by Mia Madison
Latin Spice
By: Mia Madison
©Copyright Mia Madison 2016
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This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the author or publisher.
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Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers.
LATIN SPICE
MIA MADISON
We ate in silence, my attention on Ruben rather than what was on my plate. I was captured by the way his jaw moved and the little hum of approval as he sampled his food. And the candlelight had a habit of bouncing off his moist lips so all I could think about was kissing him. He set his silverware on the plate and took a sip of his wine. When his eyes connected with mine, I looked down.
“I’ve come to a decision, Priscilla,” Ruben said. “I’ve decided that I want you and I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks or says.”
I gaped and dropped my fork on the rug. He was out of his seat in an instant and came to kneel before me. He retrieved the utensil. That should have been the end of it, but nope. Ruben dragged his hand up my calf as if he’d been wanting to touch me all evening, his thumb stroking over the sheer nylon. His eyes were feral and in them I saw an insatiable hunger. I couldn’t look away. I was firmly in the claws of the predator and it was glorious.
He cocked a grin. “Let me get you a little more wine.”
My breath was stuck as he poured some wine into my glass. I took it and gulped it down, my throat parched. He set a little mint in front of me and returned to his seat and proceeded to watch me. He unwound the cellophane wrapping and popped the candy into his mouth.
“Do you have anything you’d like to say or should we head to my bed?” he inquired.
To keep myself busy I unwound my own mint, realizing that implied I was so totally ready for this. Erecting my spine, I did my best to appear unaffected. “What has changed since last week when you banished me to the couch?”
His cheeks rose as if he found my word choices amusing. “Do I need to list all the reasons why we shouldn’t do this? I think you are completely aware of every single one. But I have a tendency to break the rules. I’m prone to doing what I want and I’m not about to quit now. That’s me saying that I’m in. Now, if you have any doubts or reservations, you need to go home and never think about me again. No hurt feelings, no regrets.”
I couldn’t believe what he was offering. Of course, I wanted it, but him saying it out loud was shocking. I bit down on my candy, the mint crunching. I eyed him steadily, silently letting him know I wasn’t going anywhere. He smiled as if he liked that and popped the third button of his shirt. My insides tightened. He got to his feet and stalked toward me. I tracked every movement of his body, surprised by how much he resembled an apex predator. He held his hand out to me and I didn’t hesitate to take it, his palm warm and firm. I needed his guidance because I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Chapter One
Priscilla
I remember the first time I laid eyes on Ruben Acosta. I had been sixteen. Dad had brought him over for dinner. I’d been caught up in a puberty-induced pout-fest and had refused to join my parents at the table…at least until I saw Mr. Acosta. I can still recall that little tingle between my thighs. I ended up having spaghetti that night after all.
Fast forward six years and Ruben was still as hot as he was back then. Perhaps even more so. His chestnut hair was speckled with silver, giving the rich locks a shimmery appearance, but that was nothing compared to his eyes. Whenever I looked into them, I got the impression of drizzling chocolate. I’ve always been a chocolate kind of girl. It was hard to pinpoint what exactly I found so attractive about him. But if his looks were to die for, his voice was to kill for.
“Hello, Priscilla,” Ruben purred, his silky tone lilting with his Puerto Rican accent. Everyone called me Prisy, but when he said my name, it made me feel grown up.
A shiver coursed through me and I did my best to remain nonchalant. “Hello, Mr. Acosta.”
“Oh come on now. Six years and you’re going to Mister me? Makes me feel older every time,” he teased lightly and stepped into our house. He took a seat on my mother’s immaculate white couch.
Heat skittered across my cheeks. “Fine, Ruben.”
“Fine Ruben will do,” he said and offered me an amused smile. He’d always had a good sense of humor but it was hard to laugh along when my insides tightened with need. “How have you been? I haven’t seen you for a while.”
“Okay,” I said and smiled, not wanting to give myself away. I kept my eyes on his face, knowing if I allowed myself to take in every inch of his body, I’d soak my panties. “Been busy with college. Can I get you something to drink? Dad is a little late today.”
“Sure. A soda would do fine,” he said and glanced at the clock. “And I don’t mind waiting when I have such lovely company.”
He just had to go and say things like that! I rushed to the kitchen and took a deep, calming breath. I seriously needed to stop crushing over my dad’s friend but he was making it hard. He had always done and said things that made me feel special. I grabbed a Sprite from the fridge and returned to the front room, hoping Dad—or Mom—came home soon because I didn’t trust myself with him.
Ruben accepted the can and cracked the tab. “You do know what I like, don’t you?”
“Mhm,” was all I could manage. I plopped my butt in the Barcalounger and crossed my legs, wishing I hadn’t opted for the pencil skirt today, but it was the middle of August and I hadn’t planned on going anywhere. Ruben took a big gulp of his soda, and I watched the way his throat bobbed. He was rocking a five-o’clock shadow and as he tipped his head back, I got a nice view of his collar bone and the tattoos underneath. I’d seen the ink in passing before, but had never been able to really view them. They looked old, faded by time and I wondered what else he was hiding. I wracked my brain but couldn’t recall a time I’d ever seen him in anything but crisp business clothes. No T-shirts; no shorts. Not that I was complaining. He filled out a business suit like nobody’s business—pun intended.
Setting the can on the coaster, he made an ‘ah’ sound. He passed me a gorgeous smile, his cheeks dimpling and the corner of his eyes pulled up. “So, college. Have you been behaving yourself?”
“Of course,” I said and tipped my chin up. “I’ve always been a good girl.”
He sat back and stretched his arm across the backrest, his expensive black dress shirt conforming to his fit body. That smiled faltered a little and he nodded. “I know you are. Are you doing anything for your twenty-first birthday besides hitting the bars?”
“I was thinking of skipping all that,” I said honestly. “I mean, three years of partying kind of wears on a girl.”
Okay, so the second part wasn’t entirely true. I wanted to stay in because I was avoiding my ex. The asshole had cheated on me—twice—and I didn’t want to put myself in a position where he could find me and wear me down to take him back. This way, hiding out, I was
safe. As Ruben looked at me with dark eyes, I realized I wasn’t safe at all. I was in the den of the jaguar and the animal had been circling me for years. I just hadn’t known it until recently. But I’d rather be hunted by a powerful cat than a weasel scavenger.
Chapter Two
Ruben
As I put everything I had into not staring at Priscilla’s smooth legs, I cursed her father for being late. This was exactly why I tried to spend as little time here as possible—because little Miss Priscilla Harmon was my bane. She’d been cute in her teens, but as a full grown woman, she was a fuckin’ bomb of nuclear proportions.
She talked lightly about college, and I noted the way her toes sank into the plush carpet. Her toenails were colored some shade of peach—not quite flesh-colored… more like a pale rose. I’d never given two shits about various shades of colors before, but I found myself wanting to know which nail-polish she’d used. I forced my eyes back on her face, and did my best not to think about what her bare feet might feel against the back of my thighs as she wrapped her silky legs around my hips.
Laughing at something silly she said, I knew I was in trouble. She grew more beautiful by the day, her wheat-colored hair left loose around her soft face. She had very little make-up on today, but she could have just risen out of bed with a rat’s nest for hair and I’d still find her the most gorgeous creature that had ever walked this planet.
“That’s great, Priscilla,” I said, wanting to imply I had heard what she’d said. I was interested in her life—hell, I knew more about her than I ever had about my ex-girlfriends, but having not seen her in months, my mind was on her body.
“I’m talking too much,” she said, the color in her cheeks adorable. I’d noticed that before. She blushed around me often and I assumed she had a school-girl crush on me. It was a bit surprising a woman her age would be interested in a man in his late-forties. Then again, just because she found me attractive, didn’t mean she was interested in me. Down, boy. “What have you been doing with your life, fine Ruben?”
And there was my playful Priscilla. I smiled, liking this side of her. She’d been strong-headed as a teenager and it was nice to see that willfulness mature. “Work as usual. My life has become a bit dull unfortunately. It’s nice to unwind a bit and bicker with witty girls like you.”
She looked down, her cheeks plumping and I wondered why I had said that. The last thing I wanted to do was encourage her crush. I’d come to accept that I wouldn’t be able to say no if she came to me looking for something very specific, but I refused to put myself in that position in the first place. The age gap was an issue but what held me back from perusing a romantic relationship with her was my past. I had always been a natural flirt, though.
Thankfully, her father came home. She hugged him and took my empty can from the coaster. I followed James upstairs to his office where he talked about compilations with one of the housing deals his firm had just secured. He was a contractor for a construction company, one that dealt in large structures such as skyscrapers and large-scare housing. That was how we’d met. My company represented investors—people with so much money that building a sky-scraper was just something to do to pass the time and flaunt the size of their dicks. We’d worked together on a project and had started our friendship over drinks after work. Thing’s had gone from there until one day he’d invited me over to his house for dinner. That was how I’d met Priscilla. I could still remember hearing her complaining to her mother about something as I’d followed James into his house.
“I was planning on introducing you to my family, but it seems my daughter beat me to it,” James had said, his tone full of amusement.
I had covered my smile as James went on bemoaning the incompetence of someone or another. All I could think about was the way Priscilla had quieted as he introduced us. Her make-up had been heavy that day, but I hadn’t missed the way her eyes had widened for an instant as if she were wholly surprised by me. The rest was history.
“Why don’t you just fire them and be done with it?” I said, cutting off his tirade.
“Oh, believe me. It would make me feel so much better,” James said and laughed. His gaze grew distant for a moment as if he were fantasizing about doing just that. “Anyway, how have you been?”
“Bored,” I admitted. “The same bitching and moaning from the same people about the same problems and non-issues… I’m just sick of it all, really.”
James cocked a brow at that. “Maybe you should fire someone. It would make you feel better.”
We shared a laugh. I supposed the stress of our jobs had jaded us. Then there was always the impending over-the-hill thing barreling straight for me with the determination of a meteor. James had met his wife when they were in high school and gotten married fresh after graduation. He had a house and family and I had… nothing but a sterile, lonely penthouse. Hell, I didn’t even have a girl to keep me warm at night. At least I had the cash flow to support a midlife crisis, I mused.
A knock at the door stole my thoughts and I turned to watch Priscilla walk in with a glass of iced tea for her father and a fresh can of Sprite for me. She knew me too well. I tried to limit my sugar intake but allowed myself to splurge every now and then.
“Thank you, Prisy,” James said. “You’re not trying to mooch twenty-bucks off me are you?”
She rolled her eyes and huffed. “Believe me, if I were trying to mooch anything it would be for a lot more than twenty-bucks.”
James chortled and she winked at me as she left. That little gesture went right to my cock and woke the little bastard up. I wasn’t sure why’d she done that, but holy fuck. It was time to take a vacation. Far, far from Miss Priscilla Harmon.
Chapter Three
Priscilla
I smacked myself in the forehead for the umpteenth time as I replayed in my mind the visit into Dad’s office. Why the hell did I wink at him? I should have never gone up there to begin with. Ruben was dangerous. Still, the way he’d looked at me was surprising. He hadn’t appeared to be uncomfortable with my gesture. His eyes had hooded, those dark, fringy lashes lowering and his plump lips had parted as if—No way! I wasn’t going to even think about what his reaction might mean.
Resting my cheek against my fist, I watched out of my bedroom window as Dad and Ruben talked in the driveway. Dad had insisted he stay for dinner, but apparently, something had come up. They shook hands and Ruben’s head turned up in my direction. I quickly hid behind the wall, my breath labored. I heard the slam of a door then the roar of a car engine. Blowing out a big breath, I sat on my bed, conflicted. Okay, so Ruben was hot and I wanted him. It was pointless lying to myself about that. But he and I were an impossibility and it was as equally pointless fantasizing about us being together.
My phone rang and I breathed a sigh of relief as my best friend, Jessica’s name flashed across the screen. “Hey.”
“You aren’t sulking in your room are you?” she inquired. “You can’t get depressed over Tim. He’s not worth it.”
“I’m in my room, but I’m not sulking.” I ran my eyes over my belongings. Teddy bears and plastic horses had been replaced with books and nice clothes. Still, I wish I had my own place. My parents had been adamant that I stay here until I got my degree. “Ruben came over.”
Jessica made a sound of supreme pleasure. “Give me the deets!”
“There are no details,” I countered. I often gushed to my best friend about how hot he was and how I would so bang him. I’d always said it with mock exaggeration but she knew I was serious about it. But she’d seen him a few times and had been left a puddle on the floor. I was sure he had women melting at his feet left and right. “He was here to see Dad.”
“So? Steal Latin Spice to your room, confess your undying love and jump his sweet, sweet bones,” she said.
I burst out in laughter as I imagined doing such a thing. We often joked how we could use a little Latin spice in our lives and Rueben fit the bill.
“Anyway. I’m
picking you up in a half hour.”
“What? Where are you planning on taking me?” I hedged, not liking when she made plans for me.
“We are going out so you can forget about Tim. Put something nice on, fix your face and be ready in thirty minutes.”
I hung up and sighed, figuring getting out would take my mind off Ruben Acosta.
****
An hour later, Jessica pulled us up to a classy little bar on the north side that we’d never been to before. At eight o’clock, the place was hopping, people standing around outside bullshitting. Rock music drifted outward, getting in my blood and sending the endorphins surging. This was exactly what I need to forget about all the men in my life. A little alcohol and silly conversation with my best friend.
I had dressed provocatively and my little black stilettos clicked as we made our way to the bar. I’d chosen a snug, strapless black dress to go with my favorite slutty-shoes, the fabric feeling tight around my body. I hadn’t intended to dress like this initially, but I wanted to move on from my life with Tim. He used to chastise me for showing off my body and made me feel bad about it but he was gone now and I was going to enjoy my perky boobs before they started sagging.
“You look smokin’, girl,” Jessica said as we entered the joint. “Tim should see you now.”
“Please, no. He’d mouth off to the guy staring at me and then I’d have to sit with him in the hospital so they can reset his nose,” I said and tried to cover my laugh. I really wasn’t sure what I had seen in Tim. He wasn’t a very good person and I supposed I had settled for just-okay.
Jessica giggled and we took our places at the bar. She ordered a beer and I opted for a tropical drink. The alcohol loosened me and before I knew it, I was laughing and joking with my best friend. Some guys came over and bought us a round of drinks and I knew one of us wasn’t going home alone tonight judging by the way the man was cruising Jessica. Heck, if she were lucky, she’d get to take both of them back to her place. He said his name was Jon—no H—and he was gorgeous. Not as hot as Ruben, I mused. I didn’t think anyone could compare to my Latin Spice. All that smooth mocha skin, drizzling chocolate eyes, waves of silky soft hair… and his voice. I could come just listening to him talk. I wondered when I’d see him next. Likely, next year judging by his recent track record.