As I stared into her rich, chocolate eyes, I stroked myself to completion, reaching my release with an animal roar. My hot seed lashed her belly, marking her.
Mine. All mine.
Chapter 19
Marisol
Ten Days Later
“You look beautiful.” Raúl’s sweet compliment was warm on my neck, and he dropped a kiss on my shoulder. His hands closed around my hips, urging me to spin away from the full-length bedroom mirror where he’d been admiring me.
When I turned to face him, his luminous eyes roved over my body, devouring every inch of me. His palm brushed the curve of my hip, and he lingered there to give me a little squeeze. “Are you ready to meet our guest?”
My brows lifted to my hairline. “Our guest?” I asked in disbelief. “You’ve invited someone to your house?”
He chuckled and tapped the tip of my nose with one thick finger. I beamed up at him, loving his constant, casual displays of affection.
“I should probably clarify: I’ve invited someone here to be your guest. Once she arrives, I’m going to disappear into my man cave and leave you two to get to know one another.” He lifted a lock of my hair and idly rubbed it between his fingers, simply enjoying the feel of me as we spoke. “I know it’s been hard for you to be so isolated here. Things are calming down with Carmen and Stefano, now that the new regime is stabilizing. But it really isn’t safe for you to leave yet. I don’t want you to feel like a prisoner. I thought you might like some company.”
I beamed at him, overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness and generosity. Ever since our intense scene in his workshop, I felt more attached to him than ever. Even though we hadn’t advanced our sexual relationship, our bond had deepened. And the fact that he was giving me the time I’d requested to sort out my conflicted thoughts about his role in the cartel only further endeared me to him.
“I’d love that,” I gushed, grasping his shoulders to gain enough leverage to bounce up and kiss his cheek. He bent, happy to receive my affection.
“Who’s coming to visit?” Carmen was the only woman I knew who was associated with the cartel. Although I’d longed to see her again and assure her that I was okay, I didn’t want Raúl to get into trouble if she found out he’d been hiding me from her. He promised that we’d be reunited eventually, when it was safe for everyone involved.
I could wait. I trusted him.
“Isabel Vera,” he replied.
A pinprick deflated my joyful bubble. “Vera? As in, she’s related to Daniel Vera?”
Suddenly, the toxic heat of his groping hands burned my hip and breasts, and I shuddered at the memory of his cruel sneer when he’d left me terrified and wounded during the coup.
Raúl’s strong, warm hands roved over my body, unerringly finding the places where Daniel had touched me. The tick in his jaw and his possessive squeezes told me that he remembered, too.
I melted into his hold with a sigh, settling into his protective embrace. He pressed a tender kiss against my forehead.
“Yes, she’s Daniel’s sister. But you have nothing to fear from her.” The deep, hypnotic timbre of his voice reassured me. “She’s relieved that he’s dead. Apparently, he was always cruel to her. He didn’t even tell her about the coup, and he left her alone at home during Arturo’s planned ambush. He gave her no warning. She could’ve died in the firefight.”
His muscular arms rippled once as anger rolled through him. The indication that he felt protective of Isabel drew me deeper into his embrace. He was furious that Daniel had left his sister for dead. Raúl undeniably did bad things for his cartel, but he fiercely defended innocent women.
I squeezed him in return; a small show of my appreciation of the good in him. “Thank you for inviting her to meet me. It means a lot.” I pulled back slightly to offer him a teasing smile. “I know this is a big deal for you. Have you ever had a guest in your house?”
His low laugh filled my chest, enfolding my heart. “No,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t do this for anyone but you. And I’m still going to my workshop as soon as the introductions are over with.” The surly twist of his lips was belied by his dancing eyes.
My laughter bubbled up to echo his. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of asking you to endure small talk.”
His phone dinged an alert, and he stepped away to pull it from his pocket. He nodded when he checked the notification, his mouth tugging down in a small frown.
“Isabel’s here,” he announced. He tapped the screen a few times, then slipped the phone back in his pocket. “Gate’s open. She’ll be at the door in five minutes.”
I traced the line of his frown with my thumb. “Thank you for doing this for me.”
His lips quirked up at the corners, and he offered me a grunt in reply. I could tell it was his happy grunt, so I returned his smile with a broad grin of my own.
Grasping my hand in his, he led me to the front door. He took a deep breath, bracing himself.
I shot him a wry smile. “I promise this will be totally painless. I assume Isabel knows you well enough not to trap you with boring niceties. And if she tries, I’ll make your excuses, so you can escape to your man cave.”
I yelped when he gave my ass a sharp pinch in rebuke for my teasing. His slightly cruel chuckle was punctuated by a tentative knock on the door. He rolled his shoulders, as though loosening up before a fight.
I smothered a giggle before he could pinch me again. I really did want to meet Isabel.
Now that I was facing the prospect of socializing, I realized how much I missed female companionship. Before I’d moved in with Gehovany and faded from my community in shame, I’d had lots of girlfriends. We’d spent our days gossiping and our weekend nights dancing.
Raúl would’ve hated it.
As much as I loved spending time with my taciturn protector, he’d never be the type to settle in for excitable chatter. And I could hardly imagine him laughing on a dance floor, losing himself in revelry at a big party.
He opened the door, angling his body in front of mine.
“Isabel.” Her name was a chip of ice on his tongue.
I peeked around his massive frame to find a slender young woman shrinking away. Glancing up at Raúl’s fierce scowl, even I had to resist taking a step back.
Okay, he really hates guests. My heart squeezed at the reminder that he was pushing himself way out of his comfort zone in order to make me happy. The least I could do was save him from socializing.
It looked as though Isabel could use saving, too. Her eyes were so wide that her thick lashes nearly reached her delicately arched brows. Her oversized, wire rimmed glasses only magnified them, making her seem downright terrified. Freckles dusted her too-pale cheeks, and the unnaturally ashen tone of her complexion made her bright pink, matte lipstick pop to an almost garish degree.
I slipped past Raúl’s intimidating bulk and extended my hand to Isabel. “I’m so glad you could come visit.” Genuine warmth imbued my tone, and she focused on my pleasant greeting like a lifeline. “It’s great to meet you. I’m Marisol.”
Her fingers trembled slightly when she shook my hand, but some of the color returned to her cheeks. She very carefully avoided looking at Raúl, keeping her large eyes pinned on me.