The Viper (Untamed Hearts #1)(21)

They were revenge.

Which led her to wonder why, of all the people in the world, did Marcos admit it to her. She got the impression he didn’t trust easily. If he was anything like his cousin Chuito, he likely didn’t trust at all, but he had just spilled his guts out to her at Hal’s Diner today like they were the oldest of confidants.

Which meant she wasn’t the only one who felt this connection. With her eyes still closed, she remembered the way Marcos had looked at her, like she was the most beautiful, tantalizing woman in the world. It was so bizarre for Katie, who never considered herself anything more than plain at best.

She’d gone through high school with her nose in a book.

Grayson was the first man she had ever kissed, and that wasn’t until her junior year of high school. He’d always made it very clear that her mind was what appealed to him, and sex with him had been like everything else in their relationship. Neat, scheduled, and to the point. Tuesday and Saturday nights were usually slotted for evening intimacy, well spaced during the week and usually finished before the local news at ten.

For some reason, Katie didn’t think sex with Marcos would be on a towel spread out under her to protect the Egyptian cotton sheets, quick and efficient to ensure they heard the full weather report before bed.

For just a moment, she allowed herself the luxury of fantasizing about something other than ordinary and boring. As sad as it was, for years even her fantasies had been bland because she had no point of reference to extend them. The romance novels, even the really steamy ones, were so far outside her reality, she could never put herself in the spot of those beautiful heroines, with their gravity-defying tits and tiny waists.

Now, for just a moment, fueled by those hot looks from Marcos before he had left, she was able to believe that one man in this world actually thought she was valuable for something beyond her mind. As she sat there, she realized that though she knew Marcos was probably as dangerous for Katie’s nice, neat little world as he claimed, she also knew she was utterly sick of nice and neat.

She wanted something a little edgier. A little risky. She wanted tattoos instead of a briefcase. She wanted someone to like her tits instead of her degree.

She got out of the tub and craned her head to look in the mirror as she stood there dripping. She found what she expected—an ass that had always been a little too big and hips that could afford to lose a few pounds too. Her tits were nice, even she knew that, but they still had those little white lines on the side, and they were too full to ever defy gravity.

Even with the flaws, for the first time in her life, she believed a man could think she was beautiful just as she was. She saw it today in the diner. She felt it in his touch, and maybe she’d known it all along. Maybe there was such a thing as soul mates. Her brother worked at the only car dealership in Garnet County, and he always said there was an ass for every seat.

Well, maybe there was an ass for every man too.

And she got the distinct impression the man her particular brand of ass was made for might not be the safest bet, but he just might have the biggest payout for Katie even if no one else in the world understood it but her and Marcos.

He was dangerous. She knew that now for a fact. He’d flat-out admitted it, but she knew he wouldn’t hurt her, had absolute confidence in it after he’d faced down a DUI rather than leave her alone. That was no small sacrifice, especially considering his past. If he could take that sort of risk for her, then she could do the same for him.

Six months ago, she wouldn’t have believed she would be confident enough to seek out sex from any man, let alone a handsome, MMA fighter who could have any girl he wanted, but the accident changed her. Marcos changed me. She liked who she was because of him too much to let him go without a fight.

She picked her phone up off the floor and logged into craigslist.

Still buck naked, she went ahead and posted one more message.



Marcos sat at the small table in Chuito’s kitchen, looking at the water bottle in his hand and trying to ignore the feeling of loss that sat heavy in the center of his chest. “I’ll just head back in the morning.”

“Hey, man, you don’t have to take off so fast.” Chuito turned from washing up the dishes they’d used for dinner. “You’re here now. Stay for a week. You’re off probation, and it’s not like you got a job to go back to.”

Marcos wanted to stay.

Chuito was the only cousin he had left, but he shook his head in denial. He couldn’t tell him that if he stayed, he’d give in to the temptation of Katie Foster and do something even Marcos would have the good graces to feel bad about. He wasn’t going to give Katie another reason to hurt. He’d done that enough already, but instead of explaining all that, he just said, “Nah, I already texted Angel after I left that diner today. He’s got lots of shit to keep me busy.”

“Marc—”

Marcos lifted his head and glared at his cousin, almost daring him to try for a lecture. They both knew Marcos got dealt the shitty hand. He’d been in prison the night Clay Powers had scouted out the underground MMA scene in Miami and decided Chuito had potential to be a professional. It could have just as easily been Marcos, but instead he’d taken the fall for all Los Corredores, including Chuito, who’d stolen most of the cars Marcos ended up serving time for.

“Don’t let Angel talk you into living there. The more you’re obligated to him, the harder it is for you to get out, and he knows that,” Chuito said after a few tense moments. “And the heat does most of their raids at night. If you’re sleeping there, then—”