Alejandro fucking Calaveras.
Why did the thought of him send chills down my spine? I wanted to find out if the rest of his body was covered in tattoos, like his arms. Damn, why did he have to be so good looking? I wrapped my arms around myself, and my hard nipples pressed against my arms. Dammit. Damn him.
I let out a breath as the reality of the situation came crashing down on me. Alejandro Calaveras was a bad person. He did bad things. He didn’t care about anything but his business. I knew he killed his own men. I was most definitely fucked…and not fucked in a good way.
Someone knocked on the door, making me jump. My eyes widened, and I didn’t breathe.
“Hola?” the person on the other side of the door called. She said something in Spanish then opened the door. It was the maid from the kitchen, and she was carrying a white shopping bag with black handles. She smiled at me, but her eyes didn’t convey any happiness.
She set the bag down, smiled again, and left the room. I got up, trembling as I walked to the bag. I picked it up and hurried back to the bed. There was a blue dress inside. It still had the tags on it, and I recognized the designer name. This dress cost more than my rent.
The fabric was silky smooth. It would feel so good against my skin. I held it up. It was my size, but short and would be tight. I didn’t want to wear that and objectify myself.
I put it back in the bag and leaned back on the pillows. My mind fought off sleep with fear. I knew I couldn’t stay awake forever. How long would it be until someone realized I was missing? I had two weeks of vacation. That’s fourteen days of not going to work, of being able to stay holed up in my apartment without interacting with the world. Shit. It wouldn’t be that unusual for me to be a hermit. Nerves bubbled in my stomach.
Misty wasn’t around to check in on me, and my dad would be busy with work and taking care of Scott. No one would miss me until I didn’t show up for work once my vacation ended. It hurt, just a little, knowing it was so easy for me to go off the grid for a few weeks. I had no one that depended on me, no one that missed me if I wasn’t clocking in.
There was a knock on the door. I jumped. Without giving me time to answer, Alejandro opened the door.
“Is the dress the wrong size?” he asked, looking at the blue fabric that was sticking out of the bag.
I shook my head. “It’s right.”
He smiled. “I know a woman’s body well,” he said, his brown eyes meeting mine. Ugh, that accent. I didn’t want to find it so fucking sexy. Warm tingles made their way through me. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. He bit his lip and tipped his head. My pussy quivered. “Put it on then.”
Hypnotized by his Latin charm, I started to nod and reach for the dress. Then I blinked and shook my head. “I might be your hostage, but I’m not your sex slave. I want something comfortable and not revealing.” The words spilled from me at a startling rate. My cheeks flushed, embarrassed by my own honestly. But damn, that felt good. Why the fuck had I waited so long to speak up?
Alejandro looked surprised. His broad shoulders tightened, and his lips parted. He had full lips. I wanted to put mine to his. “Comfortable?”
I arched my eyebrows. “Yeah. Like a t-shirt and pajamas.”
Alejandro ran a hand through his dark hair and laughed. Lord help me, he was hot. “Wear the dress or wear the robe. I don’t care.” He smiled. “Or nothing at all.”
I pulled the robe tightly over my chest. The smooth fabric rubbed against my nipples. I shivered. Alejandro looked at me with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.
He blinked, long lashes coming together. “If you want to eat, come downstairs. I want to know more about you, Ellie Morgan.”
Then he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I waited for him to come back with different clothes. When he didn’t, I stood and begrudgingly put the dress on. It fit me perfectly, and I wouldn’t have worn a bra with it even if I had one. It was a little short to go commando in; I’d have to be careful when I sat down that I didn’t flash my goodies…unless I wanted to.
Wait, what? I shook my head. No, no, no…that shouldn’t have crossed my mind. I picked up the robe and slipped it on, tightly tying it around myself. Barefoot, I padded to the door.
Was this really happening? Was I really inside Alejandro Calaveras’s house, wearing clothes he bought for me, about to have dinner with him?
I took a breath, reaching inside for the bravery I fought so hard to find when Alejandro confronted me in the warehouse. I put my hand on the doorknob. Holy fuck. It was real. It really was.
Chapter 9