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“Valentina will be safe, and no one, not a fucking soul, will lay a finger on her. But so you know, I don’t feel the same way you do. If you step out on the vows you took before God, you better make sure it’s with someone you love. Because I will bring you his heart in a box, set under glass, and affix it to your nightstand for you to look at forever. You. Are. Mine.”
She doesn’t believe I’ll be faithful, or even that she deserves my faithfulness. I see the apprehension in her face. “Come here.” I pull her onto my lap.
“What are you doing?”
“I want you here. I want you to know that not only is Valentina safe, but so are you.”
“I don’t need to sit on your lap to know it.” She starts to pull away.
“You’re not going anywhere,Princesa. This is where you belong.” I tighten my grip, so she can’t climb off. She doesn’t fight me, and after a few moments, I feel her body relax against mine. Her breathing is shallow, and I can almost hear her thoughts running wild.
“I never told anyone everything I told you today.”
“Not even Josh before you were intimate?” I ask, like a needy motherfucker.
“No one. I couldn’t risk anyone knowing about Valentina. If Tomas knew, he’d try to take her away.”
I tip her head back until our eyes meet. The terror there is startling.This is what she’s been walking around with since her father died—maybe before.“He’s not going to take her away. You have my word.” I mean it. He’ll have to kill me first.
She searches my face, looking for evidence of my veracity. “I believe you,” she murmurs, the lines easing on her brow.
“I want you. More than I should. You can believe that too.” I lower my mouth to hers. It’s not gentle. It’s possessive and demanding. The kind of kiss that makes my dick hard, and elicits small gasps and moans from her.
She responds just like I knew she would, before catching herself and pulling back. “No. I can’t. Isabel’s dead. I need to stay focused on Valentina.”
That’s not what I want for her. It’s not what she needs. It’s simply what her conscience dictates. “You can wring your hands all you want about Isabel and Valentina. It won’t make you feel any better, and it won’t change a damn thing for them. You need to turn your focus to me for the next few hours. I want you naked and needy.”
“Why are you doing this?”
She tries to wriggle off my lap, but I don’t let her. I wrap my arms around her, holding her in place while I speak softly into her hair. “Last night, I was hurting, raw and angry, feeling helpless. My world had spun out of control. You let me find comfort in your body. You used sex as a vehicle to bring me solace—although it was much more than that. You helped me find the control I desperately needed, and you gave me some peace. I want to do that for you. Let me.”
She’s thinking about it, but her conscience is loud and judgmental. I doubt I’ve convinced her of anything—not yet.
“This isn’t the time or the place. Sex isn’t the answer to everything.”
No, but it’s the answer now. At least, it’s the best I have to offer. “Don’t fight me on this.”
“My daughter is in danger. My closest friend is dead. This isn’t a time for pleasure.”
I take her hand and bring it to my mouth, pressing a small kiss to each knuckle. “I’m not talking about pleasure, per se. I’m talking about comfort, about release, about letting me carry your pain for a little while. I want to take care of you. Let me.”
Her breath hitches, and her eyelids flutter closed.
“Sex might not be the answer to everything. But it’s the best way I know to make you forget for a little while.”God help me if I fuck this up.
Daniela doesn’t say anything more. She doesn’t resist or struggle. I use the reprieve to scoop her into my arms and carry her to the bedroom.
15
DANIELA
Last night I was hurting, raw and angry, feeling helpless. My world had spun out of control. You let me find comfort in your body. You used sex as a vehicle to bring me solace—although it was much more than that. You helped me find the control I desperately needed, and you gave me some peace. I want to do that for you. Let me.
How do I say no to that? I want comfort. And I want peace, too.
Sex might not be the answer to everything. But it’s the best way I know to make you forget for a little while.
I let him lose himself in passion last night. In his passion, and mine. It was the only way I knew to comfort him. But we’re different people. I can find solace in a million ways, none of them having a thing to do with sex.
