"Take it all off for me, boots too," he says and drops into the chair in the corner of the room. His gaze never shifts away from me as he takes off his own shoes.
Reluctantly, I do as he says and stand before him, wearing nothing but my panties and somehow feeling even more exposed. Can he see the way my heart thuds in my chest? The way my breath is uneven? Can he see the feelings written in my eyes?
"You need to lose those panties before I get to you." He stands and meets my gaze as he unbuckles his jeans, sliding them off, past the newer slimmer brace he's been wearing. He steps out of them, his dick at full attention as he removes his brace. "Now."
I shake my head.
He moves far faster than I expect, closing the distance between us and spinning me around in mere seconds. He pushes down on my shoulder blades, and I fall to my elbows on the bed, my ass in the air. He puts a pillow beneath my hips, and then my panties slide down my legs until I can kick them off the rest of the way.
"God, you're a sight," he says. "I wish you could see yourself like this."
Only the sound of our breathing fills the air for a moment, and I wait, unsure of what to expect next. That's the thing about Mateo, he's forever surprising me. And for once in my life, I'm not dreading the surprise. That is until I hear a drawer open followed by an irritated groan.
"What is it?" I ask, looking over my shoulder.
"No fucking condom," he says through gritted teeth.
I roll to my back, deflated. This cannot be happening. Not now. Not when we were about to fill the silence with the slapping of our bodies.
"It's fine," he says, closing the drawer. A strand of his blond hair falls in his face, and he licks his lips. His blue eyes travel down my naked body, consuming me. It's slow and intentional, a promise. "We'll have other fun."
'Other fun' doesn't work for me. Not with him looking at me the way he is. I shift up to my elbows.
"I'm on the pill, and we're both clean, right?"
He swallows, unsure.
"I'm okay with this," I say, surprising myself that the words are genuine. "I trust you."
Our gazes lock.
The spike strip between us removed.
Mateo wastes no time, grabbing me by the hips and spinning me back over. As if I'm a rag doll. My insides quake.
A hard smack lands on my ass, startling me.
I don't want to like it, but my mouth betrays me, letting out a moan.
"Mmm," he says. "I think I discovered one of your yeses."
Another slap across my cheek, harder this time. The tingle between my legs intensifies. As much as I want to beg him to keep going, I want him to take it even more. I grip the sheets and pull my body further onto the bed.
Rough hands grip my calves and pull me back, forcing me back into position.
"Carolina," I say.
He releases me. "What?"
"Safeword." I pant. "Not using it now, but Carolina."
"Atlantis."
There's a soft breeze against my backside before he makes contact.
If I have a bruise in the shape of his hand on my ass tomorrow, it'll be worth it.
He slides an arm beneath my hips like a man on a mission, and I squirm.
