by Bethany-Kris
“You better fuck me, woman,” he uttered.
“Is that what you want?” she asked, feeling his hands slide around her hips and between her thighs. His knuckles grazed her sex before the tips of his fingers slid under the gusset of her panties. He pulled them aside by hooking his fingers against the cotton, and dragging them sideways. “Look at that—so fucking wet, Lucia. See, baby, all you gotta do is lift up a little bit more, and get on top of me. Don’t even have to take your panties off when you’re like this.”
She dragged in a ragged breath.
God.
She could tease him a little more.
Make him wait a little longer.
“Don’t you want that, Lucia?” he rumbled, grinning like he knew he had her caught. “Don’t you wanna get my cock between your thighs, baby? Feel it fill you up, and ride me crazy? Huh?”
Goddamn him.
He was using that voice again.
She would have teased him more.
She just didn’t have self-control.
He laughed as she did exactly what he said she would do—lifted a little higher, shifted forward, and used her hands to guide his cock where she really wanted it between her thighs. The thick head of his dick settled between her folds, and for a second, she hovered above him like that. It only took his soft chuckle, and then the pull of his hands on her hips to make her drop down on his length.
“Shit,” she mumbled, “yeah, that’s what I wanted.”
Renzo groaned his approval as she seated her body all the way down his length. “Yeah, me too.”
He let her take control, riding him slowly at first with her hands flattened to his chest to give her a sense of stability. It was all an illusion—she had no fucking control or stability where this man was concerned, and certainly not while he was fucking her. But he let her think so. He let her ride him soft and slow, until her body was trembling and she just couldn’t take it anymore. Until her thighs ached from trying to hold back taking him harder and faster.
Until her lungs ached.
Her fingernails dug into his chest.
And she was ready to go crazy again.
Crazy with him, that was.
Renzo didn’t even need her to say anything—he always seemed to know exactly what she needed without her help. In a smooth movement, he had them flipped over on the bed so that she was on her back. He pulled out of her body, rolled her over to her stomach, and slid right back into her clenching sex.
His fist found her hair, yanking hard and pulling tight until her neck was taut, and he could murmur in her ear as he fucked her hard from behind. Each smack of his hips against her ass took her a little higher. And then, without warning, she felt those fingers of his press into the tight hole of her backside. Just the sensation of his fingertips stretching her ass open a little bit was enough to send Lucia flying over the edge.
He pulled out of her then, and she felt him kneel down at the edge of the bed. His hands spread her ass cheeks open while his mouth found her sex. She came while he ate her out from behind, his nose grazing the most sensitive part on her body all the while. That alone was enough to make her come a second time within a minute of the first orgasm.
Then, he was straightening up again, pulling her ass against his body, and shoving his dick in again. She felt like a lake between her thighs—dripping wet and so fucking slick.
She thought … there was no other way she’d want to spend her night.
Nope.
TWELVE
Morning sunlight coming up over San Francisco’s bay was certainly a sight to behold. Renzo, tossing and turning from being in yet another new place, couldn’t seem to let his need to sleep take over. The exhaustion was present—he could feel how tired he was in his fucking bones—but when he closed his eyes, all his mind did was race. He couldn’t seem to shut it off no matter how hard he tried, and God knew he tried. He needed to sleep; knew he had to get some fucking rest, but his body just wouldn’t allow it. Not until he got something figured out for them, and he finally felt like they were safe again.
Maybe he was just asking for too much.
Who knew?
Instead of fighting with his desire to fall asleep and waking Lucia up because of his constant movement, he slipped out of bed around three in the morning and climbed to the top of the roof. She was able to sleep, so why should he wake her up just because he couldn’t? That didn’t seem fair, really. He smoked the last bit of herb he kept stashed in the pocket of his leather jacket because he knew it would settle his mind regardless, and then he watched the sun come up over the bay hours later in the same spot. That was probably the closest he came to falling asleep.
He enjoyed the sight of the colors streaking across the sky—colors he didn’t think he’d ever noticed before, really. Pinks, oranges, and yellows on a backdrop of blue. That right there was enough to calm a person, he thought. Just watching the sunrise, and the painting it made on a brand-new canvas every single morning.
He wasn’t even sure what time it was now.
It didn’t even matter.
“There you are.”
Renzo didn’t even startle at his uncle’s voice coming from behind him. Micheal joined him on the small, rooftop veranda. His uncle didn’t look like he had just spent the entire night playing in a bar, and then several more hours cleaning up. Taking the only other seat at the table, Micheal settled into the chair and looked out to take in the scene alongside Renzo. The two were silent for a long while until Micheal decided to break it.
“I dumped the car,” his uncle murmured. “I know a guy—it’ll be crushed before tonight, so no need to worry on that side of things.”
Renzo chewed on his inner cheek, muttering, “Thanks.”
Micheal offered to take it the night before but only because Renzo admitted it needed to go. He didn’t explain the details, not that it was technically a stolen vehicle or the fact that the guy who gave it to them was now dead. He also didn’t bother to tell his uncle that the people looking for them—Lucia’s family—probably had all the plate details and whatever other info they needed to track the car. He simply said it would have to go, and he only did that as a way of protecting his uncle.
He was helping them out; he didn’t need to get in trouble for it, too.
“How long have you been up?”
“Too long,” Renzo admitted.
Micheal chuckled, and rested his left ankle over his right knee before leaning back in the chair. “Fuck, I know all about that. It’s what sucks the most about working nights, I think. I like being a night owl, but I feel like I miss too much in the daytime when I sleep, too.”
Renzo didn’t think it was the same at all, but he chose not to say that to his uncle. What would be the point, really?
“The other two are still asleep,” Micheal added, like he was trying to fill the silence between them. Renzo didn’t know if that was the case, but right then, he wasn’t in the mood to talk, either. He wasn’t going to be rude, or anything, but he just had too much shit on his mind to be making small talk about anything. He wasn’t the type for small talk, anyway. “Didn’t even hear me come in from work.”
“Been a long couple of weeks for all of us, I think,” Renzo said under his breath. “They sleep hard when they get the chance because who knows when they’re going to get another one, you know?”
He didn’t bother to mention the fact that Lucia and Diego had probably spent more time sleeping in a car while driving than sleeping in a bed for the last little while, too. That likely didn’t help them. A car and a bed were not the same.
Micheal passed a look his way like he was waiting for Renzo to say more. Explain what he meant, or rather, what that statement really meant. Renzo said nothing; he explained nothing at all. This was about all he was going to give his uncle. Even if Micheal wouldn’t rat them out or send them running—Renzo didn’t believe he would, anyway—he didn’t think it was necessary to add one more person to this mess they had made toge
ther.
Better for it to be just him, Lucia, and Diego.
Wasn’t that bad enough?
He thought so.
“They can put shit out of their mind to be able to sleep,” Renzo admitted. “I can’t say the same.”
There, he’d said too much.
Renzo wasn’t saying more.
Micheal sighed. “I know all about that. So, while we’re on the topic …”
Great.
Renzo glanced over at his uncle. “What?”
“Say that with a little less attitude, Ren, huh?”
Had he?
“Sorry, long night.”
Micheal shrugged. “Ain’t nothing, kid.”
“You do know I’m not a kid, right? I’m …” Renzo blinked, his words coming up short all of the second. It took him a second, and then counting back the days. How many days had it been since they left New York, now? There was no possible way he didn’t realize … Had he … “I forgot my birthday.”
Micheal’s gaze drifted over the colors in the sky. “Oh?”
“I turned twenty last week, and I didn’t even realize it.”
“That happens as you get older, Ren. Things like birthdays and celebrating them become unimportant. They’re just another day in the grand scheme of things. Everybody always has something more important to deal with, I suppose.”
Well, that was his life on a regular day, anyway. Even if his life had been anything but regular lately. But even so, no matter what was going on in his life, Renzo never forgot his own birthday. Sure, he didn’t celebrate it and usually, it went by without anyone wishing him a good day except for maybe his sister. But he’d never forgotten it before now.
It was a testament to how chaotic these past weeks had been, really.
Micheal seemed to take note of Renzo’s silence, and looked over at him. “What, do you want a party or something?”
Renzo barked out a laugh.
Damn, it felt good.
How long had it been since he really laughed?
“I’m good,” he finally said, shaking his head. “Just surprised me for a minute. Stop calling me a kid.”
That was the important bit. That’s what he had meant to tell him from the start, but then got caught up in the realization that he’d forgotten his birthday somehow.
Micheal smiled. “Always gonna be a kid to me. That’s how I remember you best, Ren.”
Yeah, if only he knew the truth …
“Anyway,” his uncle said, slapping his hands to his knees before pushing up from the chair, “you three are going to have to find a place soon.”
“I know. I didn’t forget our deal.”
“Actually, I might be able to help with that, and getting you a job, too.”
Renzo glanced up. “That so?”
Micheal scrubbed a hand down his unshaven jaw. “Yeah, I asked around. They won’t ask too many questions. I stopped in before coming home—if you head over there this morning, they’ll take you in and let you look around. Give you an idea about what they would want you to do for work, and show you the place they have for cheap rent.”
Well, damn.
“Thanks.” Renzo stood up, too, all of the exhaustion he’d been feeling earlier was gone at the idea of getting money coming in and a place to stay. “You got the address?”
“Yeah.” Micheal pulled out a small business card, and handed it over. By the looks of it, the restaurant wasn’t very far away. Only a couple blocks, or so. “Just give the guy behind the counter my name, and he’ll know what to do with you.”
“Sure.”
“Whatever you need, kid.”
Renzo didn’t correct him that time.
• • •
“Oh, wow, look at the colors on that,” Lucia said.
She dropped Renzo’s hand to dart closer to the window of the shop. Bright and colorful, an intricately designed dream catcher sat on display in the shop’s window. The reds, blues, purples, and crystal beads glittered in the sunlight shining down on the display. The dream catcher spun from a hook in a slow circle, letting them see all the beautiful angles and the extensive work that had gone into the beading.
“How many hours do you think that took the artist?” Lucia asked over her shoulder.
Renzo shrugged. “More than I would care to do.”
Lucia gave him a look.
“I’m just saying.”
He did not have the patience for that kind of thing. It was beautiful, and he could see that. He recognized the hard work that must have gone in to making the beautiful piece, but that in no way meant he was interested in doing it, too. Simple as that.
Lucia shook her head, and went back to staring at the dream catcher. He knew they would be standing there for another few minutes before she decided she had enough of looking at the item. If he had to guess, he thought the art district of San Francisco was Lucia’s favorite place to be so far. There was always something beautiful waiting to be seen. Something amazing right around the corner. Another talent to be discovered tucked away.
She loved all of that.
She had an eye for it, too, he noticed. Art. Not like his sister in the way that Rose wanted to create art, but Lucia was different. She found art. She could talk about it without missing a beat or needing a breath. The more colorful, the better. Paintings. Beadwork. Carvings. It didn’t matter, she liked it all.
At his side, Diego tugged hard on Renzo’s hand to gain his big brother’s attention. He knelt down to be eye-level with Diego while the boy spoke. “You should buy that for Lucia. She likes it, Ren.”
Renzo chuckled, and ran his hand through the boy’s already-tousled hair. “Thanks, Diego.”
“Well, you should.”
Yeah, he definitely should.
He’d come back for the dream catcher on another day. That really wasn’t what this day out was supposed to be about today, anyway. He didn’t explain that to Diego simply because the boy wouldn’t care or understand.
All Diego cared about was the fact as soon as he ate his breakfast, Renzo got him bathed, dressed, and took him out to do something other than watch cartoons and play with his cars. He hadn’t been able to do that in way too long. Sure, it might have been safer for the three of them to stay tucked away as much as possible, but Renzo didn’t want them all going stir-crazy, either.
Which was a real fucking possibility.
None of them had ever gotten to sightsee San Francisco’s most famous districts, so he figured that was the best way to spend their day. Then, he could close their day out with something else that would make them all happy, too.
Soon, Lucia drifted away from the window to join Renzo’s side again. Without saying a thing, her palm slid in with his, and their fingers intertwined tightly together. He tugged her closer until she was tucked into his side, and he could drop a kiss to the top of her head. She graced him with one of those smiles he loved the best—all soft, sweet, and knowing. He didn’t know what it was she knew, but whatever it was, it had his heart kicking a fucking beat or two.
That’s what mattered the most to him.
That, and having her close.
With Diego on one side of him, and Lucia on the other, Renzo felt better than he had in days as they continued their walk down the block. Some of the shops had set up vendor tents next to their entrance doors for people to shop outside without even having to go in to pay. He supposed that was for the tourists who overscheduled their days and couldn’t take the time to experience each thing one at a time.
That also helped them.
With so many people around, Renzo felt … safer. If that was even the right word for it. There were enough tourists, distractions, and beauty that the three of them could be anybody walking down the street. They blended in with the mixture of people. It was a melting pot of ethnicities and culture, really. They didn’t particularly stand out as people to stare at when they walked by. He didn’t feel the need to look over his shoulder every five seconds.
It was great.
And probably a fucking lie, too.
Because that was the thing—being lulled into a sense of safety didn’t leave Renzo feeling all that great. He didn’t want to get complacent just to have the goddamn rug ripped out from under him. At the same time, he didn’t want to voice that anxiety of his just to ruin this day for Lucia and Diego, either.
Christ.
Nothing was ever simple.
It was only the tightening of Lucia’s fingers around his that finally dragged Renzo out of his pestering thoughts. He found her smiling at him in that way of hers again—like she just knew his mind was going crazy, and she wanted to bring him back to that moment with them. He was grateful.
“You good?” she asked.
He could have said no.
He grinned instead. “Yeah, babe.”
Lucia winked. “Better be. So, what’s next?”
That was the question of the hour, wasn’t it?
“I thought we should go get this brat something to eat,” Renzo said, letting go of Diego’s hand just long enough to tickle the boy along the side of his neck. His brother squealed, and tried to dart away from his brother’s hand, but Renzo was too quick for him. He bent down to sneak an arm around Diego’s waist, and pulled him up to carry him while still holding Lucia’s hand at the same time. Diego’s laughter drew in several kind gazes and smiles all around them, but the people quickly went back to whatever they had been doing before the interruption. “And I guess we better feed you, too, Lucia.”
God knew she wouldn’t say a thing otherwise. She wasn’t the type to open up her mouth and complain if things weren’t going her way. She didn’t whine when shit was rough. She just got up, and did what was needed. He loved that about her the most, honestly. Well, that and a whole lot of other things, too.