Chapter 5

Bella’s POV

I gathered my scattered clothes from the floor with trembling hands. My dress from last night lay crumpled near the door and I snatched it up quickly. I needed to leave. The weight of everything, my father's call, Grandma's death and Josh's cruel lie pressed down on me until I could hardly breathe. I moved toward the bedroom door without looking back at the man still sitting on the bed. My bare feet padded across the cool floor as I clutched the sheet tighter around my body.

"Bella, wait." Maximo's voice stopped me before I reached the handle. He stood and crossed the room in a few strides placing his hand gently on the door. "Do not run. Not like this."

I spun around facing him with tears already threatening to fall again. The words burst out of me in a messy rush. "My grandmother is dead Maximo. The only person who ever truly cared about me before everything went wrong. She is gone and my father who sold me when I was fifteen suddenly calls me like it is nothing. He sold me to that brothel and now he tells me to come home because of her will. And Josh. Josh is telling everyone I ran away with another man. He is marrying his first love as if I never existed. As if he did not poison me with his drugs for months. I cannot do this anymore. I cannot keep being passed around like something to be used and thrown away."

My voice cracked and the tears came. Maximo pulled me into his arms without hesitation. He wrapped me in a strong warm embrace, one hand stroking my hair while the other held me securely against his chest. "I am here," he said softly. "You do not have to face any of this alone. I am right here Bella."

I cried quietly against him letting the tears soak his skin. The comfort felt dangerous because I wanted it so much. After several minutes I pulled back slightly and wiped my face. "Josh's lie hurts the most. He made me the villain. After everything he did to me he gets to play the victim and move on with his perfect life. I hate how easily he threw me away."

Maximo's jaw tightened and his gray eyes darkened with anger. "That scumbag will pay for what he has done to you. I promise you that Bella. He will not get away with treating you like this. I will make sure of it."

I searched his face looking for any sign of deception but found only sincerity. Part of me desperately wanted to be saved. To let someone strong stand beside me and fight these battles. Yet the other part screamed in fear. I had relied on Josh and look where that left me. Broken, poisoned and discarded. "I want to believe you," I whispered. "But I am scared Maximo. I am scared of relying on anyone again. Every time I trust someone they use me or leave me. I do not know if I can survive another betrayal."

He cupped my face with both hands forcing me to meet his steady gaze. "I am not Josh. I am not your father. I see you Bella. Not as a means to an end but as a woman who deserves better. Let me help you. Let me stand with you through this. You do not have to be strong every second. You can lean on me."

His words wrapped around my heart like a balm. I nodded slowly, still afraid but willing to try. Maximo kissed my forehead then led me downstairs to the kitchen. He prepared breakfast himself, scrambling eggs, frying bacon and toasting bread. We sat together at the table and ate in relative quiet. The simple meal tasted better than anything I had eaten in days. For the first time in a long while I felt seen and cared for without strings attached. We talked a little about my grandmother and he listened patiently as I shared faint memories of her kindness. The normalcy of sharing a meal helped steady my nerves.

After breakfast I decided to take a shower. The hot water would give me space to think and wash away the remnants of last night and this morning's tears. I stepped under the spray letting the steam fill the large marble bathroom. The heat soothed my sore muscles and I closed my eyes tilting my face upward. Moments later the shower door opened and Maximo stepped in behind me. His naked body pressed against mine as water cascaded over both of us.

"Maximo" I breathed, surprised but not unwilling. His hands slid around my waist pulling me back against his chest. I felt him already growing hard against my lower back. He kissed the side of my neck while his fingers traced slow circles over my stomach. "I meant what I said" he murmured against my skin. "I will not let you go."

One of his hands moved lower between my legs stroking me gently under the warm spray. I gasped and leaned into him, my body responding quickly. His touch was confident and patient, drawing soft moans from my throat. I reached below him and wrapped my fingers around his thick cock stroking him in time with his movements. He groaned low in my ear and pressed two fingers inside me curling them perfectly. The combination of hot water and his skilled hands brought me close to the edge fast. I turned in his arms and kissed him deeply, water pouring over our joined mouths.

He lifted one of my legs, hooking it around his hip and guided himself into me with one smooth thrust. I cried out at the fullness as he filled me completely. We moved together under the shower slowly and intensely at first then building speed. His hands gripped my hips, steadying me while he drove deeper. Every thrust sent pleasure radiating through my body. I clung to his shoulders, nails digging into his wet skin as another orgasm washed over me. Maximo followed soon after burying himself to the hilt and groaning my name as he came.

We stayed connected for long moments afterward breathing hard under the cooling water. He kissed me softly and rested his forehead against mine. "I promise I will not let you go Bella. We will face all of this together. Your grandmother. Your father. Josh. None of it alone."

I nodded against him, allowing myself to believe him for now. The fear still lingered but so did a small spark of hope. For the first time in years I felt like maybe I had found someone worth trusting. We finished showering together, his hands gentle as he helped wash my hair. When we stepped out, he wrapped me in a thick towel and held me close again. The road ahead remained uncertain but with Maximo beside me it felt a little less terrifying.