Rafael and I shared a kiss before, and while it was incredible, it wasn’t like this, and I know nothing will ever compare again.
Power and passion clash as our kiss becomes a battle of possession, and I quickly end up on the losing side of the war as Rafael dominates my mouth like he does my heart. He is an army of one, claiming every fragmented piece of my mind, body, and soul as his while I wave the white flag of surrender.
Whatever he wants, he can have it, so long as he never stops kissing me like this.
My heart threatens to give out altogether, along with my legs, but Rafael holds me upright.
In his arms, I forget about the world around me and allow myself to feel. His adoration. My desperation. And the hope blossoming in my chest like a weed with roots that never seem to end.
I’m not sure how long we stand there, lost in each other, but eventually Rafael grabs my thighs and lifts me up. My legs instinctively wrap around his waist before he pushes me into one of the barn’s support columns.
He returns to kissing me, all while his cock presses into me. I grind against him, earning a moan from him while my tongue teases his in a dance of languid strokes and fleeting touches.
He pushes into me, and my head drops back with a moan. “God.”
His deep chuckle makes my insides clench as he moves on to kiss my jawline. Neck. Collarbone and chest. He marks my skin with invisible tattoos in the shape of his lips.
Hm. I’ll have to save that line for our song.
With a groan, he tears his mouth away and carries me toward the ladder below the hayloft while I leave a trail of kisses down his neck.
He puts me back on my feet. “Get up there.”
When I remain standing in place, he smacks my ass before pointing up at the loft above. “Now.”
I shoot him a look that earns me smack on my other butt cheek.
“I should have let you quit.” He narrows his eyes.
Mine roll. “No one asked you to fire me.”
He places his arms on both sides of the ladder, effectively crowding me. “I wanted to.”
I glare.
He kisses the tip of my scrunched nose. “How else would you get your severance pay?”
I blink.
And blink some more.
I never even considered the severance clause in our newest employee contract or the hundred thousand dollars I stood to gain if he ever fired me again.
My eyes bulge. “Oh my God.”
“I prefer to go by the less formal Rafa, but in your special case, God does seem to have a nice ring to it.”
I swat his shoulder. “You should have just let me quit!”
“I want to make sure you’re taken care of.” He kisses the corner of my mouth, and I lose it.
This man may say he likes me, but I’m not a fool. I know his feelings are more complex, so it is up to me to nurture his affection and help it bloom until he has no choice but to acknowledge it.
I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him so hard he forgets his original mission to get me up the ladder. I’m not sure how long we stand there, making up for lost time and growing sexual tension, but I pour everything into that kiss.
My appreciation, devotion, and love.
No conditions. No agenda. No expectations but the chance to show him how things could be with us, so long as he is willing to take a risk.
With a reluctant groan, I pull away first and reach for the ladder. My limbs tremble as I climb up to the second story. The barn’s loft is small but charming, with a full-size daybed facing the window overlooking part of Rafael’s property. There is a distressed writing desk in one corner with his latest barn expansion plans and a couple of books I forgot to take back to the house.
We have both hung out here on plenty of occasions, but never at the same time—until now.
Rafael wraps his arms around me from behind and rocks his hips into my ass. “We should go slow.”
“Your body seems to say the opposite.”
He spins me around, and my skin pebbles with anticipation.
“I’m trying to go about this the right way.”
“Can you start tomorrow? Because I really, really want to choose the wrong way.” I reach for the hem of his shirt and start lifting it.
His nostrils flare. “Elle.”
I brush my fingers across his abs. “Say it again.”
“Elle.” He groans this time when I slip my hand inside his joggers.
“Still want to go slow?” I grip his cock and pump once.
Next thing I know, I’m airborne before landing on the daybed with an oomph. My hair falls in front of my eyes, and I shove the strands away with a laugh.
The bed dips from Rafael’s weight as he places one knee on the mattress. “I’ll touch you on one condition.”
I rise to my elbows. “What?”
“Let me take you on a date tomorrow.”
My answer is easy. “Sure.”
He smirks. “You’re not going to play hard to get?”
I bite back a laugh. “Do you want me to?”
“You could make me work for it.”
“What do you think I plan on doing now?” I wink while spreading my legs.
His eyes drop toward my parted thighs, and his nostrils flare. My confidence remains strong as I drag my top over my head, revealing my simple bralette, scattered scars, and array of tattoos.
I never imagined I would be seducing Rafael Lopez, let alone talking about going on a date, but here I am, with my legs spread and my heart in my throat.
“Fuck.” He wipes a hand down his face.
“Already having regrets?”
“Only one.”
“What?”
“That I’ve waited this long to taste you.” He undoes the button of my jean shorts, and my heart jolts in my chest as he tugs them off.
My typical apprehension about my scars is still there. I had my tattoo artist add stars around the scars, not to cover them but to turn my thighs into a canvas inspired by one of my favorite songs.
Still, I can’t help being self-conscious about the older ones. Eventually, I learned to be more discreet, choosing places that could easily go undetected by almost everyone. My stomach. The insides of my upper thighs. Behind my panty line.
God, what will he think if he sees those? I think as I look away with a flinch.
He slides to his knees and brushes his hands across my thighs. “Mírame.”
My wide-eyed gaze swings back to his. Rafael brushes his hand across my flesh, but this time, I don’t flinch because I’m too focused on what comes out of his mouth instead.
Mírame: Look at me.
“You’re one of the strongest people I know.” His touch is soft. Appreciative. Exploratory in a way that makes my stomach burst with butterflies.
The last time I counted, I had over fifty scars, so that makes me the complete opposite of strong, but with the way Rafael looks at me, I choose to believe him.
His lips brush over one of the older ones. “All I see is someone who chose to live.”
My bottom lip wobbles.
“Someone who chose to keep fighting, even when they had reasons to give up.” He brushes the tip of his finger over one of my tattoos, and my vision blurs at the edges as tears form near my lash line. “Someone who turned their scars into shooting stars.” He leans forward on his knees and kisses my newest scar that always fills me with shame.
A single tear slips out, and I brush it away because I don’t want to ruin the moment.
He doesn’t seem to care, though, as he repeats the gesture, this time kissing the scar beside the last.
“You’re a warrior, Elle.” His lips brush over a particularly ugly one. “You put up a great fight, but you don’t have to battle those demons alone anymore.”
One tear turns into two, and next thing I know, my cheeks are soaked.
Rafael replaces my past memories with a completely new one as he takes his time kissing every single scar.
By the time he is done, my grief has morphed into a yearning so strong, I’m afraid I may combust. My lower half is pulsing, and I desperately want to press my thighs together, but his body keeps them open as he brings out another wave of yearning.
He drops a kiss right over my pussy, and I suck in a breath.
“You like that?” His lips hover over me, peppering me with soft kisses as he makes his way closer to my underwear.
“I know it’s been a long, long time for you, but I’m sure you can solve that mystery on your own.”
His right hand traces a path toward my underwear while his other hand reaches to cup my ass. “Oh, Elle. The things I want to do to that mouth.”
Rafael brushes his knuckle up and down my center, sending zings of pleasure down my spine. He presses the pad of his thumb against my clit, and I jolt forward with a gasp. He pushes my underwear to the side, smirking at the wet spot soaking through the cotton.
If I wasn’t lying down, I would fall over as he brushes the tip of his tongue over my center.
“You’re soaked for me.”
“Are you going to continue stating the obvious, or can you actually do something about it?” I wiggle my hips.
A devious smirk crosses his lips. “Keep talking like that and I’ll make you work for it.”
“How?”
He locks his hand around my wrist and drags it toward my center. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Using my index finger, he traces over my slit, back and forth slowly until I’m quivering.
“Hm. You seem to like that, so I’ll have to think of a new punishment instead.”
I shudder as he slips the tips of our fingers inside. “Maybe this.”
My head drops back, a groan slipping past my lips as he pumps both our fingers in unison. I tremble with every thrust, and a deep pressure builds in my lower half.
He makes a noise of discontent. “Nope. That’s not going to work either. You’re enjoying that too much.”
“Keep trying new things. I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually.” My body shakes as he drags both our hands toward my clit. It aches as he pinches it, and my hips buck from the sharp pulsing sensation deep in my belly.
“Good idea.” His deep chuckle makes my insides throb. He yanks on my underwear and throws it to the ground on top of my shorts. My lips part, but my protest dies as Rafael swings my right leg over his shoulder before doing the same with my left.
He grips my ass and pulls me closer to his face. His hold is possessive. Demanding. So damn hot, my skin feels like it might catch fire. Perhaps it already is, because I am sweating and he hasn’t even tasted me yet.
My thighs press against the sides of his head as he drags his nose across my center and takes a deep breath.
My cheeks flame at the sound of his sharp inhale, but my embarrassment quickly morphs into arousal as his tongue flicks out.
“Rafael.” His name is nothing but a moan as I grip his hair.
He groans against me, sending a pleasant vibration straight to my clit. I sneak a glance at him, only to freeze when I find his eyes glued to mine. Our gazes remain locked as he leans forward and flicks his tongue along my center, collecting my arousal with a satisfied hum.
My brain has officially short-circuited, and I’m too lost in a haze of lust to care.
Rafael seems to feel the same, with his eyes shutting as he stakes his claim on me. His strokes are lazy at first, driving me to madness as he takes his sweet time learning what I like. Every quiver, gasp, and buck of my hips seems to encourage him, and he becomes a master of my body in no time, drawing out my pleasure to the point of tears, only to deny me my release.
Anytime I get close, he pulls back, making me progressively more frustrated with every delayed orgasm.
“I think I found my new punishment.”
“Fuck off.”
“Why would I do that when I’d much rather fuck you instead?” His tongue plunges inside me again as he resumes his torture.
Minutes pass, and he shows no sign of stopping.
“Rafael,” I beg with tears in my eyes as he sinks a single finger inside me.
“Again.” He flicks his tongue against my clit before sucking, and my pelvis presses harder against his face.
“Rafael. Please.”
“Mi estrella.”
My heart bursts at the term of endearment.
His pace switches from explorative to punishing as he adds a second finger and pumps. His tongue quickly joins, sliding over my clit before he sucks hard enough to make me jolt.
Stars blaze to life behind my eyelids, temporarily blinding me as I come with a cry.
Rafael doesn’t stop stroking, licking, and sucking until I’m limp and panting beneath him. Carefully, he places my legs back on the bed before crawling behind me and pulling me into his chest. His cock presses against my ass, but when I suggest doing something about it, he tells me he just wants to enjoy the moment.
He gives me cosquillas, and I nod off for ten minutes before we head back to the house, just in case Nico wakes up.
Rafael drags me into his room, claiming he wants to cuddle, and I don’t bother denying him.
Tomorrow, I will need to begin the process of moving out, but tonight…
Tonight, I pretend that tomorrow won’t ever come.
Mi estrella: My star.
