clear that we’re equal partners now. I’m not his property to be flaunted and protected. I’m his queen, to be revered, respected, and even feared. The ins and outs of cartel business are more complicated than I thought, and learning the intricacies of the operation give me something to think about other than Viktor’s hands—violating and hurting me.
Jaime calls my attention back to the present, taking me to the ground with a sweep of his foot, and pinning me down, capturing my wrists, his knees trapping my legs between them.
“You know how to get out of this,” he reminds me, his breaths labored by over an hour of sparring. “Stay calm … think.”
The first few times he did this move on me, I lost my shit, screaming and clawing at him as memories of Viktor assaulted me. Now, I’ve learned to stay calm and breathe, and search for my opponent’s weaknesses. Viktor has been taken care of, courtesy of my husband, and there’s nothing for me to fear. I have the skills to get myself out of this position.
I wrestle with Jaime while keeping my cool, working a knee between us, and pressing it into his chest while twisting one arm until I have the leverage to slam an elbow into his jaw. His hold on me loosens enough that I can roll him off me. Holding onto one of his wrists, I snare him in an armbar, using my legs around his neck to keep him pinned.
“Fuck,” he grumbles, tapping out with a heavy hand on my thigh. “Any harder and you would have snapped my shoulder from the socket.”
With a breathless laugh, I roll away and spring to my feet. Restless energy works through me, and my skin vibrates with triumph. Every week I get a little stronger, a little faster, a little less afraid of being overtaken and subdued.
“You’re a natural,” Jaime says, retrieving two water bottles and tossing one at me. “I’d hate to meet you in a dark alley.”
I chug mouthfuls of water and lift my droopy ponytail off my sweaty neck. “Good. Better to know how to defend myself and not need it, than need it and be caught unaware.”
“Exactly,” he replies. “You wanna go another round?”
I’m about to tell him I could do this all day, when I catch sight of a dark figure walking toward us from the house. It’s Diego, his hair gleaming raven-black in the sun, his gaze intent and fixed on me from behind dark sunglasses.
“I think we’re done for the day,” I tell Jaime, before sauntering off to meet my husband.
My strength and state of mind aren’t the only things that have changed over the past month and a half. The anger I felt over my own helplessness has melted away, and my husband and I are closer than ever. Our routine is different than it was before I was forced to take a break from work to recover—but Diego is always nearby, always here when I need him. After my training we spend our evenings at the club or at home, secure in the fact that no matter what happened, we’re in this for the long haul.
It doesn’t matter how we started when we’re now on one accord. Our connection won’t end until one or both of us is dead. A tendril of desire for this beautiful man snakes through me as he gets close, reminding me how long it’s been since we’ve made love.
I didn’t think I was ready. Every time he touched me in a sexual way, I got sick to my stomach, unable to push the ghost of Viktor out of my mind. Just now, with the adrenaline of fighting still hot in my veins, and weeks of starvation behind me, I’d give anything to have Diego bend me over and spank my ass before stuffing me full of his cock. I detect the outline of his half-hard erection through his sweatpants as he looks me over, and my mouth waters for a taste. I can’t see the intensity of his eyes, but I can feel the need radiating from him—hot and ravenous.
“How’s training going?” he asks.
“Good,” I answer, taking the hand he extends to me. “Jaime’s a great teacher.”
Diego uses his grip on my hand to pull me into him. Our bodies collide, and our lips meet. His hands grip my ass, pressing me against his swelling cock, and he moans when our tongues meet and the kiss goes from sweet and searching,