Chapter 13: Drinks

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Liv preened in the taxi, fixing the strap of her shirt and enjoying the novelty of her new look. Andres had found her a slinky blue top with thin silver straps and mid-height heels that one of the dancers had had to school her in walking in. The ridiculousness of her ineptitude didn't matter in the face of the boyish grins her date had shot her as he searched for a top.

Andrés paid the cabbie and offered her his arm. She took it gratefully, not entirely sure of herself even with the lessons but thrilled by the way he was eyeing her legs. For once, wearing heels made her feel powerful rather than absurd.

"You look stunning," he murmured as he led her past a long queue.

She grinned. So far, so good. Operation Get Some is a go.

People glared as they approached the head of the queue. A bouncer who could have been Mr. Clean's twin caught sight of Andrés and smiled to show missing teeth as he unhooked one end of the velvet rope to let them pass. "Mr. Marin, so good to see you again. Shall I call down for your usual table and drinks?"

"Please," Andrés confirmed, palming a fifty-pound note to the big man so smoothly that Liv would have missed it had she not seen him prepare it in the taxi.

"Consider it done. I hope you and your lovely lady enjoy your night."

"I'm sure we will," Andrés replied with a hungry glance that made goosebumps rise on Liv's bare arms despite the unseasonably warm evening.

Eyes wide, she looked around as they entered and took the stairs down. Sensual electronic house music washed over them and neon lights danced in the darkness, tracing beguiling patterns over swaying guests. "Who are you?" she hissed, impressed in spite of herself. That queue was easily an hour and a half long.

Andrés smirked, looking pleased as a cat with cream. "Someone who makes a good living solving problems and knowing which palms to grease. Come on."

Greasing palms. Is that why he's not bothered about bribery in business?

They threaded their way through a crowd of well-dressed people enjoying beautifully-arranged drinks garnished with exotic flowers. The brick walls arched up and overhead to a low ceiling supporting sparkling chandeliers. Alcoves along the wall provided private spaces for those who didn't want to sit at the bar, and it was the last of these, tucked into a corner, that Andrés stepped down into.

On a narrow table sat a small, special batch bottle of Macallan, a bucket of ice, and two glasses. He poured as she sat, then tucked in beside her, sitting closer than he ever had at Perdition. She could feel the solidness of his arm against hers and her attention fell on the hint of chest she could see with his top two shirt buttons open. He smelled better than a man had a right to and the closeness of him sent a thrill straight to her groin. Their almost-kiss earlier spiked her blood and filled the night with potential.

"Salud," he toasted her, "and congratulations on a series of jobs well done."

"Cheers...to good business," she returned, reaching for her tumbler. Their eyes locked as their glasses clinked and they drank. Liv's fluttered shut in pleasure as the amber liquid hit her tongue. "Oh, this is good," she breathed. "I think this earns you the right to call me Liv." The corner of his lip lifted in another smile, and she was struck again by how handsome he was despite his tendency toward evasive smugness.

They made small talk for a while, with Andrés telling increasingly outrageous stories about other nights out over the years. She didn't know if any of them were true, but he had her in tears of laughter all the same. If wit and charm were distilled into a single human being, they would live in Andrés Marin.

That's what makes him so dangerous, she decided, captivated by his lively amber-hazel eyes. Not the fact that he did shady things, or that he could afford to hand a nobody hacker like her eight thousand pounds like it was nothing.

No, it was that he had a gift. He could probably give the devil himself a lesson in seduction. And he had her, she saw it now in the easy way he casually draped an arm around her shoulders and grinned at her before launching into another tale. Had her in more ways than one, since she'd taken his money and done three jobs for him. The careful tightness at the corners of his eyes spoke to it, and Liv wasn't so naive as to be oblivious.

Try as she might, she couldn't see the harm in it. He wasn't forcing her to do anything she didn't want. He'd given her more than one chance to walk away. Yes, the work he'd given her was illegal, but she'd been doing that on her own for free. All he'd done was compensate her – and hell, she needed the money. Lewis wouldn't be able to work for a while after he was discharged, if nothing else. Maybe with enough resources, they could mend things.

Everything else aside, would it be so bad to sleep with Andrés, just once, when it was so obvious they both wanted it?

Fuck it. I'm having him. She leaned closer after the laughter settled from the conclusion of his story and he shifted a little closer as well, leaving her to decide if she was going to close the gap.

Heart thundering, she did, pressing her lips to his and running a hand up his chest to his shoulder. The hand not over her shoulder settled on her hip, large and warm as he returned the kiss. It was nice...but again, something was off. She pulled away and narrowed her eyes at him. The hunger was back in his gaze, and it didn't match the gentleness of their kiss.

"You're holding back," she said, sure of it.

He tipped his head side to side and glanced up, as if reluctant to admit it. "Yes."

She pushed aside her small fear of the danger of getting involved with him and freed her own desire, willing him to see that she wanted him. "Don't."

His gaze returned to her and sharpened, the last vestiges of laughter draining abruptly. "Careful, nena."

Leaning in again, she nipped sharply at his neck, repeating, "Don't," over his hiss. His fingers snaked into her hair to pull her head back faster than she would have expected and as excitement shot through her, she bit her lip while arching an eyebrow, wordlessly asking, "Is that all you've got?"

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest and a slow, pleased smile flashed white in the dark alcove. The hand in her hair shifted to the middle of her back while the other grasped the outside of her thigh under the knee, and with a forceful tug, he pulled her to straddle his lap. Her mind had barely caught up with the movement when he drew her to him, his grip firm on her hip and the back of her neck, and kissed her roughly.

Fire zinged through her as she opened her mouth for his tongue, an unconscious reaction as she let him take the lead. She steadied herself with hands on his hips, shifting her seat until the firmness of his erection was under her before grinding against him. He groaned, moving along with her. If he fucked as well as he moved, she saw multiple orgasms in her future.

The next time they broke their kiss, both of them were panting. Andrés took a shuddering breath, reached around her to top up their glasses, and handed hers to her before downing his in a single smooth swallow. "You want it like this?" he asked, a sexy hoarseness to his voice.

Liv sipped her whiskey, not used to something this fine, and nodded. She didn't have the patience for gentle; she wanted passion and domination. It would have been disappointing if he hadn't been willing to offer it.

He set his tumbler back on the table and traced a finger down her front, dipping into her shirt to pinch a nipple. She hissed between bared teeth but kept her eyes on his as he squeezed tighter...tighter...until she gave in and arched back with a gasp. He released her and lowered his head to give it a quick, soothing lick. "I think we could be very good friends," he purred in between kisses up to her neck.

"I hope so. As long as it's the kind with benefits." She finished her glass and set it on the table behind her before pulling his head up to kiss him again. He trapped her wrists and twisted her arms behind her back without pausing the tango their tongues were dancing, and she threw her head back to laugh. Definitely dominant, this one. He'll do nicely.

His answering smile had an edge to it. "This is okay, too?" She gave a token struggle, and he held fast. "Yes, but it's going to drive me crazy."

"That's the idea, nena."

With a groan, she went for his mouth again, frustrated when he pulled her short just shy of his lips. "Can we go somewhere more private?" she asked, hearing the hint of a plea in her own voice.

He kissed her quickly and released her. "Of course. Your place or mine?"

Liv winced. Shit, I didn't clean up. Her tiny studio was a disaster of unwashed sheets, junk food wrappers, and dirty clothes strewn across the floor. Going somewhere with him would be a risk, but one she was willing to take given the circumstances. "Yours?"

"Works for me." Smiling, Andrés helped her to her feet.

I can't believe I'm going to do this, Liv thought. She snagged the half-finished bottle from the table and tucked it in her bag on their way out. The warmth between her legs drove her to follow him up the stairs, out into the night, and then into an idling taxi. Andrés gave an address somewhere in West London and then pulled her back into his lap.

"Oi!" the driver protested. "If you two do more than snog in my taxi, I'm tacking a cleanup fee onto your fare."

They both ignored him, lost in the taste of each other, the sensations of lips and hands and skin. Liv was perfectly ready to fuck Andrés, cabbie or no cabbie, but he was having too much fun toying with her if the smirk on his face was any indication. Catching her wrists, gripping her throat, tugging her head back by the hair, pinching a nipple to both arouse and distract her. Every move she made to get at the button of his trousers, he countered easily with one that only made her more eager.

The driver hollered when they arrived and Andrés held her chin firmly, making her meet his eyes as the interior light clicked on. "Wait," he ordered sternly. Liv froze, captivated by the hints of green edging the golden brown in his gaze, obeying as he leaned forward and passed some cash to the long-suffering cabbie. "Keep the change," he said, taking Liv's hand and pulling her out after him into the now cool, starlit night.

"You're damn right I will," the driver retorted as Andrés stepped out.

She stumbled out of the cab behind him, teetering on her high heels, and Andrés scooped her up, only to set her down again once they were safely on the opposite curb. Liv wasn't drunk, but she'd never felt so intoxicated by the presence of another person. Her blood boiled in her veins as he led her to a door, supporting her under her elbow as she wobbled.

"This is my place," he said, as he unlocked it. "We don't have to do anything you don't want, and if you've changed your mind, the taxi is still right there."

Liv fixed him with a steady look as she kicked off the goddamn heels and bent to grab them. "After all that? What I want is for you to fuck me."

He pushed the door open and drew her inside, flicking a light on as he shut it behind her. "Your wish is my command," he said in a low voice after peering into her eyes.

Checking if I'm sober? Apparently, he was satisfied. She shrieked and dropped her shoes and purse as he hoisted her over his shoulder and headed up a flight of stairs, turning into a simply furnished bedroom at the top.

Letting her slide down, he lifted her shirt off and tossed it aside. Without a bra, she was bare to him. He admired her breasts while he unbuttoned his own shirt and shrugged out of it, muscles rippling in a way that made her want to trace her tongue along every line of them. Liv flashed a teasing smile as she rolled her nipples between her fingers.

"That's my job," he said in a rough voice as he bent, caught her under her thighs, and tipped her back onto the bed. She'd barely registered the shift from vertical to horizontal before Andrés was on her, trapping her wrists over her head. She gasped and squirmed, both surprised and delighted.

His voice was a breathy growl in her ear as he asked her once more if this was what she wanted. "Yes, dammit!" she panted back.

"Good," he said, freeing her wrists to get first her trousers and panties off, then his jeans and black boxer briefs. Liv had the briefest glimpse of a generous erection when he leaned over her again, this time stretching to open a drawer in the bedside table and grab a condom. She reached for him, wanting to confirm. Fucking hell, length and girth. She'd be feeling him tomorrow, that was for sure.

Excitement made her nip his neck as he was rolling on the rubber. "Feeling mouthy?" he purred. "I can fix that." As quickly as she'd found herself on her back before, he flipped her to her stomach and pinned her arms behind her back. Liv yelped, not having expected it, as his cock teased at her entrance, slipping along her wetness. "Last time I'll ask, and then you stop it when you've had enough. Still want it rough?"

"For fuck's sake, yes!"

She'd barely gotten the words out when he pushed into her. Not too hard, not on the first thrust, but with an easy power that hinted at what was to come and gave her a brief few seconds to adapt. A groan poured from her as he stretched her inner walls. It had been a while since she'd been with someone, and in this position he felt even bigger than he looked. Grasping the black sheets – Is this fucking silk? – Liv buried her face in the mattress and tried to muffle her cries as he eased back and thrust in harder.

"None of that," he said, a fist in her hair pulling her head back up as he thrust again. "I want to hear you."

She couldn't help but fight him after that, bucking and writhing as he used his superior weight and strength to hold her down and plunge into her over and over again, drawing louder noises from her each time. The combined pleasure and failure to escape him were exquisite.

True to his word, Andrés didn't stop. She didn't want him to; this was the best fuck she'd ever had. Everything about it was what she'd been craving since she'd first laid eyes on him.

At some point, he released her arms to slide one of his high across her chest. His breath was hot on her neck and she could feel the muscles of his forearm straining to control her as it pressed against the base of her throat. Panting his name, she stopped fighting him and pushed harder against him as her climax rose.

"Come for me, nena," he taunted her between grunts as his hips slammed against her. She was almost there, almost. With a few forceful, cooperative movements back into him, her orgasm rippled over her. The sensation intensified as he bit the top of her left shoulder and she screamed in startled, pained pleasure, hearing his low moan before he shuddered in his own release.

They both collapsed when they'd finished. Andrés' weight across her back and his head resting against hers were oddly soothing after the intensity of their fucking. Soothing, but it made it hard to breathe.

She nudged him and he shifted so that they were both half on their sides and half on their bellies, himself still topmost. He was gone briefly as he pulled the condom off, then back, his lean form wrapping easily around hers. His warmth at her back and his arm draped over her had her drifting toward sleep in minutes.

Wait, what? Why am I still here? She stirred, intending to sit up and get dressed, but he started stroking her hair. Ooooh...that's...actually kind of nice. Settling again, she allowed it. Normally, she didn't really like being touched; she didn't want to be trapped by intimacy as she had been with her ex. She engaged in foreplay out of physical necessity and excitement, fucked for the enjoyment and physical need of the act, and left. So why was she okay with this? Why had she enjoyed his touch all evening?

Conflicted, Liv sat up. Andrés, looking sleepy and confused, let her go. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She studied him, trying to figure out why she felt so bloody comfortable with a man she barely knew from Adam. First, she was telling him about her problems at work, and now she was allowing intimacy beyond simple sex. "I have to go," she said tersely, disturbed by the feelings he had drawn out. Comfort. Safety. Intimacy. And something more ephemeral, something she'd avoided for a long time.

His dark brows drew together as he propped himself up on an elbow, the long lines of his toned, muscular form looking so delicious that she wanted to drop right back down next to him, press her body to his, and never let go. It was that reaction that decided her.

"Nena, it has to be after three in the morning. You can stay here."

"I know. But...we have business, and we have pleasure. I only spend the night for love." Liv leaned over and kissed him before sliding the rest of the way out of his arms and dressing. She needed to get out of here because the temptation to spend the night, to wake up in his bed on these sinfully soft sheets and see those gorgeous eyes when she opened hers was almost overwhelming.

She didn't do feelings. She fucked and that was it, or at least that's what she was telling herself over and over, a mantra of protection whirling through her head. The whole situation was bloody ridiculous and she wasn't going to sort it out here.

Andrés got up as well, scooping up his jeans and putting them on commando. When she looked at him with a questioning frown, he said, "You're getting a taxi, and I'm going to make sure you get into it safely." She blinked. Another taxi? How many has he paid for in the last few days? Who the fuck is he that this is just a thing he does?

"You don't have to do that," she protested in a low voice, crossing her arms. Nobody else ever had. "The trains run all night."

The right side of his mouth curved up in a wry, lopsided smile as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I do, and I am. You ended the night in my flat, so I'm going to do my part to make sure you get home safely."

Liv blinked quickly and took a deep breath, fighting tears and wanting more than ever to stay. She was accustomed to being used and forgotten, a burst of pleasure followed by indifference. Biting her lip, she considered changing her mind.

No. I have to go. She couldn't afford this, this thing that would surely turn into a one-sided love affair with a man who was almost certainly hiding something from her. No matter how good he made her feel, she needed the safety of distance.

"Thanks," she said, walking quickly out of the bedroom and back down the stairs before she could betray herself. She bounced on her toes as he unlocked the door and darted out as soon as it swung open, taking in a lungful of filthy London air to clear her mind of him.

I don't want to have feelings for you, she thought desperately, looking up at his face as he flagged a passing taxi.

"You can still stay," he said lightly as a car slowed and pulled to the curb. Had he read her mind?

"I can't." I want to, but I can't.

He tipped her head up with a finger under her chin and stole a last kiss before opening the door of the idling car for her.

"Where ya goin'?" the driver asked.

"Stratford," Liv said firmly, trying not to look

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