I showered. But the water, despite how unbearably hot I made it, and the white scalding rage that flowed through my veins, neither of them did much to quell the chill that ran rampant through my bones. And the debacle that was this entire trip was so deeply embedded in my skin that even the harshest of loofas wouldn’t be able to scrub me clean.

I was violated, so completely and utterly violated. I could be in prison right now, facing God only knows what kind of sentence, for trafficking illegal drugs across international borders. And all because of Eduardo. I had half a mind to jump on the next plane back to Panama and go and tear a strip off him, but what good would it do? What good would any of it do, besides have him possibly call the cops on me, and then, I’d wind up in Panamanian prison instead of a Peruvian one. But no, I’d promised Derrick I wouldn’t do anything reckless again, and I intended to honor that promise.

So, despite every instinct I had to go full steam ahead into the raging inferno and start throwing daggers, pitchforks and whatever other pointy object I could get my hands on, I had to be level-headed about this. I needed to follow Derrick and Chase’s lead, do as I was told and get the ever-loving fuck out of Peru.

I was towel-drying my hair when there as a light knock on the door. Even though this man knew my body more intimately than most, we still weren’t quite there, where he could just barge in unannounced. A woman needed a few secrets.

I wrapped the towel around my body and opened the door for him. “It’s all yours,” I sighed, brushing past him, staring at the small pile of clothes in the middle of the bed that I’d deemed “clean enough to wear again” and hoping that some pajamas were in the mix.

He grabbed my arm and stopped me. “Piper.” I lifted my eyes to meet his gaze. “On the bed.”

But I shrugged him off; I wasn’t in the mood. “No, not tonight, I’m not into it. Okay? I just want this all to be over. I just want to get the hell out of here. I just want to go home.”

“On the bed now.” His voice low and commanding. “I’m not asking.”

I shot him a steely glare, but he didn’t back down. The man was a Dominant to his core, especially when it came to things behind closed doors, and even though he claimed he’d never trained as one, I could tell he was a quick learner and could probably out Dom some of the most dommiest Doms. “I’m not going to tell you again.” I clenched my jaw but moved toward the bed. “Lose the towel.” My back snapped ramrod straight, and I looked at him. He met me with a hard stare, daring me to defy him again.

I clenched my teeth but did as I was told. I let the towel drop to the floor and then climbed onto the bed with the grace of a pissed off feline, glaring at him the entire time.

“Now…” The edge gone from his voice, only to be replaced with a deep and husky warmth that quickly spread from my ears into my chest and belly and down between my legs. “Seeing as this is our last night together, I figured we ought to make it memorable. I’d like for you to remember me every time you go to sit down for the next several days. Remember my hand, my mouth, my touch, my cock… remember all of it.”

Fuck, he was right, this was our last night together. I’d been feeling melancholy about it on the train and in the van, excited to take our sexual exploration to the next level, one last time. But the robbery, my slashed bag, and finding out I was a drug mule had pushed all thoughts of sexy, dirty fun out of my mind completely, and I was simply ready for the day to be over. But it couldn’t be over. If it was over, then it meant I was one minute closer to saying goodbye to Derrick for good.

I swallowed the hard lump that formed in my throat. All the fury I’d felt a moment ago was disappearing, leaving nothing but sadness. I’d only known this man a week, but in that week, he’d managed to save me in so many ways and help me open my heart up to new possibilities again, open my heart up to second chances.

A warm hand started to trail along my ribs and back, down toward my buttocks and the backs of my thighs, and then his lips followed. Searing hot kisses replaced his hands, and then a tongue, warm and velvety, wedged its way between my legs. I pushed into his face and spread my knees, tilting my hips down so he could get better access.

“So sweet.” A lone finger began probing my needy core. “I want to taste every inch of your skin tonight, imprint your moans on my brain so that I never forget the way my name sounds coming from your lips.”

My breathing was ragged as I knelt there on all fours, his tongue massaging my clit while his finger pumped. If any other man spoke like that to me, I’d burst out laughing, I loved dirty talk, but this was something else. This wasn’t dirty talk; this was dirty poetry. And it was hot as hell but at the same time incredibly heart-rending, because I knew it all to be true.

I was already close, so close, just about to tip over the edge when a whistle through the air drew my attention away and a hard and solid smack came down on my left butt cheek. I yelped and flipped my head around to look at him. It was his belt!

He gave my clit one more flick with his tongue before standing up next to the bed. “Turn around face the headboard, Piper. I’m going to spank you now with my belt. Is that okay?”

“Considering that you’ve already done it once…” I sassed, wiggling my butt in front of him.

I heard him groan behind me, and his hand came out, and he ran a finger beneath my cheek, right where it meets the thigh. “Are you sassing me?”

“No.” Yes, yes, I was.

“Good.” I could tell he was trying hard to be serious; there was a glimmer of humor in his tone. “Now, are you okay if I spank you again with the belt? I should have asked before I did it the first time, but I was going for the element of surprise.”

I wiggled my butt again. “Yes, I’m okay with it.” I knew he wanted me to beg him, and seeing as it was our last night together and he was going to give me everything I wanted and more, orgasms upon orgasms upon more orgasms, I’d give him something, too. “Please spank me, Derrick, please. I’m begging you.” Pressing my butt higher into the air toward him.

Another growl. Men were so easy.

His exhale was ragged and strained. “Holy fuck! You are seriously the perfect woman.” He hit me with the belt again, this time across the other cheek. I yipped, but not nearly as loud, the pain quickly dissipating and building into a lovely warmth, spreading across my skin and through my body.

“More, please.”

Three more came in rapid fire, one on each cheek again, in a slightly different spot than the last, and then one across both cheeks, across the meatiest part of my butt. I hissed and moaned and pressed my ass into the air again, while my pussy clenched with need and I felt the tell-tale trickle of arousal begin to drip its way down my inner thigh.

“You are so fucking perfect,” he groaned, his lips coming down on top of where he’d just spanked me, kissing away any lasting bite of pain. “So perfect.” His hand kneaded and massaged my smarting flesh while his mouth continued to explore. And then his tongue was back on me. Inside and out, plundering my core with a new and driving need. Until my clit throbbed with each lick, swelling and screaming out for more. The man was everywhere, his hands, his mouth. He couldn’t get enough, and neither could I.

He fell into a bit of a delicious, but tormenting, pattern for a while. Fucking me with his mouth until I was but a breath away from release, only to rear back and spank me with the belt. Each time giving to me harder and giving me more, only to then massage and caress my tingling skin until it was warm and happy. But good as it felt, I wanted more, I wanted more of him. I wanted to feel his body on top of mine, his lips on my lips, his cock in my pussy. This was our last night together, and I wanted to be connected in every way possible.

I was panting, struggling for breath, while sweat misted my chest and forehead. “Fuck me, please. I need you inside me.”

He made an unidentifiable animal noise in his throat. The belt was tossed to the ground while the sound of a zipper and jeans being slipped off made me lick my lips in anticipation. I thought, hoped, craved that he was going to take me from behind. But instead, he flipped me onto my back and hoisted me up to the top of the bed, leaving me spread eagle in between the pillows. His gaze raked me, dark gray and soul-piercing. Even though I was naked, I felt even more stripped, even more laid bare than that. The man was seeing all of me.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slowly in his throat as he continued to stare at me, sudden emotion taking hold of his voice. “I’m uh…I’m going to go have a shower. Be right back.” And then, without a word, he ducked into the bathroom and shut the door, leaving me wet and wondering what the hell just happened.