"You said you were hungry, and within five minutes, me and 'Bazz had marshaled troops and were out. Every man went into that VIP dealership knowing pretty much what he wanted down to the color - whereas y'all couldn't even de cide what to eat. All we said was no sushi, and we were cool."
"Yeah, well, sometimes you have to take your time and think things through."
"I know, after you stabbed a minotaur from Level Seven in the eye, you are not going there." He ran from her as she chased him for a few paces.
"See, I knew I'd hear about that 'til the end of time." She folded her arms over her chest with a big grin. "You ain't right, Carlos Rivera." He held up his hands. "All right, aw'ight," he said, laugh ing. Then his smile slowly faded.
"But some things didn't take me no time to figure out ... and I was dead-on about it."
"Yeah ... like what?" she asked quietly, leaning on the back of the sofa and studying him from across the room.
"It took me about three to five seconds for my mind to catch up with what I was seeing -
then I knew."
She cocked her head to the side and listened to his voice dip, letting the sensual sound coat her insides with a slow heat.
"I saw this beautiful, crazy, wild chica square off on my boyz, who were trying to rob her... and it only took about two seconds to pull my nine and fire it in the air for them to stop ... 'cause, see, I had to get closer, had to be sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me," he said quietly, stalking her.
"Go 'head, man, you need to stop." She tried to look away, but his intense gaze brought her eyes back to his.
"I'm serious," he said, moving closer, but taking his time, going the long way around the furniture to get to where she was leaning. "She didn't just look terrified, she was pissed off
... loco. Her skin had this sheen to it ... like you ever see the metallic shimmer underneath a serious paint job, looks like diamond flecks or crystals are in the paint?" She landed a hand on his chest with the intention to playfully push him away, but didn't.
"Oh, so now my skin is like a Saleen S7's custom paint job." She shook her head.
"You're blowing my rap, baby, but what I've gotta tell you is profound," he said, smiling and tracing her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "I meant no disrespect, senora. That's a six-hundred-thousand-dollar car and I just came out of the dealer... but your skin is priceless."
He brushed her mouth with a light kiss. "What I was trying to say before my rap got interrupted is that, it didn't take a whole long process for me to make up my mind. I saw the glow ... saw your eyes. Watched your braids you had then swinging up and off your
shoulders as you threw a roundhouse that flattened my boy. Saw your br**sts bounce under that little tank top you was wearing," he murmured, tracing her collarbone with his index finger. "Saw your thighs flex under your jeans when you stepped back fast in a fighter's stance ... and maaan, that booty. Case closed. I was sold. I knew that was my future wife."
"You are crazy," she said, kissing his chest and laughing softly. "And you guys on the team, collectively, make us crazy."
"That's a matter of perspective," he said, finding the sensitive side of her neck. "You all go back and forth and have to go back over it all again."
"Yeah," she whispered against his neck, and then licked his tattoo back and forth and went over it again. "We do, but you told me you liked that." His breath hitched. "Not fair." She did it again and he dosed his eyes. "But, yeah, I love it when you do that."
"Not trying to be fair, trying to win."
He smiled and nipped her neck. "What's the negotiation?"
"If I told you that, you'd have the advantage." Can I guess?" he murmured, beginning to trail his hands down her body to capture her br**sts.
She shuddered as his thumbs grazed her ni**les through her tank top. "Uh-huh." But to even the score she leaned into his chest and began suckling one of his through his T-shirt until his breathing changed.
"No fair," he said in a gravelly tone.
"What did I tell you about fair, senor?" When she looked up, his eyes had gone silver, and that was most assuredly her undoing. It had frightened her when that didn't happen be
fore, and to see it again was more than comforting; it turned her on.
"Then give me something to go on," he said in a low, sen sual rumble as she lifted his shirt and kissed each separate muscle in his abdomen until it clenched.
"It's been something I've really wanted for a long time," she said, breathing out the statement against his stomach while opening his pants.
For a moment he didn't say a word, just tightened his grip on her shoulders.