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D & D Dieter shenanigans give me life! 🙌 Not even going to lie, I'm still thinking about that ding dong ditch video and feel like there is some inspiration there. 🤣 I love the dynamic of these 3. They do all know each other so well and in such a short amount of time. Luca already knows and fit in seamlessly. I love the way he sort of balances things out and tells them both like it is in his own way. He is the perfect little partner in crime, even if he doesn't want to be. 🥹

The thought of Dieter changing a diaper in general is pretty comical. Adding a goat to the equation is life changing tbh. What I wouldn't give to see this. You're welcome for the mental image. 🤭 That goat gif is too damn cute btw.

Thanks for reading, friend! 💜Mysty

With Love, Comes Chaos

Dieter Bravo x OFC Oneshot

Series Summary: Dieter Bravo is chaos on two legs, always causing mischief and bringing surprises home to his wife. Their adopted son, Luca, may or may not be an accomplice to his antics.

Word Count: 5.3K

Warnings: There is smut (oral, p in v, etc) and tooth rotting fluff. Daddy Dieter comes with his own warnings. There are very mild references to things that come along with animal rescue that some may find unpleasant.

✨Note: This can be read as a standalone fic. However, it is an extra for Destiny & Deliverance. It takes place right before the events mentioned in the Epilogue. ✨Background that you need to know: Dieter and Talia are married and have an adopted son, named Luca. Dieter is sober. They are staying at Dieter's childhood family home (a vineyard). Mateo and Lucia are the overseers of the vineyard's daily operations and live nearby on the grounds.

EXTRAS ||| TEASERS ||| VIBES ||| MAIN MASTERLIST

Chapter Quote: “Dieter, what the hell was that?”

Dieter’s POV

I wandered out onto the terrace, finding Talia in my favorite pair of paint-stained overalls and a tank top as she slid a brush across her canvas, recreating the sprawling verdant landscape covered in lush and thriving grapevines that surrounded our home. She turned to look over her shoulder, giving me a small smile before returning to her task.

“Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Bravo?” she asked as she perfected the finer details of a cluster of flowers in her picture.

I gripped the back of her overalls where the straps met, and pulled her against my chest, nuzzling my face into the wild curls that she attempted to tame into a messy bun. My lips found the curve of her neck, placing a gentle kiss before smiling against her skin.

“Oh, mi estrella (my star), you know there’s always something you can help me with, but that’s not the reason for the interruption…this time.”

Her head tipped backward, leaning against my shoulder as she peered up at me through her lashes, “Oh? What is it then?”

My hands ran up and down her bare arms, “I just wanted to let you know that Luca and I are gonna go for a walk around the grounds. We’ll be back shortly.”

Her eyes narrowed, “You better not come home with any more wild animals.”

I scoffed, turning her to fully face me. “First of all, that family of raccoons had experienced a very unfortunate road crossing incident. They were orphaned. You can’t expect me to leave those cute little fuckers to fend for themselves?”

She bit back a smile, “No, I can’t…and you didn’t. You brought all three of them home.”

I chuckled, “And to my credit, I did turn them over to the wildlife rehab center.”

She snorted, “Yeah, because I made you. You wanted to keep them.”

I shrugged, “I mean, did you see how they loved me? The little runt wouldn’t let go of my thumb. He imprinted. I was his new mom.”

She scrunched up her nose, “You’re so fucking ridiculous.”

My hands snaked around her hips, pulling her in for a quick kiss. “I know. But this is why you love me.”

She gave me a soft smile, “You’re not wrong. You two stay outta trouble, please.”

Luca appeared in the yard, looking every bit a miniature version of myself in his gym shorts, t-shirt, and black crocs. His shaggy hair was a fluffy mess, hanging over his eyes as he stood with his hands on his hips and an impatient look on his face.

Talia turned to him with a smirk, “Please keep your papá away from the wild animals.”

Luca snorted out a laugh, “Él está loco (He's crazy). He won’t listen to me.”

She sighed, “We’ll at least he’s smart enough to recognize not to follow in your footsteps.”

I furrowed my brows in mock protest before shrugging it off. “You’re probably right. You couldn't handle two of me.”

She rolled her eyes as I gave her another quick kiss, “OK. We’ll be back shortly.”

I hopped the railing, stumbling and almost tripping as my own croc came off when I landed. Luca broke into a fit of giggles as Talia jokingly mumbled something about a “manchild” under her breath.

I poked Luca in the side, “You hush. Let’s go, hombrecito (little man).”

Luca and I spent the next hour or so wandering around the vineyard as we often did, checking in with the little families of wildlife that had made this place their home, too. Luca enjoyed watching and learning about them and I loved watching his eyes light up with excitement. Seeing him happy made my heart swell and it was something I could never get enough of.

After checking in with the family of ducks in the pond as our last stop, we set off down the winding driveway, eventually coming to the property line of our neighbors where we found John driving through their field in a UTV. He waved, changing his heading to come say hello. As he pulled up to the edge of the fence, two little figures adorned in bright pink and bright yellow onesies came into view. They were snuggled into his side, bouncing along with the ride. When he came to a stop next to us, they both screamed in our direction.

Luca and I glanced at each other, wide-eyed before looking back to the cute little baby goats sitting in the seat next to John.

“Is that baby goats…in pajamas?” Luca asked.

John laughed, “It is. This is Molly and Sally. They’re from a set of triplets. Unfortunately, the mama only wants to take care of one of them, so I’m on baby goat duty until we can get them weaned.”

Luca glanced up at me then back to John, “Can we pet them?”

John gave him a knowing smile, “If you two aren’t busy, come on up to the house and you can visit with all the babies. We have a bunch this year.”

Luca’s head snapped toward me, “Can we papá? Pleeeease?”

He put on his best pouty face, working those puppy dog eyes better than I ever could. How could I refuse him? I sighed, “Fine. Fine. We’re gonna go grab a golf cart first though. That’s too far to walk. We’ll be up in a few, John.”

He nodded, waving us off as he started his UTV and made his way home. Luca looked at me with a big smile, “I bet I can make it to the golf cart before you.”

I chuckled, “I bet you can, too. I can’t run full speed in these shoes.”

He rolled his eyes, “I have the same shoes on. It’s fair.”

I pursed my lips, “I suppose you’re right, but I’m gonna play my senior citizen card and steal a head start.”

Before he had time to process what I said, I took off in my best attempt at a sprint toward our golf carts. Not that it mattered, the kid still smoked me. I found him sitting in the passenger seat waiting on me and dissolving into giggles when I finally reached our destination gasping for air and groaning like I was about to die after running up the steady incline of the driveway. I made a mental note to rethink my cardio routine as I plopped down in the driver’s seat.

Minutes later, we found ourselves parking in front of John’s house where he was outside waiting on us with Molly and Sally at his feet. He led us over to a smaller pen where there were at least twenty or more baby goats running around. Luca and I both froze in our tracks, staring at the chaotic sight before us. It looked like barnyard heaven.

These goats looked to be a couple of weeks older. They were slightly bigger and rambunctious as fuck - headbutting each other and climbing on top of tires and logs. It was one of the cutest things I had ever seen. Once we stepped inside the gate, the whole herd began yelling and ran toward us. They wasted no time climbing on top of us as we squatted down to their level, nibbling on our clothes and fingers. Luca and I were both laughing at their antics.

One little trouble maker decided to headbutt my hip, causing me to lose balance and fall on my ass. I snorted out a laugh, “We’ve gotta get us one of these.”

“Ya know,” John said, “We do have several bottle babies right now. We could use some more fosters until they are big enough to join the herd…” He paused, giving me a mischievous smile, “You all foster animals, don’t ya?”

Luca glared at me, shaking his head. He already knew.

I gave John a toothy smile, “Why yes, we do. It’s usually dogs though. We’ve never fostered a goat.”

“Well, they aren’t much different than a dog. I can give ya all the supplies ya need if you’d be interested.”

My eye’s met Luca’s, “Mujer mandona (bossy lady) is gonna make you sleep with the dogs this time.”

I waved him off, “No she won’t. She’s all talk. Besides, we’ve been talking about a baby goat for months.”

Luca was still shaking his head, now smirking.

“Imma tell her this was your idea. She can’t get mad at you,” I added.

He gasped, “You’re the adult. You can’t blame me.”

I snickered, turning back to John. “We’re in. How long is the foster?”

John was giving me a toothy smile now, glancing down at Molly and Sally at his feet on the other side of the fence. “If you wanna take one of these two, it will be about ten weeks before they’re fully weaned.”

I shrugged, “That’s not bad. We can do that. It’ll be fun.”

Luca didn’t look convinced, grimacing as I smiled at him. “You’re gonna be in so much trouble.”

“Hey, there are worse things I could bring home. At least it’s not a skunk or something…”

I paused, holding up a finger to further my point. “And besides, she said don’t bring any wild animals home. This isn’t a wild animal. This is a domesticated animal. It doesn’t count.”

Luca huffed out a laugh, “That’s not gonna work.”

John was chuckling beside us, “If the wife won’t let you keep it, you can bring it on back. I won’t be offended.”

I grinned, “Oh, don’t worry. The wife can’t turn down the ole Bravo charm. Consider the deal done.”

An hour later, I was finishing up getting Molly settled in her new little corner in the dog’s room. Luca left with Mateo to go to the farm supply store because he wanted to see the baby chicks, which worked out perfectly because it gave me time to work my magic on Talia before telling her about the baby goat.

I washed up the best I could and found a change of clothes in the laundry room since I smelled like a pig pen. Then I made my way upstairs. Talia had just stepped out of the shower when I found her in the en suite bathroom in nothing but her robe. I leaned against the doorframe, giving her a suggestive smile as she towel-dried her hair.

She arched her brow, “What are you up to?”

I shrugged, closing the distance between us to pull her against my chest. “Nothing. I just couldn’t wait to see you. I’ve missed you.”

Her brows furrowed, “You’ve only been gone a few hours. What did you do?”

I laughed it off, “I just wanted to take advantage of our alone time. Luca went to the farm supply store with Mateo. So…that means we don’t have to rush for once.”

I leaned down pulling the fabric of her robe aside to kiss along her bare shoulder between words. “I can take my time with you…make you come more than once.”

She shivered as her fingers threaded through my hair, “Mmm, I guess I can’t argue with that since it’s to my benefit.”

Her face nuzzled against the top of my head, “Ugh, you smell like a barnyard. I’m gonna have to take another shower after this, aren’t I?”

I chuckled, wrapping my arms around her middle to lift her and move toward the bed. “Probably, but it won’t be because I smell like a barnyard.”

She squealed through giggles as I tossed her onto the bed, “Promises. Promises.”

Her brows arched in my direction as she propped herself up on her elbows, eyes sweeping up and down my body. I gave her a mischievous smile before pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it off in the distance. My shorts followed, leaving me in my underwear as I moved to grab her hips and pull her to the edge of the bed with another squeal.

She stared up at me with a playful smile, loosening her robe far enough to give me a peek of skin all the way down to her navel. I leaned over her, my thumb brushing over her bottom lip before allowing my fingertips to trail downward. Our eyes stayed focused on each other as my fingers lightly slid down the exposed skin between her breast, then further across her stomach. When I reached the closed fabric at her waist, my finger hooked under the tie, undoing it the rest of the way to have her on full display for me.

I smiled as I took her in, “So fucking perfect.”

She squirmed under my gaze, thighs pressing together in anticipation as I closed the distance between us. My mouth followed the same path my fingers had taken, pausing to suck all the sensitive areas along the way. Only I didn’t stop at her waist this time, I continued lower, devouring her heat as she writhed under me and made the most delicious sounds. Her fingers twisted in my hair as her thighs trembled against my shoulders. I had her falling apart in no time, hooking my fingers inside of her against that spongy spot that always made her moan my name. As promised, I took my time, not stopping until she was three orgasms in and begging me for something more.

She lay there, panting as I removed my boxer briefs and crawled onto the bed beside her, sprawling out on my back. My fingers brushed through her hair as she took a moment to get herself together. She turned, peering up at me with a sly smile as she shifted to climb up my body and straddle my hips. She shrugged off her robe and tossed it away before leaning forward, capturing my lips in a heated kiss that never failed to take my breath away. She ground her wet center against my hardness, causing me to groan into her mouth as I fought the urge to cum from the contact. Her commanding confidence always made me feel like a teenager who couldn’t control himself, and I fucking loved it.

She went on like that for a time, teasing me as her hands and mouth explored my body - until I couldn’t take it any longer.

I was a panting mess under her, “Love, I’m gonna lose it before I’ve had you. Please, let me have you now.”

She smiled, “Since you’re asking so politely…”

And with that, she lined my length up at her entrance and sank down to the hilt, eliciting a gasp from me and causing my mouth to fall open from pleasure. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she began to move on top of me in the way that hit just the right spot for her. I watched the flush of her skin spread from her chest up into her cheeks as it glistened with sweat from her exertion. She moaned loudly, not even trying to hold it in. She was a sight to behold, taking what she wanted from me. I could never get enough of it.

I felt her tense on top of me, my fingertips digging into her hips to keep her moving through her high. When she began to relax, I shifted us to lay her on her back so I could take over. Kissing her deeply as my hips snapped against hers. Her thighs squeezed my waist as she dug the heels of her feet into my ass, urging me on. I came with a very loud strangled groan against her neck. It had been too long since we had been able to let go like this and not worry about getting caught in the act. It was the one drawback to having a kid in the house.

With a grunt, I pulled out and collapsed next to her on the bed. She sighed, smiling in contentment before rolling over to prop herself on my chest. “You’re right. I’m a sweaty mess now. The fact that you stink had no bearing on my need for a shower.”

I snorted out a laugh, “Think we have time to take one together? I bet I could get another quickie in…”

I wagged my eyebrows and gave her a cheesy smile.

She laughed loudly, “Yeah, that part is debatable, but I think we could at least get a quick shower in.”

The shower was short, but we still took the time to take care of each other in between brief kisses. It was a moment we were overdue for, regardless of the reason I was trying to butter her up.

I was debating how to breach the baby goat topic as we stood in the bedroom, getting dressed in a fresh set of clothes when the topic decided to make itself known with a loud bleating cry downstairs. My eyes rounded as Talia froze mid shirt button, lifting her chin to meet my gaze with the look. The one that said I was in trouble.

“Dieter, what the hell was that?”

I laughed nervously, “So, you know earlier when you asked me what I did? I think now would be a good time to talk about that…”

And to drive the point home, another loud bleat sounded from downstairs followed by a loud crashing noise. Talia’s eyes narrowed. Fuck.

I pointed toward the door, “I’m just gonna go…check on that.”

She nodded, “Yeah, you better do that. We’ll talk about this when your accomplice gets home. I wanna make sure I get the full story from the both of you.”

I huffed as I moved toward the door, “Fine. Fine.”

When I got downstairs, Molly was nowhere in sight and the foster dogs were running amok through the house. This wasn’t exactly the best first impression. After gathering the dogs back in their room and reinstalling the tension gate, I went on the hunt for Molly. Ten minutes later, I found her in the kitchen pantry. It looked like a bomb of flour and oatmeal had gone off in the small space. Molly was standing in the middle of the floor, covered in white powder and knocking a potato around as she tried to bite it.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Girl. This is not how you make a good impression.”

She looked up at me with a blank stare, then screamed at me. I rubbed at my temple and sighed, “This may be starting off worse than when I brought that opossum home.”

Talia appeared in the doorway behind me, immediately bursting into a fit of laughter.

“Is that fucking pajamas?” she asked, now wheezing.

I nodded, “Yes. They serve a purpose. They help keep the diaper on.”

She laughed harder and began coughing, no doubt from the flour in the air.

“I can’t wait to hear this story.”

I rolled my eyes, picking Molly up to take her outside so I could clean her up. “There’s a diaper bag on the counter, can you bring it out to me please?” I asked over my shoulder.

It only set Talia off into more laughter as I stepped out onto the back porch. She appeared next to me minutes later with the diaper bag and towels and set them beside me as I tried to clean Molly the best I could. Talia stood nearby with her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk on her lips as she watched me change the goats onesie.

The door opened and Luca stepped out. He paused, eyes wide as he looked between the two of us. Then he began to back into the house, very much reminding me of that Homer Simpson gif where he disappears into the hedges.

Talia laughed, “Hold it, mister. You two have got some explaining to do.”

His shoulders slumped, “I told him this was a bad idea. He didn’t listen.”

I scoffed, “Geez. Crumbling like a cookie already. See if I sneak you anymore ice cream before dinner. Traitor.”

Luca scoffed, “Excuse me? That was your idea, too!”

I sighed, shaking my head. “No loyalty. I see how it is.”

I crossed my arms and pouted like a petulant child just to be funny, causing both of them to burst into laughter. Humor was the only way to get out of this situation unscathed.

Talia sobered, “Can someone please explain to me why there is a baby goat, wearing pajamas? I told you not to bring any animals home.”

I held up a finger, “Uhh, correction. You told me not to bring any wild animals home. This animal is not wild. It is very domesticated, hence the clothing.”

I could tell she was biting back a laugh as she eyed me.

Luca snickered, “I told you that wouldn’t work.”

I shushed him.

“Dieter, what the hell are we gonna do with a goat? We can’t take it back to LA with us.”

I held up my finger again, “Excellent point! Which is why we won’t be. It’s only a temporary foster situation…just for a few weeks until she’s weaned.”

Luca fake coughed out, "Ten weeks.”

Talia rolled her eyes, “I swear, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you two were the same damn age. Where did you even get the goat? You said you were walking around the vineyard.”

I grimaced, “Well, we were down at the end of the property and ran into our neighbor, John Boy…”

Talia snorted, “Please tell me you didn’t call him that to his face?”

I shook my head, “Of course not. That would be rude.” I waved that comment off, “Anyway, he had Molly and another baby with him and invited us up to see the rest. He mentioned needing fosters because they have so many bottle babies this year and…well, here we are.”

She sighed, still smiling. “I should make you sleep with the dogs for this.”

My brows furrowed, “Why does everyone keep saying that like it’s a bad thing? Have you seen the dog’s room? I’ll happily snuggle up in a puppy pile on that oversized dog bed and spend the night watching Dog TV with them.”

She did not look impressed with that response. Time to pull out the big guns. Once I got Molly’s onesie situated, I picked her up and walked over to my wife. I gave her the infamous Bravo puppy eyes.

“Look at eeer. She’s so damn cute. You can’t tell me you don’t think she’s cute. She loves me. I can’t tell her no. Come on mamá, you can’t turn this face down. And it’s only while we’re here. Not forever.”

Talia’s face softened as she looked at Molly, reaching up to scratch under her chin. Then she let out a defeated sigh, “Fine. But this is all on you two. I’m staying out of it.”

I did a happy tappy dance, causing her to laugh. Luca threw his arms up as he hissed out a “Yeeeeesss.”

I won. Again. I knew she couldn’t turn down the Bravo charm.

Natalia’s POV

Seeing Dieter giddy over a new foster baby always made my heart swell. I always gave him hell over it, but it was only because I liked to get him worked up and flustered as he tried to argue his case. I would never tell him no. I knew how important it was for him to care for those who couldn’t care for themselves, and that included the furry critters he often showed up with. Ever since we adopted our first bat-eared rescue dog, Moony, he had turned into a bleeding heart for all the animals - domesticated and wild.

It was something Luca had picked up, too. Caring for our mini zoo was one of Luca and Dieter’s favorite ways to spend time together. It kept them busy and also taught Luca about responsibility. So, it wasn’t something I could be upset about. I just never knew what they were going to show up with next. Especially while we were spending time at the vineyard.

With every new addition to our little circus, came more chaos in the household. It was something we were definitely not strangers to. It was a way of life at this point, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Molly was no exception to this pattern. The mess in the pantry was only the beginning.

The next morning, I awoke to an empty bed. It wasn’t completely unusual as Dieter was an early riser. However, a loud clacking noise and cackling tea kettle laughter drifting up the stairwell was. I sighed, crawling out of bed and throwing on my fluffy robe as I glanced at mine and Dieter’s shared journal on the night stand. It was opened to the latest entry with a white rose laying in the crease.

“I woke up thinking about the magical time we had together yesterday and so did my morning wood. Can we sneak in a quickie when you wake up? xoxo D.”

I snorted out a laugh. I never knew what I would find in his messy scrawl.

A loud squeal of laughter pulled my attention back to the ruckus downstairs, reminding me of why I had drug myself out of bed. My eyes were not prepared for the sight they found when I reached the last step. Moony and the three foster pups were racing through the house, slinging toys as they went. That wasn’t what had my attention though. It was Dieter. He was on all fours with his ass in the air and a horse riding helmet on his head - headbutting Molly. Luca sat nearby, holding his stomach from laughing at the chaos before him.

“What the actual fuck are you doing?” I asked, biting back a smile.

Dieter sat upright just as Molly came in for another hit, headbutting him in the stomach. I couldn’t help to guffaw over the wind being knocked out of him.

Dieter coughed out a laugh, “Don’t judge me. I’m teaching Molly very important goat-life lessons. This is how they play.”

I shook my head, looking at Luca. “Do me a favor and don’t try that, please.”

Luca shook his head, “I’m not. I actually have brain cells.”

Dieter scoffed, “Ha. Ha. Very funny you two.”

I got tickled all over again when I looked at him. His face was flushed and a little sweaty. His fluffy hair was sticking out in all directions from under the helmet. He looked like a mess. My mess. And I would never get tired of him or his antics.

This was how the next several mornings started. Between the three foster puppies and the baby goat, our house was a full-on circus. If it wasn’t one of the still-in training dogs using the bathroom on the rug in the hallway, then it was Molly ripping her diaper off and dropping little pellets through the house as she tried to sneak off to the pantry. She was successful a few times and even figured out how to open the accordion door. Which led to Dieter attempting to “baby-proof” the pantry and eventually the cabinets too. Our summer break had definitely turned into an adventure that I wasn’t expecting.

Two weeks into goat-gate, as I had taken to calling it, we got a little break. Dieter took Molly to spend some time with her goat siblings for the night because he was convinced she now thought that she was a dog. Mateo and Lucia invited Luca over for dinner and to help with trimming and stringing the latest batch of green beans from their garden for canning. Luca loved helping and jumped at the opportunity, so I couldn’t argue.

That’s how I found myself alone, lying on the hammock under the fairy lights in the backyard. There was silence except for the insects and frogs as the last rays of sunshine disappeared over the Sonoma mountains. It was a nice change of pace, but I found myself missing my boys.

That feeling didn’t last long because Dieter came shuffling out of the house, in nothing but a pair of gym shorts and a smile. His hair was a fluffy mess, causing my fingers to twitch with the urge to touch it.

“The dogs are fed and settled into their room. It’s relaxation hour on Dog TV, so I wager they’ll nap and stay out of trouble.”

I snickered. The way he treated the dogs like kids always warmed my heart but still amused me. He came to a stop next to the hammock, the glow of the fairy lights above emphasized the dips and curves of his arms and chest, making my body ache for him. His smile widened, “You gonna scooch over and make room for me? I wanna cuddle.”

I snorted out a laugh, shifting to make room for him. “Yeah, I know what ‘cuddle’ is code for.”

He feigned innocence, “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

After some adjusting and nearly flipping the hammock, we settled in together - wrapped up in each other as always. My fingers traced along the contours of his stomach as he hugged me tighter.

He sighed, “I fear I may have bitten off more than I can chew with the baby goat. She’s…a lot.”

“Well, at least you admit it.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t ground me after that one.”

I smiled against his chest, “You know I just like to give you a hard time. I love your caring heart. I’ll never tell you no when it comes to your fostering endeavors. Within reason, of course. Maybe next time leave the opossums to the wildlife professionals though.”

He snorted out a laugh, “Oh it wasn’t that bad. You just sort of surprised each other is all. I should’ve told you he was chilling in the laundry room before you found him.”

I chuckled, “Ya think?”

“Luca thought it was hilarious though.”

“Of course he did. He thinks everything you do is hilarious. He fits right in.”

He sighed, “He does, doesn’t he? I think he was meant to be with us. I swear, if you had told me six or seven years ago that this would be my life, I never would have believed it. It’s so fucking perfect.”

My heart clenched in my chest, remembering everything we had gone through at that time. I never would have thought we would end up here either. Our life really was perfect now.

He chuckled, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Thank you for continuing to put up with my shit. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Oh, I knew what I signed up for when I married you, Mr. Bravo. Your love and your chaos. I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

I shifted, propping myself against his chest to look at him. He was giving me a toothy smile, causing his eyes to crinkle at the corners. My fingers scratched at the patchy greying scruff on his chin, causing him to lean into my touch like one of the puppies.

He groaned as his eyes fluttered shut, “Ya know, we do have the place to ourselves for a few hours…”

I smiled, allowing my hand to drift downward to settle over the front of his shorts. He was already hard, sucking air through his teeth as he bucked against my palm. He squirmed under my touch just as I adjusted for a better angle, causing the hammock to tilt, spilling us onto the grass. Dieter broke my fall, eliciting a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a groan.

“Maybe we should take the chaos upstairs to the bedroom before we hurt ourselves,” I finally managed to say between my guffaws.

His hand rested on the curve of my neck as he smiled up at me. He leaned in for a gentle kiss, whispering against my lips, “Yeah, then I’ll show you what this love and chaos can do to your body.”

And he did. Over and over again.

A/N: Happy 2nd anniversary to Dieter & Talia! I've had this one on the back burner for a bit and thought this might be a good time to yeet it out into the world. It's just a little something to remember these two with. I thought it would be fun for you to know how Dieter finally got his baby goat. I hope you enjoyed. 😘

💜Mysty

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mysterious-musings · 1 day ago

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And I was just as excited to write them again. Thank goodness the angst is done! I couldn't take much more. 😅 And here we go.... They couldn't catch a break. They were just taking turns on the fuck ups and being pitiful. I'm not sorry. 😂 Joe and Stacia are getting blatant? I think they surpassed that a few weeks back. Now they are just being pushy assholes. 😬 I love that I have managed to give who we thought was the worst person ever a redemption arc. She was my little surprise and she's not done yet. I haven't decided Alec's final fate yet (shocker), but I feel like Lana is going to get him good.

That moment with Dee and Zee on the Live hit all the feels. She knew what was up and wanted to add her two cents. And of course she got her way!🥹 I knew everyone thought it would be Dieter going over the wall, which is why I loved this. They are both a mess and it was a nice break in the heavy stuff. And then Dieter had to go and be all sweet and shit to wrap it up nicely. And then the song and confession! They're too much sometimes.

There had to be at least one reference to a boner in this chapter. It's a rule. Also, sexy time in the dressing room has become a thing too.😂 Indeed. They found each other precisely when they were meant to.

I feel like Lydia and Evan might meet soon...👀

Thanks for your usual unhinged reblog, friend. I love them more than you know! And I hope you are feeling better. 😘 💜Mysty

Closed Position: Week 10 (Lambada)

Closed Position Masterlist ||| Main Masterlist Dieter Bravo x OFC (Katarina)

Series Summary: Dieter Bravo, now sober, was looking to change his bad boy image after hitting rock bottom. His team hoped that having him join the nationally televised family friendly dance competition, Dancing with the Stars, would be a good first step, if they can keep him out of trouble.

Katarina Stamos expected her last season as a professional dancer on the show to go the same as it had for the past thirteen seasons. That all changed when she was partnered with the infamous Dieter Bravo.

Dieter and Katarina are reluctantly thrown into their partnership and must learn to work together to succeed in the competition. In the process they form a deeper connection beyond the dance floor that neither anticipated.

Chapter Word Count: 10.6k

👉 Warnings: Themes dealing with intimate partner violence (not from Dieter), past alcohol abuse, and past drug abuse. There will be fluff, tears, spicy language, and smut. This will be a slow burn. Read at your own risk. Dieter Bravo comes with his own warnings.

Chapter Quote: "Did you…climb over the fucking fence?”

Kat’s POV

I burst through the building exit, dragging fresh air into my lungs as I struggled to breathe. Standing on stage with Dieter and being placed in the bottom three had really messed me up. We could have been voted off after that abhorrently shitty performance without any reason to see each other beyond this night. It would have been the end of everything. The dancing. Us. Except, there was no us because I had royally fucked it all up. I knew that now. I also knew what I felt for him was real. I wouldn’t have had such a visceral reaction to the possibility of never seeing him again if it wasn’t.

I leaned against the rough brick of the building, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly to get my emotions under control as I thought through what to do next. I needed to fix this, but I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t know how to make him understand the crippling fear that had taken over every cell of my body, causing me to behave the way I had toward him.

My phone vibrated in my hand, pulling me from my thoughts. It was my sister calling. I wasn’t shocked, figuring she had just watched the live show. With trembling hands, I swiped to answer.

“Lyd, I was just about to…”

“What the hell did you do, Kat?” she interrupted.

I sighed. She knew. Of course she knew. “What do you mean?” I asked.

“Last time I talked to you, you were spazzing out about him and talking about putting on the breaks. So, what did you do?”

I rubbed at the throbbing pain between my brows, “I fucked up, Lyd. I really did. I’ve gotta fix it. I asked for a pause, just so I could untangle the thoughts in my head. He didn’t take it well at all. The day he had that outburst in the studio…I followed him outside. He told me he was in love with me, and I just stood there. I fucking stood there and didn’t say anything back even though I wanted to. I’ve broken him twice in the last two weeks…in the worst ways possible…and I don’t know how to fix it.”

Lydia let out a controlled breath, “Oh, Kat. I don’t even know what to say. Why didn’t you call me? I could have talked you off the ledge.”

I shook my head, “I-I dunno. I was spiraling hard. I let it go too far. I’ve hurt him badly.”

She sighed, “You need to talk to him. Tell him everything you’re feeling. He may understand better than you think.”

I scoffed, “I’ve tried explaining it to him and all I managed to do was make things worse. I dunno how to do this.”

“Well, you need to figure it out. Fast. You two won’t make it through another week like that. It was obvious something was wrong tonight.”

I groaned, “You’re right. I’m just…” I shook my head to clear it, “I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna go in there and tell him that I’m in love with him too. I just need him to be patient with me. That’s it.”

“It’s a start. Just…don’t hold back anymore. OK? He deserves everything because he’s giving you everything. Meet him where he’s at and it’ll all work out.”

I puffed air out of my cheeks, “Yeah. You’re right. I’m gonna go talk to him now. I’ll call you later this week.”

“Good. And Kat?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t forget to breathe. I’m sure he’s just as nervous about this as you are. Remember that. Good luck.”

“Thanks, Lyd.”

I ended the call, taking one last calming breath before turning to go back inside the building. I walked with trepidation down the hallway, rehearsing in my head what I wanted to say but still fearing he wouldn’t want to speak to me. When I reached the open doorway to his dressing room, the sight I found stopped me in my tracks. He was smiling down at Anika as she leaned in and planted a kiss right on his mouth.

A mixture of hurt and rage fizzled in my chest as I turned on my heel and made a beeline for my dressing room, slamming the door shut behind me and locking it. I sank to the floor, sobbing into the tops of my knees. How could I have been so stupid? Of course he hadn’t changed. He was already moving on and back to his playboy ways. At least I saw it with my own eyes before giving myself over to him completely.

The following morning, I awoke with my stomach in knots. I wasn’t sure if I could face him. Not after seeing him with Anika and definitely not with Stacia and Joe in the room. I was trying to think about anything but Dieter as I gathered my things to leave. My phone pinged in my hand, just as I grabbed my keys on the way toward the car.

Dieter: I’m not gonna make it to the production meeting. My therapist is threatening to call in a wellness check if I don’t come see her first thing this morning. Sorry to leave you to deal with Stacia and Joe alone.

I sighed, half in relief and half in disgust. The reprieve was nice, but I couldn’t help questioning if he was being honest in his reasoning. For all I knew, he was shacked up somewhere with Anika giving her the best sex of her life. The thought caused me to cringe as I pulled the door shut behind me and got in the car. Once I was buckled in, I inhaled deeply and replied.

Me: It’s fine. That’s more important. Maybe we should just take the day to regroup anyway? Start fresh tomorrow?

Now it seemed the roles were reversed. The thought of seeing him after last night hurt too much. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it. Truth be told, the thought of dropping out crossed my mind a couple of times as I tossed and turned in bed this morning.

I watched the little bubbles bounce, then stop. That happened several times before his reply finally came through.

Dieter: I was hoping we could talk today.

I scoffed, “OH. Now you wanna talk?”

Did he know that I saw him with Anika? Is that why he wanted to talk? Or maybe he wanted to tell me before I found out from someone else. My mind was racing, a million thoughts in a matter of seconds. I didn’t know how to handle this. The betrayal felt much worse than anything Alec ever did to me. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, typing.

Me: We can talk tomorrow. I need a day.

Dieter: Ok. Tomorrow then. Please.

I huffed in frustration. Please. He definitely wanted to talk to me about Anika. That one little word seemed to be pissing me off more than I already was. I didn’t really have any right to be mad at him though. Technically, we weren’t together. But fucking Anika? Of all people? It made me sick.

It took every ounce of strength I had to compose myself for the meeting with Stacia and Joe. Luckily, Lenny called ahead to let them know Dieter had an appointment that he couldn’t miss, so it took some of the heat off. Things started off well enough, breezing through the details regarding our performance for this week. They had us doing the fucking Lambada. If they thought the Jazz performance was bad, then the Lambada was going to be nothing short of a train wreck. I had to work double time to control my facial reaction to that news.

I had hoped that would be the end of it, but they couldn’t help interrogating me about the obvious tension this past week. “Can you fill us in on what was going on with Dieter? Why did he have an outburst like that?” Stacia asked.

I shrugged, “Like I said, we’re old. We’re tired. Everyone has good and bad days when we rehearse this much. You should know that above anyone.”

“You’re sure there’s nothing going on with you two? Because that seemed like more than just being tired. If there is, we need to nip it now. Another performance like that and you two are out.”

I sighed, “And so what if we are? Why are you so worried about it? Aren’t you supposed to be unbiased about the contestants?”

Stacia’s nostrils flared, “We are. However, we do have to take ratings and promotion into consideration, as well. You two are a major draw. Especially when it comes to social media attention.”

I huffed out a laugh, shaking my head. “Well, if they like us so fucking much, maybe they’ll have pity and vote to keep us around. Are we done here?”

Joe rubbed at his temples, “Kat, we’re actually on your side here. We’re not the bad guys. We do wanna help.”

My jaw clenched, “There’s nothing to help. We had an off week. That’s it. Now, I’d appreciate it if you would stop prying and meddling.”

He pursed his lips before nodding. Surrendering, for now. I stood, giving them a forced smile as I turned to exit the conference room, feeling hot from the adrenaline brought on by the experience. When I entered the lobby, I stepped into the small alcove where the vending machines were tucked away, in search of something to drink. I found myself suddenly missing my usual morning cup of Dieter provided coffee, causing my heart to clench in my chest. Everything reminded me of him now.

I stood, taking in the selection when the sound of hushed voices carried through the wall of ferns separating the seating area from the alcove.

“So, I heard Dieter blew you off last night?” one voice asked.

A scoff, “How the hell did you find out about that?” It was Anika.

An amused reply, “A little birdy told me.” I couldn’t make out who this voice belonged to, but it sounded familiar.

“Fucking hell. Nobody can keep their mouths shut around here.”

A chuckle, “So. What happened?”

“Ugh, fine. I’d rather you know the truth than hear whatever people are saying. So, after the show was over, I noticed Dieter’s dressing room door was open. After that performance, it was obvious he and Kat were on the outs, so I thought I’d take advantage of the situation. Anyway, I went in and asked him out. He said he was waiting for Kat. I had seen Kat leave, so I told him that. He looked…I dunno, like, annoyed about it? So, I offered to…let him come back to my place. I really thought he was considering it. He seemed receptive, so I kissed him. He turned into the biggest asshole after that. Basically, told me to fuck off and said he wasn’t interested. He wasn’t nice about it. It was very hurtful the way he said it. Like I was the asshole or something.”

A sense of relief washed over me. He hadn’t done anything wrong. It was all her.

The other voice snorted out a laugh, “You know Dieter isn’t the same person anymore, right? He’s changed. He’s not into partying and one-night stands. He’s in love with Kat.”

Ankia scoffed, “Dieter Bravo doesn’t fall in love. He’s Hollywood’s biggest fuck boy.”

“He used to be. He’s sober now. That’s not his life anymore and the fact that you can’t see or respect that does make you the asshole. You need to lay off him. It's disrespectful to Kat.”

Anika gasped, taken aback by that statement. “Why are you so worried about Kat all of a sudden? You feeling guilty for fucking her fiancé now?”

My mouth dropped open in shock. The other voice was Lana. This whole conversation had my heart racing out of my chest. A nervous sweat was now dripping down my back as I stood staring at the vending machine, unmoving.

Lana chuckled, “No. No guilt at all. I did Kat a favor. Alec is an asshole. She deserved better. Besides, you know how this show works. I’m only doing what I’ve been paid to do. That’s why I’m here alone. Stacia and Joe want an update on what I know. I’m happy to say that Alec Balaska will be nothing but an afterthought as soon as the season is over.”

It took everything in me to hold in the maniacal laughter that was bubbling in my chest. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Lana fucking Thompson, of all people, had just made my day and saved my relationship with Dieter.

Before I even registered what I was doing, my feet carried me around the wall of ferns. I paused, staring at Lana with wide eyes, mouth still agape from the news. I vaguely registered Anika jumping slightly from my appearance, mumbling out an, “oh shit,” under her breath. My focus, however, was solely on Lana. She sat confidently with her legs crossed and a shit-eating grin on her face. She knew I was there the entire time.

She stood, approaching me with a friendly smile. “I need you to know that everything I just said was true…and I’m sorry. Even if my intentions were good, I know it was still hard on you. I’ve known guys like Alec my entire life and I know the kind of power they can have over you. I needed you to see who he really was. Regardless of what happens with Dieter, you needed to be freed from Alec.”

I could feel tears prickling behind my eyes. She wasn’t wrong. It was going to take something major to wake me up to who he really was. She gave me that.

I nodded, “Thank you. I mean it. I do need to ask you for one more favor though.”

Her brows arched, “Name it.”

I smirked, “Fuck him up good. Please?”

She gave me a toothy grin, “Already planned on it.”

My smile matched hers as she pulled me in for a tight hug. She held it for a beat, then pulled away.

“Now, go get your man. I can’t handle you two fighting anymore.”

I chuckled, “I’ll try.”

I went home after that. I needed to clear my head and process the events of the day. I also needed to figure out what I was going to do about Dieter. The fear was still there scratching at the door that I was frantically trying to shut in that part of my brain. I wanted to believe that what he felt was real. Everyone else seemed to think it was. They could all see it, so why couldn’t I?

I took a page out of Dieter’s book, moving through the house to tend to my plants in the way he had taught me. Pruning. Dusting. Misting. I could see why he enjoyed it. There was a certain mindless numbness that went along with the process. It was a good mental reset. Almost like meditation. Hours passed before I realized it. As I finished up, I considered what Lydia said about watching our videos on YouTube. I had just settled on the idea of doing it when my phone started blowing up with notifications. They were from Lydia. I didn’t even get a chance to read the text because she started calling. Concerned, I answered immediately.

“Lyd? Everything OK?”

She was breathless with excitement, “Please tell me your fucking watching this?”

I huffed out a nervous laugh, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Instagram live! Dieter! I swear to God Kat, if you don’t marry that man, I will.”

I snorted, “And how does your husband feel about that?”

“He’d probably officiate it... HOLY. SHIT. Kat! He has…you just need to watch it. He just ended it. Fuck. You need to see it. I might cry.”

I didn’t know how to respond. She sounded like she was having a meltdown on the other end of the line.

I sighed, “What the hell are you going on about?”

She let out the most ridiculous squeal, prompting me to pull the phone away from my ear.

“It’s on his story. GO WATCH IT. NOW. Call me when you’re done.”

I sighed, “Ok. Ok. Just stop screeching. Please.”

“Ok. Bye.”

The line went dead.

I looked at my phone, “What the actual fuck?”

Butterflies formed in the pit of my stomach. I could not comprehend what he could’ve done to have her acting like this. It actually freaked me out a little. When I opened Instagram, I had hundreds of notifications from where I had been tagged in the comments of his video.

I groaned, “Oh god. Dieter what did you do?”

I was hesitant to click on his story, inhaling a deep breath before taking the plunge. When the video began to play, Dieter was fiddling with the camera angle. He finally settled it where he wanted, then picked up his acoustic guitar. His sad eyes scanned the screen as he nervously chewed on his lip. Once the viewer numbers began to rise, he smiled and welcomed them. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. It hurt to see him like that.

As he tuned the guitar, I took in the rest of him. He looked tired. His hair was a mess of fluffy curls, hanging down over his forehead. I ached to run my fingers through them. He was wearing one of his favorite threadbare t-shirts, covering tense shoulders. I wanted to hug the tension away. When he looked back up at the camera, his bottom lip appeared swollen from his teeth. I wanted to kiss away his pain. Fuck. I missed him.

Once he had the guitar tuned to his liking, he smiled into the camera. “I promised you all I’d do more of these, so here we are. I feel like I need it today. I’ve got some things that I…I dunno…wanna get off my chest. I guess.”

He plucked a few chords, finding his rhythm. As he did this, my eyes were drawn to several new paintings leaning against the wall in the background. I couldn’t make out what they were since they partially covered each other, but the colors were different. Brighter. It wasn’t his usual style.

He paused, staring into my soul through the screen before taking a centering breath. Then he began to play, strumming a sad melody that I wasn’t familiar with. His eyes were distant, almost melancholy as his mind drifted to another place. He began to sing the lyrics in his low raspy voice, making my skin break out in goosebumps almost immediately.

🎶Listen HERE.

Hey, can you show me how to make it back cause I’m still tryin to find my way home Hey, can you take my hand keep me on track make sure I never ever ever let it go I would let the stars fade to nothing, nothing If I knew that I’d always have your lovin, lovin You're my gravity, you're holding me down You're the reason that my life’s turned around And in the moments that I’m hopeless I’m just hoping I can hold on to you, hold onto you

I gasped quietly, eyes prickling with tears as I took in the meaning of the words he was putting out for the world to hear. I knew Dieter. He always chose songs with intention. He was holding nothing back, laying his soul bare to get through to me. I could see it in his eyes; he meant every syllable of what he was saying. Seeing him like this, putting every emotion into his words was melting the thin protective barrier that had formed around my heart.

The voice in my head my thoughts before bed You’re the reason that my heart beat slows To keep pace with my mind and the rhythm of time that never seems to grow old I would let the stars fade to nothing, nothing If I knew that I’d always have your lovin, lovin You're my gravity, you're holding me down You're the reason that my life’s turned around And in the moments that I’m hopeless I’m just hoping I can hold on to you, hold on

The tears streamed down my face. There was no holding them back as his voice wrapped my body in heat, warming me to my core. I had never seen or heard anything so beautiful in my life, and he was mine. If I opened myself up the way he was for me. I could feel my resolve crumbling.

His voice rose in volume for the next verse, emphasizing the emotion behind the words. It was gravelly and rough, sending shivers down my spine and making me want him more than I had ever wanted anything in my life.

Oh I’d break my heart a million times just so I could spend my nights with you No need for us to rush I’d find every reason to make it through

He paused the strumming of his guitar, voice quieting to a velvety tone to finish it out.

Cause you're my gravity, you're holding me down You’re the reason that my life’s turned around And in the moments that I’m hopeless I’m just hoping I can hold on to you, hold on to you.

He played the last few notes, allowing them to quietly fade. His voice was gone, but the warmth in my body continued as a fire smoldered inside my heart. It was burning with everything that had been holding me back. He had finally broken through, and it was quickly turning into a blaze.

His eyes were glassy as he looked into the camera, biting the inside of his cheek. Then Zee appeared, jumping up onto his shoulder in that way she does - curling her body around him as she bumped her head against his. He turned, giving her a sad smile and scratched under her chin as he mumbled, “Hey, babygirl.”

He sighed, turning back to the camera. His brows pinched together as he spoke, “We miss you.”

As if on cue, Zee turned to the camera and meowed loudly, like she was agreeing. Dieter chuckled quietly, giving her another scratch on the chin before reaching to shut off the stream. As he did so, the camera tilted upward. It was only the briefest glimpse before it disconnected, but it was long enough for me to pause it to see a new painting hanging on the wall.

The painting showed the bare backside of a woman from the waist up. Her hands sat on her head, holding her dark hair in a pile and exposing her neck. The background was mostly bright red, with swirls of black, white, and a deep green color. Her spine curved slightly, posed mid movement. Defined contours of muscles showed in the shadows. My breath caught in my throat when my attention was drawn to the obvious DB scrawled in the bottom corner. It was his painting. Is that a painting of…me?

My tears quickly turned to sobs. This man had somehow managed to make me feel every emotion imaginable in the last twenty-four hours and I couldn’t even be mad about it. If anything, I wanted more. I wanted him. And I wanted him to have all of me. I was ready to take the risk. To fall for him completely. I trusted him with my fragile heart because this was real. For both of us. I knew that now.

A text came through from my sister, interrupting my emotional breakdown.

Lydia: Did you watch it yet?

I chuckled, then typed out my response with trembling fingers.

Me: Yes. I’ve been so stupid.

Lydia: No. You just needed time. Go to him. Tell him. Or else I’m gonna come kick your ass.

I snorted, sending her a thumbs up. I took a moment to gather myself, then opened his story again. This time, watching the comments fly by.

“This is for @dancerkatstamos, right?” “OMG, is Kat watching? @dancerkatstamos look!” “This has to be for @dancerkatstamos. I won’t accept any other explanation!” “He’s breaking my heart! @dancerkatstamos give him another chance!”

And on and on it went. Everyone seemed to know the truth before I did. It made me feel ridiculous that I had been so up my ass about this whole thing and that I had hurt Dieter so terribly in the process. I wouldn’t blame him if he refused to forgive me.

It took me a few minutes to pull myself together. Then, I got in the car and drove to Dieter’s house. I had mixed emotions the whole way, alternating between being so nervous I felt sick and giddy at the thought of reconciling. I wanted this to be over ASAP.

When I got there, I marched up to the door and knocked. The lights were on, but I saw no movement inside. I tried the handle, but it was locked. I sighed, pulling out my phone to call. It went to voicemail. Three times. I was feeling beyond impatient to get this over with before I lost my nerve.

I groaned, “Damnit Dieter. Figures you would be unreachable right now…”

I moved to peek through the side window, allowing me to look through the kitchen into the backyard where the firepit was burning. Assuming he was there, I made my way around to the gate only to find that it too was locked. The sound of muffled classical music drifted over from the other side of the privacy fence. I puffed air out of my cheeks, now feeling frustrated. And determined. I looked around, finding the trash can sitting next to the house.

“Ah, fuck it.”

I knew it was a bad idea as soon as I thought of it, but that didn’t stop me from dragging the full trash can over and climbing on top of it. It allowed me to see over the top of the fence. I spotted Dieter immediately, lying in a lounger toward the far end of the yard. He was facing the ocean, watching the sunset. I tried yelling for him, but he didn’t hear me.

I hoisted myself up on top of the stone wall and threw my legs over, “Ugh, this seems a lot higher than I realized…”

After a centering breath, I twisted to carefully lower myself down. Not that it did any good because I lost my grip and fell into the shrubbery below with a loud, “Ooof.”

I couldn’t help snorting out a laugh as I stood, pulling leaves from my hair and brushing dirt from my clothes. I glanced up, Dieter hadn’t moved. He obviously couldn’t hear anything over the music. I stumbled toward him, still brushing dirt away. I must have startled him, because he jumped as I walked around to stand in front of him. He sat up straighter, taking his sunglasses off before reaching to turn down the Bluetooth speaker next to him.

“What the fuck, Kat?”

He turned toward me, eyes scanning from head to toe. “How did you…Why do you have leaves in your hair?” He looked toward the house, then back to me. “Did you…climb over the fucking fence?”

I grimaced, “Yes. I tried calling. I’m sorry, I couldn’t wait. We need to talk.”

He snorted, “I do have a doorbell, ya know? I can hear it out here on the speaker.”

My face heated, “Uhhh, I didn’t think about that.”

His face softened, “Are you OK? Did you fall?”

I nodded, feeling embarrassed. “The only thing injured is my dignity.”

He chuckled, letting it trail off to a few seconds of silence. His face shifted, his brows furrowing as his body tensed. “I thought you wanted to wait until tomorrow? What changed?”

I chewed on my lip, searching for the right words. “I can’t let another day go by like this. We need to talk.”

He nodded, “Look, about last night. It’s not what you think. I didn’t…”

I held up my hand to stop him, “I know. I know it was Anika. I’m not mad about that.”

His shoulders relaxed, “How do you know?”

I huffed out a laugh, “The craziest thing happened after the production meeting this morning. I overheard Lana asking Anika about it. Anika admitted that she pursued you and you blew her off.”

A wide grin spread across Dieter’s face, “I think I need to send Lana a fruit basket or something. She’s two for two.”

My brows pinched together, “What does that mean?”

He relaxed in the lounger, “She talked some sense into me last night, helped me understand things from your point of view. It seems she's been working behind the scenes to do Stacia and Joe’s bidding, but she’s also a closet Dieterina supporter.”

I was shocked to hear they had talked, but I couldn’t be upset about it. She had brought us together. Twice. I smiled, “So, you must be the little birdy that told her about Anika?”

He nodded, “Yeah, we discussed it.”

I closed the distance between us, sitting on the edge of his seat - angling my body so I could look at him. The mood shifted to something more serious as the air thickened around us.

“I saw your Instagram Live.”

He stared out toward the water with a pensive look on his face, “I meant every word I said.”

He paused, finally turning to meet my gaze.

“I’m afraid too, ya know. I’m afraid that you’re finally gonna wake up and realize I’m not worthy of you. Afraid of fucking up because that’s all I know how to do. And…I’m afraid of how strong my feelings are for you. You’re entangled in my soul now. No one has ever had this kind of hold on me. I am in love with you. I’ve never said those words to anyone, not even my parents. So, it does mean something when I say it. I wasn’t even sure I was capable of it until the second you bumped into me.”

He reached for my hand, squeezing it gently before continuing.

“All of that scares the hell out of me, but I’m willing to push through it. You’re my world now, Kat. And I swear I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy. I may have some fuck ups, but I can guarantee my past problems are in the past. I’m done with all that. Whatever was broken inside of me…you’ve fixed it. I’m a better person because of you.”

I was crying again, holding back a sob as I nodded. “I believe you.”

He held his arms open, motioning for me to come to him. I didn’t hesitate, shifting to straddle his hips so I could hug him tightly against me. I buried my nose in his hair, deeply inhaling his scent. It was like a balm on my soul, slowly washing away all my fear and doubt.

I sighed into his curls, “I’m sorry I hurt you. It wasn’t my intention. I should’ve talked to you instead of getting in my head about it. I’m willing to try. I want you to have all of me. I promise I won’t hold back anymore. I trust you and…I feel safe with you. All I ask is that you be patient with me. I’m there with you, OK? Know that.”

He pulled away, cupping my cheeks as he peered up at me with tears in his eyes and a smile. “I’ll let you lead. I don’t plan to ever dance with anyone else. You’re it for me. If that’s what it takes, then you lead… and I’ll follow.”

I smiled, getting emotional all over again. More tears spilled out, but these were happy tears. Relief flooded my system after he closed the distance between us and pressed his lips to mine. It was tentative and soft as he hugged me closer to him. I had missed this, missed him so much.

We broke apart, our eyes roaming each other’s faces and taking in the moment. He spoke first. “Can we never fight like this again? Please? It was torture.”

I smirked, “I agree, I don't like it either. However, there may be one positive thing to come from it…”

He reached to pull a leaf from my hair, flicking it away with a small smile. Then his brows furrowed, “Like what?”

My lips curled upward, running my hands up his chest then around to rest at the back of his neck. “Like make up sex…”

His eyes widened, “Oh…”

I felt him harden under me almost instantly. He snorted out a laugh against my neck as he pulled me against him.

“Well, that definitely escalated quickly. It seems little Dieter has missed you too.”

I giggled against the top of his head, “Don’t worry, he’ll get taken care of. But…there is something I wanna do first. Can we go inside?”

He pulled away, giving me an uneasy smile. “Should I be concerned?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “No. Definitely not.”

I led him inside, up the stairs to his Sanctuary. He stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame to watch me. I picked up the acoustic guitar he had been playing earlier and took a seat in his leather chair, making a point not to look at his new painting. Because if I did, I wouldn’t be able to keep it together for this.

He walked into the room, grabbed a throw pillow, and threw it on the floor. He sat down on the cushion, pulling his knees to his chest as he peered up at me with questioning eyes.

“Since you did a song for me earlier, it’s only fair. I think this might help you understand what sent me on a spiral…because it’s really what started it all.”

Dieter’s POV

I sat on the floor, watching Kat intently - intrigued as to what this was about. All the while my heart pounded out of my chest from the excitement of having her back home. For once, everything was working out in my favor, and I couldn’t have been happier about it. It was taking everything in me to sit still so Kat could have the moment she needed.

Kat nervously chewed on her bottom lip, adjusting the strings to her liking. Or possibly stalling, I couldn’t tell which. Either way, I sat patiently waiting. She rolled her lips together, inhaling deeply as she glanced at me one last time before her fingers began to pluck the chords. Her eyes shifted, focusing on something in the distance just over my shoulder.

The notes sounded familiar. However, I couldn’t place the song right away. But then she began to sing in a breathy raspy lower register that I had never heard from her before, making my skin tingle from head to toe. I knew the song instantly. It was the same song we had danced the Viennese Waltz to, right before everything fell apart. I stared at her in awe as she performed her version of the song, pouring emotion into every word. 🎶Listen HERE.

Sweet love, sweet love trapped in your love I've opened up, unsure I can trust My heart and I were buried in dust Free me, free us You're all I need when I'm holding you tight If you walk away, I will suffer tonight I found a man I can trust And boy, I believe in us I am terrified to love for the first time Can't you see that I'm bound in chains? I've finally found my way I am bound to you I am bound to you

I knew I had to look like a fool, sitting there with my mouth gaping open, but I couldn’t help it. She was literally taking my breath away. I hugged my knees closer to my chest, resting my chin on them as I watched her. At some point, my eyes began to overflow with tears without me realizing it. There was a fluttering feeling in my chest unlike anything I had ever felt. She was connecting with me in a way she never had. After a brief instrumental bit, her eyes locked with mine as she went into the second verse.

So much, so young, I've faced on my own Walls I built up became my home I'm strong, and I'm sure there's a fire in us Sweet love, so pure I catch my breath with just one beating heart And I brace myself, please don't tear this apart

If I hadn't been sitting down already, I would’ve needed to. The expressiveness in her voice and eyes were making me lightheaded. I could feel every word as they left her lips. Every perfect word that she was willingly giving to me to show me how she really felt.

Suddenly the moment's here I embrace my fears All that I have been carrying all these years Do I risk it all? Come this far just to fall? Fall I can trust and boy, I believe in us I am terrified to love for the first time Can't you see that I'm bound in chains? And finally found my way I am bound to you I am, ooh, I am, I’m bound to you

By the time she hit the last verse, tears began to stream down her face. Her volume rose as the raw emotion poured out of her. Then her voice faded, finishing the song with a heavy sigh and sniffle. She huffed out a nervous laugh, wiping her cheeks. The only response I could muster was to crawl over to her, taking the guitar to lay on the floor before standing up on my knees and hugging her tightly against me.

She sobbed quietly against my shoulder, releasing whatever hurt it was she had been holding onto. My breathing was heavy as I worked to control my own emotions, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop my tears as I soothed her.

“I’m sorry I hurt you before, but I’m sure now. I’m sure,” she mumbled through a stuttered breath.

I sighed, “You don’t have to apologize. It’s OK. We’re OK now, and I’m still here. I always will be.”

She pulled back, her glossy red eyes dancing over my face for a beat before cupping my cheeks and pulling me in for a gentle kiss, pausing to murmur against my lips.

“I love you.” Another kiss. Then another, “I love you.”

I smiled, returning the kiss and the sentiment before shifting to stand. I pulled her upright with me, bending to wrap my arms around her waist. I lifted her, walking toward the bedroom while continuing to kiss her deeply as I went.

There wasn’t a second that our bodies were not touching as we undressed each other. We broke apart only briefly so that she could settle into the center of the bed. I trailed closely behind her, worshiping any bit of skin I could reach. She pulled me to hover above her, framing my hips with her thighs as we took each other in. Her amber colored eyes looked like honey flecked with melted gold in the warm glow of the setting sun coming in through the open windows. I wanted to drown in them. Her fingers scratched at the patchy stubble on my cheek before her thumb brushed across my lower lip. I dipped my chin slightly, gently kissing her palm.

She smiled, closing the distance between us. I lined myself up with her entrance, sinking in slowly. A low whimper bubbled up from my chest as her heat surrounded me. She gasped against my mouth as I filled her. Any remaining tension that lingered between us vanished as we found home in each other’s embrace.

We took it slowly, getting reacquainted. This time felt different. We were connecting on a much deeper level. Every touch. Every caress. Now expressing a new emotion that we openly shared with one another. I could feel it in the way she kissed me. I could see it in her eyes. There were no walls between us now. It was the most amazing feeling that I couldn’t begin to describe.

We moved as one, in a slow rhythm that was damn near maddening as we got lost in each other. It felt like time ceased to exist as the rest of the world faded away to nothing. All I could see and feel was her. It was transcendent, almost seeming too perfect to be real as we fell over the edge together - both of us professing our love in quiet whispers against the other's lips as we let the emotions swallow us whole. Our salty tears mingled as our lips continued to move against each other, riding out our high as long as we could.

When we finally broke apart, I pressed my forehead against hers as we tried to catch our breath. My body was trembling, making it hard for me to continue to hold myself up. I reluctantly pulled away with a grunt, moving to lay beside her. I gathered her in my arms as she wrapped herself around me.

I sighed, “I feel like I’m dreaming. I wasn’t expecting my day to end like this.”

She chuckled, “Yeah, me either to be honest. I’m not complaining though.”

She kissed me again, deeply. Her leg hooked around my hip as my hand drifted down her side, moving to gently squeeze her ass. She groaned, but it wasn’t a pleasurable sound. My brows furrowed as I sat up to look at her backside, finding a bruise the size of my palm on her cheek.

I couldn’t help chuckling as I shook my head at her, “How hard did you fall?”

She shrugged, “Hard enough to regret it later I suppose.”

“I can’t believe you did that. You’ve been around me too long. That’s some stupid shit I would’ve done.”

She smiled, “What can I say, I learned from the best.”

“I’m gonna go get you an ice pack. Don’t move.”

She squirmed, rubbing her thighs together. I arched a brow as she smiled mischievously.

“You’re insatiable, ya know that? Don’t worry Kitten, the night’s still young. I’m not done with you yet.”

That evening, we took turns making each other fall apart until neither of us could go any longer. After a soak in the tub, we collapsed in a heap on the bed. We were on the verge of nodding off when Zee started her loud caterwauling wail outside the bedroom door.

I sighed, “Fuck. I forgot to feed the kid.”

Kat snickered as I rolled out of the bed to open the door. Zee didn't’ waste any time, sprinting into the room and jumping on the bed to snuggle up to Kat - bumping her head against Kat’s chin while letting out low growls to show her displeasure of Kat’s absence.

I chuckled, “I get it Zee, I had the urge to rub all up on her, too.”

Kat snorted out a laugh into Zee’s fur.

“I’m gonna go make her dinner. I’ll be back.”

Just as I sat Zee’s plate down on her mat, Kat appeared in the kitchen. She gave Zee one last nuzzle before sitting her down next to her bowl.

“I couldn’t get her to leave. I was thirsty anyway.”

I chuckled, “I think she missed you almost as much as I did.”

I moved to the fridge, “You want water? Or something else?”

“Water’s fine.”

After handing her a cold bottle, I leaned against the counter watching her. She stood there in nothing but a T-shirt. My T-shirt. Guzzling the water down like she had just run a marathon. When she finished, she offered me the bottle but I shook my head, getting lost in my thoughts. I wanted to tell her more about my meeting with Lana.

“I should probably tell you where I ran into Lana last night…I don’t want you to think I’m keeping anything from you.”

Her brows furrowed, her jaw flexing as she nodded for me to continue.

“I was…at a bar.”

Her eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything.

I inhaled a centering breath, “I was alone. I didn’t order any alcohol, but I thought about it. I had just talked myself out of it when Lana sat down next to me. She came over to talk me out of a bad decision.”

Kat nodded, “Thank you for telling me…” She sat the bottle of water down, coming to stand at my side. “What made you wanna go?”

I pursed my lips, considering my answer. “I think…it was the thing with Anika. I felt like I fucked up. Badly. I saw you walking away after she kissed me. I knew it hurt you to see that. So, I let my self-hatred and negative thinking run away with me for a minute, but I pulled back. I didn’t wanna ruin everything that I’ve worked toward. And not just with you, but my career…and my life. I can never go back to what I was before, no matter what happens. No matter how bad things get…I just can’t.”

She surprised me with a small smile. “I’m proud of you for telling me and admitting that you had a weak moment. I know it takes a certain amount of growth to be able to do that. I mean, it’s part of recovery. Weak moments are gonna happen.”

I huffed out a sigh of relief as she grabbed my arm and pulled me into a tight embrace.

“I was worried you would be upset over it.”

She pulled back, “I’m sad you felt the urge for it, but I know it happens. That’s why it’s important for you to have support and to feel like you can reach out when you need to. You need people you feel safe with during those vulnerable moments, and you have them now. And you’re being completely open and honest about it all. That’s why I know I don’t need to worry. You’re doing everything right. And we’re gonna do this together. Never be afraid to tell me if you’re struggling. I can only fault you if you lie about it.”

I felt like bursting into tears, “I really don’t deserve you.”

She scoffed, “Yes you do. You deserve to be happy just like everyone else.”

I smiled, cupping her cheeks and giving her a soft kiss on the lips.

“Let’s go get some rest. We’re gonna have a busy day tomorrow.”

I took her hand and led her upstairs. Halfway up, Zee ran past us, beating us to bed.

Then I snuggled up with both my ladies and had the best night of sleep I had had in nearly two weeks. Everything was finally right in the world again.

The next morning, Kat and I were at the dance studio before the doors were unlocked. Having already lost a day of rehearsal, we were worried but determined to be back in the top scores. The competition was down to five couples this week. If we wanted to win, we had zero room for error from this point on.

As we went through our stretching routine, Kat got me up to speed on this week’s performance.

“I’ll be honest, I’m nervous about this one. The Lambada is not one that I have a lot of experience with. It’s not been done on the show since 2009 and there’s only been three couples to do it.”

My brows furrowed, “Why?”

She shrugged, “I have no idea. Something about the format of the show. I’m not sure the judges were huge fans either. This dance though…we're either gonna knock it out of the park with your loose hips or we’re going down with an epic failure.”

I cringed, “That sounds encouraging.”

She stood, then pulled me up with her. “We may have an advantage though.”

I huffed out a laugh, “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

She smiled mischievously, “We don’t have a problem getting up close and personal with each other. We also already have a lot of practice with the hip thrusting.”

I couldn’t help it. I cackled.

She laughed, “I’m just calling it as I see it.”

I moved to stand in front of her, awaiting instruction.

“We also have a very strong connection, which is to our benefit too. This is a Latin dance with a lot of movement. It has elements of the Salsa, Samba, and Merengue. You did well with the Salsa, so I think you can handle it. The steps are slow, quick, quick, slow while our entire bodies are undulating.”

I smirked, “Sounds like a piece of cake.”

She held up her finger to silence me, “The Lambada is often called the forbidden dance. It’s meant to be sensual and erotic with close embraces and two bodies moving as one. And not in the same way as the Rumba or the Tango. This is faster, more upbeat.”

I chuckled, “I still see no problem here.”

She rolled her eyes, “The problem is we’re old and it’s gonna wear us out. And well…”

She moved in closer, wrapping my arms around her middle and threw hers around my neck. There were only a few inches between us.

“You know the beginning of Dirty Dancing when it shows all the staff dancing? Grinding up on each other?”

I raised a brow and nodded, “Yeah, why?”

She arched her back toward me, our stomachs touching as she began moving her hips against me. Like, really grinding against me.

I sucked in a sharp breath, getting hard instantly. I stepped away with a tight smile, “Oh. Fuck. Ooook. So, imma have to learn to control my boner. Got it.”

She snickered, “Yeah, that.”

I sighed, “Well, the safest bet would be to have sex right before we go on stage. That should keep him down through the performance at least.”

Kat burst into giggles, “Thank God we talked yesterday, or this would have ended so badly…or not. Who knows?”

“Ugh, I don’t even wanna think about it. That would have been terrible.”

She cleared her throat, “Ok, let’s get serious. How erotic do you wanna get?”

I shrugged, “Don’t hold back. You know me, if they want a show…Imma give em one.”

And with that, we began building our routine. We worked it out quickly, damn near reading each other’s mind in the process. We were back and more in sync than we’d ever been. We may have lost a day of rehearsal, but we more than made up for it. By the end of the session, we had a solid plan. It only needed practicing and tweaking.

By the time behind the scenes filming rolled around on Thursday, we had the routine down. With both of us being in a significantly better mood this week and on the same page with everything, we took the opportunity to relax and have fun. We were full of jokes, teasing each other and breaking into giggling fits over the tiniest things. The camera crew seemed surprised, most likely expecting more angry outbursts and bickering given how things had been going. Overall, it was a good day. The best part was that the day ended with Kat at home with me and Zee.

The rest of the week went by in a blur of rehearsals, self-care to make sure our bodies didn’t give out on us, and just being together. Our bond felt stronger than ever. Kat seemed happy, completely at ease. Whatever had been plaguing her thoughts was now long gone. She no longer held back, sharing her thoughts and feelings whenever it struck her to do so. Every time she told me that she loved me, my heart danced a little in my chest. I never realized how much I needed to hear someone say that to me until her. And now, I crave it constantly.

It was show day before we knew it. Kat and I were there bright and early, the first to go through camera blocking as always. We performed flawlessly each time, both of us all smiles. Things felt different on and off the dance floor this time. Kat was more relaxed in her interactions with me, not hesitating to touch me in any way. There was a flirtiness to her that others were definitely picking up on. The whispers and stares did not go unnoticed by us. None of it seemed to bother or deter her. Given that we only had two weeks left, I figured she was ready to throw caution to the wind.

Since I had missed the production meeting, I had no idea what our costumes looked like. I was surprised to find the color of the week was much brighter than normal. They had Kat in a bright yellow fringe dress that left very little to the imagination. It emphasized her thighs and hips in a way that had me absolutely salivating. I knew it would be a miracle if I made it through the performance without little Bravo making a special guest appearance. I made sure to take a moment to snap a few pictures for social media, and a few other sexier ones for myself.

They had me in a matching yellow shirt with navy trousers. The look was topped off with a navy blazer with light blue and yellow stripes. I didn’t hate it. It was something fun and different, but I doubted the blazer was going to stay. I was sweating bullets before I even put it on. Between nerves and Kat looking fucking amazing, my blood was boiling.

Kat and I were back to our usual antics during hair and makeup, causing a scene of boisterous laughter with our favorite crew as they worked to beautify us. They ended up going with the normal slicked back hair for me. They left Kat’s hair down, styling it into soft bouncy waves that I was dying to run my fingers through. It really was going to be a battle of willpower to behave myself today.

We had dress rehearsal after that. We sailed through without issue, aside from the semi I was sporting from Kat rubbing up on me with all her exposed skin. It had her giggling against my neck as I pulled her in for a hug when the routine concluded. We stayed like that for what was probably too long before pulling apart as I tried to think about anything but her up against me.

We were given leave to entertain ourselves until the show started. So, we went back to my dressing room. Evan was kind enough to drop off some lunch for us because whatever it was catering had wasn’t it. He didn’t stick around for long, giving us a sly smile and a wink as he slinked out the door while being sure to lock it behind him. He must have been picking up on the vibe.

Kat chuckled, “I don’t know why he feels the need to lock the door. Like we’re gonna be getting up to mischief or something.”

I arched a brow at her, “Aren’t we? I was only half joking about the sex before performing thing the other day…”

She smirked, “Oh really?”

I grinned, “Yeah, I mean we’re performing first, right? I say we let fucking be our hype song this week. It’s a good way to get the adrenaline pumping.”

She snorted out a laugh, standing from where she was perched on the vanity.

“All right Bravo, you win.”

She turned her back to me, undoing the skinny strap across her back and the one around her neck. The barely there fabric in the front slipped downward to where she caught it just before it revealed anything.

“How do you want me?” she asked with a seductive tone.

My mouth fell open, “Umm, one moment.”

I stood from my seat, stripping out of my costume - having enough sense to put it on a hanger rather than wadding it up on the floor for once. Kat waited, unmoving, as she watched me in the mirror. I approached her, pulling her hair to the side to kiss down her neck and back as I slid her costume down her thighs. I laid it across one of the empty chairs before taking my usual seat.

I motioned for her to come to me. Once she was standing between my open thighs, I turned her to face away from me. I left a wet path of kisses along her side, working my way down to give her a little nip on her ass cheek, eliciting a giggle that she tried to muffle with her hand. I gently rubbed at the bruise on the other side, shaking my head at her ridiculous behavior.

Then my hand traveled lower, rubbing between her already soaking wet folds. I worked to open her up and get her ready for me. Just when her body began to tremble, I stopped. My leg wedged between her knees as my hands found her hips, pulling her to sit right where I wanted her. She let out a throaty groan, taking me in deep. I guided her movements, keeping it slow and teasing. She tucked her chin against her chest, biting back her breathy moans as she tried to keep it together. I leaned back in the chair, pulling her to lay against my chest - making sure to gather her hair to the side and drape it over my shoulder.

As I wrapped my arms around her torso, she spread her legs wide, allowing me the space to move. I buried my face in the curve of her neck, thrusting slowly. Her hand moved to reach for my hair, but I grabbed it mid-way and tutted at her as I continued to hold on to it. I knew there would be no time to fix that mess if I let her get hold of it.

Within minutes she was on the edge again, all it took was for me to reach down to the apex of her thighs and rub tight circles in just the right spot. She worked to free one of her hands from my grip, biting into the plushy spot just under her thumb to hold back the moans as she trembled on top of me. I moved faster, in almost a relentless pace following behind her soon after. I had to resist the urge to bite onto her shoulder to muffle the sounds of my own pleasure just as one of the production assistants gave the twenty-minute warning outside my door. Kat leaned her head against mine, both of us holding in a laugh as I shifted to sit us upright in the seat.

I chuckled against her shoulder, giving it one last kiss. “That was perfect timing. Guess we better get dressed. Hop up, I’ve got some towels in my bag.”

She huffed out a laugh as she stood, “Came prepared, did ya?”

I pulled said towels from the bag and shrugged, “I gotta be with you around. But also, it was either this or my hand. Something had to happen.”

I gave her one of the towels, both of us smiling like a couple of fools as we wiped away the sweat and wetness. I helped Kat with her costume, fastening the straps and making sure everything was secure. She hadn’t even bothered to go to her dressing room this morning, leaving her bag in mine instead. That turned out to be a good thing so she could touch up her makeup and hair while I got dressed.

By the time we made it to the staging area, we had seven minutes to spare before performing. It was just enough time for the hair and makeup crew to give us one last look over before we were taking our spots on the dance floor. The burst of adrenaline and everything else pumping through my body made the moment seem hazy. It was almost dreamlike as we eyed each other in the dim lighting.

The spotlights dropped down on us as the opening trumpet sounds of 🎶Ain’t it Funny began to play from the band. Kat was in her zone, her eyes blazing with that fire I loved so much. Our energy was off the charts. We were perfectly synchronized as we did our twists and spins, managing to keep our frame compact with full control of our movements. Our bodies rolled in tandem, transitioning to dips and sensual hip action that had the audience going insane.

While we’d had some steamy performances in the past, this one took it to a whole new level. There was a different vibe. It was sexy in a teasing sort of way. We held nothing back, showcasing the connection between us as we moved through the intricate step combos. We could feel it before the dance was over, we knew it was one of our best performances to date.

We tried to play it cool while we waited for our scores, but the glances passing between the two of us said it all. We knew we were not going home tonight, and we were right. Kat and I held on to each other as each score of ten was read off by the judges. They praised us for our comeback after last week, noting that we were only the fourth couple to have ever performed that dance and were the best. None of the other three couples had received a perfect score. We were the first and only ones to make it happen.

Kat and I were on cloud nine for the rest of the evening, both of us giving toothy grins every time the cast or crew complimented us. Marc and Stefanie were still our biggest cheerleaders, acting just as excited about our performance as we were. We returned the favor of course, even if they did score one point lower than us.

The scowls from Alec were obvious. He made no attempt to hide his disdain for us. That did nothing to dampen our mood, especially when we caught a glimpse of Lana shooting a small smile our way when Alec had his back turned. If anything, it only made the entire situation more entertaining.

Once the show was over, we joined Marc and Stefanie at a nearby burger joint to celebrate making it to the final four. It was nice to spend time with new friends and discuss our feelings about the show. We also tried to strategize and make guesses about what they were going to have us do for the finale. In a way, it gave me a better idea of what to expect and helped calm some of the nerves that were brewing in the pit of my stomach.

As of tonight, it was down to us, Marc and Stefanie, Alec and Lana, and Anika and her partner. The finale was shaping up to be full of tension and intense competition. Our main goal was to keep Alec and Anika from winning, but deep-down Kat and I really wanted that fucking trophy. She deserved to end her time on the show with a bang, and I wanted to prove everyone who doubted me wrong. There was no stopping us now.

Next: Week 11

✨FUN FACT: What Kat said about no one doing the Lambada on the show since 2009 is true! There have only been 3 couples out of 33 seasons (so far) to have performed this dance. None of which received perfect scores. I have linked them below if you're interested. Video 1 Video 2 Video 3

A/N: Hello my lovelies! Fucking finally! Right? Our babies are back together! And look at Dieter being all sappy and soft. I love him. Are we shocked Lana is still on her redemption tour? I don't think we can hate her anymore, can we? Then of course we have Lydia and Evan doing their good deeds as well. How about that Instagram Live? Doesn't that song just tear your heart out? And Zee getting in on the action? I think I'd climb over a fence after that too. And what about Kat pouring her little heart out as well? That girl is laying it all out there now. So, we have 2 chapters and the epilogue left after this. Can you believe it? The next chapter is going to be drama filled. All of this dancing is finally going to take it's toll on Kat. Dieter is going to be in a tizzy, taking care of his lady. On top of that, it's Samba week. Yay for more Latin dancing...or not? Alec will be up to his shady shit (yeah, he's not done yet). I will say, the last two chapters will probably be much shorter since things are wrapping up. I mean, I say that, but I may shock myself. You never know with me.

And finally, some housekeeping. I'm sure you've noticed by now that I have struck the "Moonstruck" part of my name. There was a reason for that (aside form it being too fucking long). Expansion! As you can see, I am posting this chapter from a new sideblog. This blog will be solely dedicated to my writing. No nonsense posts. I will eventually be migrating everything over here. Why you ask? I did a poll a while back about this. While most preferred to be tagged, a decent number would rather follow and subscribe to notifications. So, you now have the option to do that without all the clutter. I will still be tagging folks though.

I also added something else new, the Chaos Corner! It will be dedicated to all things Dieter (fics, media, memes, fan art, etc). Fics will be linked by categories and tropes. So go have a look and find some new content. I welcome you to send me some goods to share with the chaos crew. Our trashy friends need all the Dieter content. Lastly, I want to do a quick shutout to my first loves, Dieter and Talia. It is the two year anniversary of Destiny & Deliverance this week. If I can get my shit together, I'm going to try to do a little something for them.

That's it. That's all I've got. Until next time, 💜Mysty

CP Taglist:

@titlee78 @legendary-pink-dot @survivingandenduring @wannab-urs @harriedandharassed

@hisandsnakes @misstokyo7love @readingiskeepingmegoing @runningmom94 @sin-djarin

@cakipy-blog @missladym1981 @guelyury @weho2kcmo @alokaerza

@girlofchaos @trulybetty @bitchwitch1981 @madnessofadaydreamer

@darkheartgatita @jazzloveslatte @timpletance @musings-of-a-rose @samiamproductions

@myloveistoolittle @for-a-longlongtime @copperhalfcent @auteurdelabre @itsdrewharrison

@burntheedges @stevie75 @bunniboo0015 @quicax3 @jackie923

@sherala007 @pastelnap @angelofsmalldeath-codeine @jessthebaker @rebel-held

@gwendibleywrites @senorabond @annalovesflorida @sandaltoesocks @katw474

@txlady37 @inkmonster21 @sunnytuliptime @jeewrites @fifitheragertot

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #dieter bravo #the bubble #dieter bravo x ofc #dancing dieter #reblog love

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mysterious-musings · 2 days ago

Text

Closed Position Masterlist

Last Updated 07/10/2025 ||| Dieter Bravo x OFC

👉 Warnings: Sexual tension, mutual pining, angst, so much smut (we get a little dom and sub Dieter, intimacy, use of a sex toy, sex acts in public, spanking...really it's all too much to list here - it's Dieter, use your imagination), spicy language, themes dealing with intimate partner violence (not by Dieter), past alcohol abuse, past drug abuse, and shitty parents. This will be a slow burn. Read at your own risk. Cat dad / plant dad Dieter comes with his own warnings.

EXTRAS | TEASERS | VIBES | ASKS | PLAYLIST

Prologue

Week 1 - Introductions

Week 2 - Foxtrot

Week 3 - Cha Cha (Part 1)

Week 3 - Cha Cha (Part 2)

Week 4 - Jive (Part 1)

Week 4 - Jive (Part 2)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 1)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 2)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 3)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 4)

Week 6 - Argentine Tango

Week 7 - Paso Doble

Week 8 - Viennese Waltz

Week 9 - Jazz

Week 10 - Lambada

Week 11 - Samba

Week 12 - Finale

Epilogue

✨DIETER’S INSTAGRAM STORIES | POSTS

✨KATARINA’S INSTAGRAM STORIES | POSTS

✨TEXTS WITH DIETER SERIES HERE (NSFW)

✨PLANT DADDY DIETER FINDS HERE (NSFW)

🪩 Enjoying this fic? Check out my others HERE.

If you would like to be added to the tag list, let me know in the comments or shoot me a DM.

Credits: Star divider courtesy of @saradika Sparkle chapter dividers courtesy of @deadbranch Support dividers/MDNI courtesy of @cafekitsune

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #dieter bravo #the bubble #pedro pascal fanfiction #dancing dieter #new masterlist

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mysterious-musings · 2 days ago

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This is sober Dieter’s cooking origin story. He accidentally made one good dish and then decided that was going to be his new sober hobby (aside from being a plant and cat dad, of course). Then he became amazing. 🤣🤣🤣

This is totally his behavior whilst cooking though and I’m not mad about it. 😏

Can Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby Beat Gordon Ramsay at His Own Game?

youtube

@mysterious-musings-chaos-corner Is this yours Dieter? 🤣🤣

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #dieter bravo #the man is a menace #at all times #closed position vibes

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mysterious-musings · 2 days ago

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It has been a while since the beginning. A long ride for sure…😅

Thanks for showing this fic some love, friend. 💜😘

Closed Position Masterlist

Last Updated 07/10/2025 ||| Dieter Bravo x OFC

EXTRAS | TEASERS | VIBES | ASKS | PLAYLIST

Prologue

Week 1 - Introductions

Week 2 - Foxtrot

Week 3 - Cha Cha (Part 1)

Week 3 - Cha Cha (Part 2)

Week 4 - Jive (Part 1)

Week 4 - Jive (Part 2)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 1)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 2)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 3)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 4)

Week 6 - Argentine Tango

Week 7 - Paso Doble

Week 8 - Viennese Waltz

Week 9 - Jazz

Week 10 - Lambada

Week 11 - Samba

Week 12 - Finale

Epilogue

✨DIETER’S INSTAGRAM STORIES | POSTS

✨KATARINA’S INSTAGRAM STORIES | POSTS

✨TEXTS WITH DIETER SERIES HERE (NSFW)

✨PLANT DADDY DIETER FINDS HERE (NSFW)

🪩 Enjoying this fic? Check out my others HERE.

If you would like to be added to the tag list, let me know in the comments or shoot me a DM.

Credits: Star divider courtesy of @saradika Sparkle chapter dividers courtesy of @deadbranch Support dividers/MDNI courtesy of @cafekitsune

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #dieter bravo #the bubble #pedro pascal fanfiction #dancing dieter #reblog love

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mysterious-musings · 2 days ago

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Sigh… now I’m feeling the need to watch Lucien. Thanks. 😅

The way I too would have the same reaction in that scenario. However, I think the feelings would have happened looong before that. 🤭

Best Friends, One Bed

Lucien De Leon x f!Reader

Mature 18+

Word Count: 670ish

WARNINGS: not much to speak of, just touching and rubbing of bits. Of course, Lucien needs a warning of his own, that walking red flag... but honestly, he's very soft here (I know, I know)

Author's Note: I'd love to say I AM BACK! I AM WRITING!! But I don't want to spook my muse. It's still just a little drabble. But words were flowing, and that hasn't happened in a while, so I'll take it!! 💚

Tagging the librarians @pedrostories @littlemisspascal , thanks for what you do!

"You know I don't mind you crashing with me," Lucien laughs as he swipes his key card.

"Thanks Lu Lu."

"Only got one bed though," he says as the door swings open.

"Oh no! Whatever shall we dooo," you laugh.

When you and Lucien were cast in the same show, you were a bit intimidated, and you certainly didn't think you'd met the person who would become your best friend. But you and he became fast friends. He let out your irreverent side, and you grounded him. You knew he was a bit of a dog, and you teased him about it. His response depended on his mood, when he was feeling soft, he'd joke that for you he'd be a Labrador, making his big brown eyes more puppylike, but most of the time he'd get a mischievous look in his eye and tell you what a good boy he can be.

You never put stock in any of it, you've been in close proximity constantly due to the nature of the play, you had done intensive workshopping, you had to do quick changes together and help each other in and out of costumes, you'd fallen asleep on each other many times.

You flop on the bed. It’s nice, springy, the bedding luxurious.

"Wow, even if they hadn't bungled my reservation, my room would never have been this!"

"You need a better agent," Lucien says simply, plopping down on the bed beside you. Both pairs of legs dangling off the edge.

"I need to have more on my resume than 'dead girl' or 'prostitute number 3' on Law and Order."

"It's coming, baby!" Lucien bolsters. "You're gonna steal the show. Doors are gonna open."

Without lifting your head off the bed, you swivel it to smile at him.

"Come on, let's get some sleep, early call tomorrow," You unhook your bra from under your shirt and pull it through your sleeve.

"It's like Houdini or some shit,"he chuckles, pulling the back of the collar of his Hawaiian shirt, taking it off in one swift move, then kicking off his shoes.

Undressed down to underwear and your shirt, you tuck into the soft smooth sheets next to Lucien.

"Night Lulu"

"Night babe," Lucien murmurs pecking you on the cheek.

He comes up behind you to spoon, you laugh, nesting yourself into his warmth, giving you backside a wiggle, and he, in turn, wraps an arm around you, his pelvis gives an involuntary press. This all happens very quickly, innocently, but suddenly, low in your belly, you feel a swoop, warmth spreads, and you become aware of the throb between your legs.

You still, like a deer in headlights.

Lucien feels the sudden tension in your body. He loosens his arm, and his hips pull back.

"Are you okay, I thought... we were just goofing around."

Embarrassment rushes through you. That's what you do. You two goof around, make sex jokes, none of it ever meant anything.

"No, no, you're... you didn't do anything wrong, um..." You stammer, "I just, um, I got super turned on."

You chuckle out a 'sorry' expecting him to join in.

"Really?" His hand tightens on your hip, and his feet draw up to yours, caressing the soles, just the right pressure to keep it from tickling. You try to swallow the whine that comes as he presses more firmly behind you.

"We can keep going..." Lucien breaths in your ear, "lemme take care of you."

Wetness spreads in your underwear, as your clit continues to throb.

You nod, whispering, 'yeah.'

He groans as the rock of his pelvis nestles his hardening length in the cleft of you ass and you let out a small moan.

"So sensitive for me, baby. Are you always so sensitive?" His lips brush the shell of your ear, and he can't resist nibbling on it as his hand snakes down to your core, stopping at your mound.

"Tell me to touch you, baby."

"Lucien, please," you gasp. "Touch me."

💚THANKS FOR READING 💚 REBLOGGING KEEP FIC ALIVE AND COMMENTS MAKE A WRITERS DAY!

If you enjoyed this and would like to read more of my writing, please see my masterlist. And if you want notifications on future writing, follow @grogusmum-writes and set it for notifications.

Tagging fic librarians @pedrostories and @littlemisspascal thanks for all you do!!! 💚

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #lucien de leon #lucien flores #lucien flores fic rec #lucien flores one shot fic rec #fic recs

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mysterious-musings · 2 days ago

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Closed Position Masterlist

Last Updated 07/10/2025 ||| Dieter Bravo x OFC

EXTRAS | TEASERS | VIBES | ASKS | PLAYLIST

Prologue

Week 1 - Introductions

Week 2 - Foxtrot

Week 3 - Cha Cha (Part 1)

Week 3 - Cha Cha (Part 2)

Week 4 - Jive (Part 1)

Week 4 - Jive (Part 2)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 1)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 2)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 3)

Week 5 - Rumba (Part 4)

Week 6 - Argentine Tango

Week 7 - Paso Doble

Week 8 - Viennese Waltz

Week 9 - Jazz

Week 10 - Lambada

Week 11 - Samba

Week 12 - Finale

Epilogue

✨DIETER’S INSTAGRAM STORIES | POSTS

✨KATARINA’S INSTAGRAM STORIES | POSTS

✨TEXTS WITH DIETER SERIES HERE (NSFW)

✨PLANT DADDY DIETER FINDS HERE (NSFW)

🪩 Enjoying this fic? Check out my others HERE.

If you would like to be added to the tag list, let me know in the comments or shoot me a DM.

Credits: Star divider courtesy of @saradika Sparkle chapter dividers courtesy of @deadbranch Support dividers/MDNI courtesy of @cafekitsune

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #dieter bravo #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal smut #new masterlist #💃🏻🪩🕺🏽#dancing dieter

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mysterious-musings · 2 days ago

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His concentration face really does something for me…😏

PEDRO PASCAL, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach play Marvel Rivals

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal gifs #pedro pascal interview

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mysterious-musings · 2 days ago

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By @largoandedittart

#hard core #closed position vibes #dieter & kat #fic inspo

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mysterious-musings · 2 days ago

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Thank you for including Dieter and Kat on your list, my friend! I was excited to get back to them. 💜😘

What I read in July

Another month another recap, another load of great fics. Really I'm always amazed at what I read. I've been deep into a Din hole and read a few amazing series I most highly recommend. (Posting a little early because I'm not allowed to read more fics until the end of the month since I have a book to finish start for my book club)

Recap : 667 057 word count - 36 stories - Joel is still first in terms of stories, but in word count it's definitely Din that takes the lead. Frankie baby, you're still in the top 3 don't worry.

✨ indicates my favorites

Please comment and reblog the works you read. That’s how it makes these wonderful authors thrive. And as it was brought up, go and read older fics. I promise you it’s worth it.

Let me start here with 2 Din and 1 Frankie series that blew my mind away.

✨ ✨ Pas de Deux @burntheedges - Din x f! reader - completed series - This ballet AU is such a great fic. The way the story manages to mix canon elements of the show in a modern setting, but also manages to make a story of it's own, with also so many details on ballet, it's mind blowing.

✨ ✨ The World is light embodied @davnittbraes - Din x f!reader - completed series - This story is wonderful, detailed, with a lot character development from reader and also Din, and also action, and sweet menace that is Grogu. I really had a hard time letting them go. I feel like there is so much more to say, but just give a try.

✨ ✨The World tiped on it's side @idolatrybarbie - Frankie x disabled f!reader - completed series - This story pulled my heart, made it hurt a little but mostly soothed it. I'm already very much in love with Frankie but this one might be one of my favorite. The description of reader's struggle from her disability, be it the mourning of her past life and the day to day hardship made it so much more real and gripping.

Joel Miller

✨Healed @whocaresstillthelouvre - Joel x f!reader - ongoing series - Still in love with this series and with these two. Joel gets all the comfort he deserves. From the Ground Up @ak-vintage - Joel x f!reader - ongoing series - Always great to get back to this story, I really love this reader and can't wait to read the rest. What If? @bluestar22x - Joel x f!reader - ongoing series - Always happy to see the next chapter of this adventure! Reliving parts of season 2 is always hard but I can't wait to see what's next. Are you ready to love me? @schnarfer - Joel x f!reader - ongoing series - Please, those two will be the death of me. Joel get head out of your ass! ✨Men may kiss men @sizzlingcloudmentality - Joel x OMC - One shot - If the title doesn't make you want to read it, let me just add: heat, lake, kissing and such great description you feel it all. Cat distribution system @cxrsed-angel - Joel x reder - One shot - A cat and a reluctant cat dad Joel, what else can I say? ✨It Tastes of Magic @sawymredfox - Joel x OFC Sage - on going series - This story is beautiful, and the elements of magic in it are just perfectly instilled in it. ✨Not the begging type & Simple pleasures @julesonrecord - Joel x f!reader - Two parts - Two short stories, one part set before outbreak, one after. Two different vibes and both extremely good. ✨Strike @secretelephanttattoo - Joel x f!reader - completed series - There is a bit of bowling in the air with @ppcu-bowl-a-rama summer shenanigans, I felt like a reread was necessary and it was exactly what I needed. It feels like a good laugh, a warm hug and great kiss ✨Never made it as a wise man @almostempty - divorced!Joel x f!reader - series - Listen, is this Joel a little pathetic? Yes. Is he hot? Hell yes. Do I want him? Yes again. No actually, I NEED him. Animals goodwithcheese (on AO3) - Joel x f!reader - Scavenger Joel and sex pollen, that's all i'll say (read the tags, I didn't and was in for quite a surprise 😅)

Din Djarin

The Arrangement @baronessvonglitter - Din x f!reader - one shot - I love the kind of stories that leave wanting for more, in this one of them. ✨The Visitor: part 1 @whocaresstillthelouvre - Husband Din Djarin x OMC! Jedi Kalel x Female Reader - ongoing series - My only comment will be: 🔥🫠 (thank you so much for making this fantasy I didn't know I needed come true) ✨ Their God was war itself a_dope_dope (on A03) - Din x f!reader - completed series - This was something. It's unlike a lot of the Din fics I've read. It's very much horror like in some part (at least that's how it felt to me) but also very emotional and the characters' development is so good! Safest With You @604to647 - Din x f!reader - completed series - Such a sweet yet angsty story. I gobbled it in a few days. NSFW Be-all and Endor alphabet @djarins-cyare - Din x f!reader - I'm blushing thinking about this very NSFW alphabet. A perfect addition to an already perfect story.

Frankie Morales

The Blind date @avastrasposts - Frankie x f!reader - one shot - Such a sweet sweet date. I'm yearning. ✨A Dark and Stormy night @grogusmum - werewolf frankie x f!reader - one shot - Well who knew I'd be into werewolf Frankie? I'm very much into it now. Hands on me @berryispunk - Frankie x f!reader - one shot - yeah Frankie, 🫠 Heatwave @berryispunk - Frankie x f!reader - one shot - Never get into a strangers car, unless it's this Frankie. I'd go in his car anytime. ✨Good Evening Jolapeno (on AO3) - Frankie x f!reader - I'm manifesting this for myself, Frankie coming home late and whatever happens there. ✨Theorems of longing Jolapeno (on AO3) - Frankie x f!reader - I'm loving the slow burn in this story, teacher Frankie does stuff to my brain I can't explain. ✨The Boyfriend Act @capuccinodoll - Frankie x f!reader - I adore this fic, I can't get enough and I can't wait for more

Dieter Bravo

✨What it means to burn @quinnnfabrgay-writes - Dieter x f!reader - one shot - The visual in here, the heat, the yearning, the kiiiiss! Closed Position @mysterious-musings-writes - Dieter x OFC Katarina - I missed those two, I was so happy to read get back to them.

Javier Peña

Don't come yet @wheresarizona - Javier Peña x f!reader - one shot - I think the title says it all. Hot! Can you see right through me @theywereafairy - Javier Peña x f!reader - one shot - emotionally detached Javi with emotionally detached reader, what could go wrong? They might actually work together Fate wanted it that way @myownwholewildworld - Javier Peña x f!reader - one shot - Such a sweet little story.

Other P boys

Welcome to the neibourhood @secretelephanttattoo - Marcus Pike x f!reader - one shot - El writes the best Marcus P, of course it's her man. But I'm happy she likes to share him in stories like these. ✨Afterword @secretelephanttattoo - Marcus Moreno x f!reader - completed series - Another reread, another great story, and with Pedro in aprons during the F4 press your I think you have enough images to help you picture Marcus M in his apron here. Hey Sugar Baby! @sceletaflores - Harry Castillo x f!reader - one shot - loved this sweet Harry story! ✨It Lingers @baronessvonglitter - Dave York x f!reader - one shot - Dave you bastard, please brake me emotionally, I'm a willing participant to this toxic relationship. @aurorawritestoescape delicious part 1 & part 2 Reed Richards x f!reader - Being obsessed by Reed after the movie this is a perfect way to quench my thirst for him.

My own writing (not a very prolific month)

Take me home tonight - Frankie x f!reader - 3,5k words | Angst with a happy ending

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #dieter bravo #fic recs #awesome fic rec list #fic love

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mysterious-musings · 2 days ago

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Thanks for the reblog love @lfdybadgirlsdiw! 💜😘

Buried Secrets Chapter 2: The Divine Source

Buried Secrets Masterlist || Main Masterlist

Summary: After the harrowing events in South America, Frankie and the guys have returned home and opened their own private security business. They're eventually approached by an archeologist, named Mya, who is requesting their specialized services for an archeological expedition in the Amazonian jungle of southeastern Peru, hours away from where they stashed Lorea's money just over the border in the mountains of northern Chile. Frankie is hesitant to accept the job, but with Pope's insistence this could be their cover to go back for the money, he relents. However, Frankie soon learns their new job assignment only further puts them and his new love interest in danger in an unexpected way as they set out to find the lost Incan city of Paititi.

Word Count: 10.6k

👉 Warnings: smut (MDNI), angst, mentions of mental health struggles and past drug use (it's Frankie), there are bad guys with weapons (gun violence, physical violence, death). Frankie Morales comes with his own warnings.

Chapter A/N: The beginning of this chapter was previously released as a longer teaser, but there have been minor changes since then. So, if you feel like you have read the first little bit, that could be why. 😉

Chapter Quote: “You’re already pissing me off and we haven’t even started yet…”

Frankie’s POV I stood leaning against the door frame to my office, arms crossed over my chest as I listened to Benny run through our options for schedule changes. Will stood nearby, listening intently and occasionally offering up his opinion. He was about to speak when his attention was drawn to movement outside the front window, “Hey guys, looks like we got a new client. A fancy blacked-out SUV just pulled up.”

That automatically had my attention, my mind jumping to thoughts of a similar vehicle passing by my house a couple of weeks prior.

Benny moved to stand next to his brother to peer out the window, “Oh damn, this chic’s hot.”

That was Pope’s siren call. He immediately stuck his head out of his office after spending the last 30 minutes ignoring our conversation about scheduling issues while he no doubt played games on his phone.

“Did you say you needed me, Ben?” he asked nonchalantly, just as our topic of conversation walked in. Pope nearly tripped over his own feet when he caught sight of her. Not that I could blame him. She commanded the attention of the room as soon as she stepped over the threshold and took off her expensive looking sunglasses.

For me, it really didn’t have anything to do with her looks. She just had this magnetic aura that drew you in and intimidated the fuck out of you. She was dressed in a black pants suit that hugged her curves in all the right places, yet still leaving everything to the imagination. Her spiked heels added a few inches to her height as she confidently walked across the lobby with her shoulders back and chin up. Her long mahogany hair swung around her shoulders, perfectly straight with no strands out of place. She was sexy as fuck and not our typical clientele.

We all seemed to be stunned into silence as she came to a stop just in front of where we had congregated near the conference room entrance. Benny was the one to speak up first, standing a little straighter before he opened his mouth. “Hi there ma’am, can we help you with something?” he sputtered out.

“I’d like to speak with Mr. Morales please,” she said without hesitation.

Benny stood there, mouth hanging open as his eyes shifted to me. Will spoke then, “Mr. Morales typically doesn’t meet with new clients. Mr. Miller here and I handle that.”

She feigned a polite smile, “I realize that, but I would prefer to speak with the owner directly as this is a bit urgent and sensitive. I’m sure you can understand.”

Her tone made it clear that was her final answer. Pope obviously didn’t read the room as he stepped forward to intervene, turning on his charm and giving his best flirty smile, “If you wanna step into my office, we can have a chat about your situation. I’m sure I can get you taken care of.”

Her eyes narrowed on him, a playful smirk forming on her lips as she scanned him from head to toe, “I don’t believe you’re Mr. Morales.”

Pope’s mouth dropped open, then snapped shut. That wasn’t the response he was expecting. The woman’s eyes shifted to me as her smile widened, “But you are. Mind if we have a chat in private?”

I was momentarily frozen by the intensity of her gaze, then confused about how she knew I was who she was looking for. My brows arched as I pursed my lips. We just sort of stared at each other for a brief moment. It felt like she was analyzing every move I made as her gaze raked over me. I uncrossed my arms and moved aside, motioning for her to step into my office.

I glanced over at the guys, all three of them watching her retreating form. If I looked hard enough, I could probably see the drool coming out of Pope’s mouth as he salivated over the possibilities. His eyes finally met mine, sparkling with mischief as he smiled and said, “Será mejor que cierres ese trato.” (You better close that deal.)

I rolled my eyes at his insinuation, “Vete a la mierda,” (Fuck off.)

I could hear Benny and Will snickering as I turned to join the puzzling woman waiting in my office. After closing the door behind me, I was met with her amused expression as she stood with one arm across her chest, the other propped on it so she could rest her chin on her fingers.

“Do you always let him flirt with clients?” she asked in an amused tone.

I shrugged, “I do enjoy watching him stick his foot in his mouth. I can’t help myself.”

She chuckled as our gazes met. My heart rate suddenly spiked as I cleared my throat and moved to lean against the desk, “So, you gotta name? Seems like you already know mine.”

She smiled, not moving from where she stood, “Sorry, that was rude of me to not introduce myself. I’m Mya Carnahan.”

I crossed my arms, “Well, Miss Carnahan, what can Delta 5 Security Solutions help you with?”

She dropped her hands to her sides, smiling up at me through her lashes, “Getting right to it then…I like that.”

I bit the inside of my cheek as I watched her unbutton her blazer. Her hands snaked into the pockets of her pants as she began to pace my office and claim control over our conversation. I could already tell she was going to be a problem. I just wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad one. Maybe both.

“I’ll be leading an archeological dig in the Southeastern Peruvian jungle. I’m gonna need security for my team while we’re there.”

My brows furrowed, “And why would an archeological dig site need our kind of security?”

She paused her pacing to look at me, “The locals won’t exactly be excited about it. Many believe those sites should remain untouched because of old Incan legends. We also have the narcos to worry about. I’m sure you’re aware drugs are heavily trafficked down there?”

I nodded, obviously very familiar with that fact. I was already feeling reluctant about taking this on. I knew exactly what this would lead to once I told Pope about it. The location was too close to where we stashed Lorea's money. He would want to go back for it. I also had a weird feeling about this situation. I didn’t know if I could trust this woman.

“The narcos sometimes move product through those remote areas, have stash houses, and even cultivate in the middle of the jungle. If we were to...unknowingly encroach on their territory, they wouldn’t hesitate to put an end to things.”

I pushed off my desk, moving to stand with my hands on my hips, “Not trying to be rude, but you don’t strike me as an archaeologist. What exactly is it that you do, Miss Carnahan?”

Her eyes were fixed on me as she fought a smile, “When I’m not digging up mummies and old relics, I’m an antiquities dealer. Before you ask…I’m a reputable dealer with ethical sourcing.”

I arched a brow. Somehow, I doubt that. “Who’s your benefactor? I know these digs are expensive. Do I need to be concerned that they’ve pissed anyone off?”

She tucked her plump bottom lip between her teeth, deciding on how to respond. Thoughts of biting that lip myself flashed through my mind. I had to quickly shove them away.

“That’s confidential information. I’ve been asked to keep it under wraps. Best I can give is that he’s a well-off gentleman that does business on a global scale. So yes, he’s probably pissed a few people off. He doesn’t want his name attached to it. As far as anyone is concerned, the dig is funded by donations, which isn’t completely untrue.”

I scoffed, “I’m sorry, but if you can’t give me all the information, then I’m not interested in taking this on. I require a certain level of trust with our clients, and I don’t take unnecessary risks.”

She ignored my response, pacing again and continuing on as if I hadn’t just told her no.

“I haven’t gotten my team fully assembled yet, but I’m thinking we'll have 30-40 people. We’ll need at least one pilot to fly some of the bigger equipment in. Though, I’d prefer two, just in case we need to make a quick exit. We’re planning to be there for at least three months for the initial expedition. We leave in two weeks.”

I stared at her wide-eyed, “Did you hear what I just said? I’m not interested unless you give me all the information I ask for. And who says we have pilots and enough staff on hand to travel to the Peruvian jungle for three months on short notice?”

She was smiling at me again as she approached, crowding my space as we stood toe to toe.

“You’re a pilot, right? There’s one…and I know you hire veterans, so I’m betting you have another one. I’d also wager that a lot of your guys would jump at an opportunity to do something like this. I’m sure your three out front would if given the opportunity.”

How the fuck does she know so much? I was beginning to worry this might be some sort of setup to get us back to South America. The thoughts of that blacked out SUV flashed through my mind again.

“How do you know I’m a pilot?” I asked as I held her gaze.

She turned to look around my office and motioned to the pictures on the wall. I chuckled and nodded. That was a rookie mistake, Fish.

“I don’t do field work anymore…and like I said…you haven’t told me all the information.”

She leaned in just a little closer, still giving me that sweet smile as the scent of vanilla and jasmine invaded my senses. “I’m fairly confident you’re not gonna turn me down, Mr. Morales. You’re too intrigued.”

I’m not sure intrigued is the correct word at this point.

She pulled a business card from her pocket and held it out in offering. I took it, tracing my fingers over the glossy black material. I briefly examined the shiny gold embossed lettering that spelled out Hathor’s Gallery of Antiquities framed with a gold border. Even her fucking business card seemed expensive.

“I need to know something by noon tomorrow, or else I’m moving on to another security firm.”

My head snapped up to meet her gaze, “Another firm? There’s no one else locally that can provide what you need.”

She gave me a smug smile, “You sure about that?”

She had to be fucking with me. I couldn’t help puffing out my chest as I replied, “Yeah, I am.”

She moved to open the door, pausing to look back over her shoulder in my direction, “By noon, or else I’m moving on.”

“We haven’t even discussed payment details,” I added following her to the lobby.

She halted in the middle of the waiting area to look my way, “You only need to name your price, and I’ll pay it.”

I could feel the eyes of Benny, Will, and Pope on us as we stared each other down for a beat. I didn’t know how to respond to that as I stood with my jaw clenching.

“We’ll talk more tomorrow once you’ve officially made your decision," she said as she turned toward the exit. She shifted her attention to the guys still standing outside the conference room entrance, “Mr. Garcia, try to stay outta trouble…Millers, enjoy your afternoon.”

Without another word, she was gone, climbing into the back of the SUV as the driver held the door open for her.

“What the hell was that?” Benny asked.

I sighed and shook my head, “I...don’t fucking know.”

They stood with curious stares, waiting for me to elaborate. Instead, I waved them off and returned to my office. I needed to think through this before I shared anything with them.

After sitting down at my desk, I pulled up the internet browser to do a little research. Hathor’s Gallery of Antiquities had been in business for several years. At least that part of her story added up. It was a legitimate business with a history. As I clicked around on their website, I came across the staff page where I found Mya’s picture next to the title of ‘Owner and Head Curator’.

I sat staring at the image, realizing there was something familiar about her, but I couldn’t figure out what. Had we met before? That would certainly explain how she knew who I was. No. That’s not it. There was no way I would forget her. There was something about the way she looked, alluring and mysterious.

My mind drifted back to the blacked-out SUV. Had she been spying on us? She made it obvious that she knew who we all were. How would none of us have noticed that? My gut was telling me something was off about this whole thing. However, she was right. I was intrigued, to put it mildly.

I continued to click around on the website, eventually coming to a donation page for the Archaeology Preservation Foundation. Listed there were high level details about the proposed expedition. She wasn’t lying about it being funded by donations, but how much could she really get from that? Something like this was going to cost a lot of money, yet she told me to name my price.

I sank back into the seat and rubbed my hands down my face. This was too good to be true. There had to be a catch. There was a certain level of danger that came along with this, of course, but it did give us a legitimate reason to enter Peru - no fake documents or cover stories needed. We could go down early under the guise of checking out the area for security purposes, fly right over the border, grab the money, then return to the site.

I had to chastise myself for even going there. I had done nothing but continuously shut Pope down on this, and here I was doing the same damn thing that I had been giving him hell for. There was no way we could accept this job because I knew that it was only going to lead to trouble.

My thoughts were interrupted by Benny knocking on the door before sticking his head in, “Hey Fish, you ready to head to the gym for training?”

I glanced at my watch, realizing I had been ruminating on this for an hour and a half. I nodded, “Shit…yeah…sorry, lost track of time. I’ll meet you there.”

I puffed air out of my cheeks before standing and gathering my things. I made my way to the truck, telling Pope and Will that I would see them at the bar later as I exited.

When I got to the gym, Benny was already doing leg presses. I quickly changed clothes and joined him but was completely distracted the entire time by my thoughts. Initially I was focused on Lorea’s money, but then my thoughts drifted to Mya Carnahan. I could not wrap my mind around her. She was a puzzle that I couldn’t figure out. Her cool confidence and authoritative attitude baffled me. She was beautiful, no question about it, but she also felt dangerous. There was something enticing about that thought, causing a sudden urge to explore that feeling a little more and get to know her. Though something told me she was going to push every button I had and enjoy the hell out of it. I was now realizing there was a very real possibility that I might enjoy it too.

Benny pulled me from my thoughts again, “Sooo, you gonna tell us what that meeting was about?”

I shook my head, “I dunno…I haven’t decided yet. I may turn it down. It’s…risky…for several reasons.”

He chuckled, “Yeah, but if we get to work with someone who looks like that…it might be worth it.”

I scoffed and shook my head as I met his gaze, “You sound just like Pope.”

He shrugged, “I’m just calling it as I see it. She’s hot. You should ask her out before Pope does…just to piss him off if nothing else.”

I laughed, “I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t give that asshole the time of day. Her taste seems a little too refined…for either of us.”

Benny was smirking now, “You sure about that? She definitely seemed interested in you…Mr. Morales.”

He said my name in a high-pitched suggestive tone before chuckling to himself. My eyes narrowed on him, “Fuck off. She didn’t say it like that.”

His brows arched, “You sure? She definitely had a tone...”

I rolled my eyes as I reached for the handle to release the footplate on the leg press machine to begin a new set of reps. I wasn’t going to bother to entertain that conversation any further, that didn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about it though.

After finishing with the weights, we moved to one of the sparring rings. It wasn’t my best day, still too distracted to focus on Benny’s movements. He at least got some practice in, even if it wasn’t much of a challenge. After having my ass handed to me for what felt like the hundredth time, I gave up. Waving my white flag and begging him to move on to the punching bag or call it a day.

Given the time, we decided to head out. I ran home to take a quick shower before throwing on a fresh set of clothes and grabbing my hat. Afterward, I was on my way to meet the guys at our favorite dive bar. I had given up drinking along with the coke, but I didn’t see any reason to impede on their fun. I still joined them, gorging myself on hot wings and soda instead of beer and tequila.

I was still on the fence about telling the guys what my meeting with Mya was about, they however, were not giving me any choice on the matter. The badgering began as soon as I sat down at the table. Will seemed more concerned than anything when he inquired. Pope jumped in, being pushy and accusing me of keeping it to myself because I was interested in Mya. He wasn’t completely wrong. I was interested, but I wasn’t entirely sure in what capacity. Benny just wanted to know because he’s a nosey bitch, but also curious about the odd interaction he had witnessed between us in the office.

I managed to deflect the conversation to another topic the first time it came up. However, that didn’t stop them from throwing jabs at me about it as the night went on. After kicking all their asses at darts, just like I did every time we were there, we settled into our usual secluded corner booth and ordered some wings and another round of beer for them and soda for me.

Pope inevitably turned the conversation to the bags of cash we had stashed in the Andes, making me feel more anxious than usual. Having new knowledge and a possible plan brewing in my head made me feel fidgety and keyed up. Pope picked up on it immediately. The fact that I hadn’t told him to drop it yet was probably a red flag too. His whispered words about his latest plan trailed off as he eyed me, “What’s going on, Fish? You good?”

I shrugged, not bothering to look at him as I spoke. “Yeah, I just wish you would stop bringing this up. You know how I feel about it.”

He leaned forward to catch my gaze, his eyes focusing intently on mine. “What's going on, hermano? Did you…”

It took a few seconds to dawn on me that he thought I had slipped and fell back on old habits. I could see why, because my behavior was…off.

I shook my head, “No. Estoy bien.” (I’m fine.)

He didn’t look convinced as his brows furrowed in doubt. I sighed, rubbing at the back of my neck as my eyes drifted around the small table. I could now see the worry and concern etched on each of their faces. Fuck. I’m gonna have to tell them.

“That woman that came in today…she has a job for us…”

They all looked confused by the turn of conversation. I leaned back in my seat, still debating telling them even though I knew I was going to. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t something I could keep from them, no matter how much I wanted to.

I let out a steady breath before continuing, “It’s…an archaeological dig…in Southeastern Peru.”

I stopped there, allowing them to digest that small bit of information. It was obvious when realization hit, causing their eyes to light up from the possibilities of the assignment. Pope was the first to speak, “Fish, we’ve gotta take that. This is our chance…”

I held up my hand to quiet him, “I know, but I do have some concerns…”

They waited for me to continue, all three leaning closer with wide eyes. Pope looked like he was damn near vibrating out of his seat.

“There’s something…off about this woman…and it seems too good to be true. What if she’s working for the cartels…luring us down there to get us killed? She’s purposely holding back information, and I don’t like that. I’m not sure if we can trust her. There’s a lot of risks here. And even if the job is legit…there’s a very real possibility of live fire. She claims to need security because of the locals and cartels operating in the area. It could get messy…”

Benny grimaced, “Not to be Captain Obvious here, but we run a personal security business. There’s always gonna be risk and a chance for live fire. We knew that going in. If it’s a legit job, that’s literally what we’re here for…to protect people. Whether it be here or Peru.”

Damn him and his rational way of thinking. Pope of course was quick to agree. Will, on the other hand, was not. He glanced over at his brother and jerked his chin up toward me as he began to speak, “No, Fish is right. There are additional risks here. What if it’s a trap? Even if it’s not, what if they know it’s us and find out we’re there? We need to consider all that before deciding…”

At least one of them sees it my way. I nodded along with what Will said, jumping in to share more details. “This woman knew things about us. I don’t know how much, but she knows who we are. I think she’s been watching us…I’m almost positive I saw that black SUV pass my house a few weeks back.”

Pope slumped back in his seat, the weight of my words finally sinking in. Benny stared at me in confusion, “Why would she need to spy on us for that though?”

I shrugged, reaching for my glass of soda and taking a sip to soothe my suddenly dry mouth before responding. “That’s the 250 million-dollar question. Like I said, something is off about the whole thing. And besides that, the expedition lasts three months…in the middle of the Amazon jungle. If it is legit, it won’t be easy.”

I could tell the wheels were turning in all their heads as we sat in silence for several minutes. It was Pope who finally broke it, “What if we check into her, get some more background…see who she’s affiliated with…”

I chuckled, “That would be ideal, but we don’t have time. I have to let her know something by tomorrow or else she says she’s moving on to another security firm.”

Will’s brows pinched together, “There’s no one else around here that can handle that…”

I nodded along, “I know…that’s what I said, but she insisted she had another firm in mind.”

All three mumbled out an annoyed, “bullshit” in unison. I shared their sentiment because I knew we were the best. No other firm came close to offering what we could.

Will peered over at me with a pensive look, “What’s your gut telling you?”

I puffed air out of my cheeks as I leaned forward, placing my elbows on the table. “I honestly don't know. I couldn’t get a read on her.”

I pulled my hat off to push my hair away from my face before plopping it back onto my head. “Maybe…Maybe I go talk with her tomorrow…See what other information I can get and go from there? I need some questions answered before we agree to anything.”

They all nodded as apprehensive looks passed between them, letting the silence stretch out for a beat. Benny’s lips tugged upward as he met my gaze, “So…if she passes the vibe check, you gonna ask her out? Because if not…”

The admonishing look I shot Benny’s way caused his words to trail off into a snicker. “If we take this job…she’s off limits.” I cut my eyes toward the one I was most worried about following that rule, “You hear me, Pope? She’s a client. Nothing else.”

They all exchanged knowing glances before Pope spoke, “I’ll be sure to remind you of that as needed, hermano.”

I rolled my eyes as I stood from the table, “I don’t have to stick around and listen to this shit.”

Benny laughed before elbowing his brother, leaning over to speak conspiratorially, “He’s gotta go get his beauty sleep…can’t be looking haggard when he meets with the hot archaeologist.”

They all laughed louder than necessary. I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose, “Keep it up Ben, and I’ll dock your pay and leave your ass on desk duty while we’re living out your Indiana Jones fantasies in the middle of the Amazon jungle.”

He was not amused by that, scoffing before giving me the middle finger. I returned the sentiment with a playful grin. Having gotten the last word, I made my exit.

Ben wasn’t far off; I did want to get a decent night’s rest before my conversation with Mya. I felt like I needed to be alert and on top of my game. I needed to sort out my thoughts and think through the things I wanted answers to. I wasn’t sure if I would get any of it from her, but I was damn sure going to try.

I took my time going through my routine the next morning, even having an extra cup of coffee before heading out the door. I was feeling strangely anxious about my impending conversation, and I didn’t really understand why.

When I parked in front of Hathor's Gallery of Antiquities, I felt a tightening in my chest. It was a familiar feeling that I hadn’t had in some time, not since Lorea’s. I felt like I was going into battle.

I inhaled a few deep breaths, attempting to clear my muddled thoughts as I took in the exterior of the gallery. It had an old-world feel in the design with large columns lining the entryway. There were two identical statues on either side of the doors. They looked to be Egyptian, a woman with horns supporting a red circular disk as a crown.

Curiosity got the best of me as I pulled out my phone, doing a quick google search for “Hathor Egypt”. I tapped on the first link in the search results. The included images on the page banner looked similar to the statues in front of the establishment. I scrolled down, one passage catching my attention:

Hathor is known as the Egyptian goddess of love (among other identities). She possessed the ability to manipulate any mortal, God, or beast to do her bidding. She is known to be as wild and menacing as she is warm-hearted and seductive. She did not hesitate to inflict harm on those who stood in her path and would do whatever necessary to reach her goals.

Hathor was consort to many gods, but most notably acted as the Eye of Ra. She served as Ra’s feminine equal, often called ‘The Golden One’, wielding his powers and becoming vengeful in her pursuit to protect him from his enemies. In these instances, she is sometimes depicted as four striking cobras or a lioness…

I had to stop reading as goosebumps formed on my flesh. Something about that description had my head spinning. I had a feeling that the goddess Hathor was not chosen at random. If anything, I felt like I was reading a description of Mya, but I wasn’t sure why considering I had hardly spent any time with her. I sighed, slipping my phone back into my pocket as I stepped out of the truck and made my way toward the entrance.

The inside of the gallery looked about how you would expect, matching the old-world aesthetics of the outside and feeling oddly like a museum. The same large columns from the outer entrance were strategically placed along the inner atrium. I realized now they had intricate carvings that extended to various stone focal points on the walls. My eyes were drawn to a carving of four cobras above a mural depicting an Egyptian deity who had the head of a bird and was standing on a boat. There was something about it that drew me in and held my attention. So much so, that I didn’t hear the petite brunette approach and come to a stop at my side.

I could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke, “Ra’s journey across the sky…it’s a beautiful representation of the story.”

I glanced over at her with a small smile of my own, “Oh yeah? What’s it represent?”

Her eyes sparked and suddenly seemed excited that someone had shown interest. “Do you know much about Egyptian gods?” she asked.

I shook my head, “Very little, but I do find the subject fascinating.”

Her smile widened, “Ra was a God of Gods and father to the pharaohs…he ruled the sun and heavens….and was known as the giver of life. He was a protector but had the capacity to bring great destruction. He’s often depicted with the head of a falcon wearing the sun disc as a crown to symbolize his power and connection to the sky.”

She paused, raising her hand to the mural, pointing out small details as she continued, “This is one of the most popular reliefs of Ra… it shows him sailing the celestial waters on his solar boat by day. By night, he battles the serpent known as Apophis…it’s meant to show the struggle between light and darkness.”

Oddly enough, I found Ra to be incredibly relatable. Too bad he didn’t have the head of a catfish instead. I turned to the woman beside me with questioning eyes, “I’m assuming this mural was chosen for a reason. How does it relate to the goddess, Hathor?”

She gave me a toothy grin. “You’re very astute. Hathor was the wife of Ra and his defender. She was also known as the divine mother of Pharaohs. She’s often referenced as the Eye of Ra…” she said as her small hand moved to point at another prominent figure in the mural.

“The sun disc on her crown is often represented as an eye…she joins Ra on the voyage, stealthily surveilling for signs of danger from Apophis.”

I had to laugh to myself given I had just been drawing parallels between Mya and Hathor and myself and Ra. It almost seemed like a cruel joke. I half wondered if Benny had set this up as payback for threatening his Indiana Jones fantasies.

My attention shifted back to the woman, still giving her a gentle smile, “Well, that was a riveting history lesson. I wasn’t expecting to learn something new when I walked through the door.”

The woman smiled up at me, flushing slightly as her eyes scanned my face. She held out her hand, “I’m sorry, I should have introduced myself before I started rambling. I’m Emily, head Archivist.”

I shook her hand, “Frankie Morales…and not a problem. It was interesting, really.”

Her eyes widened slightly, “Oh, Mr. Morales…Miss Carnahan said you might be stopping by.”

My brows pinched together as she turned and motioned for me to follow her. I never said I would be stopping by…

I followed behind Emily, watching as she pulled out her phone, furiously texting as she shuffled through the building. We eventually came to a long hallway with two very large ornately carved oak doors at the end. She turned toward me with a timid smile, not looking at me directly.

“Miss Carnahan’s office is just through those doors. She’s expecting you.”

She gave me a small head nod before disappearing in the direction we had come. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, noting her odd dismissal before making my way to the double doors and feeling my stomach flutter slightly.

When I entered, the sheer size of the space took me off guard. There were floor to ceiling shelves covered in books on every wall, small tables with scrolls and books stacked haphazardly, and a large wooden desk with two leather wingback chairs in front of it. The same large columns found throughout the building separated the space into smaller sections. My eyes finally drifted to Mya, who was leaning over a large wooden table covered in maps, documents, and more books. Her attention was intently focused on whatever she was looking at.

I ambled toward her, taking in the curve of her ass in the tight black leather-like pants she was wearing. Her loose and flowy black satin blouse draped over her torso with the front of it tucked in. It had a dangerously low v-neckline that framed a gold medallion necklace hanging between her barely covered breasts. Her hair was twisted up into a messy bun, held in place with what looked like a pencil? She was barefooted, having abandoned the very tall strappy heels that sat nearby. She had dark rimmed glasses perched on the end of her nose as she shuffled some pages around.

She looked like a fucking dream. The words from the passage I had read, manipulative and seductive, passed through my mind again. I needed to watch myself with her. It already felt like she had some sort of power over me, and I was pretty sure my dick was taking the lead on submitting to it. Maybe Pope was right. Maybe I did need to get laid - by someone other than her just so I could get it out of my system.

She peered up at me over the top of her glasses, still leaning forward and causing her low neckline to hang loosely from her body, which revealed the curve of her breast. She definitely wasn’t wearing a bra. My brain must have short circuited over the sight, because I had apparently stopped several feet in front of her, staring like an idiot.

Her brows arched as she smirked at me and stood upright, “It’s good to see you Mr. Morales. I wondered if you would be stopping by today.”

I cleared my throat, “How did you know I wouldn’t just call?”

She reached up and pulled the pencil from her hair, shaking the silky looking strands loose as they fell around her shoulders. She ran her fingers through it as she approached me with a teasing look, “Something told me this was a conversation you would wanna have in person.”

I diverted my eyes, trying my hardest not to look at her chest as she fiddled with her hair. My gaze landed on her bare feet, realizing her toes were painted a deep red color. It felt strangely intimate to see her bare feet. My attention was drawn away from them by her chuckle as she stopped in front of me, “You see something you like Mr. Morales?”

I choked out a laugh, “I just think it’s funny you’re walking around barefooted. You seem a little too…sophisticated…to do something like that.”

She was still giving me that fucking smirk when my eyes finally met hers. I now realized they were the deepest shade of blue, like sapphires. I could easily get lost in them.

“I apologize; my feet were killing me. It’s been a long day already…but, you have a lot to learn about me, Mr. Morales. I’m only sophisticated when the occasion calls for it,” she finally said.

She enunciated the word ‘sophisticated’ in a mocking tone, like it was a joke.

I smirked back at her, “Excuse me. My mistake. I guess I do have a lot to learn…how about we start with how you seem to know so much about me and my team? Have you been spying on us?”

She was smiling now. Not the least bit embarrassed at having been caught. She took off her glasses, rolling her shoulders back as she tilted her chin upward, almost defiantly, to look me directly in the eye. Her expression shifted to something more serious.

“I needed to be sure I could trust you. Can I trust you…Frankie?”

The fact that she called me ‘Frankie’ didn’t go unnoticed. She said it with what I could only describe as vulnerability. She was attempting to create familiarity between us. It was a manipulation tactic. I couldn’t help smiling, I was on to her.

“You can if you cut out the manipulation bullshit. I’ll be as straight with you as you are with me. Otherwise, I can play the game just as well as you can.”

She smiled briefly, before turning serious again. “Touché… Alright, fine. Serious question though, can I trust you? If I can’t…this stops here.”

My brows furrowed. What did she really expect me to say? No? “Of course. I take my job seriously.”

She stared at me for a beat, like she was trying to make a decision. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she nodded slightly, “Ok…Does this mean you’re taking the job then?”

I scoffed, “No. It doesn’t. You still haven’t answered all my questions.”

Her shoulders dropped, “Yes, I was watching you. I have been for weeks. I needed to make sure you could handle this…and that you won’t fuck me over.”

I snorted out a laugh and tried not to be distracted by her saying the words ‘fuck me’. “So, I guess we passed your assessment then? What the hell is this, Mya? What are you trying to get us mixed up in?”

She inhaled deeply, “If you accept the job, I’ll answer any questions you have.”

I rolled my eyes, “Ok, let’s start with…who’s paying for it?”

Her mouth fell open slowly before she answered, “I told you; it’s funded by donations. That’s all you need to know.”

I shook my head, “How the hell am I supposed to trust you when you can’t answer that basic question?”

She rubbed her hands together as her eyes wandered around the room to avoid mine, “I swear, I’ll answer any question you have aside from that one. I’ve been asked not to share that information…I gave my word, and I plan to stick to it. You can respect that, right?”

I did have to respect that. I stood there with my hands on my hips, trying to get a read on her. She seemed more sincere at this moment than she had been so far.

“I swear, if at any point, you need to know who it is…I’ll tell you. Right now, it’s not a need to know,” she added.

I sighed and nodded as I rubbed at the back of my neck, “Ok…fine. I need you to be honest with me if this is gonna work. No secrets…aside from that one…I guess. I need to know what kind of risks we’re up against. Don’t be jerking me around…this could get dangerous. People could die.”

She nodded, “I know…and that’s why I want the best looking out for my team. They’re all good people…in it for the right reasons. I need for them to be safe.”

There was something in her tone. It was almost anxious and weary. Her mask of confidence was slipping.

“You’re people? And what about you? You need to be safe too,” I said.

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I can take care of myself. I’m not worried about me. I’m hiring you to protect them.”

I felt my stomach turn sour over her words. Something told me she probably needed the most protection out of all of them, but I knew she would never admit to it if I asked.

I sighed, “I can get you a team of 15 guys, with three pilots for the full three months. You’re looking at 2 million…and that’s not covering the air assets or supplies.”

Her eyes narrowed on me, “Are you one of the three pilots?” I nodded in affirmation. She seemed almost relieved before continuing.

“If I make it four mil to start and put you in charge of securing the assets and supplies that your team needs, will that work?”

My head was spinning. Is she for real? Against my better judgement, I made my decision. My jaw ticked, “Alright. We’ll do it. Now I need you to tell me what the fuck I’m signing up for.”

Her lips curled upward into a brilliant smile as some of the tension left her body, her facade dropping some. She motioned toward the table for me to follow her, “What I’m about to tell you…no one else knows the full context of it. I’m trusting that it will stay between you and me. You can’t even tell your team. None of them. You got it?”

I was a little taken aback by that, but I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I’ll keep it between us.”

Her eyes roamed my face, analyzing and calculating, seeming satisfied before continuing.

“What do you know about the lost Incan city Paititi?”

I shrugged, biting back a laugh, “Is that like…El Dorado?” There’s no way she’s serious.

She sighed, “Umm, some researchers conflate the two…but to me, no. It’s two different things. El Dorado is more mythical. That name gets slapped on any legend that mentions a city of gold. However, some people refer to Paititi as El Dorado, but the city itself did actually exist from what history tells us. It’s not myth.”

I nodded along, still trying to keep a straight face. She huffed air out of her cheeks, “I can tell you think I’m crazy. Just…let me explain. OK?”

I gave her a polite smile, “OK. Explain. What makes you think you can find Paititi?”

She hesitated. I arched my eyebrows, waiting for her to continue. She began to shuffle through the mess of documents and books on the table, pausing to grab a worn leather-bound journal.

“This is the part I need for you to keep to yourself…”

I drew an ‘x’ over my heart, “I promise. Not a word.”

I could tell whatever she was about to say was a big deal, to her at least. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing.

“In 2001, a researcher found a manuscript in the Vatican archives that went into detail about the location of Paititi. It had been dated to around 1600 and was written based on the word of a Jesuit missionary. It described a city filled with gold, silver, and gemstones located in the middle of the Amazon jungle. It was initially dismissed as being unreliable third-hand information, so it didn’t get much attention.”

Ok, this is getting a little more interesting. “Alright, so, why does any of that matter if it was found to be unreliable?”

She hesitated again, then smiled nervously. I couldn’t help thinking how adorable she was like this, in researcher mode. As if to prove my point, she slid her glasses back on, then gathered her hair to one shoulder as she flipped through the journal. My eyes were briefly drawn to the curve of her neck as she searched the pages and began to speak.

“Well, the document was eventually moved to the Vatican’s secret archives… which is the Pope’s private collection. It was no longer accessible to the public. A lot of the information has since been lost or misconstrued over time…until now.”

She slid the journal toward me, taped inside were high quality images of some old documents - pages of them.

I glanced up at her, “Is this?”

I couldn’t finish my sentence, but she knew what I was asking. Nodding as she continued, “Yes. It is. And the thing is, there were more pages than originally thought…and I have them. All of them. No one knows about the extra pages. You’re the only person I’ve told. As far as anyone else is concerned, I’m going off previously released information.”

I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, “So, why are you telling me this?”

She seemed unsure of herself as she met my gaze, “I knew you wouldn’t go into this blindly…that you would need proof. You also have skills that I’ll need to rely on…it helps if you know what you’re looking for. You might see something that I don’t…aerial searches aren’t exactly in my area of expertise.”

Things were beginning to come together now. While I was still nervous about taking this on, I was confident she wasn’t setting a trap.

My brows pinched together, “Aerial searches?”

She nodded, “Yes. I have a general idea of the location…but it's still a jungle. It’s gonna be camouflaged by hundreds of years of overgrowth. I need your eyes, Frankie…and your navigation skills. So, I’m trusting you with the Vatican documents.”

A thought struck me suddenly, prompting me to ask, “How did you get those documents anyway?”

She gave me a cocky grin, “I dropped in from the duct work, Mission Impossible style, and took them while the Pope slept.”

I snorted out a laugh, “And you’re also full of shit.”

She grimaced, “So, I may have fibbed. That’s another one of those things you don’t need to know…but that should be the last one...I think.”

I felt my jaw tighten and my nostrils flare in frustration as I gave her an admonishing look. “You’re already pissing me off and we haven’t even started yet…”

She gave me a nervous smile, “Sorry. I’m just keeping my word.”

I rolled my eyes, “Yeah, Ok.” I could already tell; she was going to be difficult to deal with.

I puffed air out of my cheeks, placing my hands on the table and leaning forward to inspect the images. “So what language is this? What does it say?”

Mya moved in closer, the length of her body nearly pressing into me as she leaned down to look at the documents with me.

“It’s Latin. This one is a papal authorization to evangelize the city…meaning the Pope did in fact send missionaries.”

She paused, leaning in just a little closer to turn the page and allowing her vanilla and jasmine scent to surround me. Her proximity made it hard to focus on the images in front of me as she began to speak again, “This page documents a ten-day trip by foot between Cuzco and Paititi made by the Inca…there’s a note from the Jesuits indicating that detailed clues should be withheld to avoid a gold rush on the city, but somebody messed up. There was a map that made its way into the collection. It was filed separately, so it wasn’t found by the original researcher…but it has been now.”

She pointed to the image she was referencing. It was indeed a map…a very hard to read map.

“Obviously the landscape has changed since then, but hopefully…between the two of us…we can figure this out.”

I turned my head to glance over at her, our noses inches apart as we locked eyes. I felt a sudden electricity sparking between us that had my skin buzzing and heart racing. I noticed her eyes briefly dropped to my lips before our attention was drawn to the heavy oak door of her office opening.

When I shifted to face the door, I was met with a set of dark eyes and furrowed brows staring at us. The man with greasy looking slicked back hair and a scowl didn’t seem too happy to see me. I almost felt like he was sizing me up and ready to attack at any given second.

Mya’s aura shifted, her jaw clenching as she shot daggers at him with her eyes. I noticed her hand moving to slide some loose papers over top of the journal as she spoke with a forced politeness, “Veracruz, I wasn’t expecting you. What are you doing here?”

She now seemed uncomfortable. I watched as his scowl shifted to an almost unnerving smile as he replied in a thick Spanish accent, “I just came to check in with you and see how everything is going with the planning.”

Her nostrils flared as she regarded him, “I see. Well…we’ll catch up just as soon as I’m finished with this meeting. You can wait in the conference room.”

I stood to my full height and crossed my arms over my chest, feeling the need to take up more space as he glanced my way. He gave me a cocky smirk before giving a small nod and exiting the room. Something told me he was going to be a problem.

Mya smiled weakly, “Sorry about that. I hate when people interrupt meetings.”

I eyed her, waiting for her to say more on the subject, but she didn’t. Instead, she was back to business, “Well, since you’ve officially agreed…I’ll start gathering all the documents you guys will need and putting plans and contracts into writing. We’ll get back together to go over the finer details once everything is set.”

I nodded, “Sounds like a plan. Can’t wait.”

I watched as she picked up the journal and moved toward one of the stone columns that separated the table from the office space. She squatted down, then pushed in on the flat square part of the base, causing a small drawer to pop out. She lifted a lid and slid the journal inside, then pulled her necklace off, manipulating it in some way to turn it into a key. She quickly locked the lid shut before closing the compartment. I never would have guessed that the compartment existed if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. It was completely undetectable.

She eyed me as she stood and returned the chain around her neck, “I’m trusting you. No one else knows about that.”

I huffed out a small laugh, “Wow…OK. I guess we’re gettin’ into some Indiana Jones type shit.”

She chuckled, “You have no idea…come on. I’ll walk you out.”

As I walked beside her to the main exit of the building, I couldn’t help asking, “Why the goddess Hathor?”

Her eyes cut toward me as she smirked, “I admire her skill set.”

She didn’t elaborate, but I could take a guess as to what she meant. Once we reached the exit, I turned toward her, reaching out to shake her hand. “I guess we’re doing this. I look forward to working with you, Miss Carnahan.”

She gave me a polite smile as she took my hand and gave it a firm shake, “I’ll see you soon, Mr. Morales.”

Her smile shifted to a smirk as she watched me leave. I couldn’t be sure how long her eyes were on me, but I swear I could feel them burning into me until I pulled out of the empty lot.

My head was reeling as I drove toward the office. I wasn’t sure what I was going to tell the guys. I guess the only thing I had to omit were the documents. I hated keeping something from them, but like Mya, I always kept my word. For some crazy reason, she was trusting me, and I didn’t want to break it. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy though. I could already tell she was going to be a handful. I still needed to be careful with her. It was obvious she had a penchant for deception. I just wasn’t sure in what way.

I would be lying if I said part of me wasn’t hoping she would open up to me more…become something more. She had this magnetism about her that I couldn’t seem to resist, and I knew it was probably going to get me in trouble. I almost welcomed it, but I was also hoping she didn’t become my new addiction. I had to remind myself to keep this professional - that she was off limits to me too.

Mya’s POV I stood watching Frankie’s broad frame walking toward his truck through the windows. The more I got to know him, the more intrigued I became. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this. He was observant and intuitive. There was something about the way he looked at me, like he could see through all my bullshit. He did basically call me out on it right away. I didn’t know how to handle him going forward. All I knew was that I needed him to trust me, realizing that having him on my side could work in my favor if things went south and that he might even be the key to finding Paititi.

My thoughts were interrupted by approaching footsteps, heavy footfalls encased in rubber soles. They came to a stop just behind me as the familiar sandalwood and musk scent invaded my nostrils.

“I thought I told you to wait in the conference room?” I asked before turning to face Veracruz’s stupidly handsome and smirking face.

He shrugged, “I wanted to make sure there were no problems.”

I arched a questioning brow. He was beyond transparent, letting his jealousy show at the mere sight of me talking to another man. I really hoped this wouldn’t become a problem. “We’re all good here.”

His eyes briefly shifted to the window before coming back to me, “Who was that? Anyone we need to be concerned about?”

I shook my head, “No. He’s actually the owner of the personal security firm I’m hiring for the expedition. So…I’m gonna need you to play nice with him. No arguing or questioning his methods. He’s in charge. Got it?”

He gave me a disgruntled look, “You should just let me handle it…”

I looked around, realizing this was not the place to talk to him. “I need you to go to the conference room, like I told you to do. I’ll be there in a minute.”

He sighed, nodding in agreement as he turned to head that way. I watched him go, making sure he did what he was told. He was such a loose cannon. I never knew what to expect from him.

Minutes later I found Emily in her office to let her know that I would be unavailable for the rest of the afternoon unless a limited few special people happened to show up. I didn’t want to risk anyone else inadvertently seeing Veracruz. She gave me a thumbs up as she reached to answer the phone. I mouthed a quick ‘thank you’ before walking away.

When I entered the conference room, Veracruz was fiddling with a astrolabe displayed on a nearby table, nearly knocking it over when he heard the door open behind him. I gave him a very unamused glare as he righted it.

“What the hell are you doing here? We had an agreement…”

He placed his right hand on his chest, “I’m sorry, cariño. Collazo wanted me to check in with you and see where we are with preparations.”

I was fuming. I could feel the heat rushing to my face as anger continued to build, “I don’t care. Collazo nor any of his men are to step foot in this building. I refuse to be implicated in whatever he’s gotten mixed up with.”

He approached me, much like one would approach a scared animal, hands up in surrender and talking quietly. “I was careful. I came through the back. Not a soul saw me.”

I huffed out of frustration, “No one saw you? Frankie saw you. Then you waltzed out into the lobby like you own the place just because you can’t help yourself. Anyone could have walked in...”

His shoulders dropped, “Please forgive me. You are right. I should not have done that. However, Frankie is going to see me eventually anyway, right? So, that does not count.”

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, now feeling a headache coming on, “You shouldn’t be here at all. We could have set something up.”

He was crowding my space now, placing his hand on my cheek. “I’m sorry. I did not want to wait to see you. I have missed you. Let me make it up to you.”

I sighed, stepping away from him. Now that Damien was out of the picture, Veracruz wasn’t even trying to hide his feelings for me. I entertained his advances to a point, just so I could maintain my influence over him, but I still didn’t know how far that would get me if his neck was on the line. It was a delicate dance between us that was becoming much more complicated as he was not so subtly begging for more.

It’s not like it wasn’t tempting. Veracruz looked like sex on two legs and had been very attentive toward me. He went through great lengths to look after me when I was recovering from Collazo’s mini torture session several months ago. I had no question that he would probably be an amazing lover, but I knew he would only suck me further into the life that I was desperately trying to get away from.

“You can’t keep saying things like that to me,” I replied.

He gave me a soft smile, “Why? Because you like it? I will win you over eventually.”

I shook my head, “No. I’ve already told you…it’s a bad idea…”

It was his turn to shake his head, “I do not think so. Collazo would welcome it. He would trust you again.”

I peered up at him with an empathetic gaze, “That may be true, but I’m trying to get away from that lifestyle, Veracruz. I can’t do that if I’m with you.”

He looked deflated, “I understand, but that does not change how I feel. I cannot help it.”

I turned away from him, needing to change the subject. “Why does Collazo want you to check in?”

He began to pace the room, inspecting all the knickknacks on display. “You know how he is…it is more about control. He wants to remind you who is really in charge and make sure you are doing what you need to.”

I nodded, “Of course, I figured. Well…you can report back that we’re on track with the plan. Nothing has changed…and I’ll be ready on the set date.”

He turned toward me, “I had not planned to tell him anything different, no matter your answer. I am trying to keep him off your back as much as possible.”

I gave him a soft smile, “I do appreciate that. Thank you.”

An awkward silence stretched between us. I really was beginning to hate being alone with him. Not because I disliked him, but because I felt like I had to manage him and his expectations every second that we were together. It was exhausting.

I sucked in a sharp breath, “Well, I have things I need to attend to. If that’s all you needed…”

He gave me a tight smile, “Of course. We will be in touch soon.”

He moved to exit but paused to look back at me when I called his name.

“Please make sure you’re not seen when you leave,” I reminded him. With another curt nod, he was gone.

I spent the remainder of my afternoon preparing the contract and instructions for Frankie, being careful as to what I put in writing. There were some things that he was just going to have to memorize. It was too risky to have the information floating around. I made a mental checklist of what those things needed to be as I packed up and headed home for the evening.

As soon as I got home, I changed into my workout clothes, wrapped my knuckles, and made my way to the punching bag in my home gym. I really needed to blow off some steam. The last two days had left me feeling on edge and conflicted about how I was handling everything.

Veracruz randomly showing up at the gallery without warning had taken my anxiety over the top. I didn’t really know how I was going to manage him through this whole thing. I could only assume his advances would continue once we were in the jungle. He was becoming more brazen each time we were together. I needed to keep him close without crossing the line, it had to stay professional. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could walk that line without repercussions.

Frankie had taken me completely off guard. I had seen pictures of him and watched him from a distance but seeing him up close was an entirely different experience. The second I walked into Delta 5 Security Solutions the previous day; he had my attention. It was almost like I could feel his piercing dark eyes burning into my flesh. I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. I did well to keep my cool and reel him in, but internally I was a mess as I stood across from him in his office.

Sure, he was a little disheveled and had the whole tortured soul vibe about him, but there was something sort of beautiful and poetic about him too. He was much bigger than I had realized, his broad shoulders seeming to stretch on forever. The way his arms and chest flexed in the tight grey t-shirt he had been wearing today definitely couldn’t be ignored. Even with his aquiline nose and messy curls, he was handsome in sort of a boyish type of way. That was only emphasized when I drew a laugh from him earlier today, causing his cheek to dimple. And the way he smelled, gods, it was amazing. It was an enticing mixture of leather, summer nights, and man.

He seemed like a decent person with good intentions. If I wasn’t careful, there was a real possibility he could be trouble for me - as in causing me to fuck up and let my guard down. He completely saw through me today. He knew what I was doing before I had even tried it. He was definitely going to be harder to bend to my will. However, some part of my brain was telling me there was a real possibility that he might submit willingly if I did the same for him. I really thought I had met my match in Damien, but Frankie might turn out to be the biggest adventure yet.

Chapter 3: So it Begins

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A/N: Hello my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed chapter two. We got some fun stuff with the guys this chapter. They are already giving Frankie hell over Mya. We got to see some of their dynamics and how life is post money-gate. They are definitely looking to Frankie more as a leader these days. Pope is still Popeing and the Millers are just along for the ride.

We finally got Frankie and Mya together. How are we feeling about their dynamics so far? They are definitely both feeling each other out. Frankie is already smitten and Mya is getting there. That doesn't mean they are immediately going to jive though. They will be bumping heads, a lot. Then of course, we have added Veracruz to the mix. He and Frankie have already begun their pissing match.

Now for the nerdy stuff...

Vatican Documents: The Vatican document about Paititi is a real thing! It's discovery in 2001 really happened and it was indeed removed from public access. I've obviously taken some liberties with those 'extra pages' but this is where our adventure begins. I'll continue to share some of these little tidbits with you as we go along.

Egyptian References: So, some of you probably know I'm a huge history nerd. At one point I did want to be an archeologist/Egyptologist. With Egypt being my favorite ancient civilization, I couldn't help squeezing some of that stuff in. There is no funny business here. We are not getting into any reincarnation story lines or anything like that. I just thought it would be fun to draw some parallels between the god of the sky and Frankie and the goddess of Love and Mya because they have similar traits. And well, Ra and Hathor were together. Their story may have some foreshadowing elements, just to make things more interesting. 😏

Please feel free to sound off with your thoughts and predictions. You know I love to hear them! Especially as our adventure starts to pick up.

💜Mysty