Hunt Me

by Elodie Colt

  “Do I look as if I don’t want this?” Clearly, a rhetorical question considering her eyes are glazed over with desire, and her nipples are so hard I feel them even covered by a shirt and a sports bra.

  So, what the hell am I supposed to do? How the fuck should I stop this after she’s quickly wiggled out of her cutoffs and is now sitting on top of me, rubbing her wetness over my cock with the efficiency of a cowgirl?

  “Jesus, girl… Now wait a second.” I try again to break through to her as she guides my tip to her pussy. “You never had… I mean, this will hurt, you should—”

  I choke on my own words as she plunges down, taking every inch of me in one swift movement. My hand shoots out just for something to hold on to, fisting her shirt below her breasts.

  Her face contorts for a second as if she’s in pain, but as soon as the tension leaves her, she begins to move. Slowly at first, with eyes closed, as if testing the feeling while I crumble beneath her with every stroke.

  Seriously, this was not how I planned our afternoon, and this is certainly not how her first time should be. If I’d known it would come to this, I would have lowered her on a bed of roses after shedding each piece of clothing with care, slowly exposing every square inch of her milky skin. After that, I would have kissed her body from head to toe before easing into her gently.

  Instead, she controls me like a puppet master handling my strings, riding me as if she has years of experience. The smile on her face borders on an evil grin while she defiles me in the best way imaginable, but I can’t for the life of me say I don’t enjoy every second of it!

  She’s completely right—she’s selfish. She takes what she wants, and right now, she wants to fuck me and keep the reins. Goddamn me, but I’ve done everything to keep this from happening…

  It’s all I can do not to moan louder than her as she pushes herself up, taking my hand with her and sucking my finger while she swivels her hips on top of me. Her eyes are glued to mine as if she’s trying to gauge my reactions, but the only ones I can give her are a clenched jaw and a deep growl.

  “Fuck, this feels good,” she croons, letting her head fall back and giving in to the sensation.

  If I thought it could get any worse—or better, depending on the point of view—I was wrong, because one hand comes down to her pussy, and two fingers start rubbing her clit.

  Shameless. Raw. Lewd.

  In short, every man’s erotic fantasy.

  “Christ, this… this is madness,” I mutter, half-delirious. I should warn her that I’m close to exploding but knowing her, she wouldn’t listen anyway, so I let her go on. Soon, I reach the point where I can’t take it anymore, and she brings us both over the brink with just the words, “I’m coming.”

  With an outcry of pleasure, she reaches her high, fingers clawing at my pecs. Her walls clenching around me only to add to the ecstasy I feel, and I detonate like a bomb on impact. The smile on her face is all I see as the pleasure crashes into me from all sides.

  Collapsing on top of me, she rests her head on my chest. I’m glad she can’t see my face right now because I still can’t grasp what the fuck just happened.

  “Did I do that right?” Lifting her head, she looks at me like a student waiting for her teacher’s praise.

  The only answer I manage is a mixture of a garbled choke and a dry laugh because the way she looks at me with her huge, questioning eyes tells me that she really has no idea how much I enjoyed our trip to forbidden wonderland.

  “Just kiss me, girl,” I mutter, laying down all my shields, and with a smile, she gives me what I need.

  ~~~

  I stand by the window, the water running in the shower a soft noise in the background. My hand trembles as if my body still fights with the aftereffects of the hottest experience in my life.

  “Is everything all right?” a soft voice drags me out of my musings, and I turn to see Leonara approaching me with tentative steps. Wet strands fall around her shoulders, coloring them jet black and pronouncing her eyes even more. “I’m sorry if I… Uhm, did I do something you didn’t want?”

  Her sudden uneasiness surprises me, and I respond with a chuckle, “On the contrary. I just…”

  “What?”

  I drag a hand over my face, forcing the words out. “I didn’t use a condom.”

  “Oh, don’t worry,” she says with a smile. “The health part is not an issue… obviously. And for the other part… I can’t get pregnant.”

  “What?”

  “I’m sterilized.”

  I shake my head at the bomb she just dropped. “What? But… why?”

  She steps closer, stopping next to me and looking out the window. “I was afraid it would happen a second time. Everyone on the streets was suddenly a potential rapist. And I didn’t want to carry a child of a…” She trails off, throwing me a look as if just realizing what she said and not wanting to hurt my feelings considering my heritage.

  “You don’t need to explain. I understand.” I brush a knuckle over her cheekbone. “But why take such drastic measures? Don’t you want to have children someday?”

  She chuckles. “I’m irresponsible, a sociopath, and I have no manners. Does that sound as if I’d make a good mother? Besides, I can always go for adoption if I want. There are too many homeless children out there. No need to pass on my bad genes.”

  And again, I’m stunned into silence—a regular occurrence in her presence by now. One thing is for sure, this girl knows what she wants, and she sticks by her decisions one hundred percent. Indeed, a rare trait.

  “I have a surprise for you,” I tell her.

  “Again?” A smile curls her lips.

  I just nod, motioning for her to wait. Retrieving the package from my safe, I turn to her. “Do you know what day it is?” I ask in case she forgot.

  “I forgot to make a cross on the calendar in my room,” she retorts with sarcasm.

  “It’s your twenty-first birthday,” I enlighten her. Her reaction comes unexpectedly because a flicker of hurt shows on her face. Walking over to the couch we just manhandled, she plops down as if depressed. “What’s wrong?”

  “I always hated the number twenty-one because it took him twenty-one minutes to finish…” she clarifies at seeing my confused expression, the reminder making me bristle with fury. “Now I’m not so sure about the number anymore,” she continues with a smile, referring to her virginity gone from this day on.

  “I promise this will make you happy.” I hand her the package.

  Ripping the wrapping open, she unwraps the object inside, her eyes growing wide at the painting staring back at her. “Where did you get this?” she demands in a harsh tone, probably assuming I stole it from Sofia.

  “Your mother wanted you to get it on your twenty-first birthday. This was why Piero went looking for her. He wanted the painting for himself and demanded her to hand it over. Things went out of control, and she died before she could give it to you, but we found it before Piero did.”

  “I… I don’t understand. She took it from my room before she left. Why would she want to give it back? And why on my twenty-first birthday?”

  “It’s a painting of high value.”

  Her eyes flicker up to mine, her brows pulled down in a frown. “That’s bullshit. It’s just one of many paintings my grandfather made when he was young. He was a starving artist, like everyone else in our family. Besides, my mother wouldn’t have hung it up in my room if it had any value.”

  “Leonardo Mateo Vila was a famous artist in his time. I guess Sofia was afraid Piero would find it, so she hid it where no one would ever look. When she realized she had to leave without you, she feared it would fall into oblivion, so she took it for the time being.”

  Leonara looks at the picture where a tiny island of palm trees in the middle of a turquoise ocean is painted, surrounded by puffy pink clouds and colorful planets in various sizes dotting the sky. “What value are we talking about here?”

  “A million dollars.�
��

  Her eyes grow wide, and a choke escapes her. “You’re kidding me.” I hand her the paper officially stating the painting’s estimated value. “Oh my God…” A moment later, her expression turns from stunned to angry. “So, this is why you’re keeping me here. To wait until my father comes to get it, get him out of the way, and keep the painting for yourself!”

  Her assumption shocks me, and I can’t help my harsh tone. “This is what you think? That I want to steal from you? I have money in abundance. And don’t you think that if I wanted to keep the painting, I wouldn’t have told you about it in the first place? It’s rightfully yours, and I want you to have it. If anyone wants to take it from you, it’s your father.”

  She looks guilty for a second, but my guilt is bigger than hers. I shouldn’t blame her for thinking I would want to blackmail her. “Leonara, I—” A knock on the door interrupts me, and I pant through my nose to gather patience. “Come in,” I bark, but Emilio stays unfazed as he enters knowing my temper by now.

  “Victoria is here. She has news about…” Emilio glances at Leonara who was smart enough to let the painting disappear. The fewer people who know about it, the better. “… our asset,” he finishes, and I know he’s speaking about Piero Alvarez.

  I sigh, but before I can tell him to let Victoria know I’ll join her in a few, the person in question prances in.

  “No need to invite me in, Daniel,” the woman chirps, sashaying in Daniel’s direction in a wine-red designer dress with cleavage so low, I wonder if she used tape to keep the fabric from exposing her nipples.

  Before Daniel can react, she leans in to kiss his cheek. A glance at him tells me that her presence is unwelcome, and I don’t miss the meaningful look he gives me, as if communicating he’d rather receive a kiss from me.

  “Victoria, this is Leonara,” he introduces me after it becomes clear she doesn’t realize there’s a third person in the room.

  “Ah, Leonara Alvarez,” she drawls, and I notice a disapproving glare as she cramps me into the you’re-ten-levels-beneath-me box adorned with an I’ll-stab-you-with-my-heels bow. “The girl for all the trouble.”

  Looking at her pristine clothes, perfectly styled hair, and Gucci bag dangling from her arm, I dare say I was faced with more trouble the last few days than she was in all her lifetime. “Trouble is my second name, chica,” I fire back with a grin, including a wink for good measure. Victoria gasps at what she probably considers an insult, and I see Daniel hiding a grin behind his hand.

  Princess Victoria quickly gathers her composure, straightening as if I’d just made her a few inches smaller. “Hmm. Tell me, Leonara… How does it feel to be a millionaire?”

  “Uh, you tell me. You look like a very rich lady,” I comment with a nod to her necklace embroidered with so many glistening stones. I’m surprised she doesn’t topple over from the excess weight.

  Victoria barks out a loud laugh, turning to face Daniel. “She’s one of a kind.”

  “She is,” Daniel drawls in a seductive tone, and I wonder if he wanted to get some point across as his gaze is solely on me, penetrating me with a fervency that dampens my panties. Again.

  The silent exchange isn’t lost on Victoria, and a brief look of surprise flickers across her flawless face. “You have news?” Daniel reminds her in an authoritative tone, telling her to get to business.

  “Yes, it concerns…” Like Emilio, she pauses with a disapproving glance in my direction. “… you know who.”

  I can’t hold back a snort. “You found Voldemort? That’s so cool,” I mock, adding the last part in a whisper. I know I’m playing with fire, but what can I say, this is my defense mechanism. Victoria pushed me into the ring, and now I’m in the middle of a duel I’m determined to win.

  Daniel joins my laughter, but Victoria doesn’t share his amusement. “I think this is something we should discuss in private, Daniel.” The way she says his name, she could have as well screamed He’s mine!

  Daniel opens his mouth to say something, but I beat him to it. “If this is about my father, I have a right to hear it.” Victoria glances to Daniel for help, and her look tells me she’s annoyed he didn’t throw me out already. Daniel plays the ball in my direction, asking me silently if I can take it, whatever Victoria has to say. I nod.

  “As she said, she has a right to know.” Daniel comes to my defense.

  “Fine,” Victoria seethes, her sharp tone indicating it’s anything but fine. “Piero Alvarez is dead. The chase is over.”

  Daniel’s eyes slice into mine, but I remain calm. I’ve never wished my father any harm, but I won’t shed a tear over his dead body. He left me in the lurch when I needed him the most. He was already dead for me a long time ago.

  “Are you sure?” Daniel questions. Victoria fumbles through her Gucci bag, slapping something onto Daniel’s desk. “What’s this?”

  I step closer to see a photograph of… a dead man? Hard to tell because the skin is charred black, just as the chunks of wood and metal buried underneath him, a haze of smoke clouding the picture.

  “This was Piero Alvarez,” Victoria corrects. “Chained to a chair, doused with gasoline, and lit up.”

  “Where?”

  “In an old shed near the tidewater lagoons.”

  “Who did this to him?”

  “We caught two of his accomplices. They claim it was the Ramos cartel. Alvarez made a deal with them that went south.”

  Daniel is silent for a long moment, scrutinizing Victoria with distrust in his eyes. It appears he doesn’t believe her. “How do you know it’s him? It could be anyone.”

  Again, Victoria fumbles in her bag only to pull out a mangled phone, half of the plastic melted. “We found his phone, and his car stood close by. There’s no doubt this is Piero Alvarez,” she confirms, tapping a finger on the picture.

  My eyes swerve to the window. The sun shines brightly, and the birds chirp. The world still spins. In a couple of days, both my parents died. And for what? For a picture as big as a sheet of paper, a picture of planets surrounding an island my grandfather probably painted under the influence of LSD.

  The Alvarez bloodline is dead except for me. Now I’m officially alone in this world.

  “Are you all right?” I startle and look at Daniel who now stands next to me.

  “Daniel, it’s over,” Victoria throws in before I can speak. “You don’t need the girl anymore. Take her home.”

  Daniel’s jaw clenches at her words, and he shoots her a look so dark, I’m surprised she doesn’t turn to ashes. “Leave us.”

  “But Daniel, we have to—”

  “I said leave us!” he booms, and I jump slightly at the harsh tone, glad I’m not on the receiving end of his outburst.

  With one dagger-throwing look in my direction and a sad glance at Daniel, it’s clear she’d rather throw her Gucci bag into the pool than see me standing so close to him. Obeying his command, she struts out of the room, making sure to bang the door behind her loudly.

  “Girlfriend or ex-wife?” I can’t help but ask after she’s gone.

  “Neither,” he answers in a frustrated tone.

  I smack my lips. “She doesn’t seem to share your point of view.”

  “Leonara,” Daniel pleads when I step away from him to put some distance between us, but he intertwines a hand with mine, pulling me back into him. “Don’t do this.”

  “Do what?”

  A thumb strokes over mine. “Don’t turn your back on me,” he whispers before his lips come down on mine to give me a long kiss, one that leaves me pining for more, and at that moment, I ask myself, could it be that he has feelings for me?

  Before my head can wreak havoc over the question, a ringing sound snaps us out of the passionate moment. Daniel gives me an apologetic look before lifting the phone to his ear.

  “Natalia,” he says in a gentle tone, his eyes still riveted on me as he listens to what she says. “Yes, everything’s taken care of. I’ve managed to gather a few more s
ponsors, and we expect to get double the funds than last year.” I shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other, feeling as if invading a private moment, but Daniel lifts a finger signaling me to wait and stay put.

  “Yeah, I’ve chartered a jet for tomorrow morning,” he adds after a pause, and I don’t like the heavy weight settling in my stomach.

  Daniel’s leaving? Where to? With or without me? No, what a stupid question. Victoria said it herself—Daniel has no need for me anymore, so either he’ll make good on his promise and let me go, trusting me to keep his identity safe, or he’ll throw me into the Gulf of Mexico, figuring his secret is too valuable.

  “Actually…” he continues with a pause. “I won’t come alone this time. Yes, I will. Tell her I love her. Goodbye.”

  Eyes still latched on me, he ends the call. I wait for him to say something, but he doesn’t, continuing to analyze me.

  “Where are you going?” I ask at last, trying to sound nonchalant, but if his smirk is anything to go by, I’ve failed big time.

  “We are going to Australia.”

  Leonara manages to keep the scowl on her face since early morning when we board the Gulfstream waiting for us at the airport. I tell the flight attendant to keep an eye on her while I discuss final arrangements with the pilot. Emilio and Javier take the seats at the front, and I make my way down the aisle to join Leonara in the main lounge where I find her toying around with all the features and remote controls.

  Yesterday, I sent Mariana shopping with the order to buy clothes Leonara feels comfortable in, and I have to admit this is the first time I’ve got a woman with me wearing a washed-out denim jumpsuit, one suspender hanging low over her white shirt underneath. Victoria would choke on her lipstick if forced to wear such a thing, but I’ve never found a girl sexier than the one with me right now. To say I don’t enjoy the view as Leonara bends down to play with a button that caught her attention, her ass nice and taut in the cut off shorts, would be a lie.