Someone was sucking on my finger. My pointer finger, to be exact. His soft, skillful lips and tongue played over my skin and drew me from my slumber in a most pleasant manner. My sleepy, warm body had never been roused like this before, and the novelty of having someone devote so much attention to me was absolutely lovely. He then licked my palm, turning even that odd sensation into erotic tingles that settled between my legs, making my pussy start to pulse with need. Warmth pooled deep in my core, and I sucked in a sharp breath when he lightly nipped my skin with sharp teeth.

Keeping my eyes closed, I stretched out, the sensation of the soft sheets against my bare skin a direct contrast to the rough scrape of a big, hairy, muscular man’s frame curving over my body. I wasn’t cuddling with a fumbling boy, I was being owned and worshiped by a grown man who knew what he was doing—and I loved it. His stubble scraped my skin, and I shivered then smiled. While I’ve dated my fair share of men, I’ve never been with a guy who was as…hairy as Ramón. Not that he was extra furry, but I’ve grown used to metrosexual guys who wax almost every inch of their bodies. While his back and ass were fur free, he had hair just about everywhere else, and I absolutely loved how it seemed to stroke my skin with each breath I took.

Especially his chest hair as it rubbed against my tingling nipples, offering a small amount of relief from the seemingly never-ending ache.

His heat left me, then he drew my hands up over my head.

“Keep them there, mami, and let me take care of you.”

I nodded and the cool air of the room made my nipples harden even more as he drew the sheet down my almost completely bare body. When I’d gone to bed, I’d made sure to wear something I knew would get me laid. I wanted Ramón, badly, and I intended to have him.

In an effort to up my seduction game, I was completely nude, except for a thick gold chain at my waist and matching gold chain bracelets and anklets. They were part of a jewelry set he’d left me, and while I don’t think they were meant to be worn like this, I did enjoy the effect on my curvy body. I loved playing dress up in sexy lingerie, and chains like these had always made me feel like some sultan’s harem girl. Evidently Ramón liked the look as well, because his pleased murmur drew me fully awake.

“The things I’m going to do to you, my little slave girl. Need a collar for that pretty neck. Ring on that finger. My name tattooed on that fantastic big ass of yours, mami.”

He growled the last part while gripping my ass hard enough that I was glad I didn’t bruise easily.

“Too rough,” I complained in a thick, sleepy whine.

“Sorry, sweetheart.” He released me right away, then soothingly stroked me. “I get carried away with you. I’ll get better, I promise. It’s just that right now, having you here with me is a fucking dream come true. I keep feeling like any second I could wake up. I don’t want that to happen—think I might have a heart attack, if I did.”

Forcing my heavy lids open, I reached for him as my gaze adjusted to the dark room. He was a shadow, large and intimidating, but the smell of his cologne filled me and I relaxed into his touch. He lowered his head to my nipple and sucked it between his lips with a long, strong pull that went right to my clit. Unable to resist, I buried my hands in his hair and held his head to my breast, my fingers tightening in the thick strands as he added some teeth to his sensual onslaught.

“Ramón,” I sighed as he gently laved my nipple with his soft tongue.

“Love the chains. Makes me wish I’d brought some toys with me.”

In the dark, with the remnants of sleep softening my mind, I smiled. “What kind of toys?”

“Why, you curious? Want to get dirty with me?”

As he said this, he began to run his thumb up and down the soaked slit of my sex. “Yes, please.”

“Yes, please. You’re too fucking sweet. How can you be so sweet and so kinky?” He circled my clit with his thumb and I moaned, my legs falling wide open. “You gonna be a freak for me? Let me fuck you how I want, when I want? Gonna let me dress you up like a maid, so I can force you to suck my cock in order to keep your ‘job’? Gonna let me paddle you on the ass for being a bad girl and coming all over my dick?”

“Yes—all of it. I want to do everything with you.” A low moan seemed to come from the pit of my belly, but I forced myself to speak. “Are you going to let me tie you up? Ride you and make you cum inside of me?”

His hips flexed into the bed and he pressed down hard on my clit, his voice nothing but a rough growl as he said, “For you, anything.”

“I need to come,” I lifted my hips, chasing a harder touch, but he merely smiled and lifted his hand away altogether.

“Ramón,” the word was half whine, half angry shout. “Please!” 

I was so turned on, my clit was throbbing. When he began to gently rub my swollen pussy, I was so close to orgasm it hurt. “I love how sensitive you are, how quickly I can make you cum. You like it when I touch you? When I make your little cunt all slick and creamy?”

His low, accented voice was going to drive me crazy. “Please, Ramón, stop teasing me and fuck me.”

“Not yet.”

I was ready to cry as I said, “Why?”

“Because you’re worth waiting for.”

I spun in his arms and attempted to shove him back and straddle him, but he was so strong it was like pushing at a wall. “I’m tired of waiting.”

Laughing, he gripped my waist chain and jerked me forward so I fell, my breasts pressing against his wide chest, the feel of his rough hands smoothing down my back a sensory delight. “Trust me, Joy. Let me make this special for you.”

Frustrated, I ground my hips against his cock covered by only the thinnest layer of cotton. I was already wet, so wet he no doubt felt it as my pussy lips spread over his length with each roll of my pelvis. A strangled sound left him as I reached between us and slipped the head of his cock through the nifty little flap at the front of his boxers.

“Just the tip,” I whispered against his mouth with a small smile.

We were pressed so close that when he laughed it rumbled through my body like thunder, adding happiness and warmth to the lust swirling through me.

“No.”

“Please,” I whispered as I rubbed my clit over his hard length. “I feel so empty.”

In response he easily maneuvered me so I was straddling his face, my thighs clenching his head as I steadied myself on the headboard with an undignified squeak.

Ramón took in an audible inhalation of my sex then let out a throaty groan that burned through me. “You smell good, like sex and dessert.”

He then stole my breath away by pulling me down onto his mouth and licking me from my ass all the way to my clit where he lingered. The soft stroke of his tongue against my folds, rubbing up one side of my clit then down the other, sent almost painful streaks of pleasure through me, my whole body tensing when he began to suck. I swear I was so sensitive, even the brush of his cheeks against my thighs was almost too much and not enough. His grip on me was firm, secure, and knowing I was at his mercy only made me hotter.

“Fuck yes,” I hissed out as he licked lower until he was at the entrance to my sheath, then he began to fuck me with his tongue.

The headboard shook as I arched back, helpless against his knowing mouth. Right when I was about to climax, he pulled away, leaving me gasping for air and trying to figure out why he’d stopped. I got my answer when he flipped us around so I was once again straddling his mouth, but this time I was facing his erection sticking out from the flap in his underwear.

A needy moan escaped me when he teased my clit, keeping me on the edge of orgasm while I reached for his pierced cock. I was so hot, so turned on. I grasped the thick shaft of his erection in one hand, unable to get my fingers all the way around it to grip him properly. Shit, he had a porn star dick. The way he tensed beneath me sent a thrill through me, and I began to gently pull his boxers enough to free his engorged length and firm balls. The skin of his cock was darker than his body, and the pink tip was covered in a thin layer of pre-cum.

Best of all, a big gold ring with a large ball pierced the head and I nearly came just at the thought of having him inside of me.

I tried to climb off his face, intent on seeing if I could even handle a man his size stretching me open, but Ramón wouldn’t let me move.

“I want to fuck you,” I said in moaning whisper as he used one of his thumbs to rub over the entrance to my ass. “Please.”

He pulled away from my pussy only long enough to say, “No.”

Determined to get my way, I began to tease his cock like he was teasing my body, licking it slowly while barely tightening my grasp on the hot base. He growled beneath me, trying to thrust up into my mouth, to make me suck him harder. That only had me licking the head of his dick, toying with the thick gold ring piercing him, while I rubbed his balls with my free hand. My toes curled as he nibbled my clit, and I rubbed my pussy shamelessly against his face, wanting more. Needing more.

“Please,” I begged. “Please, Ramón, I need you inside of me. Please.”

Two of his big fingers pushed into me and right away my pussy clamped down on him, a ragged cry leaving me when he began to rub my g-spot. This time when he thrust up my mouth was there to meet him, and I let him fuck my face while I fucked his. And what we were doing was fucking. This wasn’t sex, this wasn’t making love, this was rough and nasty, dirty just the way I liked it. The way I needed it.

My pleas turned into moans as he increased the pace, a slippery sweat building between us while I rubbed my curves all over the hard, delicious planes of his frame. Reaching forward, I grasped his thickly muscled upper thighs, digging my fingernails into the rock-hard flesh and bobbed down further, taking as much of him as I could. The big ring had me gagging, so he eased the depth of his thrusts, responding wordlessly to my distress as he gently rubbed my ass. It was screwed up, I know, but that little act of caring did something to me. I’ve been with men before who could have given a shit if I choked to death on their cock, as long as they got off. Sad, but true. Despite his dangerous vibe and clearly aggressive nature, Ramón took care of me in a way I’d never experienced.

Even now, when he was so close to coming, his dick swollen and stiff between my lips, he paid attention to my body, to my needs, to make sure I was right there with him. Warmth exploded from my core as he flicked my clit rapidly with his tongue while adding a third finger, stretching my pussy out until I detonated on his face. My scream was lost as he arched beneath me, his salty hot cum covering my tongue and throat as I tried to remember how to swallow when I was having the best orgasm of my life.

Sizzling hot waves of erotic energy seared through me and I pulled off his cock with a gasp while Ramón drew my orgasm out further. By the time the last shock had burned through me I was done. D.O.N.E done. Every inch of my body quivered, and my clit pulsed with the racing beat of my heart. I managed to crawl off Ramón, but he didn’t let me go far, pulling me back to his side so I could rest my cheek on his chest.

I managed to sling one arm over him, and basically petted the hair on his chest while I lay there in what amounted to sexual shock. The endorphins roaring through my body were stronger than anything I’d ever experienced, and I could tell by Ramón’s occasional full body twitch that he was still feeling the effects of his release as well. The scent of sex and passion hung heavy in the air and as I gently drifted down from my high, I snuggled close into Ramón’s side.

“Wow,” he said in a rough croak, then cleared his throat again. “Damn, woman.”

Laughing softly, I sat up on my elbow to look down at him in the weak morning light coming in around the curtains. While we’d been busy frolicking, the sun had risen enough to allow me to see him. When I examined him, I noticed dark shadows on his skin. A closer inspection revealed bruises on his torso that rivaled mine, as well as a mark on his jaw and some swelling on his cheek.

Alarm filled me as I sat up, my hands fluttering over his injuries as I was torn between the need to soothe him, and not accidentally hurt him more. “What happened?”

His formerly warm gaze hardened, and he clenched his jaw. “Don’t worry about it. I put some medicine on the worst of it, and I’ll be good as new in a few days.”

“Don’t worry about it?” A shiver went through me, but this time it wasn’t a good one. “What do you mean don’t worry about it? Ramón, you’ve been hurt!”

“Sweetheart, I’m really tired. Can we fight about this later?”

He went to grab my hand, but I pulled away, not liking his patronizing tone one bit. “Why won’t you tell me what happened?”

“Because it’s none of your business, Joy. Now drop it.”

The coldness of his words iced through me, and I scrambled off the bed, suddenly feeling very vulnerable and naked. “Fine. Consider it dropped.”

“Joy…” He ran both of his hands through his hair like I was the unreasonable one. “Not now. I’m too exhausted for this shit.”

“Fine.”

He watched me throw on a loose cream silk dress, his arms behind his head, his expression one of exasperation. “Come back to bed.”

“No.”

“Baby…”

I ignored him, shoving my feet into a pair of cork wedge sandals before striding across the room to grab my purse.

“Where are you going?”

“Away from you.”

“Joy…” This time there was a clear warning rumble in his voice. “Enough. Come here.”

“Tell me what happened to you and I will.”

“Can’t you just give it a rest? I’m fucking tired, and I don’t need you bitching at me.”

“Bitching at you? Ramón, you’ve been hurt, refuse to tell me what happened, and you think I’m just throwing around drama? Fuck you.” I glared at him as he sat up, a band of sunlight illuminating his jaw. I was right, a big bruise was forming there like someone had hit him hard. Memories of what it felt like to be beaten filled me, and I had to fight back tears, my emotions a whirlwind that I barely had a grasp on.

A harsh sweat broke out over me as I touched the aching bruises on my ribs, then whispered, “I expect you not to be here when I get back.”

A stricken look crossed his face, but I didn’t let myself stay to see what his reaction was. Instead, I practically ran through the house with Ramón’s voice following me as he yelled my name. After darting through the kitchen, I went to the rack of keys on the wall next to the door leading to the garage. Mark had pointed them out yesterday and told me to feel free to take his SUV if I needed to run any errands. Clutching my purse in my hand, I grabbed the set and quickly unlocked the doors to a deep red Land Rover. Ramón still yelled for me from somewhere in the house, but his voice became muffled as I slammed the door behind me.

Thankfully, the garage doors were already open. While Mark’s sleek green Mercedes convertible was there, his motorcycle was missing. I said a silent prayer of thanks he wasn’t here to witness me fighting with Ramón.

I pulled out of the garage as fast as I dared. By the time I had the SUV turned around in the driveway, a shirtless Ramón was barreling out of the house. Fear mixed with anger lumped in my throat as I put the SUV into drive and gave him the middle finger without looking at him as I drove past. While I drove away, I allowed myself one glance back and took in the big, super pissed off man standing at the entrance of the garage, clearly furious. His dark hair streamed around his shoulders in the hot breeze and the muscles of his chest flexed as I swear he snarled at me.

Wow, he was mad.

With my heart pounding, I drove away as tears began to fall down my cheeks. Was I overreacting? Yes, on some level I knew I was being irrational, but I didn’t feel in control of myself right now. My emotions were all over the place, and I didn’t know which side was up. It was only when I reached the guarded gates leading out of Leo’s compound that I realized I had no idea where I was going. Putting on my best smile after brushing away my tears, I waved to the guard as I pulled through, ignoring the way he stared at me while he talked into his phone.

When I hit the main road, I let out a deep sigh of both relief and regret. Now that I was away from Ramón, I missed him and wished I was back in bed, safe in his arms, but I couldn’t be with a man who acted like such an asshole. I don’t care how nice to me he’s been, he dismissed my concern like it was no big deal, like I was being a nosy bitch.

I forced myself to calm down a little and took some deep breaths, trying desperately to get ahold of myself.

Okay, maybe what happened to him wasn’t my business, but he’d made me feel like it was, like we had the beginnings of a real relationship. All the nice things he said, all the nice things he’d done for me…had it all been bullshit? This was the second time he’d been a dick to me, and I was beginning to think his true personality was that of an asshole. Maybe he was just charming enough to get away with treating people like shit. I’ve run into guys like that before, even dated a few, and I knew the warning signs. I had to be smart about this, had to protect myself.

My phone rang a couple times, and I ignored it until I pulled into the back of a shopping center beneath the shade of a small tree. With my fingers trembling, I scrolled through my phone and saw that Ramón had called nine times and left ten text messages, but I deleted them all without reading or listening. I needed to be away from him right now, away from his overwhelming presence and personality. The world and all its problems seemed to disappear around him, but they never really went away. He just seemed to somehow blind me to reality. Was I so desperate for comfort that I clung to the first person who’d offered me any form of solace? Or was I overreacting to everything like a psycho girlfriend?

I took a deep breath and my aching ribs brought back unwanted memories of the feeling of Ray’s foot connecting to my back, the harsh fear that he’d break my spine and leave me crippled, unable to defend myself.

This recollection led to more crying, and I bitterly wished I could go home, but my home was now a crime scene.

Hannah.

As soon as I thought of my friend I snapped upright and took a deep breath, wiping at my face with some tissue I had in my purse.

I couldn’t believe that in my self-absorption, I’d forgotten about Hannah and everything she must be going through.

Looking through my phone, I found the number for Mrs. Cordova and called.

She picked up on the third ring, “Hello?”

Clearing my throat, I said, “Hi, Mrs. Cordova, it’s Joy. I was wondering if I could come see Hannah?”

There was a pause before she said in a gentle voice, “I’m sorry, Joy, but she doesn’t want to see anyone right now.”

My throat tightened, and I had to calm myself before I said, “Maybe, if you like asked her, maybe she’d want to see me? Please? I really need to see her. I promise I won’t stay long or disturb her rest.”

Her tone changed as she carefully asked, “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, just fine.” That probably would have sounded better if my voice didn’t break.

“I see.” There was a moment of silence before she said in a softer voice, “You should come over. You’re always welcome in my home, and I’ll speak to Hannah and see how she’s feeling. I don’t want to get your hopes up, because she’s heavily medicated right now, but I’ll try. Will you stay for lunch afterward? I’d enjoy the company.”

“Yes, thank you,” I managed to whisper, undone by her kindness. “Can you text me the address please, so I can put it into the GPS?”

“Just have Ramón bring you over.”

“Um, Ramón’s not with me.”

“Oh, I thought he mentioned that he’d be having breakfast with you.”

I flushed hot, remembering that Ramón did indeed have me for breakfast. “Uh, no.”

“I’m surprised. He seemed quite taken with you. I was sure he wouldn’t let you out of his sight.”

I didn’t want to ask why she would think that, or even talk about him at all with his mother. The whole situation was awkward as hell, and I bit my lower lip in discomfort as my already nervous stomach clenched further. I felt guilty for the way I flew off the handle and let my emotions get away from me. I should have given him a chance to explain or something, instead of running away.

Fleeing was a bad habit of mine, one I’d developed thanks to my older sister Brittney. After my abuela passed away, my older sister was responsible for us after school, and she could be such a bitch. While she loved to make everyone miserable, she seemed to have a special hatred for me. I have no idea why. I mean, yeah, I was a bratty younger sister, but Brittney liked to eviscerate me until I was crying. The only way I could escape was to leave, and I’d begun to associate fleeing with safety. 

For a moment, I wondered if I should have given Ramón a chance to explain, but then I remembered what a giant asshole he’d been.

I needed help.

I needed someone I could talk to about this mess who would understand.

I needed my best friend.

Ignoring Mrs. Cordova’s question, I replied in a chirpy voice, “If you could please text me your address, I’d really appreciate it.”

“Of course.”

After we said our goodbyes, I rested my head against the back of the seat, then womaned up and read my increasingly frantic messages from Ramón, begging me to let him know I was okay.

My phone rang with Ramón’s number and I debated not answering it, then chided myself for being a chicken. “Hello?”

“Joy,” Ramón said with evident relief. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

Trying to keep my voice normal, I said, “I’m fine, and I’m on my way to your mom’s house.”

“Why?”

“I need to talk with Hannah.” I could hear people faintly speaking in the background wherever he was in Spanish. “Where are you?”

“I was grabbing a few of my guys and heading out after you. I was afraid you were going to your old apartment, and I didn’t want you there alone.”

I swallowed past the sudden lump of fear in my throat. “No, I wasn’t going there.”

“Why did you leave? I was trying to talk to you.”

“Why did I leave? Really, you have to ask me that?” A small spark of my earlier anger rekindled. “Well, the reason I left is the guy I’m—well, I have no idea what we’re doing, but we’re doing something, or at least I thought we were. Anyway, that guy came home hurt, like someone beat him up, and when I understandably freaked out and asked him what had happened, he told me it was none of my business. I thought that, considering the fact that I’d recently been beaten black and blue, he’d be a little more understanding with why I was worried about him. Instead, he acted like an asshole and made me feel like shit. I hope you can see why that’s a little fucked up.”

His tired sigh put my back up. “I can’t tell you about it because it’s work related, but I am truly sorry I made you feel bad, mi amor.”

“Seriously? You can’t tell me because it’s work related? What kind of lame excuse is that?” I scoffed as I waved my arm over my head in the empty SUV, probably looking like a crazy woman. “What are you, a boxer? An MMA fighter? Who gets beat up as part of their job? That doesn’t make any sense.”

For a long moment, silence stretched between us, and I wondered if the call had dropped.

“Joy.” His voice was so serious, it cut through my temper. “There are things I cannot tell you for your own safety. Things that you’d have to sign a NDA six miles long before I could even whisper them in your presence. I’m not trying to be an asshole when I tell you I can’t talk about it, because I really can’t talk about it. This isn’t just about my job, it’s about my family’s empire, and my vow to protect the ones I love. It isn’t that I don’t want to tell you, it’s that I cannot.”

“Oh…I-I didn’t consider anything like that.” Feeling like a moron, I whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. I should have explained myself better. Thing is, I feel like I’ve known you forever, and I forget that all of this shit is new to you. That I’m new to you. We were raised to see the world differently, and things that are normal for me are totally alien to you.”

My shoulders relaxed, and I pushed my wild curls out of my face before digging through my purse with one hand while looking for a rubber band. “Nothing in my life is normal right now.”

“I know, sweetheart, and I’m sorry about that. Why don’t you pull out of that Starbucks parking lot and head to my parents’ place? I’ll meet you there later today, after you spend some time with Hannah. Just be aware that my mom is fond of you, so she may talk your ear off.”

“Okay.” I stopped digging in my purse and froze. “Wait. How did you know I was in a Starbucks parking lot?”

“Mark’s car has a tracker on it, so if anyone steals it we can find it quickly.” He said something away from the phone then returned a second later. “Take a look out your rear passenger window.”

I turned my head and let out a little startled shriek as a man dressed in a black and silver motorcycle suit roared up on a sleek, black racing bike next to the SUV. He lifted two fingers to his helmet in what looked like a salute and gave his engine a little rev. Startled, I gave him a weak wave and then turned back around to face the parking lot while gripping the wheel with one hand, tight.

“Who the hell is that?”

“Your escort. He’s also your chief bodyguard, Tino. Good guy, has a sweet wife who thinks he walks on water and two little girls that have him wrapped around their finger. He’ll make sure you’re safe.”

“Wait, hold up a second here, what do you mean my bodyguard?”

“Remember that thing I said about different worlds? Well, bodyguards are part of my world. I’ve been surrounded by them all my life. It’s my normal.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about some guy spying on me for you.”

He gave a strained laugh. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, he’s only there to protect you. He’ll just follow behind you to make sure you arrive at my parents’ house without any hassle”

My heartbeat picked up, and I shifted in my seat, scanning the area around me. “Do you think someone is going to bother me?”

“Nah, I’m just a little protective of you. Want to make sure that you’re taken care of at all times.”

That made me feel better, and my tension eased as I looked into the rearview mirror and found Tino on his bike nearby. “Should I drive slow so he can keep up?”

He chuckled, “Mami, you couldn’t lose him if you tried. Tino grew up riding a dirt bike through the mountains of El Salvador as an errand boy for a local d-uh, politician. That man can do things on a motorcycle you wouldn’t believe, and all of our bikes are updated with the latest technology. Fuck, they’ve got some shit on them that people don’t even know we’ve invented yet.”

“I feel like I’m dating James Bond.”

He laughed again, and I couldn’t help but smile in return. “Everything okay with us now?”

“Yeah, we’re good.”

“Next time I’m an asshole, smack me in the back of my head, yell at me, but please don’t run away.”

“Next time?”

“I’m only human, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, yeah. Fine.” I gave him an exaggerated sigh, but I didn’t bother to hide my smile.

“I’ve gotta go, but I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“I’ll see you soon, Ramón.”

“Mmmm,” his rumble sent a little shiver of pleasure through me. “Love it when you say my name.”

“Bye, Ramón.” I put a little teasing purr in my voice then giggled at his pained sound. I hung up after he said goodbye.

Now that my anger had passed, my empty stomach rumbled, and I grabbed my purse then left the SUV. Scanning the parking lot, I found Tino and motioned him over. He zipped to my side and easily supported the bike with his long legs. A giant of a man, probably nearing six-foot eight, he dwarfed me in size, and I had to swallow back my nerves.

Trying to give him a bright smile, I yelled, “Want anything from Starbucks?”

He pulled into the empty spot next to the SUV and turned off his bike then took his helmet off.

I don’t know what I’d been expecting him to look like, but a guy in his early thirties with chubby cheeks and big dimples did not fit the profile I’d built in my head. He may have the body of Paul Bunyan, but he had the face of an aging cherub. His skin tone was a dark, deep brown and his eyes were almost black, but they sparkled with friendliness. It was an odd combination, and I found myself returning his kind smile.

His accent was heavy as he said, “I’m good, Ms. Holtz, but I’d be more than happy to escort you inside.”

Shaking my head at the weirdness of the situation, I looked both ways before crossing the parking lot. “So, tell me about yourself, Tino. Are you a cupcake or a brownie kind of man?”