I gazed at him in shock, simultaneously furious and mildly impressed at how well I’d just been played.
Leaning down, he hovered his swollen lips over my ear, his smile evident in his voice. “Don’t ever compare me to him again.”
Chaper Fifteen
Leighton
We didn’t speak again. I lay on the island, catching my breath as the refrigerator door slammed, followed by the sound of a bottle cap hitting the floor. Speechless, I stared at the ceiling, listening to Mateo chug a beer while I gathered what was left of my self-respect.
I told myself it was a good thing he put a stop to what was happening between us. Too many mistakes had been made to cross that line. Regardless of who held the most blame, Mateo and I were forbidden from the moment we met. We should’ve known it would come to this.
By the time he chucked the bottle into the trash, I’d already slid off the island and was watching him, wishing he’d say something—anything. Instead, he motioned for me to follow him and then disappeared down a darkened hallway. I rocked back on my heels, debating whether to trust him or run for the door. Unfortunately, I had nowhere else to go. Sucking in a deep breath, I fumbled my way down the hall and hesitated at the door.
“Well, are you just going to stand there all night, or do you plan on coming inside?” Mateo leaned over the bed, his dark hair framing his face as he ripped the comforter halfway down. He’d already taken off his jacket, exposing the roped muscles in his arms.
I motioned toward the sleigh bed that was covered by a comforter so thick I swore it called my name. “Are you turning this down for me?”
It pained me to give in, but after a full day at the cantina and a night of chaos, fatigue won the battle.
“No.” Holding my eye, he reached over his shoulder and pulled off his T-shirt from the back. “I’m turning it down for me, but feel free to do the same when you get in.”
His chest was a litany of colorful ink, a living work of art drawn over hardened planes of muscle. It was all I could do not to stare. “You’re not sleeping on the couch?”
A clang of metal snapped my eyes back to his face. I tried to remember how to breathe as he unbuckled his belt. His gaze darkened, a closed-off stare holding me prisoner while he unzipped his pants and slid them down his legs. “Why would I do that when there’s a bed right here?”
“Because that’s what a gentleman is supposed to do for a lady.” I tried to sound unaffected as he stripped down to his tight black boxer briefs. As much as I commanded my eyes to look anywhere else, they had a mind of their own.
“Good thing I’m not a gentleman and you’re no lady.”
“Excuse me?” Popping a hand on my hip, I redirected my shock toward his insult. “You’ve got the first part right, but I’m most certainly a lady, you—”
“Leighton?”
“Hmmm?”
He pointed two fingers at his waist then dragged them toward his face. “Eyes up here.”
Shit! Was I still looking at his cock?
“Fine,” I huffed, snatching a pillow off the bed. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
I never saw him move. One minute, I hugged the pillow to my chest, and the next, he had me face down on the bed with my wrists twisted like a pretzel.
“I don’t think so.” His challenge sent a chill up my spine. “Look, you may not think much of me anymore, but I gave Val my word I’d look out for you until we clear this thing up.”
I strained my neck, gaping at him in shock. “You want me to sleep with you?”
“As I recall, you used to enjoy it.” Mateo’s words woke something wildly primitive in me. He was right. I did enjoy it, but fear and the knowledge of who he was clouded the memory. A low chuckle rumbled from his bare chest, and he patted the mattress beside my head.
I considered putting up a fight, but figured, why waste the energy? We were both rational adults, and rational adults could manage to sleep in a bed together without having sex.
Right?
Replacing the pillow, I climbed under the covers and pulled them up to my chin. Mateo crossed his arms and raised a slanted eyebrow at my blanket cocoon. “You’re sleeping in your clothes?”
“Yep.”
Shrugging, he climbed in beside me and rolled on his side, his leg draped dangerously close to mine. “Suit yourself.”
“You said you gave Val your word you’d watch out for me,” I mused, staring at the ceiling, while trying to block out the thought of his naked skin next to mine. “Did you mean Valentin Carrera?”
“I’m not discussing this with you, Leighton.”
“Are you going to tell Brody everything?” I did my best not to flinch while waiting for his answer.
“About you bugging his apartment and planning to sell us all out to the DEA to save your ass?”
“The way you say it makes it sound way worse than it is.”
He snorted. “You mean out loud?” Mateo’s gaze briefly lingered on my face before he let out a frustrated sigh. “Provided you’re straight with me, no, I won’t say anything. It would just put you in more danger, which compromises the whole reason I’m here.”
“But doesn’t that go against some sort of cartel code?” I asked.
“I’ll answer to Val when the time comes. Until then, as long as you run every move you make by me before you make it, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
I nodded and rolled over. Silence was my only line of defense because I was too far in to back out now. I had to play both sides as far as I could in this twisted chess game before one of them checkmated me. Twice now, I’d run when threatened but no more. Whether I cut the head off the dragon or went down swinging, I wouldn’t back down from this fight. The lives of the people I loved were at stake, and their safety meant everything to me.
As the man beside me slept, I admitted the truth to myself. I’d never stopped loving Matty—even if he was Mateo Cortes. However, I wasn’t complying with him out of a love still stuck inside a vacuum. Regardless of what he said, I had no illusions as to the choices he’d eventually be forced to make. Valentin Carrera would find out about what I’d done, and Mateo couldn’t protect us. I wasn’t even sure he’d try.
A shrill ring from under the bed woke me up the next morning. Groaning, I flopped halfway off the mattress and blindly swiped my hand underneath the wooden bedframe. Finally finding my phone, I held it up and squinted at the time display at the top.
Seven o’clock in the morning.
Someone had better be dead.
Then I recognized the number flashing on the caller ID.
Fuck, I wish it were me.
I froze, annoyance turning to panic when a debilitating thought hit me. Oh shit, there was no way I was having this conversation lying beside...
Wait, where the hell was Mateo? Wiping my blurry eyes with my free hand, I noticed the opposite side of the bed was empty with a twinge of disappointment. So much for looking out for me until we got this mess cleared up.
The incessant ringing stopped then started again as I realized a glass of orange juice and a single apple were sitting on the opposite nightstand. Fuck it. If he planned to leave me to the wolves, I planned to be fueled for the fight. Swiping the apple with a heavy hand, I cursed as the phone quieted then immediately rang again.