9. Nine

I haven"t had any more run-ins with the stranger in over a week but the white, stemless roses left for me almost everywhere I go tell me he hasn"t been far. Under the car, in my office chair, by the fountain I once met him at and on the steps leading to my balcony.

I"m starting to think I will never see him again, but I thought that before too. He"s following me. He"s really following me. Chills climb up my spine as I remember one of the last things he told me.

"Because I saw something I wanted and now I can"t stop going after it."

Shaking off my thoughts, I walk into the tux shop and the seamstress is already holding my suit in her hands. It"s black and plain. It"s an unspecial ensemble for an even less special day. The only good thing about coming here is my father allowed me to come without him or my mother accompanying me.

I made the guard remain in the car with the driver. There"s no reason for him to be inside with me. I have a gun on me in case something were to go wrong during the short time I"m trying on clothes. My dad ensures I carry it with me everywhere I go lately and I hate having it. I hate knowing how to use it because I"m tempted to put a bullet in Santiago"s head everyday. His death would cause the death of many, though. Me and my whole family. Everyone I"ve ever known and loved. It"s what"s kept my finger off the trigger every time I"ve been alone with him.

I grab the tux from her hands and look it over one more time, as if it would look any better in my hand than it did hers. As if my eyes have the power to change the reason for me having to try it on.

She points to a back dressing room. "You can try it on in there," she says in Spanish. I nod and when I turn around to ask her if anyone else is here, she is already gone. I pull back the curtains and there are more curtains separating me from the other dressing rooms. I bend down to untie my shoes and set them to the side, freezing when I see a pair of shoes behind me that aren"t mine. I swallow hard, slowly standing up. A familiar scent fills the air, one I"ve been in the company of more than once. Peppermint. I undo my belt and pants, letting them slip down to the floor. I kick them to the side as soon as they"re pooling around my ankles. When I turn around, I freeze.

"Hello again, Mateo. I thought you could use some help trying that on." His gaze falls to the tux.

I bite my lower lip and snatch my slacks from his hands. "I wasn"t aware that was a service this place offered."

He chuckles and it"s deep and more arousing than it has any right to be. The only unsettling thing about it is he manages to do it without so much as a smirk on his face. Who laughs without smiling? Probably a man I should be afraid of, but my heart is beating for a reason that has nothing to do with fear. "You know, I would think you would be wearing something much nicer to your own funeral."

I scuff, tugging on my perfectly tailored pants. "For your information, I"m getting married. And you should probably leave before my fiancé or guard finds you in my dressing room." My words don"t match what I really want to say. Everything is so scrambled in my brain, I"m not even a hundred percent sure what the hell that is.

"I guess it"s a good thing you aren"t me then, huh?" He cocks his head to the side, holding up my dress shirt. I slip out of the one I"m wearing, letting the maroon garment fall to the floor. He eyes me up and down with a mixture of curiosity and heat blooming in his eyes. My stomach tightens as his fingers trace the front of my corset, zigzagging across the embroidered designs. The same fingers I imagine tugging at my cock a week ago when I was alone in my bed. "I wasn"t expecting this. You really are full of surprises, aren"t you, princesa. It"s pretty, just like you."

He continues to move his hand down the red silky material, falling to the black ties in the back. "Very pretty."

My breath catches in my throat when he takes one of my nipples between his teeth. He is so smooth and quick when he does it, that I don"t see it coming. I don't pull him away and no part of me wants to. I enjoy the warmth of his gentle tongue lapping at the hard nub. He continues to bite and suck, and I hold back a moan. Moving to the other nipple, he flicks at it and the sting both has me flinching in pain and arousal. His tongue is soothing when it swipes against it. "You like that, huh? What do you think Santiago would say about me touching what"s his?"

I gasp when his wandering hand slides down the front of my pants. "I"m not his. I belong to no one."

"Not yet." His hand slides further beneath my underwear. His fingers wrapping around my cock is much better than my fantasies. They are rougher and bigger than mine. The wonderful sensations from all the rubbing and tugging has me thrusting my hips forward.

"So fucking responsive. Tell me, princesa, has anyone ever touched you here before?" The gentle pad of his thumb slides over my slit causing me to shudder. I shake my head, unable to form words.

By the sound of his mocking tone, you would think he was smiling, but when I peer up at him, his face remains expressionless and unreadable. "How about here?" His other hand slides in the back of my pants, slipping between the cleft of my ass. My breath quickens when his fingers softly graze my hole. "Or here?"

"Ahh...no."

His eyebrow lifts and his eyes grow darker, and there"s a hint of possessiveness flowing through them. "Not even your fiancé?"

I shake my head, with my heartbeat pounding loud in my ears. His fingers press further and my cheeks squeeze around the intrusion. "Mmm...so pure and innocent. Are you sure you"re a Juventino?"

"Finding lovers isn"t exactly something that"s easy for the son of a cartel boss."

His fingers slip out of my pants, and my ass clenches from the loss. "But there was no trouble finding a husband, was there? Tell me, why is your father so suddenly accommodating?" His other hand continues to massage my cock. "And why Santiago? Has your father really become that desperate? Business must not be good."

I"m too distracted by his stroking fingers and his captivating gaze. Maybe it was meant to be intimidating or threatening, but all it did was cause tingles to run down my spine in the best ways. "Why all the questions? Are you one of my father"s rivals? Are you the reason many of his men have gone missing?" He said he was only here for me but I think there"s more to it than that.

He shakes his head. "Your father is the only reason for that. He is his own worst enemy and doesn"t know it. Maybe it"s time Miguel Juventino stands down and lets someone else take over. He"s fighting a losing battle at the rate he"s going."

His hand quickens, pulling my cock out over my underwear. "You are pretty everywhere. It makes sense. Santiago always did appreciate the finer things in life. Why he hasn't touched the finest thing he owns is beyond me."

His fingers slide up and down my length, and when I attempt to fuck into his fist, he presses a hand to my hip. "No, princesa. You only move when I tell you to move."

Those words shouldn"t affect me the way they do. The authority in his voice causes my entire being to vibrate. The nickname princesa is said mockingly but my body revels in the use of it like a damn compliment. He keeps calling me pretty. I"m his pretty princesa and don"t want to be anything else right now.

"That"s a good boy. Only take what I"m willing to give you. Look at you listening so well. Like a sweet obedient puppy ready for his next order."

I shiver, my heart skyrocketing and cock jerking. Every day of my life people tell me what to do and when to do it. Shouldn"t this be no different? Instead of feeling small and helpless, I can feel the shackles that have been there since birth release their hold on me. His fingers tighten their grip, stroking me faster and my balls contract. Warm sensations flow through my belly and my cum is spilling over his fingers.

He doesn't stop until I"ve expelled every last drop. My legs grow unsteady and my hands grab hold of him. His muscles flex against my fingers. "Ohhh...I…" I forgot everything we were talking about. This guy could be planning to kill me in my weakest moment, and I wouldn't know it. If I died right now, it would be worth it. Especially being able to watch him lift his fingers to his mouth, sucking and licking at my cum as if it was the sweetest candy.