The Hustle (Irreparable #4) (11 page)

“Nope,” I agree, swallowing the remainder of my drink and my resentment in one big gulp.

“Tell me about heartbreaker number two. I assume she’s the one you hope to get back?”

“Her name’s Maria. Her and her little boy used to live here with me. He isn’t dead. I’m sorry I lead you to think that. We were going to get married and he called me daddy and then one day I fucked up and they left me.”

“Where is she now?”

“With the baby daddy.”

Although it isn’t funny, we both burst into laughter and when we finally calm down, Peyton asks, “Who’s the daddy?”

I straighten with all the seriousness back in my expression as I stare at Peyton, warning her this is not a joke.

“What?” Her voice rises with apprehension. “Who is it?”

“Eduardo Montez.”

“Are you crazy, Aidan? Is that why you’re going into business with him? To get her back?”

My hands rake though my hair. I’ve said too much and there’s no room to back pedal. “I don’t know.”

“You can’t. Do you hear me? He sent you a human hand in a box for Christ sakes. Is this woman worth your life? Or mine, or your family’s?”

“Why’d you come to my office tonight?” I ask, blatantly changing the subject.

“Pretty sure I communicated my sexual frustration.”

I lean over, skimming the tips of my fingers along her jaw. “Why’d you really come?”

When her eyes move to the side, I know I have her. “I feel some connection to you I can’t explain, and thanks to Captain Morgan, I had the courage to prove you feel it too.”

With a sharp inhale, I move my thumb over her warm lips. “How would you have felt if I fucked you and then told you I didn’t feel anything for you?”

She pushes my hand away, her gaze focusing on the wall behind me. “I would have been disappointed, but it would have been worth it, because taking risks leads to things unexpected and brilliant. There’s no fault in exploring a connection and seeing if it leads to more.”

I’m left dumbfounded by her words as they continue to swim around in my thoughts. I avoid risks that could lead to the
unexpected and brilliant,
but Peyton leaps in, feet first with her eyes and heart wide open.

“Aren’t you afraid of getting hurt again?” I ask, still struggling to understand. “You’ve had two assholes break your heart. Why would you risk putting yourself through that kind of pain again?”

“I just accept that a few assholes breaking my heart is worth finding the one person who won’t.”

I blink several times, wondering how her heart can be so resilient when mine is such a quitter. “And if it’s more than a few?”

She shrugs faintly. “The world has to run out of assholes eventually.”

“That’s what you’re banking on? That someone will come along and prove they’re different from every other guy you’ve dated?”

“No, I’m waiting for the one who comes along and proves he deserves me.” She leans forward, her voice lowering to a whisper. “Are you too chicken to find out if it’s you?”

Her laugh, her smile and the way she makes me think awaken a feeling inside me that I thought died when Maria left. Her eyes widen as I stand and take her hand.

“Fuck it,” I say quietly, pulling her up from the couch. “Come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“To take a risk.”

I guide her down the hall to my bedroom. As we stand facing each other in front of my bed, words aren’t spoken. We exchange thoughts instead as our hands slowly undress each other. I take my time exploring her body, noting the places that elicit a quiet moan, or cause her to shiver.

If I’d allowed this moment to take place in my office, it would have been over quickly, and that, I would have regretted. I’m going to savor each slow moment I spend bringing her to climax and the way she screams my name when she finally lets go. I’m going to ensure our first time together is an event of epic proportions.

Her warm lips press into mine, urging me to open. I welcome her kiss, slipping my tongue into her mouth and brushing it over hers. The kiss causes an explosion in my heart that branches out though my veins, filling me with warmth and lessening the darkness. She sucks on my bottom lip as she ends the kiss and lies on my bed. I’m signaled by her index finger to join her. There’s a brief moment where I hesitate as my heart fights with my dick to say no. I shove the doubt down. If Peyton can take a risk after everything I shared with her, then so can I.

I crawl up her frame and cover her body with mine, absorbing the warmth of her skin like a blanket of comfort as her slim legs wrap around my waist.

The intimacy I’ve avoided for months brings all of the emotional pain I expected, but I welcome the onslaught of feelings as a revelation that in the depths of my heart, I’m still capable of feeling more than hatred.

She lifts her hips as I slide inside of her, sealing our bodies together. The intensity steals my breath and it takes me a moment to move. Before long we’re making love in unison as though slow dancing, and as if we were made to go together. It takes effort to contain my emotions, but it’s even harder not to put an end to what we’re doing because I want this. I want her. Something inside of me feels Peyton’s a risk worth taking. That she’s been sent to bring me back from the dead.

Her warm hand presses into my cheek. “Are you okay?”

The doubt I feel must show in my expression, or she feels it in my touch. I nod before burying my head in the crook of her neck.

With each drive forward, her hips meet mine and I feel a little more for Peyton. Feelings that are both unexpected and brilliant.

A
s each days passes, I grow a little more numb to the hate I feel for Eduardo, as though my feelings are actually transitioning into love for him. There’s a murky area in the far reaches of my conscious that reminds me what a horrible man he is, or maybe only the man he used to be.

He spends time with Javier and I, ignoring pressing business matters and seeing to our needs. As far as appearances go, one would believe he’s the epitome of a doting father and lover. All of his rough edges have softened. There are moments where I speak my mind and wait for his rage to surface and remind me that I’m merely a prisoner in this life, but he remains calm. We talk through arguments like we’re a happy couple.

I spoke with Guadalupe, who advised me against believing him. She feels I’m suffering from a sort of Stockholm syndrome and reminds me I’m not free to come and go as I please. That I live my life on Eduardo’s terms.

Marco refuses to help me get a message to Tug. I understand that he has concerns for his safety and that of his family. It was wrong of me to press him.

Maybe I’ve reached the pinnacle of understanding my situation and now I need to accept it. This is my life, and if I can continue to pretend, I can be happy. My son and I have love and family. That’s all I’ve ever wanted and Eduardo provides it.

As we sit at breakfast, Javier enters the room, giggling. “I think I need knew pants,” he says, looking at his feet. The bottom of his jeans ride two inches above his ankles.

I smile over at him. “It appears you do.”

“Why don’t you take him shopping in town today,” Eduardo offers with the utmost sincerity.

“Me?” I respond in surprise.

“Yes, I think this is a job for Mama.” Eduardo smiles at Javier. “Marco will drive you.”

“Really?”

Eduardo smiles, leaning in next to my ear. “Really. I’m going to show you that I’ve changed. You’re free to go into town with our son. Marco has to go with you because I need to know you’re safe not because I don’t trust you.”

I nod. “Thank you.” I absorb my disbelief and smile. “I love you, baby.” The words leave my mouth honestly for the first time. I do love him. And I do believe he’s changed. We are happy together.

After breakfast, I change and go to Eduardo’s office to say good-bye. I hear his voice as I approach and stop outside the door to listen.

“Thank you for the information. When the deal closes, I’ll be an extremely rich man and Mr. Hunter will be ruined . . . Then he’ll be a dead man.”

My smile fades as I turn and walk toward the foyer to meet Javier. I’m such an idiot. For a fleeting moment, I wanted to believe Eduardo is doing this for me and Javier, that he loves us enough to change. But his transaction with Tug is merely about removing Tug from my life permanently. It’s all a play to prove once again that he has all the power.

I won’t let him kill Tug, even if it costs me everything. Tug has suffered enough because of me and the thought that more is on the way reminds me Eduardo is a despicable monster incapable of loving anyone but himself. I don’t love him or this life. I love the illusion I’ve created.

Regardless of the effort Eduardo puts into being like my father, he’ll always be a gang banger and a thug. His true nature can’t be contained. I can never be happy with him.

As I load Javier into the car, I come up with a plan to reach Tug. He has to know what he’s walking into. I have to save him.

H
er skin glistens in the sunlight filtering in through the window as Peyton sleeps peacefully beside me. I want to wake her and see if last night meant for her what it did for me. Hope is the best word to describe what I feel. Hope that I’m not afraid of how I feel. Hope that she feels the same way. Hope that it’s possible for us to have a future.

As I watch her sleep, I continually shut out the doubt and the worries of what life holds for us. There are a million outcomes that can steal the joy I feel this morning, but I refuse to allow that to happen. Instead, I snuggle in close to Peyton and pretend that we’re the only two people alive as I drift back to sleep.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Peyton sings in my ear as her fingers toy with my hair.

I open my eyes, groaning as I wrap my arm around her waist and draw her body flush with mine. “Come back to sleep with me.”

“It’s almost ten and we’re supposed to be at your brother’s by noon.”

The vague recollection of inviting her to lunch pops into my thoughts. It was right before shower sex. Am I ready for her to meet my family? They’re perhaps more fucked up that I am.

“Peyton?’

“Yes,” she hums as her lips trail lightly over my chest.

“Was last night worth the risk?”

“Hmmm . . . and then some.” She slips in under the sheet and lies on top of me. “Let’s find out how this morning feels.”

Who am I to deny a woman looking for answers?