He paused, his brow furrowing. His dark eyes studied me, tight with concern.
I placed my hands atop his, curling his fingers deeper into my hips. “Please, Andrés…”
A low sound of longing left his chest, and he withdrew from me before slowly pushing all the way back in. He claimed me in long, careful strokes, playing with my clit and lighting my body up with pleasure.
He fucked me until I saw stars, and we both came undone.
No. Deep in my soul, I knew that wasn’t right. He didn’t fuck me.
We made love.
Love.
I was still contemplating my feelings hours later, as Andrés and I lay tangled in the sheets. He’d dozed off for a while after we’d had sex, but I’d been wide awake, my brain buzzing.
I had feelings for him. On a rational level, I had to acknowledge that they’d been building within me for weeks.
But love?
It was insane. He was a dangerous drug lord. How could I share a life with a man like him?
I hadn’t thought about a future with him before. I’d just been living day to day, vaguely planning my escape with waning enthusiasm.
I didn’t see how I could be with him in any real way.
And that made my heart twist in my chest.
There was one obvious way out of this that I could see, but it put him at risk: I could pretend to work for Cristian, and I’d get a message back to my friends at the Bureau. They’d come in to rescue me, and they’d arrest Cristian for abducting me.
They’d also want to arrest Andrés.
I couldn’t let that happen. I might be able to arrange immunity for him if he turned on his brother, but that wasn’t a guarantee.
I could also try convincing Andrés to give me access to a phone, so I could call my friends. That way, I wouldn’t have to face Cristian at all.
It still wouldn’t guarantee his safety, though. I couldn’t see how to get back to my life without betraying Andrés.
But the idea of going back to my life without him in it made my chest ache. I wasn’t ready for my time with him to end, even if I didn’t want to stay locked in this penthouse forever.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked, his fingertips brushing over the furrow in my brow.
I blinked and propped up from where I’d been resting against his chest.
“I thought you were asleep,” I said instead of answering.
“I was, but I could hear you thinking.” He gave me a languorous smile and stroked my hair back from my cheek. “You do have a very busy mind.”
“Let me guess. You’re going to help me make it go all quiet and blissful?” I was only half-teasing. That sounded kind of nice right now. It would free me from my inner turmoil.
“I can, if that’s what you need,” he said. “But I like your clever brain.”
“You do?” He’d never openly expressed admiration for my intellect before. After our games of chess, I’d come to suspect it, but he’d never said it outright. It made my heart do a funny flip. I’d worried so many times that he saw me as nothing more than a pet, but actually respected me as an intelligent woman.
“Of course,” he replied. “You challenge me. I find you fascinating. Did you not know?”
“I…” I swallowed down the lump in my throat. “No. I guess I didn’t know that. Not for sure.”
“I should tell you more often, then.”