He came via a different car from the SUV. It’s an intimate sports car that he apparently drove himself, but I’m not fooled. A suspicious number of vehicles follow us out of the parking garage. Even so, I sense it’s rare for him to be without his entourage. I’m curious enough to ask him about it.
“We won’t be joined by your harem tonight?”
The back seat certainly isn’t big enough for them all.
“Jealousy isn’t an attractive trait, Tiena,” he warns. He eyes the road, his head partially tilted in my direction. A coldness comes over him when he’s deep in thought. It dampens his usual intensity, making him seem more distant—like a blazing inferno trapped in ice. “You know what is attractive? A woman who shuts her mouth and listens. I’m sure you listened to plenty of conversations Braulio might have had behind the scenes. Tell me about them.”
Ah. It’s a line of questioning I didn’t anticipate, but I should have. A woman privy to the secrets of one powerful kingpin should be expected to gladly share those secrets with another. In theory.
“Discretion is attractive,” I say demurely.
His head whips around to shoot me a probing glance. Wrong answer.
“You writhe on my lap and fuck yourself on my fingers. Then you play coy with providing the one thing of value a woman like you has. Some might find the act tiring.”
I toy with the hem of my dress while processing his words. Tiring or stupid? His assessment should inspire fear, but it doesn’t. Maybe I’ve become numb to common sense?
“And a man such as yourself would never respect a woman who rushes to spill her ex-lover’s secrets,” I reply. “My bargain was for myself alone. I’m sure you already know everything there is to know about Braulio and his business. Anything I tell you would be petty gossip, far beyond your business interests.”
“You have a pretty little reply for everything, don’t you? Tell me something else, and this time don’t give me your rehearsed bullshit. I want an authentic answer, sí?”
I consider the request. It sounds harmless enough, but nothing ever is with him.
“Okay.”
“What were you thinking of when you were fucking me? You were awfully soaked. Even my best girls don’t gush like that.”
My cheeks flame, and an impulsive reply rips out of me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—”
He releases the wheel to capture my wrist with one hand. “No, don’t give me that.” The tone of his voice dips in a terrifying way. “I mean it. I’ve humored you until now, but I’m warning you. I’m growing tired of your game. Answer the question.”
I squirm and fidget with my skirt, trapped into saying something. “I thought about… How different it felt to what I expected.”
“Are you telling me I don’t have a magic dick?” he taunts.
“Maybe you do.” There’s horror in my voice instead of admiration, and I think that alone is why he doesn’t scoff at the comparison. “I braced myself for pain. To endure it. To fake an orgasm and give you a show that would make a good impression.”
“You’re saying that wasn’t a show?”
“It wasn’t. I would have been far more convincing otherwise.” I look at him directly, but his eyes are fixed straight ahead. He’s stewing over that confession, squaring it with whatever conclusions he’s already come to. “I’m sure you realize that.”
“I will admit that those in my harem know to crow about how big my cock is. Never to tell me to go slow. To take what I give them with a sexy little smile.”
“Would you prefer if I did that?”
He laughs but doesn’t rush to agree. “I desire for women to be as expected. Sexy. Sweet. Quiet. Something tells me you are only a few of those things, chica.”
“I didn’t think you’d want to see me again,” I confess, hoping to change the subject.
“Don’t sell yourself short now.” Rather than laughter, a guttural sound resonates in his throat. “There is one thing you’ll learn about me, Lupe or Tiena. Whoever you are. I love a good mystery. Nothing in the world thrills me more than seeing through a veil of bullshit to the truth lurking underneath.”
I struggle to keep my expression blank. “You think I’ve fed you bullshit?”
“I do. I think you talk a good game, little Lupe. You lie so convincingly, that even I might have fallen for your story from the outset. Normally I don’t fuck those who seek to deceive me. You have my interest. I’m curious to see what you’ll do with it.”
As if on cue, we arrive at our destination—an Italian-style restaurant, far more elegant than what I would expect where he is concerned. He helps me out of the car and guides me inside. In the periphery, I note at least three men who trail into the lobby after us, but when we’re finally seated, it’s only Jaguar and me at a table in a private dining room that overlooks a beautiful courtyard and an illuminated garden.
We’re served sparkling water, wine worth more than a year of rent, and an elegant spread of appetizers.
I sample dishes at random, tasting nothing. My full attention is on the man across from me—even the best thing I’ve ever tasted can’t compare.
To strengthen my unease, he hasn’t eaten anything. He watches me instead.
“As much fun as I’ve had enjoying your company, Lupe, I would like to turn our discussion to business.”
“Oh?”
“You said you offered yourself to me. Your soul. But—” He folds his hands together and sits forward. “When you make a deal with the devil, chica, he needs to know he can collect.”
I nearly choke on a mouthful of salad. Grasping for a napkin, I press it to my lips and regain my senses before daring to speak. “Last night wasn’t proof enough?”
I don’t sound insulted. Maybe I’m not. He would not be here if he wasn’t interested in me even a little. Perhaps it’s as simple as he claimed—I’m a mystery he’s eager to solve and then shelve.
If that’s the case, I should stall until Franco is safe.
“I don’t want you to doubt me, Jaguar.”
“Last night earned you a favor,” he clarifies. “You want to earn more? It will take a lot more than a pity fuck.”
I set my fork aside and fold my hands over the table—mainly to hide how they tremble. “Such as?”
“You offered your loyalty, but forgive me if I won’t take just your word for it. I need you to prove it to me.”
“How?”
He sits back and inclines his head. “Do a job for me.”
I don’t think he’s talking about bartending or bussing tables.
“I’m not well versed in your business, Jaguar. What use could you have for me?”
“Plenty,” he says with a gleam in his eye. “A sexy piece of ass like you could have plenty of uses. What I have in mind can be done in a day. Nothing too hot, of course.”
Because a man like him has a literal inferno of criminal activity under his purview. I’ve heard the horror stories about him and the operation he runs, the Guarida, and I’m sure they’re just a fraction of what he dabbles in—drug trafficking, prostitution, extortion.
“You merely have to dip your toes into the water to prove that there is action behind the pretty words that come out of that mouth, Lupe.”
It unnerves me that he still utilizes my real nickname in addition to Tiena. Despite my best efforts, I am unable to keep my expression blank. “How?”
“Do what I tell you to do. We’ll discuss the particulars tomorrow. Tonight, we can continue to get acquainted.” He brings a glass of wine to his lips and takes a measured sip.
A smart woman would keep her mouth shut and let him savor his supposed victory.
I can’t. “Can you at least tell me why I would risk far more than having unprotected sex with a gangster by working for him?”
It’s blunter than I normally talk, but being in his orbit does something to me. It strips me of the pretense I’m used to putting on around others. He commands only brutal honesty. No fluff.
“Because I know what you really want,” he tells me, brandishing his wine glass in my direction. “You want your son in your arms, Braulio neutralized, and a new life far away where you can live in bliss. Am I wrong?”
I don’t deny it. “And you can give me that life?”
The offer seems too good to be true, but his expression remains deadly serious.
“I can give you more, chica. More than you can imagine, but to deal with me, I need to know I can trust you.”
“You can.” I can’t deny how tempting the carrot he’s dangled before me is. It’s a beautiful fantasy, but I’m willing to chase it until my dying day—whether I have to deal with Jaguar or the devil himself.
“That’s a good girl.” He motions for dessert, and not even an hour later, we’re outside, waiting for the valet to fetch his vehicle. His smirk has vanished, but I sense that I’ve only momentarily placated him. There is something else he wants from me.
When we’re alone in his car, I gather up the nerve to ask what.
He laughs. “You have balls, little Lupe—I will give you that. Tell me what I could possibly want from you?”
There aren’t many potential options available.
“It could be sex,” I say. “But you have all the women in your harem to pick from. What appeal could I possibly have?”
“All the women in my harem.” Abruptly, he pulls over onto the side of the road. We’re outside of the city, surrounded by trees. A bit of panic sinks in, but he’s already exiting the car, approaching my end.
As he pulls my door open, he inspects me in the overhead light.
“They’re all sexy as hell, down to fuck at a moment’s notice. None of them can orgasm on a dime like you can, though.” He snatches my wrist and yanks me out to meet him.
In anticipation of fear, I brace myself. I should feel it—but I don’t. Even as he grips my hips and presses me into the side of the car, I feel nothing but a lightning-quick thrill shoot down my spine.
“Can you do so again?” he asks.
I feign ignorance of the crude suggestion. “What?”
A feral smile bares his teeth in a chilling flash of ivory. “Writhe on my cock, Little Lupe. Make those sexy noises like it’s the best damn one you’ve ever felt. I must admit, I was impressed by that.” Genuine curiosity creeps into his gaze. He meant that.
And my brain goes blank. I should say something encouraging, I think—feed him the sensual lies Pedro taught me. Only I can’t remember them anymore. When my lips do part, the only sound to escape is a gasp.
Jaguar sighs. “Don’t tell me that was a one-time trick? That’s a damn shame…” His hand returns to my thigh as his fingers nudge my panties aside and sink inside me. Instantly, all logic fades.
“Oh,” he says, his voice coarse. “I guess not. You’re dripping for me, Lupe.”
He’s right. More than that. I’m reacting to him without realizing it. One touch from him, and I’m a primal animal, relying only on instinct. Spreading my legs wider to welcome him in. Bucking my hips in invitation so he can rip my panties off and slip them into his pocket.
By then, I’m already gripping the front of his slacks to hasten them down. At the back of my mind, a voice of reason screams. What are you doing, Pita?
Debasing myself for sex. Embodying the whore I pretended to be. Mere hours ago, the realization would have devastated me but now… Is it so wrong to get one small, selfish benefit out of this insane arrangement? When it comes to Julian Domingas, it’s ironic that what I initially feared has turned out to be the most enjoyable aspect of him.
I can’t breathe until I feel him inside of me. When I do, it’s heaven.
I’ve spent so long living in hell I’d forgotten what it felt like to be free of sin. Free of worry. The man fucks all sense out of me, and I can’t deny that it feels so good to forget. To moan and writhe as a stronger body slams into mine. His strength is infectious. I feel as though I could run a marathon. Sprint to California on foot. Face Diego and finally banish the ghost of him that still haunts me.
But sex with Jaguar isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. It’s violent, being pressed against the side of a car out in the open for the world to see. It’s gnashing teeth raking at my throat hard enough to draw blood. It’s a groan that revs in his chest and ripples into my ear.
“Fuck,” he hisses, describing our dynamic perfectly.
It’s twisted, mindless, animalistic need.
“Eager little Lupe,” Jaguar growls as I meet his next punishing thrust. “You mew like a little kitten for me. Convincing enough. But can you repeat that trick?”
Without warning, he lifts me up and staggers to the back of the car, placing my ass on the trunk. Between my legs, he’s massive. He takes a leg in either hand, and spreads them wider for me. Then he forces one to bend, propping it against his shoulder.
From this position, he enters me again, and the different angle heightens everything to a painful degree. His size. His firm, persistent movements.
The white-hot pleasure licking through my veins…
I’m in that hazy, dreamlike state again, on the verge of another earth-shattering feeling. It begins in my belly and crawls up my spine, tightening every muscle. My head rears back against the metal of the trunk, and I find myself staring up at him, rocking in time with every movement.
“Don’t forget,” he grates, grinding his pelvis into mine. “I want to see you do that trick. One. Last. Time.”
Like a wind-up doll, I obey his command, and writhe mindlessly on his cock, trapped in the throes of an orgasm. This one is so relentless, it terrifies me. Above my own cries, I hear him rasp, “Sí, little Lupe. Just like that.”
With a triumphant shout, he slams himself home, and I swear my orgasm begins all over again. It’s so sharp, taking on a painful edge that has me so raw his every movement burns. Then a flood of fire washes over it and acts as a soothing balm.
When I return to my senses, Jaguar still has my thigh slung over his shoulder. He presses his lips to the flesh as I watch. Whether it’s an affectionate gesture or a bold warning, I’m not sure.
“Good girl,” he praises in a throaty voice. His thumb strokes along my knee, raising more devious streaks of fire. This is affection, I think. “It seems you’ve honed your tricks to employ them on command. You are either very talented, or…”
He trails off while wrenching me into a sitting position. With a firm tug on my skirt, he pulls it into place and then retrieves my panties from his pocket, tugging them up my legs.
“Or?” I ask once fully clothed, still breathless.
“Or someone hard to predict. I don’t particularly care for the unexpected.”
Uh-Oh. I try to laugh off his thinly-veiled suspicion. “Maybe you need a woman who can give you something different from your usual harem, Jaguar?”
As he heads for the car, he says nothing. Damn it. I can sense his interest shift, and when I join him in the passenger’s seat, I decide to change the subject myself to a different topic. Business.
“What kind of job am I doing for you?”
Strangely, this unnerves me more than fucking him sans protection twice within twenty-four hours does. Sex has already been ruined by Diego. It holds no sanctity to me.
My conscience, on the other hand? That’s been fairly clean relative to the life I’ve led. Dipping into criminal activity for Jaguar would be a new, untread territory.
As if sensing my discomfort, he inclines his head toward me and flashes his characteristic smirk.
“Oh no, Lupe. I won’t spoil the surprise. I’ll be around to pick you up in the morning. Ten. Be on time. You can meet me in the lobby.”
He drops me off at Pedro’s apartment, and I enter the building alone. After taking a long shower, and staring at myself in the mirror for even longer, I still can’t figure out what has gotten into me. I should have taken the money I won and bought a plane ticket to California first thing. I should be hunting down a mercenary who can procure Franco. I should be shaking down Braulio. I should be…
Doing anything but screwing a man so dangerous, the entire world trembles at the sound of his name.