I have never been kissed like this before.
To tell the truth, I didn't think kisses like this even existed.
His lips are hot on mine and his tongue demanding as it seeks entry into my mouth.
I fight him.
I really do.
My hands grab fists of his black jacket and I hear a protesting whimper come out of my mouth.
I'm thinking "No, no!"
But that isn't what my body is saying. I feel myself turning to him like a rose to sunlight. The hands that were pushing away are now seeking, entreating.
The protesting whimper dissolves into a pleading moan.
I forget Nino. I forget everything.
His hands possesively cup my face and my own reach out to cover those long fingers before sliding into his thick, dark hair. He crushes me against him and clutch him tighter.
When he at last raises his head, ends the onslaught, I feel like the survivor of a great battle. My heart is pounding and my head feels light.
I try to define the emotion rushing through my veins like liquid light.
Then I look into those eyes, dark like Nino, but with swirls of green in their brown depths and immediately put a name to what I'm feeling.
Lust. Lust in its purest, most undiluted form.
Shame, hot and icy all at once pours over me and I take a shaky step backwards.
"D-don't..." I stammer, tears filling my eyes and spilling down my cheeks. "Don't ever, ever, come near me again. I don't want to see you, I don't want to hear from you, I want to forget you exist."
He stares at me and for a moment, he looks as shaken as I feel. Then the cold mask falls over his eyes again and he says in a distant voice, "It's not that easy, Mrs. Rivera." His eyes pin me. "And you know it."
"I won't be a pawn for revenge, Mr. Santos," I say, feeling ridiculous being so formal after what just happened.
He smirks at that. "Won't you?"
He saunters by me, brushing my cheek.
Then he's gone.
I sag against the bookcase, my knees shaking.
What have I done? Oh, God, what have I done?
The tears form anew. I betrayed my husband. And what's more, I betrayed him with a man he hates. A man I hate.
I hate him.
I know I do.
"Michelle?"
I raise what I know are guilty eyes to see my husband in the doorway.
"N-Nino!"
He crosses the room in an instant and my first panicked thought is, "He knows."
But there are no accusations, no hurt.
Only comforting arms around me and a familiar pair of lips at my ear. "Honey, I'm sorry I just dismissed you like that. Now don't cry."
The guilt I felt before is nothing compared to how I feel as he misreads the reason I'm crying and apologizes.
If he only knew...
I raise my head and look into black eyes that can be as chilling as they are seductive. If he knew, he'd kill Danny Santos.
He might even kill me.
I shiver and Nino hugs me tighter.
"Let's go home, Michelle. I don't want to be with anyone else but you right now."
I nod weakly and hear myself say as from a great distance,"Did things work out with Vince?"
Nino's jaw tightens. "I don't know yet. But he and Santos are coming to our house Friday night to...negogiate."
I widen my eyes. "Danny Santos is coming to our house?"
Nino sighs and kisses my brow. "Unfortunately, yes. It looks like we might actually have to do business with the bastard so we're going to have to get used to the idea of him being around."
Oh God.