Lace and Bullets(43)

“My sister’s death. Marcelo said she overdosed, but I always thought he had taken her out. That he’d given her some bad drugs to put her down.”

Mia stopped dancing. “Like a dog?”

“Exactly.” God, he didn’t know how to tell her the truth. He held onto her and waited until she looked up into his face. “I found out today I was right.”

She sucked in a breath. “Marcelo killed her?”

Damien shook his head. “It wasn’t Marcelo who killed her.” Mia tensed in his arms, but he kept going. She needed to know. “You father ordered the hit, Mia. He’s the one who killed her.”

Mia’s legs gave out and Damien grabbed her before she fell to the floor.

“It can’t be true.”

“My source wouldn’t lie. Not about that.”

An anguished sob tore from her chest and she shoved against him to get away. Her tears hit his hands, but he wouldn’t let her go.

“What are you going to do now? Kill me? Hand me over to that bastard Marcelo?”

“What? No! Mia!” Damien fell to the floor and crushed her body against his. She shook. “I told you so you knew the truth. I would never turn you in. I would never trade you to Marcelo.”

He pulled back and she fought to get away. He gripped her arms so tight they’d bruise. “You’re worth more to me than any vengeance. You’ve changed my life.”

She stilled. “But my father…all the things he’s done…”

“Are over. He can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

Her eyes slid shut and Damien couldn’t bear it. The hurt etched into her face was there because of him. He would do anything to take it away.

His fingers found the waist of her jeans. He slipped the button free.

“Stop it.” Mia wiped at her face and tried to bat his hand away.

“No.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“I’m helping us both forget the pain.” He tugged down her jeans and yanked them free of her body. “You mean more to me than any ghost, Mia. Let me prove it.”

She trembled as he gripped her by the thighs. She gasped when he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

Before she could say a single word, Damien spread her legs. Just the sight of her sweet sex obliterated all his anger. All his rage.

He dove between her legs, his tongue slicing through her folds to flick her clit without a second to waste. Mia cried out and fell back on the mattress.

If he couldn’t make her laugh and smile with a nice dinner and a bottle of wine, he’d make her forget about the horror of their lives the only way he knew how. One lap of his tongue at a time.

He kissed her swollen folds. “Relax, Mia. Let me help you.” He trailed kisses up and down and ran his hands over her silken skin. She shuddered.

Every kiss and lick eased the tension running through her. Every suck and nip calmed his racing heart. They might never work in the outside world, but in the bedroom, they were perfect. He couldn’t relate to her over dinner? Fine. They would do their bonding the old fashioned way.

Naked.

Mia’s fingers tore over his head and Damien picked up the pace, lapping at her clit, drawing little gasps and moans from deep inside her. She bucked her hips into his face and he sucked her clit into his mouth.

She groaned and he sucked harder. It didn’t matter how stressed out or confused or sad she was, he would force pleasure into her veins. Her sex soaked in her arousal and Damien lapped it up like a starving animal.

The minute he opened that closet door, his whole life changed. Gone was the empty, hollow place inside him. Mia filled it. She was the only good thing in his life and he wanted her to know it.

With a gentle thrust, he slipped one finger inside her. She cried out as he stroked her inner walls. Her muscles clamped around him and Damien looked up over the peaks and valleys of her body.

Mia gripped the bed sheets with one hand and his head with the other. Her black lashes stuck to her cheeks and her lips were stuck open in an O. As he lapped at her clit again, she came.

Body tight and frozen. Face locked in a mask of pleasure. The bliss flowed through her in a violent wave and Damien smiled. He’d broken through. He’d found the real Mia hiding behind the hurt and confusion.

She collapsed back onto the bed and Damien crawled over her. His lips landed on hers and she moaned as her own pleasure filled her mouth.

Her knees came up and Mia broke their kiss to snuggle against his chest.

“I’m sorry I’ve put you through hell, Mia, but I’m not sorry I’ve met you.” He stroked her still-damp hair. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

She wedged herself tighter against him and wrapped her arm around his middle. “Tell me it will all work out. Tell me we’ll find a way.”