Truth is, I never really felt like I was meant to stay in that small Mexican village. Ever since I was little, it just never seemed like it fit me, or that I fit it. I hadn’t known until I’d come to New York and met Luka that something else—and someone—was out there waiting for me.
I enrolled in college.
Psychology major.
Maybe one day I’d have my own family counseling practice. That was the end goal. But for now, I was thrilled just to be doing something I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do. I was content with taking all the classes I could and soaking up as much information as possible. Along with the pole classes at the gym, I was also selling some crochet products on Etsy. Kitty Cat’s Corner specialized in baby products like hats, booties, blankets, onesie overalls, and specialized gift boxes. Lexi had given me the idea one day, and I figured, why not? And thanks to her hashtagging my store on her popular Instagram feed, customers were coming in droves.
“Why the hell is this thing still on?” Luka spat in between his thrusts.
“What thing—?”
He ripped my sports bra over my head in one fell swoop and tossed it to the floor. Then released a breath of relief. “There’s my babies.”
I threw back my head in ecstasy whenever his mouth latched onto my nipple and sucked. His large hands kneaded my breasts, squeezing them just the way I liked, flicking the puckered tips and twisting with just the right pressure. It was a good thing the gym was closed or else we’d be giving everyone one hell of a floor show.
“Oh, Luka. I’m close, corazón.”
He groaned against my chest. “Fucking love when you call me that.”
I grinned.
He loved it when I said anything to him in Spanish. It drove him loco. So, that’s what I did. I whispered more words in his ear, telling him in my native language how good he felt, how much I loved him, how I could fall asleep every single night with his cock buried inside me and have the sweetest dreams.
“Fuck, Cat! Goddammit, you need to come.”
“Sí, I’m almost there.”
Bucking his hips harder against me, he growled, “Get there faster. Finger your clit.”
I instantly obeyed. The pad of my finger rolled over my throbbing bundle of nerves. The friction of rubbing against his manhood was incredible, but I needed just a fraction more to catapult me into orgasmic paradise.
“How does this keep getting better every fucking time?” he bit out. “We’ve christened nearly every machine in this goddamn place.”
Oh, I was very much aware of our extracurricular activities.
“I guess we’ll just have to order more, then.”
He groaned. “At the rate we’re going, I’ll have to build on a new addition.”
My grin turned coy. “Just use the upstairs apartment.”
His thrusts slowed, his gaze burning into me. “I believe it has an occupant.”
“Really? I heard that girl moved in with her boyfriend.”
His hands tightened on my hips. “Don’t tease me, Cat.”
“Why would I tease when you’re already inside me?”
His eyes rolled back in his head. “You really gonna finally come live with me, baby?” His voice rang of disbelief.
I had been holding him off pretty insistently ever since we got back from Mexico. He’d wanted me to share his address from that first day, but I’d thought it best to take a small step back. Just until I found my footing with the whole college thing and being financially independent. Like, having an actual bank account with my real name on it and everything. No more getting paid under the table or staying off the radar.
With Luka by my side, I was ready to be all over the damn radar.
“On second thought, maybe it’s not a good idea.” Okay, maybe I was teasing him a little. “Your other employees might start talking about the boss showing favoritism.”
His hand clamped down on my nape. “They better go ahead and report me to HR.”
As he pulled my face to his and kissed me with the force of a man who hadn’t been physically intimate with a woman in years—despite our morning sex among his tangled sheets—my pussy spasmed hard around his cock.
“Jesus, that’s tight. Squeeze it out of me, baby. Fucking drain me.”
Seconds later, I did.
He came with a beastly roar and a steel-like grip around my waist, ensuring I didn’t move a muscle as he held my ass tightly against his lap. We were both covered in sweat, and it felt so good to be back to my normal self. I’d missed this release of endorphins, the rush of adrenaline. Crocheting only went so far in keeping those urges at bay. By the time that last bruise had faded, I’d been utterly incapable of remaining inactive for one more second.
Muscles gone limp, I slumped over him, never having felt more satiated in all my life. Then again, that’s how every time with Luka felt—every moment with him. He was everything I hadn’t dared to hope for as a poor young girl who had barely made it through high school. Despite the fact that we’d met in a seedy back room of a strip club, Luka had reminded me of my value, my self-worth. He’d helped me realize that I had more to offer than just being someone’s pedestal topper. Eye candy.
My fire hadn’t been completely snuffed out when I met him. But it had needed some serious fanning.
And if my man was an expert at anything—though he certainly had more than one area of expertise—it was how to properly stoke the flames of a dying fire.
When I slowly pulled back with a dreamy smile, his fingers sifted through my hair. His gaze ran over the strands that he’d yanked loose from my ponytail. “Have I told you how much I love this?”
Only about a thousand times, but I never got sick of hearing it.
After Javier chopped off my waist-long locks and left it a mangled, uneven mess, I’d decided to get a little creative. I could have gone with a shorter bob style, but I’d chosen to lean into the asymmetrical cut. It was now a bob length on my left side, the ends barely grazing my shoulder, while the right side was left longer, reaching the middle of my upper arm. I added side bangs and went with an off-center part, so everything swept to my right side.
It was edgier. Fresh.
A new look for a new me.
“I’m glad you approve,” I purred, nuzzling his short beard with my cheek.
“I didn’t think it was possible for you to look any sexier, but that’s exactly what I thought the first time I saw this haircut. It suits you.”
Warmed by his compliments, I carefully disentangled our bodies before we lost control of ourselves all over again. “We better hurry and shower or we’re going to be late.”
“Why do we have to go to this thing?” he whined without moving. “Can’t I just have you all to myself tonight?”
I shot him an amused look. “What do you mean, why do we have to go? It’s your birthday.”
“Your point?”
I knew he wasn’t big on celebrating his birthday. He’d made it abundantly clear the only present he cared to unwrap was me.
“Okay, if not for you, then get your ass moving for your brother’s birthday.”
He rolled his eyes. “That’s even less of an incentive.”
“You can watch him drool over the new bartender at O’Malley’s.”
“Good point. Let’s go.”
I squealed with laughter as our naked game of tag led us up the stairs to my soon-to-be former apartment. When I’d first arrived in Brooklyn, I hadn’t been able to imagine ever feeling playful like this again. Nor could I have imagined Luka ever being the type to act playful.
I guess that’s what love does to you, though.
It can bring out your best, while at the same time, reminding you of your worst. It’s a game of extremes. One that requires constant balance. But when you find that balance, it’s so amazingly worth it.
The idea of Luka having that much power over me—the ability to send me careening back to my lowest point if I ever lost him—used to scare th
e hell out of me. But the two of us understood better than anyone how short life could be, so why would I want to waste any of it being scared? Growing up with nothing makes you that much more thankful when you have something.
Something to protect. Something to treasure. Something to love.
Luka…he was my everything.
So, I would spend the rest of my days loving, treasuring, and protecting him because he’d vowed to do the same for me when I hadn’t even deserved it. He’d known and accepted what was between us long before I had.
Most importantly because, for whatever reason, I brought out his best.
And his best was far beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of having.
I tuned out the singing of “Happy Birthday” that had somehow spread throughout the entire crowd at O’Malley’s. Glancing to my right, I saw Rome looking just as uncomfortable with all the attention. But Cat had the brightest smile on her face as she sang, clapping excitedly with her gorgeous face illuminated by the twenty-eight lit candles around the cake, so I didn’t say a fucking word.
For her, I’d be the best goddamn sport she could ask for.
For her, I’d do anything.
When the song ended, the crowd broke into thunderous applause, yelling at us to blow out the candles. I elbowed Rome in the side when he grumbled in annoyance. It was what my girl wanted, so I’d fucking make him play along if I had to.
But if Cat even tried to slip a cone-shaped birthday hat on my head, that’s where I’d draw the line.
“Thank you, Rome,” she told him after the cake was cut. “I know that was painful for you.”
His knee jiggled beneath the table as his eyes scanned the bar. “Yeah, well. You’re the only person who could get away with that shit.”
Nico stifled his laughter behind his whiskey glass. “I don’t know, bro. I’m thinking you’d let that redhead behind the bar get away with pretty much anything if she tried.”
The guys all smothered their snickers with their drinks while the girls smiled endearingly at our usually stoic brother. We’d all seen the changes that had been occurring in him ever since he got released from the hospital two months ago. He’d been more…vocal. Engaged. Animated. Almost outgoing. Rome’s version of it anyway. He was still quiet and subdued, but less withdrawn.
It was such a whirlwind change in my twin, I was still getting used to it. But I had to admit it was fucking great to see. Kind of a relief actually. At times, I’d been worried that Rome had given up on life after getting out of the service. He’d never acted too motivated to try and find someone to let in, be happy with.
Now…he was definitely looking at that bartender with a gleam I could safely say I’d never once witnessed in my brother’s eyes before.
“Oh, fuck off, dad bod,” Rome grumbled at Nico.
Our man bun-toting brother grinned and lifted up his shirt, waving at his abs. “This look like a dad bod to you?”
From her chair next to her husband’s, the seven-months pregnant Lexi sighed dreamily as she stared at Nico’s torso.
Rome glared. “I give it a year.”
“I give it ten more minutes of you staring at the bartender before you bone up so bad you won’t be able to stand up,” Ace quipped. “Ever think of going over and actually introducing yourself?”
Cris tipped his glass of scotch in Rome’s direction. “Your opening line could be, ‘Hey, it’s my birthday. Your gift to me can be your number.’”
Rome stared blankly at him. “No wonder you had to stalk Jaz before dating her. Your pick-up lines would have sent her screaming in the other direction.”
I choked on my beer as everyone else at the table burst into laughter. To her credit, Jaz blushed something fierce, but her hand rubbed Cris’s thigh as she smiled lovingly up at him. That wiped Cris’s scowl off his face, and he took his ribbing like a man. I still maintained the dude was lucky Jaz hadn’t castrated him when she’d discovered all the strings he’d pulled in her life without telling her. She would have had every right.
But if he felt about Jaz the way I felt about Cat…I understood it.
Something caught Ace’s attention over my shoulder, and he waved his arm in the air. Seconds later, someone kissed the top of my head. “Sorry I’m late,” Roxy said, kissing the top of Rome’s head too. “My shift at the hospital went long. Happy birthday, you two.”
“Thanks, Rox.” I saluted her with my beer. “How’s the internship going?”
A first-year med student at Columbia University, she was as much of a nerdy academic as Ace. They were the perfect match for each other.
“Amazing,” she answered, just before laying a hard kiss on my little brother’s mouth that went on for what seemed like minutes. They didn’t even notice when multiple conversations ensued around their make out fest.
Roxy’s arrival was a stark reminder that one person was still absent from the group. Gia had been in a bad way for the two months since she was kidnapped. Quiet, withdrawn, a complete diversion from her former self. It was almost as if she and Rome had switched personalities. She hadn’t been performing, hadn’t been going out with her friends, and would barely speak to anyone. Even Roxy hadn’t been able to get much out of her, and she was her best friend. Or if Gia had shared anything with her, Roxy wasn’t spilling.
No one knew what Gia went through two months ago.
And none of us knew how to help her.
I worried that my once bubbly, outgoing sister was never going to be the same again. I couldn’t stand the thought of her being broken. We all knew she was tough enough to get through this and reclaim her spot in the light instead of the darkness.
The question was…did she know that?
Roxy eventually pulled away from Ace and grinned at the table. “Did I miss all of Rome’s swooning?”
Ace barked in laughter. “Nope. It was actually just starting to get good.”
“All right, you can all kiss my ass,” Rome bit out before draining the rest of his beer.
Sure enough, when he rose to his feet, he acted as if his jeans were suddenly too tight.
I fought back my smirk. “Going to the bar for another round?”
He flipped me the bird. “Not because of her, jackass. But because if I have to look at all of your smug faces for one more minute, I’ll start getting rude.”
Nico lifted an eyebrow. “Start?”
With a frustrated growl, Rome stalked off toward the bar.
Cat leaned over and said against my mouth, “You should take it easy on him, corazón. The poor man’s infatuated.”
I waved around the table. “Hey, every single one of us has had to deal with the barbs whenever we got hung up on a woman. It’s just his turn around the track.”
When she smiled, her face was beautifully flushed with happiness. “Hung up, are you?”
My eyes ran over that face. I had no fucking clue how she got more and more stunning every time I looked at her. “Oh, baby girl. We’re well past hung up.”
Her gaze traveled down the length of my body, eventually stopping on the rising bulge in my pants. “What about just hung?”
My dick twitched. “Then I’d say we’re about there.”
She bit her lip, gaze heating. “Does this place have a back room?”
She was so clearly referencing the first time we met at Rumors, and I went full blown diamond-cutter. “You feel like dancing for me, Cat?”
Nodding, she slid her arms around my neck, brushing her lips against mine. “I think it’s about time we got you into your birthday suit. Don’t you?”
“Way ahead of you.”
When I shot to my feet, I took her with me. She giggled as her feet dangled off the floor, her arms around my neck the only thing holding her up.
She hummed in pleasure. “I love you, corazón.”
“I love you, baby girl.”
I planted my mouth over hers and was somehow able to maneuver around the crowded tables and through the packed bar without look
ing where I was going.
Which was totally fine with me.
With Cat, I didn’t have to look at the path in front of us to know we were headed toward happiness. Toward forever. I couldn’t see past her to anything else anyway. All I knew was that she was the north on my compass, and I only ever wanted to venture in her direction. As long as I had Cat, I’d never be lost again.
I was a fighter by nature.
With her, I’d fought for what was mine.
And I’d won.
Winning her was the only victory I’d ever cared about. None of my fights before had even mattered.
Now, with her smiling at me like that, I could finally wear my undefeated title with pride.
Inhale. One, two, three, four…
Exhale. Four, three, two, one.
And repeat.
It was pathetic that I had to call on my old therapeutic breathing techniques in order to calm my rising anxiety, all because I was about to talk to a woman. It wasn’t that I was afraid of engaging with the opposite sex. I just didn’t like putting myself in situations where I felt…exposed. As an ex-sniper with the Army Rangers, my job had always been to be the exact opposite of that.
Hidden. Stealth. Deadly.
You’re at your most vulnerable when you’re exposed.
In this case, I didn’t like having all these faces turned in my direction. All attention trained on me. Every pair of eyes in this entire goddamn bar had been on me and Luka when they were singing “Happy Birthday.” Even now, it still felt like the top layer of my skin was being rubbed raw. It had been like that for years. Ever since my special ops days. Therapists had later diagnosed me with PTSD and had each recommended their own methods of “dealing with the pain.” One had stuck to the belief that just talking things through would magically solve all my problems. That all the fucked up shit in my head would somehow miraculously disappear.
Glitter and Greed (Brooklyn Brothers #4) Page 33