Summer Nights (3 page)

“It’s not, but if you call him by his
first name, he’ll shoot you.” Ramon’s brows wagged as he playfully
pursed his lips.

“He won’t shoot me, but I can already
hear some Spanish curse words floating my way. Would you be so kind
as to tell me his first name, Ramon? After all, he is trying to
shack up with my friend, and just in case he tries to pull
anything, I need to know what name to give the police.”

“Stella!” Half the heat flooding my
core shot to my cheeks. She was my best friend, but she definitely
kept me on my toes and out of my comfort zone. I loved and hated
her for it.

Ramon bent down, cupping his hand
around his mouth and Stella’s ear. A moment later he stood up
straight; Stella was grinning from ear to ear. He laughed at the
stern disapproval painted on Cruz’s face. “Lighten up, bro. It’s
not the end of the world.”

“Por yo, no; por tu,
si
.”

“Ay
! Let’s get our salsa on,” Jaffi exclaimed in his accent
thick. He sashayed his hips for effect.

“Vamados
.” Cruz jutted his chin out towards the exit. I grabbed my
clutch. Just as I was about to pull out my wallet, he threw down a
hundred-dollar bill.

“I was-“

“Let’s go,” he clipped. His hands
landed on my hips as he pushed me towards the opening in the gate
surrounding the patio.

His hands were firm, assured. He knew
what he was doing. Nerves shot through me; my insides churned with
excitement and fear. Stella and I had talked about a vacation
fling, but girls always daydreamed about that stuff, though it
never actually happened.

Chapter 3

The guys led us a few blocks over to a
white Lexus SUV. Hundred-dollar bill for dinner, like it was
nothing and a luxury SUV… Clearly these guys had money, or at least
Cruz did, since he was the one with the keys and the
cash.

I smiled when Ramon copped a feel as he
helped Stella into the back seat, his hands slid down from her
waist to her ass as she moved forward. I laughed out loud when she
swatted at him. My laughter quickly faded as I considered the
situation. We were getting into a vehicle where we were
outnumbered. Walking to another location was one thing, but driving
amped-up the danger. They could lock the doors and take us anywhere
they wanted.

“Come on, girl. Live a little.” Stella
sat primly in the middle of the back seat, her clutch appearing
smaller than it actually was in her lap.

I took a deep
breath.
This is a vacation. We’re supposed
to be living a little and having fun,
I
told myself.

I went to climb in behind
her, but Cruz redirected me to the front passenger seat.
“You,
mi reina
,
are
aqui
.” His
hands snaked around my hips as he lifted me into the seat. I
screamed, trying to reach for the door. He was fast though; he
handed me the seat belt before I had a chance to catch my
breath.

Doors slammed as everyone settled in.
Cruz turned the key in the ignition. When his eyes landed on me, my
heart took off again. I could tell he was just like Stella. I would
never know what to expect from him. It both scared and excited
me.

He leaned across the console and kissed
my cheek. “I can’t wait to make you scream like that in my bed
later.”

Every part of me halted except my
libido. My pussy clenched, an ache igniting. I barely contained a
whimper as he stomped on the gas pedal, jerking us out into the
heavy street traffic. Suddenly, he hit his brakes and his hand
swung out over my chest to keep me from flying forward. He took
advantage of the position and started rubbing his thumb in lazy
circles; he knew he was near my nipple. This time a soft moan
escaped me.

I threw my head back against the seat,
closing my eyes and ignoring the stares I was sure were coming from
every angle. Why the heck was I putty in his hands? What was it
about him that set my sex aflame and put my body into sensitive
overdrive? I opened my eyes and studied his profile. A smirk lifted
his cheeks as he removed his hand. As I observed his model-like
features, I noticed his nose was perfectly straight and evenly
balanced with his strong jawline. As I observed his model-like
features, I noticed his nose was perfectly straight and evenly
balanced with his strong jawline. However, his actions screamed
predator; but I could tell there was something soft and reverent
beneath his hard exterior.

Twenty minutes later, Cruz and his
friends led us into a small, hole-in-the-wall club. Salsa and
Reggaeton music blasted through the space, seeping far beyond its
walls outside. Bodies of all shapes and sizes swayed to the catchy
beats. The music invigorated me, but the atmosphere made me want to
shake my hips, raise my arms up in the air and throw caution to the
wind.

There were no tables or chairs. The
only thing aside from the dance floor was a small bar in the corner
when you first walked in. A window overlooking the cramped space
indicated the DJ’s booth was nestled away from the crowd. Cruz slid
his fingers between mine as he led me to the center of the floor.
The patrons seemed to have a sixth sense, automatically parting as
he escorted me towards the center of the action.

He pulled my back to his front. His
hands clasped each of mine, his fingers threading mine as he
wrapped them around my middle. He leaned into me, pressing his
erection against my lower back. He began moving his hips, forcing
mine to move along with his.

“Let your body lead the way. Let your
hips sway in rhythm to the music.” He nipped my ear sending a jolt
of pleasure to my core.

He released my hands; his fingers slid
up and over my breasts. My nipples strained, the friction of my bra
heightening my pleasure. His right hand slid down my side, across
my thigh, over my mound and back up to my hip. I found myself
leaning into his touch as I kept rhythm with the song that seemed
never-ending.

Three songs later I was panting, my
body hyper-aware of his every move. My folds were drenched, and not
in sweat. My clit was swollen, begging to be caressed. My breasts
were heavy, the pert peaks crying for his hot mouth to cover
them.

Abruptly he spun me around, his eyes
were as dark as midnight and barely visible in the dimly lit space.
Goose bumps broke out over my skin as he licked his lips and his
eyes took in their fill. I bit my lower lip as he placed a soft
finger on my lips and traced them, tempting me to open for him.
Slowly, my teeth released my lip as I stared up at him. My hips had
long stopped swaying and were now grinding into him. I was lost in
everything he was doing to me; I was lost in him. I’d never felt so
weak, so anxious. I couldn’t seem to control my body; instead my
body was the one in control.

“Come with me.” His tone held authority
and didn’t give me the option to refuse.

He led us through the crowd until he
came to Ramon and Stella in nearly the same state we were. “Get her
home safe.” Cruz jutted his chin towards Stella.

Stella finally turned towards me when
the song ended. I pointed to her purse now dangling from her wrist.
I did the universal lifting of my thumb to my ear and pinky towards
my mouth signaling I would call her later. She nodded and winked in
response, flashing a big, reassuring smile before continuing to
dance with Ramon.

Fifteen minutes later, we were heading
up an ancient elevator in an art deco style apartment building.
Based off the décor, I imagined the building was renovated in the
early 90’s despite being here much longer. Faded teal walls and
restored white and blue tiled floors greeted us in the lobby. Bold
nineties fashion prints of models posing throughout San Juan were
framed and hanging along the walls. The lobby was like a courtyard.
It had a fountain in the center and an opening where the back door
would have been so anyone could walk out onto the covered back
patio or into the small garden area.

The elevator stopped on the twelfth
floor. There was a brief pause. Then Cruz held his arm out to stop
the doors from closing, a display that suggested I exit first. We
walked into a hall of faded blue tiles and marked up white walls.
He secured my hand and led me to the last door on the left. He
pulled the key out of his pocket and unlocked two locks on the
door. He didn’t touch the knob though.

My gut twisted as his eyes met mine.
“You go in here; we’re having sex.” He pulled me to him. “I promise
to make you come and scream for more, but I will not let you leave
here without having tried you.”

My chest tightened as my throat dried
up. Every ounce of fear raised to the surface as every ounce of
moisture sank straight to my pussy. My heart beat thunderously
inside my constricted chest. I was surprised how even-paced my
breathing remained despite everything going on inside my body and
my mind.

When he pursed his lips, his eyes
creased slightly at the corners. It alluded to his thirty-something
age. A single finger traced my nose, my lips, my jaw, down my neck
and barely visible collarbone. His digit swept down along the
junction in my breasts. His other hand grazed up the side of my
body as if he was outlining my curves. Both hands swept over the
tops of my breasts before two fingers assaulted my
nipples.

I hissed, barely biting back a moan.
After all that he’d done to my body over the last
however-long-it’d-been, he was proving that he knew how to take
care of me. At the very least, I would have an orgasm; he promised
me as much, but it was the other stuff brewing below the surface
that scared the shit out of me. Something had shifted between us on
the dance floor. Perhaps it was his endless tease, but somehow I’d
been drawn deeper into him.

“Okay.” My voice cracked as I melted
into his arms.

His lips crashed down on mine; they
were soft, yet demanding, much like their owner. There was no slow
exploration; he immediately plunged his tongue between my willing
lips. He tasted sweet, better than the most decadent chocolate
cake, with a hint of beer lingering on his palate. The two flavors
together stimulated me. I licked along the seam of his mouth. He
held still, allowing me to indulge in him. The second my tongue
snaked past the barrier of his lips, his hands grabbed my ass,
squeezing hard, pulling me against his thick length.

He lifted me upwards slightly, pushing
me beyond the door and into the dark space. He fumbled with the
lock before he guided me backwards through the black hole, already
testing how much I trusted him. Moments later my back was pushed
into a soft, yet solid, mattress. My hands slid behind me, prepared
to hoist me up onto the furniture. Cruz gripped my wrists, trapping
them above my head. He kissed a trail away from my mouth before
abandoning me. Seconds later a small bedside lamp lit up the space
in a warm glow. He walked over to the window and turned on an A/C
unit, the noise filling the space with a loud hum.

My eyes traveled the bedroom. A king
sized bed and two nightstands were the only items in the room. I
was slightly shocked not to see a TV or even a dresser. The black
furniture contrasted against the white walls and the antique green
and white floor tiles. A dark teal comforter lay neatly across the
lowest part of the mattress revealing a crisp white fitted sheet.
The same white covered at least six pillows scattered near the head
of the mattress.

Strong hands cupped my cheeks with
gentleness. He waited; patiently he waited for me to meet his gaze.
Finally, I lifted my eyes towards him. He studied me for a minute,
a frown creasing his brow.

“What are you scared
of,
mi amor
?”

“I, uh…” I tried to swallow
past the frog in my throat. The second the light was turned on, the
drive to jump him quickly subsided as uncertainty settled in. I
avoided the lights during sex.
Wasn’t it
every fat girl’s nightmare for the man she was with to be able to
see her every roll, every bulge and every jiggle as they danced
between the sheets?
I was no
different.

His eyes narrowed, watching as I began
to fidget. “You aren’t a virgin, are you?” He took a step back, his
hands still firmly in place but his body no longer pressed against
mine.

“No.” I gave him a small
smile.

He seemed to accept that and moved back
to me. His muscles were hard against my soft curves. He began to
gently brush his thumbs along my cheeks. Slowly the fear began to
ebb. He leaned in, gently kissing my lips. “Stop thinking, and let
me take care of you,” he said.

My eyes warily gave him a once over.
His muscles were intimidating next to the set of his jaw. He was
being patient, ever so patient. I’d never had a one night stand,
but from what Stella had told me, they were never patient. It was
understood that this was a ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am,’ sort of
thing.

My sopping inner channel and heavy
breasts were begging for me to continue with him, but my mind
wouldn’t shut the hell up. My self-consciousness was starting to
take over, eager to wreck the little bit of courage I had been
trying to cling to.

When I didn’t respond, he growled,
tossing me onto the bed. I yelped as my head hit a cloud of
pillows. He covered me, capturing my lips with ease as his hands
molded to my breasts. He ground his erection against my center,
encouraging me. I reached between us, sliding my hands along his
firm physique as I lifted up his shirt. He broke away from me to
yank it over his head and toss it onto the floor.