Orlando: Boyle Heights #4

by Elizabeth Reyes

  But it was.

  With the sudden reminder of why, he was mindful not to be too loud and possibly wake Little Man. For the next several minutes of lustful thrusting, Orlando tried in vain to keep his moaning down as he continued to fuck her hard. He needed to un-romanticize this before he got ahead of himself. Dani’s body began to tremble as Orlando felt himself reaching that peak. With a few final thrusts, he exploded inside her, his entire body relishing the unbelievable high of his orgasm. Hearing Dani panting as her body trembled in pleasure only doubled his high. It made Orlando smile, even in his still dazed state. Reaching over to the paper towels on the counter, he brought a handful down between her legs before pulling out. It was only then that he realized he’d been so caught up he never even considered putting on a condom.

  As his heart thudded for an altogether different reason, Dani turned around to face him now. In spite of the sudden anxiety he should be feeling over not wearing any protection, he couldn’t help smiling. She looked even more beautiful in her just-got-laid afterglow. So beautiful Orlando already missed his lips on her. So, the moment she was done pulling her pants back on, he kissed her again, but it was fleeting because she pulled away. “I just want you to know this is a first for me.” Orlando watched her, stunned as she pulled her cotton shirt over her head. When their eyes met again, her eyes flew open and she shook her head. “No, no,” she said quickly. “I’m not a virgin. I-I mean I wasn’t before this either.” She laughed nervously, tugging at the bottom of her shirt with a shrug. “Obviously. I just meant I’ve never done this. As in been with one of my clients. I’m . . . I mean I know it sounds stupid after the fact.” She motioned at the counter Orlando had just had her bent over. “But I’m not like that. I mean I did . . . but I normally wouldn’t—”

  Trying not to laugh, Orlando kissed her again before she could go on, but she cut it short again pulling back. “I just hope this doesn’t make things weird, Orlando.” She searched his eyes, looking as anxious as Orlando had started to feel earlier. Not just about the lack of condom either. “I mean I know you must be used to women being attracted to you, and I can admit now that I was from that very first day I saw you at the shop—”

  “I’ve been attracted to you that long too—”

  “But I never, not in a million years, imagined that—”

  “I did.” Orlando reached for her hand, slipping his into it as he stared into her wide eyes. “I’ve been imagining it a lot.”

  “But if you were still with Felicia, I wouldn’t have—”

  “This would’ve never happened if I still had any kind of understanding with Felicia because I’m not like that.” He paused as his eyes bore into hers because he wanted that last part to simmer, but he didn’t want to spook her. “I wasn’t even in what I considered a real relationship with her, and I made sure to cut things off with her completely because I could feel something here.” He waved his finger between them, making her glance down at it. “At least I was hoping it’s what I was feeling. And when I say I’ve been imagining something happening between us, I’m not just talking about what physically happened just now.”

  Her mouth falling slightly open was his cue. He’d said enough, and he couldn’t keep his lips off her anymore. For now, he’d leave her with that and not push too much. As satisfied that he’d made himself clear, it was still nerve-racking. They’d crossed a line today that they’d never be able to cross back from without things getting absolutely weird.

  After one of the longest kisses they’d shared that night, Orlando glanced out the darkened kitchen window. “It’s late.”

  “Yeah, it is,” she said, pulling away. “I should get going so you could get some sleep.”

  Annoyed with himself, he pulled her back to him and smiled. “I wasn’t stating the obvious to hint that you should leave. I meant maybe you should just stay. You’re coming back tomorrow, right?”

  Her eyes flew open wide in that sweetly startled way they did so often when something surprised her. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”

  Glad she didn’t protest for any other reason, Orlando wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. “You can go pick up a change tomorrow. Why drive at night when you can do so in the morning instead?”

  Before she could respond to that, he started toward the bedroom. That was another thing he wanted to make sure he made clear. He had a few extra bedrooms, but no way was she sleeping in any of them.

  By the time they’d showered together, making the most of the shower and their slick wet bodies, since they still couldn’t keep their hands off each other, Orlando was pretty sure he’d be playing hooky tomorrow. At the very least, showing up way late. They wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight that was for sure. Before they officially got in bed for the night, Orlando searched for the universal charging pad he hadn’t used in a while so Dani could charge her phone. He finally found it in one of his kitchen junk drawers and headed back to the bedroom where Dani was getting ready for bed. Surprised she wasn’t in the bedroom when he got there, he slowed when he heard her talking in a lowered voice just out of sight in the bedroom’s bathroom. He didn’t want to eavesdrop because it’d make sense that she might be checking in with her sister. Dani had mentioned more than once what a mother hen her sister could be. Glancing around, he focused on looking for the best place to plug the charger instead.

  “. . . with Ted . . .”

  Stopping when he caught the snippet of what Dani was saying, he froze, not wanting to make any noise so he could hear the rest. But her voice went even lower, and he wasn’t able to make the rest out. Was she telling her sister she was with Ted? Did her sister not know they’d broken up? Feeling a heat he should not be feeling this early on, Orlando turned when he heard Dani say good night to whomever it was she was talking to. A few seconds later she walked into the bedroom, looking a little surprised to see him in there.

  Not sure how to ask without it sounding as demanding as he was feeling, Orlando motioned to her phone. “Who was that?”

  “My sister. I was just letting her know I wouldn’t be home tonight.”

  Orlando peered at her, trying his damnedest not to overreact. “Did I hear you tell her you were staying with Ted tonight?”

  Those startled eyes were at it again. “No. I told her the truth: that it got late and I decided to just stay here for the night.”

  That wasn’t entirely satisfying to hear because that wasn’t the whole truth. The way she made it sound, her sister could easily think Dani was staying in one of his guest bedrooms—just because it got late. Was that what Dani wanted her to think? Why?

  “And she knows you and Ted are broken up? Because you are, right?”

  “Of course I am.” The startled expression was replaced by an annoyed—almost scandalized—one. “You really think I’d be here if I was still in a relationship?”

  With three long strides, Orlando was right in front of her, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her, feeling like an idiot. “I heard something out of context obviously, about being with Ted. I just—” He pecked her several times. “I wasn’t sure what to think.”

  She let him kiss her without commenting for a few more seconds before responding to his lame explanation as to why he’d so easily jumped to such a conclusion. “I, uh . . . told her you were looking for a spare charger for me. She asked about my spare charger, the one I’d used when I stayed over at Ted’s.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” Orlando pecked her before she went on. The last thing he wanted to hear about was her spending the night at Ted’s. “You don’t have to explain. I’m an idiot for even going there.”

  As stupid as he did feel for having gone there, at least now she knew how he’d feel if she ever did. Without having to say it, he’d just made at least that much clear. Now he’d make another thing clear. As his kissing her got deeper, he concentrated on how terrifying it was that he was feeling this much for her already, not his already hardening dick. He wanted to convey to h
er without saying it that what happened today wasn’t just them giving into their lust for one another. At least it wasn’t for him. As hard and fast as they’d gone at it earlier in the kitchen, Orlando had every intention of making long passionate love to her the rest of the night. Only he made sure to have the box of condoms on the nightstand.

  Chapter 21

  Danica

  The moment Danica opened her dreary eyes and realized where she was and then remembered all that had happened the night before, she was inundated with a mixture of emotions. Fear and regret were the heaviest, but her instantly fluttering heart was proof that excitement was right up there as well. Rotating her body around slowly so she could face Orlando without waking him was a challenge, given how closely he held her. But she managed to, smiling when she remembered why and how Orlando could be sleeping so soundly still. After their lustful sessions in the kitchen and shower, their time in bed had been far more drawn out, and they’d been up well into the wee hours of the morning. Staring at his sleeping face, she took in all his gorgeous features. She wasn’t just biased either. Since day one she’d thought him perfect. Not pretty like Nine, but still all his features were so well-defined and flawless she could stare at him for hours and not get enough. Running her fingers through his hair, she smiled when she saw him smile, despite his still closed eyes. “You awake?” she whispered.

  He nodded but still didn’t open his eyes. “I was trying not to wake from my dream.” The heavy lashes lifted as his eyes opened. “But then you touched me, and I realized my reality is even better than what I’d been dreaming.”

  Danica breathed in deeply and smiled bigger. “What were you dreaming?”

  “It was a repeat of last night.” He smiled as he stared into her eyes. “I guess my mind was playing tricks on me, and I couldn’t figure it out—I was still trying to wrap my head around the idea of this—whether last night really happened or if I was just being delusional.”

  Running her hand over his forehead, Danica touched the scar at his hairline. She’d never noticed it until last night, since she’d never allowed herself to examine him that closely. That and the beanie covered it most of the time. “How’d you get this?”

  “Being bad.”

  She peered at him, not understanding. “Bad?”

  “Yeah, you’re not the only one with a past, Dani. I told you I ran with the wrong crowd for a long time when I was younger. Still do sort of.” He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her tighter then kissed her neck before coming back up to face her again. “Nine and Beast were part of that crowd, but we’ve all grown up and away from all the shit we were once into.”

  Danica raised a brow curious now. “What kind of shit were you into?”

  “Some pretty bad and stupid shit.” Her expression must’ve been as surprised as this made her feel because it had him clearing his throat and he went on quickly. “That was a long time ago, Dani. I haven’t been into any of that in just as long, especially not with the baby in my life now. Matter of fact, I was kind of worried some of that crap might come back to haunt me when they were doing all the checking on me to see if I was fit to be a dad. But it’s been that long that it prolonged the wait in getting him, but in the end, it wasn’t enough of an issue that they’d take away my right to get him back.”

  Shaking her head, Danica touched his scar again. “Doesn’t matter to me. You don’t even have to tell me about it. I know it’s who you are now that matters. I should know.”

  Orlando chuckled, burying his face in her neck. “You said you’re a bad driver, baby. I haven’t witnessed it yet, but I’m pretty sure that’s why you got pinched, not because you were too drunk to drive. Trust me. You’re an angel compared to some of the girls I hung out with back in the day.” Those piercing eyes bore into her again, and as usual, she was toast.

  There was no way she could risk him finding out about this, especially after this. “I was pinched for prostitution before my DUI, Orlando. It’s why they went so hard on me.” He pulled back to look at her, so she went on quickly. “It wasn’t me. I was with my friends who lied about just stopping by to pick up some weed, but it turned out Juanita was getting hard drugs from a guy in exchange for sex, and my dumb ass went with her. I went in to look for her when she took too long and heard the struggle. I’m the one who called the cops when I heard her screaming inside the apartment. In the end, we were all hauled in on prostitution and dealing charges.” She shook her head. “I don’t want you to find this out later. I made some stupid mistakes because I loved my friends and trusted that they were good people, but I didn’t take into account how much addiction plays a part in people’s lives.”

  “Dani, don’t get me started,” he said, pecking her lips. “I know all about this shit, and I was arrested a few times for trying to cover up for my brother. I get it, baby. You don’t need to explain yourself.” Danica turned when the baby moving in his crib made some noise but appeared to fall back asleep. She smiled when she saw Orlando was looking in the same direction, his expression as lovesick as hers felt when he took in his son.

  He chuckled then stopped and sat up suddenly. Lifting the sheet, he glanced down at her leg. Danica watched as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Peering at him curiously and then down at her leg, she had to ask. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask. It’s why I didn’t last night.”

  “Ask what?” When she glanced down again, she saw what he meant, and her heart instantly spiked. Swallowing hard, she tried not to panic. She could explain this without having to tell him the whole truth and still not be entirely lying. Because lying felt a hundred times worse now that things had changed so drastically overnight. She just prayed he didn’t pick up on what felt like such irony. “It’s from one of my favorite poems,” she said, trying to smile normally.

  Orlando stared at her then bent down to get a better look. She knew it was hard to read because it was so small. But as soon as he got close enough, he’d be able to, and she braced herself. “O, remember in your narrowing dark hours,” he read out loud, “that more things move than blood in the heart.” He glanced up at her blankly. “What’s it mean?”

  “People tend to forget about the importance of the bigger picture in life. So basically, this is a very poetic reminder that during the hardest times in life is when most people tend to reflect on the larger more important things they should focus on versus sweating the small stuff.”

  “O?”

  With her heart thudding, she nodded as indifferently as she could. Of course, he’d ask about that. While even this, she could answer truthfully, the tiny blue heart she’d since gone back and added to the three-year-old tattoo—right next to that O—made her nervous. “Old English.” She smiled. “Louise Bogan was an American poet, but she was born in the late eighteen hundreds and the usage of O instead of Oh, was still common in literature everywhere in those days.”

  Orlando traced it gently with his finger. “Any particular reason you chose this passage to get inked with?” Without looking up, he added the next part. “Anyone in particular?” He still didn’t look up, and the way he was staring at the tattoo, Dani knew. This was what he meant when he said he’d been afraid to ask.

  “No one in particular. But like I said I was a rebel, and during that time I kept getting into trouble over stupid stuff. I was lashing out about. When my mom died and then I had a few other low blows in my life, it really hit home.”

  Finally, he looked up at her and smiled. “That’s deep.” Dani smiled and for a moment considered telling him more about how she started reading poetry. How it was during one of the hardest times in her life that she remembered the poem being analyzed for her and why it finally made complete sense to her. It hit so close to home, she decided to get that particular stanza tattooed on herself. But this time the baby moving in his crib, was followed by some babbling, and to her relief, he called out for dada not mama. Orlando was instantly sitting up, smiling big. “Right here, Lit
tle Man.”