And Now?

EMMA

I’m floored. He was supposed to show up in four days, not today.

I lay my hands on his firm chest, tracing the contours of his muscles as I draw him closer. His lips on mine again—it’s a sensation I’ve missed.

Damn, his kisses still have the power to light me up. Dean’s tongue teases my lower lip, seeking entry, which I willingly grant. Our tongues tangle in a dance of desire, neither of us holding anything back.

The kiss deepens, charged with passion. I know it’s wrong, but it feels so right—even though I know I’m not like Diablo.

Suddenly, we’re pulled apart. The absence of Dean’s warmth against me is immediate and jarring.

“What the hell, Emma? Why are you making out with some random guy in front of me? Who the hell is this and what the hell are you doing?”

“You’re mine, Emma. And now I find you practically screwing some stranger on my club’s dance floor?” Diablo’s voice rises above the music.

“We’re not together anymore, Diablo. Did you forget? No, you didn’t. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have kissed Crystal. If we were still together, she wouldn’t have been here tonight.

“He’s not a stranger. This is Dean, my friend who helped me train. He’s here to see me. You can go to hell and leave us alone. We’re done.

“‘Diablo and Emma’ is over. You made sure of that tonight. I told you—this is on you. Now, if you don’t mind, Dean and I need a drink. We have a lot to catch up on.”

“Screw that, Emma. You’re mine. No matter what you say, I know you still want me. I won’t put up with your disrespect anymore. You’re coming home with me. We’re leaving.”

Diablo reaches for my hand, but I pull it away quickly.

“This sorry excuse for a man will never satisfy you like I can. Only I can when I’m deep inside you.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Diablo. I made it clear earlier tonight after you confessed that you regret ever meeting me.

“I can kiss and screw whoever I want, whenever I want. You don’t get a say in my decisions anymore. You’re not a part of my life. Remember, you chose this.”

He glares at Dean, sizing him up before turning his gaze to me. Thankfully, Dean and I stand our ground. I see Levi out of the corner of my eye, ready to step in if needed.

I consider telling Diablo about Dean and me, about how Dean can make me feel just as good as he does, almost.

But I decide not to provoke him further. I choose to be the bigger person, at least until I figure out what Dean and Levi are up to. I grab Dean’s hand, leading him to the bar. I need a strong drink.

My emotions are a whirlwind. If I don’t get them under control soon, I’m going to lose it. I head straight for Levi, who already has a glass of whiskey waiting for me.

Dean and Levi exchange a bro hug before turning their attention to me.

“What the hell, Levi?” I demand, my voice sharp.

“I just sped things up. And seeing Diablo’s face when Dean kissed you tonight was totally worth it.” He grins from ear to ear.

“Was Dean kissing me part of the plan, Levi?”

“No, that was all me. I missed you, Ems. When I saw you dancing, moving that incredible body of yours, I couldn’t resist. I had to touch you, feel you, make sure you were real.

“Damn, I missed you,” Dean says, moving closer to me. But my icy glare stops him in his tracks.

I’m not sure how I feel about Levi and Dean’s antics, but they seem to have achieved their goal—to rile up Diablo. I can feel his anger from where I’m standing.

I know he’s trying to keep his cool, but he’s failing. The fact that he lost it earlier is the most emotion anyone’s ever seen from him.

Maybe he does love me. Maybe we can get back together...

I’m done overthinking this. I’m not thrilled about Levi and Dean going behind my back, but I love the effect it’s had on Diablo.

“Listen, guys, I appreciate you looking out for me, but if you ever—and I mean ~ever~—pull something like this behind my back again, you’re both out of my life.

“You know how I roll, especially you, Levi.”

Both men look down, rubbing their necks, looking like two kids getting scolded.

“That said, I love you both for doing this. Seeing Diablo’s face was priceless.”

Their heads snap up, and they meet my gaze with wide, boyish grins. These two troublemakers just made my night, I have to admit. But I’m not going to say it out loud. It’ll just inflate their already big egos.

I hug Levi, thanking him for helping me shake off my funk, even if it’s just for tonight. Then I turn to Dean and give him a hug too.

Dean holds onto me a bit longer than usual, his hand low on my back. If he moves it any lower, he’ll be touching my butt.

I know how he feels about me, but I don’t want to give him false hope. I’m not the type to jump from one man’s bed to another.

Before I can get lost in my thoughts, Carly’s shriek pulls me back to reality. She’s stumbling over from Diablo’s group, calling my name.

“Who’s this hunk, Emma?” she purrs, looking up at Dean’s amused blue eyes.

“Dean, meet my friend Carly. Carly, this is Dean, the friend who helped me while I was away.”

Dean extends his hand to her, and she shakes it enthusiastically.

“Pleasure to meet you, blue-eyes,” Carly says, flashing Dean her most flirtatious smile and holding onto his hand a little longer than necessary.

Dean’s reaction is priceless. He’s clearly not interested in Carly, but he’s too much of a gentleman to be impolite.

From the corner of my eye, I catch Diablo and Travis in deep conversation, Diablo’s arm still draped around Crystal’s waist. Their conversation ends, and Travis heads our way at the far end of the bar.

“So, how long do we have the honor of your company?” Travis asks Dean.

“A few days, maybe a bit more. Depends on Ems.” His response catches me off guard. I’d assumed he’d only be here for a day or two to catch up. Another unexpected twist.

“Should I reserve a room for you here? I know Emma’s penthouse is spacious, but it only has two bedrooms, and one is Levi’s.

“You’d probably appreciate your own bed after such a long flight.”

“No need for that. Dean will be staying with me at the penthouse, Travis. But thanks for your considerate offer,” I reply, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I’m taken aback by his audacity.

I’m certain Diablo sent him to gather more information about Dean and his stay. The guys have already started their games. I might as well join in if it means I can annoy Diablo.

“Emma, you know Diablo won’t be happy about this. Please don’t provoke him further. You know how he gets.

“Doing this will only agitate him. You don’t want that, do you?” Travis tries to convince me to reconsider.

“Travis, Diablo and you can go fuck yourselves. He made it abundantly clear where we stand.

“Who I invite into ~my~ penthouse—which I paid for with my own money, by the way—is none of his business anymore. Now be a good boy and leave us alone. This is a private gathering.”

Carly gapes at me. She’s never seen this side of me. She’s only familiar with the Emma that everyone takes advantage of.

“Ems, aren’t you taking this a bit too far? You might not be able to come back from this if you continue down this path,” Carly cautions.

“Carly, I love you. You’re my friend, but you don’t know half of what’s happening. You only know what I, Travis, Diablo, and Levi let you in on.”

“I can’t tell you everything. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but if you were part of the inner circle and trusted by everyone, Travis would have already told you what’s going on.”

“Your expression tells me he hasn’t. It’s not my secret to share. For your own sake, please stay out of this. I love you, but this life isn’t for you.”

“I’m asking you not to question my decisions. When the time is right, I’m sure Travis will fill you in. Until then, just remember that you’re my friend and I’m protecting you by not telling you.”

I see the hurt in her eyes as tears well up, threatening to spill over, but I can’t dwell on that now. She has Travis to comfort her, even though their relationship is mostly built on lies.

She nods, gives me a hug, then walks past a stunned Travis and out of the club, with Travis following closely behind.

“Let’s go home, guys. Deanny and I have a lot of catching up to do.” It’s then that I realize we’ll have to walk past Diablo, Crystal, and Luis to get to the exit. Shit, what do I do now?

Levi must have noticed my expression. He whispers something to Dean, covering his mouth. Dean moves closer to me, his arm encircling my waist, guiding me towards the exit, with Levi trailing behind us.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my ex with her latest fuck and lap dog. Trying to make me jealous, baby?” Diablo taunts as we walk past them.

Before I can react, Dean stops, turning us both to face Diablo, smiling at Crystal and Luis.

“Well, at least she’ll be screaming my name tonight when I make love to her.”

“It’s about time she feels the touch of a real man, exploring every inch of her, making her climax over and over with just the touch of his hands on her beautiful body.”

Diablo laughs manically.

“Go ahead. But I promise you she’ll be thinking of me while you’re inside her, fucking her. There’s no such thing as making love, you fucking jerk,” Diablo retorts, his confidence faltering slightly.

“No, I won’t, Diablo. The last time Dean made love to me—yes, he made love to me—you were the last person on my mind.”

“I was only focused on him moving in and out of me, making me climax so intensely I couldn’t walk the next day,” I say, a smug smile on my face.

Dean turns us around and we head for the exit, leaving a very confused Diablo behind.

I never wanted Diablo to know about my past experiences with Dean, but after everything that happened today, I’m beyond caring. He probably thinks I’m making it up anyway. I hope.