Twisted Desire (18 page)

Her face started to flush, and her eyes looked down to the floor, her lashes fanning her cheeks. I put my finger under her chin and lifted her face to see me. “I’m breaking all kinds of rules even talking like this, let alone what happened earlier, but I don’t give a rat’s ass. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and to be honest, it scares the shit out of me.”

She smiled as she continued to look at me. “I don’t know what to say,”
she began. “I feel things too that scare me, especially with being kidnapped and kept on this boat, having no idea why. The last thing I’d ever expect would be to fall for the guy assigned to watch over me, but it happened, and I’m not sure what to do with it.”

Her words made me shudder. She was falling for me. It made me feel too many things. Happiness, fear, hope, to name a few. What was I going to do with this, with her?

When she started to back away from me, her face showing even more fear, my hands shot out and grabbed her, pulling her into my arms. “It’s okay, querida,”
I soothed as I ran my hand up and down her back. “I was just absorbing what you said. Thank you for telling me. One thing that will help us is to always be honest with each other, okay?”

I don’t know why I was spewing off these words of so-called wisdom, but I meant every one. The one area I wouldn’t be able to be open with is my job with the cartel. I’d never put her at risk; the less she knew, the better. Plus, if she knew that her father was the cause of her abduction, I don’t think she’d fully recover. She idolized her dad; though it blew me away she was so oblivious to what he really did.

She nodded against my chest. “Okay, but I know you can’t, or won’t, tell me about what you did tonight, what you do for Roman period.”

And there it was.

“Shh… let’s not discuss that tonight okay? The last thing I want to think about is him and my job. When he assigned me to watch over you, I wasn’t happy about it at all. It felt like a demotion or something. But—
listen to me, querida,”
I pleaded with her when she tried to free herself from my arms. “But once I saw you, got to know you, I realized it was the best thing to ever happen to me.”

She stopped moving, going completely still. When she finally raised her head to look at me, the look on her face about sent me to my knees. She looked so happy, it blew me away that it was because of me. She affected me so much, in ways no one ever had before. I was about to say more when she suddenly dropped to her knees, making me look down at her in confusion.

When her hand went to my zipper and started to undo it, her intent became crystal clear. “Querida,”
I moaned as she inserted her hand into my fly and wrapped it around my cock. “What are you doing, sweet girl?”
 

I heard her chuckle as she stroked me, up and down, up and down. “Isn’t it obvious, baby?”
she asked, just as she took me out of my briefs and placed a small kiss on my tip. My body jolted at the simple touch, my hands threading through her hair.

She continued to stroke me, and it felt like absolute heaven. “Oh, querida,”
I moaned again, barely able to think. When I felt her warm, sweet lips wrap around me, I almost lost it right there. I threw my head back as she began to suck on me, her tongue circling me over and over.
 

“Penny,”
I hissed when she started to cup my balls, massaging them gently as her mouth pleasured me. “You feel so damn good, sweet girl. So. Damn. Good.”

She didn’t say anything, just started to suck harder, taking me deep into her throat. I opened my eyes and looked down at her on her knees, her head bobbing back and forth over my cock. The sight of her lips wrapped around me, her hands stroking my balls made my approaching release build even harder, making me start to shake.

“
Shit, querida. Shit, shit, shit. I’m gonna come—let me go
,”
I cried, warning her in case she didn’t want me to explode in her mouth.

She didn’t move, only hummed an “Uh-uh”
from deep in her throat, and the vibration of it made me shoot my load straight into her mouth, over and over. My hands held onto her head tightly when my body started to spasm as my orgasm ripped through me, making me groan from within the deepest part of my body.
 

She released me once I was done and wiped a fist across her mouth. The fact that she swallowed my every drop amazed me. Penny Santoro never ceased to amaze me.

I dropped to my knees in front of her, grabbed her face between my hands, and crushed my lips to hers. My tongue darted in her mouth right away, hoping to let her know what I was feeling in a way my words couldn’t at the moment.
 

I was in love with Penny Santoro.
 

Lord help me.

Chapter 18

The next few days saw us pretty much in bed. Roman had texted Tag a few times, but for the most part, he left us alone. When Tag wasn’t distracting me with his kisses, his tongue, or his beautiful body, it didn’t escape me that it was a little weird considering he’d just sent Tag off the boat a few nights ago. I tried asking Tag about it, but each time he’d kiss or touch me in a very distracting way, making me forget all about it.

I’d just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed when I heard a commotion outside our door. My eyes darted to Tag’s. “What’s going on?”
I asked, scared.

He immediately jumped off the bed, dressed only in a pair of jeans after he’d taken his shower. He grabbed his gun from the bedside table and headed for the door. Cupping my cheek, he pressed a kiss to it. “Stay here. Don’t open the door.”

Before I could respond, he opened the door and stepped out, shutting it behind him. I finished dressing and sat on the bed, rocking back and forth. There were a few voices, and while I couldn’t make out what they were saying, by their tone I knew it wasn’t good.

Tag’s voice was one of them, and knowing he was possibly in danger sent tears rolling down my cheeks.
Please don’t let anything happen to him
, I begged, pulling my knees to my chest.
 

I froze when a certain voice stood out amongst the others. It was female, which was more than unusual. What made it even more unusual was the fact I recognized it.

I lifted myself off the bed and padded to the door, pressing my ear against it. I concentrated so hard I thought a blood vessel would burst, trying to hear it again. While the male voices were still talking, I never heard hers again.
 

There was no way it was her, I told myself. No way. Turning around and sinking to the floor, my back against the door, my body started to shake.
 

Kimberly.

When the door started to move, I cried out and scooted out of the way. Tag came in, and when he saw me on the floor, his eyes took on a huge look of concern. He slammed the door shut and dropped to his knees, his gaze on me.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

I crawled over to him and flew into his arms. I started to sob, my hot tears staining his bare shoulder. He immediately wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. “Penny, what’s wrong?”
he asked, his voice laced with worry.

“Kimber,”
I blubbered, not even able to say her whole name.
 

“What? What did you say?”
he asked as he stroked my back, settling himself on the floor and pulling me between his legs.

I did my best to wipe my tears with my hand. My mind was playing tricks on me, and it caused me so much sadness. Thinking I heard my best friend’s voice made me miss her so much. All I knew was what Tag had told me when he first brought me to the cabin—that she was safe. What if he’d lied? What if she really was here? My hopes soared as I jerked my head back to look at him.

“Where is my friend Kimberly? The one I was going to meet the night I was kidnapped?”

His eyes showed utter confusion, then cleared. “Why is this coming up again? All I know was what I was told, that she wasn’t a part of this, that she’s safe.”

“So she’s not here on the yacht?”
My hope started to fade.

He squinted his eyes, like he was trying to figure me out. “No, Penny. Where did this come from?”

Slumping against his chest, I sighed. “I thought I heard her voice out there, in all the commotion. It freaked me out, then made me happy thinking maybe she actually was here.”

His hand continued to lightly stroke up and down my back. “You thought you heard her out there?”
I couldn’t see his face, but something in his voice sounded off.
 

I nodded. “Yes, but it was just my imagination. I really miss her. I miss everyone.”

He didn’t respond right away, just rubbed my back. I was too spent from sobbing to question it. My eyes started getting heavy, exhausted from crying and the stress of thinking she was here.

When my head started to bob from dozing, he gently stood, carrying me in his arms. He settled me on the bed, then laid down next to me, spooning me.

“Are you okay, querida?”

“No, but I will be. Just don’t leave, please.”

He held me tighter, pressing a kiss to my temple. “I’m not going anywhere, sweet girl. I promise.”

I woke up a little while later, the afternoon sun beating down on me. Tag was still next to me, sound asleep himself. I just lay there, thinking about what had happened earlier.

Your mind was playing tricks on you
, I told myself. But if that was the case, why did it sound so real?

Turning over to look at the beautiful man next to me, I couldn’t help but second guess what he’d told me. Had he lied when he told me she wasn’t here, that she was safe? If he had, could I really blame him? He’d always been clear that he wouldn’t betray the cartel, that he wouldn’t tell me what was going on.

But he also had feelings for me; he’d said so himself. Didn’t that change things a bit? Having no idea, I let out a sigh and started twisting some of my hair around my finger, deep in thought.

Hazel eyes popped open, and he smiled when he saw me facing him. Pulling me closer to him, he ducked his head and kissed me. “How are you doing?”
he asked.

Deciding not to tell him I still wondered if he had lied, I replied. “I’m okay.”

He turned over on his back, taking me with him so I was resting on top of him. “You’re lying, querida. I know you better than you think.”

Why couldn’t he just leave it alone? “Really, I’m fine. Still a little shaken up, but okay.”

His finger traced down my cheek, sending shivers through me. “Querida, she’s not here, I promise. It wasn’t her voice you heard, sweet girl.”

“Then whose voice was it?”

He lowered his eyes for a second, then looked back at me. “I don’t know.”

That made me sit up and move to sit next to him on the bed. “What do you mean you don’t know? There was a woman out there, right?”

He sat up then too, resting his back against the headboard. Rubbing the back of his neck with hand, he nodded. “Yeah, there was a lady out there.”

I waited for him to continue, and when he didn’t, I got flustered. “And? Who was it?”

“I told you I don’t know, querida. I don’t know who she is.”

He ran his hands down his face. He was clearly frustrated, with me or not knowing who she was, I didn’t know. Shrugging my shoulders, I sighed again.