d react to you the way I did. ”

She stares at me and nods.

“I feel the same. In some ways, I feel like I barely know you because you’re Este to me, but then I remind myself that you’re also Steven. That makes you feel so familiar.”

“You’re Luciana if I think of you as Enrique’s little sister back when we were in college. But you’re Lucy to me. You’re also my chiquita . Am I really only Este to you?”

She shakes her head.

“Say it then, chiquita .”

“I’m sorry I scared you, Daddy.”

She holds her breath as though she expects me to reject her. Instead, I slide a finger into her pussy. I know it’s not nearly enough when she squirms, trying to lift her hips and open her legs.

“I decide, little one.”

I ease a second finger into her, and she whimpers. Her deep brown eyes are like pools of whiskey as our gazes lock. This is the most vulnerable and open she’s ever been with me. In this moment, I truly have all her trust.

“I’ll always take care of you.”

I slip a third finger into her and stroke her G-spot as my thumb rubs circles over her clit. I work her until she’s covering her mouth with both hands to smother her moans.

“Please, may I come, Daddy?”

She whispers her request, but I shake my head. Hurt and frustration flash across her face.

“ Carino , you won’t come until I’m buried inside you and coming too. You will keep every drop of my cum in your tight little pussy because it belongs only to me now. Don’t wear panties again. I’ll only shred them.”

I call her sweetheart because she’s that to me, too.

“What about?—”

“He’s still breathing for now. You and I both know your engagement ended the moment we met for real. You say you would’ve gone through with the wedding, but we both know I wouldn’t have allowed it, and you would have agreed with me.”

“You’re right.”

I carry her to the bed and place her on the mattress so I can peel her shirt off. Her bra’s already unfastened, so I toss that aside. She pushes my shirt up but freezes the moment she sees my bandages. I’d almost forgotten about them, except it hurts to breathe.

“What the hell, Este? You’re hurt!”

“And I know exactly what’ll cure it.”

“No. Do you have stitches?”

“A few.”

“You’ll rip them if we?—”

“I will if we’re doing it right.” I waggle my eyebrows.

She shakes her head while staring at my ribs. Her fingertips flutter above and below the edges of the bandages. She shakes her head again before looking up at me.

“You were there when it happened. You could have died too.”

“Yes, to both. You know the risks that come with being involved with a man like your father or me. But are you going to walk away from me—from us—because of what might happen?”

“How can you ask that the night my father died? What might happen did happen!”

Tears well in her eyes, and I could kick myself. Part of the reason I spanked her and kept us talking was to distract her from thinking about what she lost. I just threw it in her face.

“Lucy, look at me.”

She does, and her tears break my heart.

“If you can’t live with this, if it’s too hard, I’ll walk away and leave you alone.

You know I can’t leave this life. I definitely wouldn’t bring you with me if I did.

It would put a target on you forever. It wouldn’t matter who your brother is because we wouldn’t have the same protection as we do now.

But if being with me will only remind you of what you lost, then I don’t want to hurt you like that. ”

“You’d leave me behind because it’s hard?”

“No. I’d respect your wishes if that’s what you want.”

“I prefer the man who won’t take no from me or anyone else when it comes to us being together. You and I both know I won’t say no to that man.”

I pull the shirt over my head and unfasten my pants, letting them drop to the floor.

I toe off the boots I loosened as soon as I got into the car since I hate how tight I wear them.

I yank my socks off too because I will never go to bed with a woman—with my woman—while wearing them. But I don’t take off my boxer briefs.

“If all you want is me to hold you or to pleasure you, I will. We don’t have to do anything more than that.”

“Are you always a cunt tease?”

It’s my turn to stand and blink as I stare at her. That is not what I expected her to say. I shake my head, and she hooks her fingers into the waistband.

“Luis warned me years ago that you have a dirty sense of humor. I forgot.”

“Blame it on my three older siblings corrupting me. They’re no better.”

She tugs at my boxer briefs as she comes onto her knees and inches back. I take a step forward, and she pushes them down. I step out of them before I climb onto the bed as she reclines.

“Where were you going if I hadn’t arrived when I did?”

“To look for you.”

“I thought you’d say to kill your tío .”

“The thought crossed my mind, but the longer time went by, and I hadn’t heard from you, the more frightened I got.

I texted Ricco to tell him I was safe, but I didn’t say where.

I asked him where to find you if I was looking.

I’m pretty certain he thinks I planned to murder you .

He gave me your address and a few questionable hotels where you might hide out.

He named our family physician too. I was going to start there. ”

“You were going to go out in the middle of the night to comb the streets of Bogotá alone?”

“I would have driven, not walked.”

“How did you plan to get a car out of the garage without the men stopping you?”

“Do you really believe papá would ever leave us stranded here?”

There must be a couple of cars parked on nearby streets as escape vehicles if they had to flee the estate. There’s likely a tunnel too.

“You know I don’t approve.”

“I never thought you would.” She looks at the hand that spanked her.

“Were you hoping I’d punish you?”

“Hoping? No. Expecting and accepting you would? Yes. I still needed to know if you were okay.”

“You spoke to your brothers. Why didn’t you ask?”

“I did. Enrique said you were banged up, but fine. He didn’t sound like he wanted to answer more questions, so I didn’t dare ask.

He didn’t reassure me in the least. The longer I had to think about it, the more worried I got.

Este, I’m sorry I scared you, but I’m not sorry that I would’ve looked until I found you. ”

I kiss her and run my hand over her arm, shoulder blades, tits, and finally her ass. I squeeze lighter than I did earlier. She pushes her ass into my palm, wanting more. I give it to her before rolling her onto her back. I lift her arms over her head, clasping her wrists in one hand.

“Once we do this, there is no going back, Lucy. It changes everything.”

“Because I’m your best friend’s little sister? Because you work for my brother who’s now el jefe de jefes ? Because even though I have an IUD, nothing short of abstinence guarantees I won’t get pregnant?”

“Because once I’m inside you, I’ll never want to leave. Because once I’m inside you, our bodies are one. No end and no beginning. Because once I’m inside you, you’ve claimed me as much as I’ve claimed you. Because once I’m inside you, I’m yours.”

“Daddy, please.”

I thrust into her, and it’s heaven.

It’s sublime.

It’s home.

We move together as she stretches beneath me, arching her back one moment and lifting her hips the next. I pinch her nipple and twist, giving her a burst of pain I know she enjoys. I remember her conversation with Catalina the first time I watched her.

“You won’t break me. I want more, Estebear.” She winks at me. “You’re huge, and I want to make you roar.”

I lower myself onto my forearms, ignoring how my ribs scream in protest. My dick’s loving every minute of this.

So are my mind and heart. The rest of my body is ready to commit mutiny.

But I won’t stop until I feel her pussy contract around me, and I watch her cheeks flush as I make her come.

My right hand rests heavily across her throat, but I don’t tighten.

My thumb strokes her jaw. When she tilts her head, I press incrementally harder until I’ve put actual weight into my grip.

“This is what you crave. A man who’ll treat you as his equal everywhere, always, but one who’ll also shield you and protect you because you’re precious to him.

You know I’m a man who craves control, who needs it to survive.

You don’t give up control easily, but you will if you know the person you’re handing it over to will take care of you.

You’ll submit, and I’ll dominate when we have sex, but you know you ultimately decide what we do and don’t do.

I’ll never take complete control away from you, chiquita , but you don’t have to be alone anymore. ”

I finally squeeze as I lower my lips to hers. The moment she opens to me, I release my hold. I thrust once more, and I feel her body tense beneath me. She rips her mouth from mine.

“Daddy, please, may I come?”

“ Sí, mi chiquita .” Yes, my little girl.

I thrust three more times as her knees press against my hips. My fourth thrust threatens to push her into the headboard and rip my stitches, but it brings on the most intense orgasm I’ve ever had.

I roll onto my back, but I bring her with me. I let go of her hands, and she wraps her arms around me as she nestles against my chest. I wonder if what I said was right or if I completely misunderstood her.

“Estebear—”

“You’re going to stick with that, aren’t you?”

“Yup. Estebear, do you have a sub?”

I freeze beneath her and look down at her. She spoke quietly, but I heard every word.

“No. Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m pretty fucking positive you’re a Dom. I suspected that all along, but what you said—you understand things most men wouldn’t.”

“Are you a sub?”

“No, and I’m uncertain I want to be. I’ve always enjoyed more than just vanilla, but you described things I’ve never been able to put into words before.”

“I’m not a Dom, Lucy. I like things more than just vanilla too, but I’ve never entertained the idea of being in a D/s relationship. It’s not what I envisioned with you, but I think there are elements of that we both need.”

“I agree. I’ve sensed it since the beginning. It’s why I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“It’s why I knew I’d only walk away if you told me to. Even then…”

“I will never do that. I used to dream of a life that wasn’t what I expected mine would become. Now I can’t imagine any other life than being with you.”

Ella es mi media naranja.

She is my half orange. It would lose something in translation if you didn’t know it means she’s my soulmate.