Taking Jana (Paradise South #2) (24 page)

CHAPTER 38

“
I
’m sorry. About
the other night and tonight. God, what a—”

“Don’t, Jana. Really, it’s all okay. You’re safe, that’s what matters. God, I should have told you. I don’t know when, but I should have said something…”

“About what?

“Johnnie. I wasn’t sure about your relationship with him, and I didn’t want to overstep. You’re a strong woman, I just…”

“Spit it out, Antonio.”

He grabbed a water from his console, opened it, and took a long swig. Offered it to her, but she waved it away. “No, thanks. I feel a lot better now. Just tell me.”

“It’s that I’ve taken countless women to Johnnie’s apartment. Strippers, prostitutes. It’s his pad, his bachelor pad. None since he’s hired you, but two or three women a week before you. And I didn’t want to put my nose in your business, but tonight might not have happened if I had.”

She sat in silence for a time, staring ahead. Then took his bottle, and slammed half of it back. She swallowed and then burped. “Excuse me.” Then she sighed in relief.

She looked at him. “Listen, Antonio. I was in the club scene for almost ten years. Johnnie Demonte is nothing. I knew about him, deep down I knew. Maybe I was in a bit of denial, sugarcoating his intentions because I needed––still need––the money. Convincing myself he was maybe safer than he is. But I definitely knew it was too good to be true. That’s why I never let him touch me.”

Oh God, thank you.
A burst of levity starting in his throbbing heart circulated throughout his body. Johnnie Demonte hadn’t hurt her or touched her. He looked upward.
Thank
you.

He could feel her eyes on him as she grabbed another sip of water. He knew she felt his relief.
Don’t look away from the road. Don’t even think about looking at her.
He couldn’t. Not without losing it to the joy overtaking him. He’d kiss her, devour her whole for being so strong and smart. And sacred. Sacred and fucking stunning.

No.
Drive, man.
Nothing at all has changed.

Then a small snicker escaped her lips. “The issue is just, well, relativity. I’ve known so much worse than Johnnie Demonte. Johnnie is just…the
watered-down
vanilla brand of asshole compared to the sick fucks I’ve been in contact with.”

“It’s dangerous, Jana, playing with fire. At whatever level.” It scared him shitless.

“Look, I’m no martial artist, true, but I’d know how to handle him if he got too aggressive.”

He threw her a
glass-shard
glare.

“Fine. I wouldn’t have,” she admitted as he refocused on the road. “But you were here. I’m safe
and
not sick. I owe you so much.”

“You owe me nothing.” And he meant it.

“God, Antonio. You can’t say that. You’ve been here for me not just tonight, but from the start of this fiasco. I mean, Jesus, somehow you were even able to salvage things for me with Johnnie, my job! Because you took the brunt!”

His lungs constricted. “Wait. Am I hearing you correctly? You’re still going to do this thing, the club gig? Be in the same proximity as that asshole? Even after what I told you about his…his…fuck pad? And after what just happened?”

“I have no choice. My folks need the money. And I need to get it for them.”

His blood boiled. But he closed his eyes to check his temper.
Breathe and
think.

Motivation, money. Always money, with everyone! Her loyalty to her selfish family. He could help her. But, her pride.
Fuck!
Her pride, like his pride.

He blew out a hard stream of hot air at his windshield. “Well, I don’t want you staying in that apartment.”

“I’m not trying to spend a hundred dollars a night on a hotel room, Antonio. He’s not coming over, and he hasn’t been over. I’m telling you, he’s vanilla. Nothing to worry about.”

She was not stupid, but was she blind? “Jana, tonight, if it had been any other driver…and that partition went up, he’d have—”

“Done nothing to me, because I would’ve vomited all over him.” She stared out the window, seemingly done with the topic.

“Stay with me. At my place. I’ll sleep on the couch. I’m done with taking Johnnie Demonte’s orders. And I don’t want his father’s money either. But I’ll still drive you, wherever you need to go. In fact, I insist.”

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw her narrowed eyes focused on him. “You insist, huh?” She squirmed in her seat, obviously trying to keep her pride and temper in balance. “I don’t know if you’ve gotten the rundown, but I don’t do well with men insisting. I know you’re trying to help, but––”

“I got your playlist. Thank you,” he blurted out, completely out of context.

She swallowed, sighed, and then smiled at him. “You’re welcome. But you can’t go changing the subject on me, nice try, though.” Her brows lifted for emphasis. “If you don’t make money from driving me, you won’t hit your goal.”

“I don’t need the money, Jana. I’ve been greedy, like all these
money-driven
assholes. I don’t need any more. I just…I got hooked on a stupid ‘magic number,’ a kid’s pipedream from nearly thirty damn years ago.” He pulled over to the shoulder of the highway then, veering so hard that she bumped her head on the window. “God, sorry…are you all right?”

She nodded as she rubbed the side of her head, but confirmed with a slow blink and another nod, that yes, she was fine. “Is there a problem with the car?”

“No. No problem with the car.” Just a problem with his thrashing heart warring with his goddamn brain. Because what the fuck was he doing?

*

Traffic zoomed past. The headlights of each passing car had a strobe effect inside the vehicle, making Jana’s face come in and out of view, highlighting her features. He’d memorized her features. He could draw her face
free-hand
by now. Her high cheekbones and her
cat-shaped
eyes, currently underlined by a shadow of smudged makeup. Her delicate nose and her lush lips. God, those lips. Her mouth and her smile, presently taken over by a
razor-straight
and serious line, but that always came out when she sang, whether she knew it or not. And oh Jesus, when she sang. Or laughed, or spoke. With anything and everything she did, this woman twisted him tight and sent him reeling.

Calm yourself.
He pulled a memory, the feel of her lips on his, that afternoon at the pub, and he closed his eyes to relish the thought.

A beat passed. He opened his eyes again. Her expression had morphed into a look of deeper confusion.

“That goddamn number of mine, Jana…it was an illusion. A
decades-old
illusion, an obsession. Me, never living, hooked on that damn number. But I’m hooked on something far more important now. More…rare, precious. I see…clearly now, Jana.”

He swallowed and let his eyes meet hers.

She sighed, her eyes still questioning what the hell he was going on about.

The rhythmic and blinding headlights of each passing car slowed time.

“It’s you. You’re more important to me…than anything, Jana. And I—”

Before he could finish, her hands held his face, her lips softly at his lips. Then, tilting her head slightly, their mouths connected, fully interlocked in a
long-awaited
kiss of sweet and utter bliss.

Synergy.

Lips caressing, pulling, lingering, dragging. Synergetic sweeps of ecstasy.

There were only her lips, like heaven and clouds skidding over his mouth, and the resounding heat, burning heat filling his chest. All else melted away. But God, so much heat, fire. Like their spark had been given oxygen, life breathed into something that might very well be…love.

She pulled her lips away, pausing, panting, pensive. Her eyes soft, but searching. Had she heard his thoughts? Like he’d sensed hers ever since the first time he’d seen her in his rearview?

*

Their foreheads resting on one another, she dug into him with that look. No sunglasses. No shield.

“What is it?” he whispered.

A puff of laughter. “I’m hooked on you too, Antonio Ruiz. I am. Just completely, utterly hooked.”

That internal heat raged hotter, higher, joy spreading throughout his being, healing his heart.

He slid his hand under her thick, lustrous hair, at the nape of her neck and pulled her into him, this time, he kissed her, devoured her.

His tongue swept in, tasting her, reveling in her, his fantasy meeting reality. He felt so alive, vibrant and alive.

Their breath fell into a rhythm as their passionate kiss waxed and waned, lips dragging and pulling, teeth nipping, tongues exploring and swimming.

She was hooked on him. Perfect and surreal.

Don’t wake me, God. Don’t you dare wake me from this
dream!

The kiss continued, deepened, but he wanted every bit of her connected to him. He wanted it now. He wanted it always.

He pulled away, gasped for air. His eyes seared into hers. “Come home with me?”

“Yes. Let’s go home,” she said, a glint of fire in her eyes that he realized, then, had been there for him from the start; he’d just been too blind to see it.

CHAPTER 39

A
n
tonio led her
to his bedroom. It was pristine and tidy. The floor was spotless. There was a chest of drawers against one wall with only a lamp on its surface. An armchair sat by the window. The queen bed was centered on the wall opposite the dresser, and it was immaculate: hospital corners; crisp, tight sheets; and no blanket, only a throw, a weave of vibrant colors, assumedly from his Mexico.

She pictured him sleeping in that bed naked. And she couldn’t wait to have him pressed up against her, his skin igniting hers on fire, his taut, muscular build wrapped around her. She looked up at him as he studied her, deliciously hungry for her. But it was a hunger so different than what she’d known before from the clubs, from Johnnie, and back to even her few boyfriends. This hunger wasn’t to possess her, not to own or dominate her, and not even to pleasure her just to have been the one to do so. The starvation in Antonio’s eyes was a selfless one. It was as if he was starving to give her immense joy just to make her happy.

And she wanted the same for him, to erase his wounds, his suffering, to give him release. She wanted to give him back what he’d given her already, that warm, glowing energy in her chest, pounding, exploding out of her, what she could only imagine was something like love.

And it started when he’d given her the music player. When he’d known what she needed when she’d needed it. And he’d gone without so she’d be happy.

“Hey.” His voice sent vibrations through her.

She only smiled in reply as his hands reached for her.

His hands were stealthy and confident, unzipping her dress. He lifted the strings from either side of her neck, his fingers brushing her skin as he did. Electricity shot through her. God, it had been so long. Forever. Or ever? That such a sensation graced her body.

He gently pulled the straps wide, down over her shoulders, and down her arms. The brisk air of the room caught her off guard, and she felt her nipples harden while a chill sprinted up her spine. She had no bra, no barrier to his tender, sultry eyes. His fingertips tickled her skin as they slowly brought the satin straps down her forearms, the dress’s halter now bunched at her bellybutton.

He smiled and shook his head. “You’re…astonishing.”

She watched his thick, muscular neck as he swallowed hard, and she quivered from her core.

He leaned in closer. At her ear. “You glow. You really do.”

His breath in her ear drove her wild. Then, as if he knew she needed more, he pressed his lips to her neck, her collarbone, her shoulder while his fingers let go of the strings of her dress, and the black satin frock fell to the floor.

He tilted his head as if studying her bare body, then circled around her and placed his fingertips on her shoulders from behind, sending tingling ecstasy up her neck.

With his mouth at her ear, he kissed her lobe and moaned his apparent delight. “You are magnetic and mesmerizing Jana Park.”

She was amazed and thankful and in heaven that he thought so.

He moved one hand from her shoulder across her collarbone, sending such intense shivers down her body that she couldn’t help but giggle. His hand paused midway across the top of her heaving chest as his other hand dropped to her hip. He gave her a quick jerk back, and her ass was tight up against him and his solid manhood. A deep moan escaped her lips. He dragged the back of his hand now at her throat down her center and between her breasts, which were heavy with ache for him to hold her tight in his grasp. But he didn’t. He obviously wanted to take his time. And she’d be patient, trusting he knew exactly what she needed, what she wanted, what was best.

His hand reached her navel, palm flat against her stomach. Then he spun her around to face him. He pulled her tight to him and cradled her neck, gently forcing her head to look up. And in a swift motion, he kissed her mouth more deeply than she’d ever been kissed. His tongue and lips were masterful, teaching her mouth how to take such a sweet assault. The hand on her back swooped down her back, down to her thighs, and he hoisted her up, his mouth still taking hers, making her core tense with heightening arousal.

Three steps to the bed and he gently placed her down. He slowed his kiss to a halt and pulled back from her. His eyes absorbing her, she watched him examine her entire body. He stood back a pace, maybe better able to see her in full view? Of all the thousands of pairs of eyes on her in her lifetime, she’d never felt anything like his, like this. Antonio made her feel heavenly, priceless. Divine.

He blinked as if to take a mental snapshot of her, then he gave her a sultry smile as he moved his hand up to the top button of his shirt. “I want to dance for you, Jana Park. I want to strip for you.”

*

He smiled, a troublemaking glint in his eyes. She shook her head as a light giggle fled from her lips.

He reached into his front pant pocket and pulled out his mp3 player. “Are you ready?” he asked with a painfully sinful quality in his voice.

Her core shuddered in response. God, she was so wet for him now. Anguishing.

He selected a playlist then moved to his side table to place the device on his speaker dock. He’d picked the second Latin track from her playlist.
Oh God, this was going to be
good.

He backed up a few paces and then anchored himself in a strong wide stance. As the punchy beat kicked in, he started the show with a slow and sexy hip roll. God, he was adorable and so scorching hot at the same time, it made her crazy with need.

He lifted one eyebrow as if he read her thoughts. “Do you like the show?” he teased as he took his top shirt button apart, then the next.

“I really, really do.”

The music picked up then, and he really started to get into the role. A flare with his wrist here and a Latin hip snap there. He was making her laugh out loud, and at the same time, he drove her
out-of
-
her-mind
wild. She was already so primed for him, and she was only getting hotter as he teased on. His gentle gyrations made it impossible for her to ignore his bulging erection, held back by his snug black slacks. She’d leap off the bed and tear them off him if he didn’t get closer to her soon.

His shirt finally fell to the floor.
Jesus
, his body was unbelievable,
god-like
. Then he started to work on undoing his pants. She licked her lips; she was so thirsty for him. With the way his body maneuvered, his rippling abs flexing with each body roll and hip thrust, she could only imagine his hardness over her and in her, rounding and seeking pleasure centers inside her she didn’t know she had.

He was too damn delectable. Her mouth got drier as she watched him undo his belt, his clasp, his zipper. Oh God, she couldn’t contain herself. She flipped over on her stomach and spun around on the bed for a better view. On her elbows, chin in hands, her nipples were satiated for the moment with the firm cool pressure of the comforter beneath her. That would have to do until Antonio was done teasing her. Then he’d begin pleasing her. Oh Lord, with his
ever-loving
mouth and hands and cock, would he ever satisfy all of her. Every bit of her ravenous body.

He grinned as if so pleased with himself, glad to make her insane with desire, and to make her wait for satiation. “Am I taking too long to undress for you, my beautiful princess warrior?”

She clenched her teeth and huffed. “You know you are.”

He only smiled bigger, but instantly threw down his arms, and his pants and boxers were all at once crumpled at his feet.

He was so much man; she gulped down hard, imagining him forever inside her. “Antonio, I want you
now
. Please, just come here to me.”

*

He leaped onto the bed, rolling her over with a light nudge of his knee. His enormous length hovered over her body, and she clenched hard at the sight of the glistening tip just above his silken smooth crown. God, she craved the taste of him like a parched lioness finally nearing the edge of a watering hole. The wait had been too long in so many ways.

“I want to make love to you, Jana. God, so badly.”

“If you don’t, I’ll kill you.” She smiled and pulled him to her, finally hot skin on skin, she dug her fingers into his back as she felt his glorious cock sliding in between her slit, but only hovering outside her sex, teasing there. He was so close it hurt.

He nibbled at her ear, his hot breath showing her how badly he wanted her, needed her, as badly as she needed him. Her lower lips held his beautiful cock, embracing him, keeping him while her sensory spots ignited with every rocking stroke. His hips moved expertly, and his hard ass cheeks tightened with every plunge forward, flexing with every retreat back. Her clit sparked to life, engorged and needy, getting more sensitive with every one of his thrusts forward. She hummed in response.

He continued to tease her there while he moved his mouth from her ear to her breasts.
Thank you, God!
Her heavy and incited breasts, her tight nipples, had been waiting for his attention.

His moist lips kissed one nipple while his hand gently pinched the other then cupped that breast firmly. It was like he’d goddamn read her mind–again. His kisses turned to wet trails with his tongue, the air in the room chilling her everywhere his tongue had been. Swirls around her nipple made her sex squeeze, his cock still just outside her need, waiting there, baiting her at the outside of her arousal. He moaned, and the pleasure in that sound made her demanding. “Be deep in me, Antonio. God, now, please.” She was exhausted from waiting. For so long, she’d waited for him. The
him
she didn’t know existed on Earth.

Finally, after such a
life-crushing
string of time, she’d been sent a gift from above. Antonio, her guardian angel, her rightful lover, her sweet and powerful friend.