Page 50 of Lilacs and Leather
“I thought you didn’t do it to piss him off,” I say, pulling my head out of the gutter.
Mateo rolls his eyes, taking another big bite. “Well, I didn’t do itonlyto piss him off. Katie’s a couple years younger than us, and she was single at the time.”
“How did that fix anything?” I ask, cutting out a bite of my pancake.
“Oh, it wasn’t me fucking Katie that fixed anything. It was when we beat the shit out of each other after Rhett found out,” he says, barely holding back a laugh.
I freeze with my fork halfway to my mouth, staring at him with wide eyes. “Youwhat?”
Mateo throws his head back and lets out a bark of a laugh, waving at me with his fork to eat. “Oh, yeah. Did you know that Rhett’s a trained fighter? He never wants to go pro or anything, but he practices all sorts of different styles to keep his ungodly temper in check. I told him it was cliche, being Irish and liking to fight, but that’s a story for another time.”
He pauses and takes another bite, and I finally take my first bite. I can taste the bite of alcohol under the sour cherries, but it doesn’t diminish the incredible flavor. I have to hold back my moan, but I don’t manage it quick enough, Mateo purring in response. The sound makes goosebumps rise on my arms, and I feel my heartbeat pulsing between my thighs. His scent has been bright and sweet, but it takes a sudden turn into sharp, metallic ozone. I look up at him, breath catching in my throat at the heat in his eyes. I lick away a bit of cherry from my bottom lip, and Mateo’s eyes track the movement, the soft brown of his irises disappearing as his pupils dilate.
“So, you can fight, too?” I ask, surprised by how breathless my voice is.
Mateo stares at my mouth for another moment before dragging his eyes back to mine.
“Yeah, but I never had a trainer or anything. Just an asshole older brother who liked to get his friends together and jump me on my walk home from school,” he explains, clearing his throat a little.
I nod, taking another bite of my pancake. The topping has soaked into the fluffy confection, and I feel a little dribble on my chin. Before I can do anything, Mateo’s thumb is there, gathering the drop. I open my mouth on instinct, and Mateo sucks in a sharp breath as he slowly slides the digit between my lips. I hold eye contact as I lick his finger clean, and he growls low in his chest. My pussy throbs, and I feel the wetness soaking my panties. He pulls his thumb free with a pop, his hand sliding down my throat until he’s cupping the back of my neck.
“It’s good, right?” Mateo whispers huskily.
I nod vaguely, not even sure what I’m agreeing to.
“When we’re done here, what do you want to happen?” he asks softly.
I bite my lower lip, hesitating. Rhett and I never talked about being exclusive, and he wanted to take our sexual relationship slow. But Mateo… There was something there, a pull I’d never experienced before. I didn’t want this night to ever end. I feel so safe with Mateo, and his affable demeanor and infectious excitement for life were hard to resist.
“I don’t want to be alone,” I say at last, trailing off as I try to figure out how to put my feelings into words.
“Rhett is a lot of things, but jealous isn’t one of them. But if he has a problem with you and me, I’ll handle him. I’ve kicked his ass once, and I’m not afraid to do it again,” he says, smirking.
I smile fondly, something settling in my chest. Mateo’s promise to keep me safe means the world, even if he doesn’t know it. I’ve known him for less than a day, but this pull between us feels inexorable.
Maybe it’s the quiet and seclusion of being in this liminal space, or the booze in the cherry compote giving me the boost in confidence, but I take the leap before I lose my nerve. I slide across the vinyl bench, resting my hand on his chest before leaning up, stopping when my lips are a hair’s breadth from his. He goes still, letting me into his space without protest.
“Then take me home, Mateo,” I whisper, leaning in and claiming his mouth with mine.
Twenty
Lydia
The Uber back to FreddY’s and the following drive pass in a silent blur. Mateo’s hands stay in contact with my skin, and each brush fills my body with electric excitement. We don’t exchange words, speaking with our hands and eyes until the only thing I can feel as we park in a reserved space is molten anticipation. All hesitation or worry fades when he smiles, when his eyes roam my body with hunger and awe all wrapped in one.
Mateo pulls me across the empty lobby of Wickland House practically at a jog. We reach the bank of elevators, and he slaps his wallet against a scanner before taking my hips in his hands and pushing me against the wall next to the door. His mouth is on mine again, hot and insistent, and the sharp edge of his teeth on my lips makes me moan, my back arching. The elevator rings, and Mateo doesn’t break the kiss as he loops his hands under my thighs, making me wrap them around his waist, and carries me into the wall just inside the carriage. His hips pin me against the wall as the doors slide closed.
“Mateo, cameras,” I pant, trying to pull away.
I whine as he grinds his cock against my core, taking my earlobe between his teeth for a moment before releasing. He lets me down with a little growl, turning to pull my back to his front as he leans into the corner of the car. He continues to kiss at the back of my neck, slowly rolling his hips against my ass. My eyes slide closed, giving in to the sensations.
“Kinda hot, though. The thought that someone could be watching,” he whispers, playful but husky.
He nips at the top of my spine, and my knees tremble. I bite back a moan when he slides his thigh between my legs, his hands on my hips, guiding me to rock against the corded muscle. I flush but can’t deny the idea that some half-asleep security guard could look at a screen and see me riding Mateo’s thigh, makes me wet. I nod, clutching at Mateo’s tattooed wrists.
“If Rhett ever gets his head out of his ass and makes a move, I’d love to watch him fuck you. And then, of course, I’d fuck you. Then maybe we’d both fuck you. What do you think about that, baby?”
Mateo’s almost flippant tone as he whispers in my ear nearly takes the strength out of my legs. His hands move in a smooth caress across my stomach, up to take hold of a breast in each hand, squeezing.