"You should probably go home to take care of your family."
"I would, except not all my family is in Mexico and Gabriel has some of the best men at his side. I'm needed here right now."
"Isaiah is in Texas meeting up with Angel and Santiago."
"Mateo and Isaiah aren't my only family,” he says with softening eyes.
My heart beats in my chest. "I think it's time you go now and if you don't, I'll call for my guards. They are just outside the door."
"Are they?” He smiles cheekily.
My eyes widen and my chest quickly rises and falls. "What did you do to my men?"
"I only put them to sleep for a little bit. They aren't what you need right now."
"What is it I need then, mister knows it all?"
He crawls on the bed, slowly moving toward me. I freeze in place, unable to break from the mattress, my eyes incapable of tearing away from his. Before I know it, he's sitting between my legs, brushing my cheek with the bed of his thumb. "Me."
My breath hitches in my throat. "You know what? You sure as fuck can really—"
He cuts me off. "Really what? Take your breath away?"
I roll my eyes, shooting him a glare. "No…"
"What then? Make you scream my name loud enough for everyone to hear?"
I shove him to his back, pinning his body to the bed. I cover his mouth with my hand. "You really should learn how to shut up every now and then, and let someone else talk for once. But then again you may miss the sound of your own voice too much."
I yelp and jump back when he bites the inside of my palm. "You had that whole time to talk and still haven't told me what I am. I'm starting to think I got it right on the first guess."
I clench my hand, my nose flaring. "You're the world's biggest jackass, that's what you are, and I swear if you don't—"
He kisses away my next words when he captures my lips with his, swirling his eager tongue around mine. He grunts when I sink my teeth into his bottom lip, breaking skin. Swiping his tongue over his bottom lip, he smiles with his skin torn and bleeding. I clench my teeth, wrapping my fingers around the knife in his back pocket. I remember him using it to cut himself free the other day in my car.
"Easy now, mi amor. You don't want to do that."
"How do you know what I want?"
"Because I always did before." He brushes his nose against mine.
"That was a long time ago. We are different people now. Enemies,” I remind him.
"Enemies who need each other."
"I was wrong. Not only are you a jackass, but you're also fucking delusional,” I spit.
He shakes his head. "You're more wrong now than before. I may be a jackass, but what we have is more real than anything else in this world. No one else was ever able to give you what I could. You've gone so long without it, it's time I remind you how good it can be. So stop fighting me and let me take you to that place you love to be whenever your world gets too loud and chaotic."
I swallow hard and with shaky words I say, "I don't need you. All these years I've gotten along just fine. I'm stronger and richer."
"But are you happier?"
I swallow down my next words and he tugs my face closer to his. "Well, are you?"
My face relaxes and I close my eyes, pressing into his touch.
"Answer me, mi mundo entero?"
