He laughed. “What did you say?”

We arrived at the door.

“I took a few tae kwon do classes a few years ago.” I slashed at the air in front of him. Instead of flinching, he laughed some more.

“Why did you stop?” He grabbed my hand and landed a peck on the fingertips.

“Michael ended it after I sprained my hand. He said if it had been worse I wouldn’t have been able to model for him.” It was always the modeling with Michael when he needed an excuse to limit my movements. That was the way he controlled me.

Not anymore.

“Hmmm. Did Michael do things like that a lot?”

“At times.”

“You were together?”

I leaned back on the wall next to my closed bedroom door. One of the guards opened my room and went inside to make sure everything was safe. At least that was what I assumed. Alvarez made me aware of that before we left his office. They would be with me from now on, and before I entered a room, they would go in to check it out. Additionally, one would be near my window, two flanking my half opened door, and the fourth checking on me upon the hour until I woke up.

“Yes. While Michael and I were in a relationship, he tended to manage my life.”

“And now you’re not in a relationship with him?”

“Exactly.”

“And you’re not interested in anything else right now, due to Michael.”

“Yes. I need time to figure out who I am and what I want. I can’t get into anything too deep right now.”

“Hmmm.” He placed his hands on the space above my head. “That may be difficult for me to deal with, if you’re certain you’re going to stay. Besides, I plan on buffing up on movies in the next couple of days. We’ll be going on many dates very soon.”

I grinned. “There’s no way you’ll stump me. Plus, friends don’t date so I’m sure you’ll be able to just be friends with me.”

“Friends?” He quirked his eyebrows.

“Yes. We’re amigos,” I proudly stated. “That does mean friends in Spanish. Right?”

“Kind of. Remember. Cuban men are romantic. When we say friend it means friends that dance together and go to nice little restaurants with candles on the center of the table.”

“I didn’t hear that in my Spanish class during high school. Besides, that sounds like it’s verging toward a date.”

“And you don’t date your friends?”

“No.”

“I’m not sure if I’m enjoying your concept of friends.” His phone rang. He dug his hand into his pocket and turned it off.

“Am I keeping you from something?”

“Everything,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. That’s half the reason I’m certain I want to be more than friends. You, mi amiga, end up keeping my mind only on you whenever you’re around. I’m starting to like that very much.”

My heart beat faster.

He checked his watch. “For example, even though it’s now close to five in the morning and I have at least five difficult things to do right now due to this new death, all I can think of doing right at the moment is finishing that kiss we had on the dance floor. Is that weird?”

I forced myself to not lick my lips. “No. That’s not weird.”

“Did you enjoy our friendly kiss, mi amiga?”

“Ha,” I snorted. “That was not a friendly kiss.”

“No?” He leaned close to me, so near my nipples stiffened at the thought of him touching me. “Then what type of kiss was it, amiga?”

“Something more than I can put words or labels to.”

“Then how did it make you feel?” He brushed his lips against mine, but didn’t press them in for a kiss.

You’re such a tease.

I arched a little his way, knowing I shouldn’t. If I was going to demand that we be only friends, I would have to actually mean it with my body as well as my words. Yet there was that magnetic pull of pleasure, tugging me forward and energizing my flesh with need.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to answer my question?” In a bold move, he dipped down to my neck and nibbled the sensitive area. I moaned softly, but knew he heard it when a groan escaped his mouth. “How did my kiss make you feel, Elle?”

I turned to see if the guards were watching, but he captured my chin and brought my view back to him. “Answer me, please.”

“It made me feel. . . good.”

“Just good?” He nipped at my bottom lip. “I doubt that.”

“Why?”

“Because that kiss tonight made me hungry, and when you leaned away that same greedy little hunger showed all over your face.”

“You’re lying.”

“I want to kiss you again, mi amiga.”

I giggled. “I don’t think amigos should convince each

other to do things they shouldn’t. You’re such a bad influence.”

“And you’re a little tease.” He seized my lips and took his time, gently nudging them open with his tongue, until I couldn’t help but part them and suck on that wet length myself. He was a master at kissing. My knees buckled under his pressure. Desire mounted within my chest.

Tags: Kenya Wright Mystery
Source: readsnovelonline.net