Chapter 35

I only stopped when I got to my room, a safe place. I was very conflicted. He seemed to care about what I thought, and that made me want to trust him, but I had learned not to trust or believe anything other people said without proof.

Men lied, after all.

I grew up with the worst of them all, so why would I ever put my heart in the position to be trampled on? Alejandro was danger. The way he looked at me was borderline criminal. The way my nipples tensed earlier, just from him looking at me, was unbearable.

I was never going to solve the emotional turmoil I felt. I knew that, so all I could do was resist falling for the devil as much as I could while we had to live together.

And yes, I was mad. I knew I shouldn't be, but I was. The fact that he had slept with Elena and Karina annoyed and worried me. I wasn't convinced that there was nothing between him and Elena. I shouldn't care; I knew that. Alejandro wasn't mine, and I had George—though I clearly had to break up with him now after the window episode. The worst was that all I felt about that future breakup was relief.

Why did he have to show up shirtless? I admired his presence and the aura of control that filled any space he was in. He was the kind of man who would never go unnoticed anywhere he stepped foot in. Then, for the second time, I got to drool over his muscles as they beautifully contracted under his bronze skin. His arms, looking so strong…I had felt myself get wet. He hadn't even touched me.

My hands had wanted to play with his hair. And that erection…it was unmistakable. Seeing his blatant desire for me felt like a drug. But I wouldn't give in. I couldn't cave without losing control. And I feared that, once I did, there would be no turning back.

I spent a pretty uneventful rest of the day trying to decide whether I should tell Alejandro about the diamonds. That was trust—telling him something that might either keep me alive or put me in harm"s way. But I knew where they were, and if I could use that information to help Alejandro, I knew I would.

That admission scared me to death because it meant that I cared for him, a lot more than I wanted to admit. He did save my life, after all. That was one of the key facts that made me feel like I could trust him with this, and part of why I wanted to help him.

Most of my day was spent listening to music, writing, and daydreaming, forcing myself to remember my life before all of this, before him. The job I had been looking forward to. My freedom from Richard. I didn't find the same enjoyment in those thoughts that I used to, but I still found comfort in them. I entertained myself until bedtime.

I chose to wear a white, slightly see-through, silk sleeping gown to go to bed. It was a cool night, and I loved feeling the air travel under my gown, caressing me, while I allowed myself to think about Alejandro's touch.

It wasn't really a choice at this point, more like an obsession, an escape, something both my body and soul craved to no end. I couldn't help but stand by the bay window, listening to the calming sound of the waves, admiring the black sky slightly lit by the moon and the stars.

I wanted to go to Alejandro's room so badly my body ached at just the idea of being near him. I wanted to feel him again, but my pride was stronger, as long as I kept my distance from him. I was afraid that once I got to feel him inside of me, there would be no going back to the guards and rails I was so fond of.

But when I heard a knock at the door, my treacherous body reacted. I turned my head back to the sea, but I could hear his every step, seeing his shadow as he approached me.

He leaned on the other side of the bay window, also mesmerized by the night. I turned my head slightly, looking at him from the corner of my left eye. I couldn't stop myself, my eyes traveling along his lips, his jawline, his neck, hardened by the shadow of the moon. I wanted him desperately, my resolve slowly making way for anticipation.

When I looked back up, he was looking at me with those sensual, dark, possessive eyes I could lose myself in. He was walking to me now, looking deep into my soul. He kissed me with his hungry lips, mine parting in complete surrender. I stood there stiffly, my arms locked, refusing to give in, even as my body was begging me to, my self-control holding onto a sliver of resistance. He moaned, but he lifted and shook his head, walking away.

"Good night," he said heavily.

Those words, the idea of him walking away, led to a panic, and before he could leave, I grabbed his hand with mine. I looked up, trying to tell him what I couldn't voice out loud. He groaned and grabbed my lips with so much ferocity I had to hold onto him not to fall, my heart beating faster and faster as he slid his arms around me, pulling me closer, my body yielding to his every touch, his every caress. Alejandro"s hands roamed under my nightgown, leaving a trace of trembling anguish everywhere he touched.

He slowed himself down, his fingers caressing my face, gliding down to my neck, the side of my breast, my hip bones, teasing me. I was letting go, grabbing his hair, feeling his strong shoulder, holding him close.

He grunted as he lifted me off the floor and set me down on the bed. He stood over me, taking off his shirt. He lifted my gown above my head and took a minute to admire what he had revealed.

"You are so beautiful," he whispered.

I got a little shy, hiding my body a bit with my hands.

"No, mi ni?a, let me see you. All of you."

The desire in his eyes showed that he was dying to be with me as much as I wanted him. I felt reassured and removed my hands as he devoured every inch of my body with his gaze.

Breathless, I admired every single muscle contracting as he lowered himself on top of me.

"I'm sorry for the bruise you had here," he said as he slowly, sensually kissed my forehead. "And here," he added as he tenderly sucked on my jawline. "I'm sorry I let that happen to your neck," he added in a guttural tone as he sucked on my throbbing vein.

"No one else will ever hurt you again," he added as he sucked on the other side of my neck. "No one else will ever put even a finger on you," he swore as he kissed my jaw again.

He proceeded down to my ribs.

"I'm sorry," he chanted before every part of my body that he licked, sucked, kissed, every movement healing my heart, tears filling my eyes, his words and his tenderness releasing a little bit of the pain I held inside at the physical impact this kidnapping experience had placed on me. Each of his kisses, each caress, repairing some of the harm.

He kissed and sucked his way along my neck, teasing my nipples in the process as his hands went up and down my thighs, lightly touching me in my most intimate parts. He was driving me crazy, giving very little, making me very desperate.

I pushed myself against his hands, but he was not budging, suddenly in complete control, kissing my belly, my hips, my inner thighs. My body was on fire, tight, shaking. I grabbed his head to pull him closer, but he refused. With a soft, guttural laugh, he grabbed both my wrists and held them tightly together above my head.

"Not just yet."

I let out a moan when he finally wrapped his lips around my nipple, slowly rolling around it with the tip of his tongue, sending a surge of current between my legs.

"Oh, yes" I whispered almost to myself.

I bent my head and screamed at the intensity, still in tears. I heard him groan in response as he grabbed my lips with his, his hand wiping a tear that had escaped.

"Please," I whispered against his lips, begging him to take me.

"Patience, mi ni?a," he moaned in my ear as he grunted.

Alejandro finally let my hands go, and he grabbed a condom from his pocket, took his pants off, and paused as he observed me, his dick so stiff it looked like it should hurt. He opened the foil and rolled the condom on his length.

Before I knew it, he slid inside of me with all his glory, a deep sigh leaving his throat.

I screamed, in pain and pleasure, my body trembling as it adjusted to his generous girth. He started rhythmically thrusting in and out of me, deeply, eagerly, and strongly, sending fireworks through my blood.

His hands were grabbing me, pulling me closer, his mouth kissing me as I felt the fullness of him still thrusting inside of me, stretching me to let him in, deeper and deeper. It felt like he wanted to dive inside of me more than my body could allow.

It was so excruciatingly delicious I could barely handle it.

"You feel so good baby" he panted.

My hands grabbed his backside, panting, feeling my body going wild, getting ready to explode. Nothing but what I currently felt mattered. Alejandro filled up every inch of my body and soul as I got overwhelmed in a completely agonizing and liberating explosion.

"Alejandro!"

"I love watching you come for me" he breathed.

Alejandro groaned, coming to a halt as he reached his release, pouring his climax inside of me. It was perfect agony.

We remained like that for a few minutes, Alejandro now tenderly kissing me and caressing me in his arms, extending my ecstatic numbness with every touch, as I started feeling heavier. Alejandro leaned down next to me, grabbing me into his arms, kissing my forehead.

I hadn't meant to sleep with him, not when jealousy was still torturing me. Not when I didn"t quite know what to make of us, what to make of what I felt, what was next for us. But I also wanted him too much to deny myself any longer. I could no longer fight my need for him. And right in that moment, I had no regrets. I was in heaven and couldn't help the smile that drew on my face as I fell asleep in the arms of my keeper, in the arms of the man who had changed my life forever.