thank them. To call it perfection doesn’t seem good enough.”
Ugh. Could this guy be more oily? I have a sudden urge to go running back to Diego. Better the devil I know than one I don’t.
“You’re sweet,” I manage, folding my arms over my chest. I haven’t felt exposed all day, but Viktor’s leering makes me feel like I’m standing here naked. “Thank you.”
Viktor props an elbow on the bar and barks out his order for a vodka and soda. Then, I have his full attention again. “No need to thank me for speaking the truth. You’re an exceptional woman, Elena. Diego doesn’t know how fortunate he is.”
“Oh, trust me … he knows.”
Viktor lets out a laugh loud enough to draw the attention of everyone standing within earshot. “He might. But does he appreciate what he has? If you were mine, I would never allow you to parade around in front of other men dressed like that.”
“Excuse me?” I scoff. “Diego doesn’t allow me to do anything. He’s my boyfriend, not my father.”
Viktor edges closer and lowers his voice. “When I’m with a woman, I pleasure her so well she has no trouble doing as she’s told. Maybe what you need is a man who’s up to the challenge of—”
“I’m more than up for the challenge.”
Diego’s low, rasping voice nearly makes me jump out of my skin—which is ridiculous, because I wasn’t doing anything wrong. Still, I press my lips together and back away as he maneuvers himself between me and Viktor, his hands balled into fists. The tattoos on his fingers stand out against the light colors of his clothes, dark and menacing, and I find it far too easy to imagine them stained with Viktor’s blood. I’m even more surprised to realize it’s something I actually want to see.
“Diego,” Viktor says with a grin. “We were just talking. Your lady is allowed to talk isn’t she?”
“Not to you,” Diego snaps, his voice raising enough that the others on the patio notice. “Because of my respect for your father, I tolerate your presence … but don’t mistake my graciousness for weakness. If I catch you anywhere near Elena again, I’ll make you regret it.”
Viktor stands up straight, his eyes becoming icy and sharp, his nostrils flaring. “Was that a threat?”
“That’s a fucking certainty,” Diego fires back. “I won’t warn you again. Keep your eyes down and your mouth shut around my lady, or you’ll suddenly lose the ability to look at or speak to anyone ever again.”
With the shocked gazes of the entire party on us, Diego takes my hand and pulls me away. Despite being nearly the same height as him, I have to trot to keep up with Diego, who’s charging past his guests like a raging bull. My heart pounds when we near the bathhouse on the other side of the yard, afraid of what might happen once we’re inside.
I barely get a good look at the white interior of the bathhouse, with two closed-off showers and a sauna—before Diego slams the door and takes hold of my shoulder. My back meets the wall and he crowds into me, eyes blazing. He’s lost his glasses, and the bright lights show me just how pissed he is. But there’s something else, too. The heat that makes me catch fire whenever he’s close; the need that emanates from him and infiltrates the deepest part of me.
For a long while he just stands there looking at me, chest swelling with heaving breaths, jaw clenched so tight I can see the flex and protrusion of the muscles through his skin.
“Are you mad at me?” I ask, unable to stand the silence another second.
Diego doesn’t reply with words. Instead, he brings his lips crashing against mine with a savage groan. He presses so close I can feel every hard, hot inch of him—even feel his heartbeat, thumping wildly against my breast. His hands frame my throat, then move up to cup my face. Diego’s grip isn’t gentle, but I don’t need it to be. I go up in flames like a struck match, kissing him back with an intensity matching his. Our tongues thrust and push against each other’s, and the stinging bite of his teeth makes me cry out and then beg for more with soft whimpers. He’s consuming me, pulling me apart and taking what he wants. I’m helpless to resist, and I don’t want him to stop.
My body does the talking for me. I touch him everywhere, my