“You like my anger?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“I like your passion.”
“Everyone’s got their limits, baby. How far do you think you can push mine?”
The bar went back down, and I slid against his chest, my nipples grazing his. I traced invisible patterns all over his torso with my puckered tips, the only point of contact between our bare flesh.
“Until you grow so angry from your unfulfilled needs that you don’t remember what those limits even look like.”
His jaw clenched. “Then pay attention. Because I’m about to get fucking pissed.”
Up, down.
Up, down.
The devious side of me wanted to see how much he could really take, how long he could go before he broke. I got the sense he wanted the same thing. That he was ready for the challenge, that he wanted me to issue the dare. With his elbows extended and the bar above his head, I quickly slid underneath it and laid a hungry, wet kiss on his mouth. On a groan, he took advantage of the contact and gave lots of deep tongue action. When the movement of his hips started matching the rhythm of his tongue, I suspected he was trying to speed things along. Force me into action. Or maybe submission.
He needed to be reminded who was in charge.
I ripped my mouth away and went back to grinding against him. Only this time, I turned around and rode him in a reverse cowgirl. Leaning forward and resting my hands on his knees, I rolled my hips to make my ass swerve. I bounced on him to make it jiggle. I shook it in his gorgeous face just to drive him fucking crazy. I wanted him completely wild and untamed.
I wanted the animal inside to come out and play.
More like come out and attack.
“Holy goddamn,” he panted. “Yeah, shake that fine ass in my face, baby girl. Christ, I want my hands on that so bad.”
“Soon,” I promised.
His breathing turned labored.
The more he lost his concentration, the more his elbows buckled under the bar’s weight. Then he’d gather himself and press it right back up.
“Look at me.”
Flipping my hair back, I did as commanded. When our eyes connected, liquid heat infused my blood. His eyes were colorless and filled with not just lust, but a deep, dark possessiveness that should have sent me sprinting upstairs to move out of his apartment and far, far away from anything and everyone he knew.
Instead, I mirrored his expression.
Matched everything he was feeling and gave it all back.
“Tell me in Spanish how you can’t wait to fuck me,” he said in a hoarse voice. The bar came down, he pushed it back up. All while keeping his gaze glued to my face. “Tell me how badly you need my cock tearing into you. How it’s the only one that can give you the filthy fuck my Cat needs.”
His demands had me dripping between my legs. But I followed them exactly. In Spanish, I told him in precise detail how he was all I thought about. How horny I was all the time to feel him pumping between my thighs. How insane I felt for the kind of pain he could inflict on my body, and how much pleasure I got when he immediately soothed it away. The insatiability he caused in me, yet the comfort and security that being in his arms offered.
Being with him was all of that.
It was overwhelming. Exasperating. Maddening.
He was all I had never dared to dream of. Because I was always taught it was a wasted effort to dream of things that didn’t exist. Or that were beyond your reach.
But he does exist. And he’s right here, well within my reach.
As soon as the last word left my lips, Luka’s hips jackknifed off the bench. “Fuck! I’m gonna come soon. You gotta do something, or I won’t be able to hold on.”
Something about pushing the envelope with him like this—testing our sexual limits—was thrilling. Addictive.
“You can take a little more.”
He shook his head, deliberately averting his eyes. “I don’t think I can. I can’t even look at you right now or I’ll lose it.”
Poor bebé.
It was crazy how I wanted to soothe and comfort him and also watch his sanity unravel right before my eyes, all at the same time.
“Stop lifting,” I told him. “Let go of the bar.”
He instantly dropped the bar onto the stand with a loud clang. His chest heaved up and down rapidly. He couldn’t seem to catch his breath, which admittedly, only excited me more.
I crawled up his body backwards with careful movements.
“What are you doing?” he snapped when he realized I was moving away from his cock.
I didn’t stop until my entrance rested right over his face. “Being in charge.”
Pain was etched in every line of his chiseled face as he stared at my center. But his eyes—oh, they were hungry. “I can’t handle this. I’m about to blow here, Cat.”
I lowered my hips, closing the distance between his lips and mine. “Are you saying you don’t want to kiss me here? Lick me? You don’t want to swallow my taste, baby boy?”
He gnashed his teeth. “I’ve wanted to bury my face in your cunt since the very first moment I saw you. I want to inhale you, devour you. I want to fucking ravage that pussy, baby. I just don’t want this to end in my goddamn pants.”
I reached forward and quickly divested him of his confines. Shoving his pants as far down his hips as I could manage in that position, I freed him—
Only to find him without underwear.
I moaned lasciviously. For some reason, I found the fact that he went commando ridiculously sexy.
“There,” I breathed. “Does that help?”
“No.”
“I promise I’ll ride it hard as soon as you’re finished with me.”
As an extra incentive, I bent down and licked across his barbell. Little teasing lashes. Then I closed my teeth over the end and tugged lightly.
He hissed through his teeth. “Condom. Back pocket.”
For a moment, I thought about just taking him into my mouth and sucking until he spilled down my throat. His cock looked too mouthwatering and greedy, jutting up proudly like that. But I also didn’t want to miss another opportunity to feel those metal balls stroking my inner walls.
I retrieved the protection and very carefully slid it down his length. The moment my fingers let go of him, he grabbed my hips and hissed, “You want me angry, baby? This is what you fucking get.”
Roughly yanking me down, he planted his mouth over me.
Ay, madre de Dios.
He went from zero to toe-curling with a single swipe of his tongue. The pressure buildup was so intense I had to maintain a steady grip on the bar after nearly losing my balance.
Oh, he was definitely mad.
The flat of his tongue lashed my clit before he sucked it between his lips. He licked along my folds before driving his tongue inside, spearing me with it. The prickly hairs of his short beard chafed my skin, and I hoped he left beard rash on my inner thighs. I wanted a reminder of this later.
Then he started…moving me.
Hands clutching my hips, he guided them in a circle, around and around, over and over, until I matched his rhythm without help. It took me a moment to realize what he was doing.
Smearing me all over his mouth.
Rubbing my slick flesh all over his lips, his cheeks, his chin. Like he was trying to bathe with it. Drown himself in it. His deep groans of appreciation rumbled against my skin, vibrating against my highly sensitive area. And that’s when I could no longer maintain my grip on reality.
That orgasm was…an awakening.
A moment of revitalization.
I never knew how fulfilling such hedonism could be. How something so sinful could feel so heavenly. I threw my head back and screamed my thanks to God for creating this man with the wicked mouth and depraved thoughts. I was convinced a dark angel must have blessed him at birth with the gift of delivering the greatest pleasure known to womankind.
He tore his mouth away on a shouted expletive.
“Now, Cat! Get me inside you now.”
I lunged for his lap and impaled myself on him. An ear-splitting roar cracked through the air when he came seconds after bottoming out. Another wave of my own climax washed over me, which I rode out right alongside him.
Once he’d spent himself of every last drop, I collapsed over him. Our heavy breathing were the only sounds in the room, although I wasn’t sure he couldn’t hear the frantic beating of my heart, it was so out of control.
“What the fuck did you just do to me?” he pushed out.
I choked on my laughter. “I could ask you the same thing.”
Because I think he just made me fall in love with him.
No, not with him. With his body. And the way he sexes you. That’s all.
Sí.
Sí…that was all.
I was jolted from a deep, restful sleep by movement next to me. Lifting my heavy lids, I cracked one open and saw Cat’s dark silhouette lying beside me in bed.
But something was wrong.
She was curled on her side, but she was shaking. Almost twitching.
Dreaming?
I watched with rising alarm as the twitching became more violent. Within seconds, she had rolled onto her back and was writhing around, whimpering. Nightmare. Understanding how irreversibly certain images and scenes can warp the mind, even when it was your own mind conjuring them, I wanted to rescue Cat from that torment.
I knew what it felt like to be haunted.
Even in an unconscious state, I fucking hated to see Cat in pain.
With gentle movements, I sat up in bed and lightly touched her arm.
“No!” she screamed, scrambling to the edge of the bed. “Stay away from me!”
She hadn’t opened her eyes. She was still trapped inside whatever hell had its chains around her. Her breathing was erratic, and she looked like she was about to rip the sheets to shreds.
I was afraid to reach for her again, so I just said in a soft voice, “Cat. Wake up, baby.”
Her head thrashed on her pillow. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
My concern was mounting because in my experience, nightmares were usually fueled by one of two things, or a combination of the two. They’re either spurred by memories of the past, or by one’s darkest fears. When those two were mixed together, they could become a person’s worst hellscape.
“Cat. Please, baby. It’s me, Luka.”
She started kicking out with her feet, muttering “leave me alone, leave me alone” over and over again.
Who the hell was she talking to? Who was she seeing in her head? I wanted to slay every one of Cat’s dragons, even imaginary ones. But how the hell was I supposed to protect her from those? Sitting next to my woman and being helpless in ending her suffering was completely new terrain for me.
And un-fucking-acceptable.
Knowing it probably wasn’t the best idea, but unable to take her tears any longer, I trapped her flailing legs with my own and held the side of her head, forcing her to face me.
Eyes still closed, she tried shoving me away. “How could you kill them all? How could you!”
Those words had the blood in my veins freezing over.
Who the fuck was killing whom? How real was any of this? If I could get her to wake the hell up, I was going to get some answers.
“It’s okay, Cat—”
“Please! Just let me go!”
“CAT!”
She stilled. Her body went limp, her breathing seeming to almost stop altogether. Then her eyes fluttered a few times before springing wide open. She was looking right at me, but it took several seconds for them to focus.
“It’s Luka, baby. I’m here. You’re safe.”
Her eyes searched mine, as if reminding herself who I was. When her face eventually crumpled and she broke down into tears, I gathered her in my arms and just held her. I didn’t know what the hell else to do. But I needed to hold her, to remind myself that she was safe and no one was ever getting to her as long as I stood in the way. I hoped this was a moment when she just needed to be held because there was no way I could let go.
“Hey,” I soothed, kissing her hair. “It’s okay. No one’s going to hurt you, Cat. You’re safe with me.”
Her soft sobs against my chest split my heart right down the center. She was always so tough and seemed to wear this impenetrable shield around her. Until now, the only time I’d seen her crack was earlier that afternoon at Mom and Dad’s when I could tell she was thinking about Luciana.
And if I hadn’t been here, right next to her in bed, she would have been shedding these tears with no one here to comfort her. She would have been all alone, holding herself, and that realization crushed me.
I stroked her hair for several minutes while she got everything out. I would have been content to lie here for hours holding her like that, but she eventually gathered herself and gently eased from my grip. My first clue that something was seriously wrong and that wasn’t just any ordinary nightmare? She wouldn’t meet my eyes as she scooted across the bed.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, sniffing. “That’s been happening more and more lately. Ever since Luciana disappeared.”
A million questions flooded my mind, but I had to take this slow or she’d clam up. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She wiped her eyes with the collar of my t-shirt she’d slipped on right before bed. We hadn’t planned on me staying the night, but after what happened on the bench press earlier, I’d basically marched myself right up the stairs and dared her to kick me out.
And thank fuck for that.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have seen what I just saw and have further proof that something else was going on with Cat that she wasn’t telling me.
“They’re just bad dreams,” she answered brokenly. “I can’t stop thinking about what she could be going through, you know? How scared she must be.”
“Is that all it is?”
Her fingers froze where they were fiddling with the hem of the shirt. “I mean, yeah. Why would there be anything else?”
“It sounded like you knew the person in the dream. It was like you were talking to someone specific.”
I heard her swallow in the darkness. “I can’t explain what you heard. I have no idea what I was saying.”
“There isn’t anything else you haven’t told me?”
Silence. Then, “It was just a dream, Luka.”
Okay, time to be direct. Because the time for secrecy was back before she came to me in that locker room. And before I took her to meet my parents.
“Is someone looking for you, Cat?”
Her breath hitched.
Bingo.
“Who’s chasing you?” I bit out. “Tell me and I swear to you I’ll take care of him.”
Mirthless laughter tumbled out of her. “You can’t fix all of my problems.”
Fury became a swirling vortex inside me. “Don’t think so?”
“That’s not—” She cut herself off, her eyes falling shut. “I didn’t come here to mess up someone else’s life. I’m not going to put you in the middle of my bullshit.”
“Pretty sure you haven’t made me do a damn thing since we met,” I retorted curtly. “Not only are you underestimating my ability to handle problems, you’re clearly under the assumption that I only want one thing from you.”
“What if I can’t give you all the other things you want?”
The question oozed of insecurity.
Insecurities? Cat?
“Then I’d say that once again, we have very different ideas about what this is.” I waved between us. “I’m not entirely sure myself, but first and foremost? I don’t expect you to change anything about yourself for me. You’re already giving me what I want. All I’m asking is for more of that…and your trust.”
Which I knew for her would be a tall order to fill. But she’d made it more than apparent over the last few days—ever since she told me about Luciana—that she needed someone to t
rust. She didn’t need to be out there searching for her sister all on her own. Not only did she need more help, she needed protection. Otherwise, she was likely to end up disappearing right alongside her sister.
Or worse.
Every time my mind recalled the image of her standing in the middle of The Slaughterhouse, all alone, while a pack of rabid coyotes snarled around her, my brain started fritzing out and I thought I was going to have an aneurysm. Anything could have happened to her down there.
“The last time I trusted someone, Luciana was the one to suffer for it.” Her voice cracked on the last few words. “She’s where she’s at right now because I trusted the wrong person.”
I glossed over the implication that she might have been making some kind of comparison between me and this other person and just focused on the fact that there was another person.
“Who?”
She shook her head, pushing her hair off her face. “He’s not someone you want to get tangled up with.”
He.
My temper was trapped in a pressure cooker. Contained for now, but sometime soon, the accumulating steam would become too much for the lid to stay intact.
“Who, Cat?”
She sucked in a breath and held it for several seconds. When she finally let it out, her words came out rushed. “My ex-boyfriend. If you could even call him that. He was more like a shadow most of the time.”
Boyfriend.
Already I wanted to kill him with my bare hands.
“He’s stalking you?”
“He was, back in Mexico. As far as I know, he has no idea where I’m at. I have to be very careful about leaving a trail because he’s…good with computers. He wouldn’t need much to track me down. A single credit card transaction, a traffic ticket. He’d know of my whereabouts within five minutes if I slip up.”
What in the actual fuck.
She was literally running in fear of this guy, and had been all the way from Mexico. If she was going to such extremes to avoid detection by him, then she must believe this man was a threat to her very life.
“What happened?” My voice was cold, but it couldn’t be helped. I was imagining the worst, both in terms of what this prick might have done to Cat, and what I wanted to do to him. “Why are you so afraid of him finding you?”
Glitter and Greed (Brooklyn Brothers #4) Page 20