Dynasties: The Montoros

Ten

Alex’s erection had abated during Maria’s absence. But if she planned to say things like that to him, how was he supposed to keep his head? His imagination exhibited a sudden astounding propensity for cinematic sexual fantasy. Clearing his throat, he rose to his feet and put some distance between them. “I suppose that’s a risk we’ll have to take.”

The chair was oversize. Maria had curled her legs beneath her and huddled into the depths of the cushions until it seemed as if she were trying to become invisible.

Small, perfect white teeth mauled her bottom lip. “You’re not taking me seriously.”

His hoarse chuckle was strained. “I’ve never been more serious. But I’d feel a whole lot better if you weren’t regarding spending two days and nights with me as the equivalent of going in for a root canal. Sex is fun, Maria.”

“Not with you.”

She’d spoken rapidly and with conviction. Without the hint of a smile on her face. “I’m almost afraid to ask you to elaborate,” he muttered, telling himself grown men didn’t get their feelings hurt.

Maria’s hands gripped the arms of the chair, her knuckles white. “It wasn’t fun earlier. Earth-shattering, maybe. Mind-blowing. Unequivocally wonderful. But not fun. That’s a word for carnival rides and animated movies and walking barefoot in the rain.”

Her earnest speech might have been good for his ego if she didn’t seemed so distressed.

He scooped her out of the chair and sat back down with her in his lap. “You’re overthinking this, Maria.” He nuzzled her ear. “Maybe we didn’t start with fun. I’ll give you that one. But we’ll get there. Eventually. Good sex, I think, hits all the positive adjectives eventually.”

She sighed, resting her cheek against his heart. “Have you had bad sex?”

“Enough to know the difference.” He stroked her hair. “Trust me, sweetheart. Trust us.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“And you’re making it far too complicated. We’re here in this room. A man and a woman. Attracted to each other. Unattached. With time on our hands. What makes you think something bad is going to happen?”

“Superstition?”

He laughed ruefully. It was hard to argue the point that the old ways in Alma were laden with superstition. Legends. Folk tales. Fables delineating the fates of those who tempted the gods. Alma’s was a culture steeped in centuries of oral tradition.

“You’re a thoroughly modern woman. We’re here representing the best and brightest of a country eager to make its mark on a new millennium. Relax. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“I think it’s all those years of my mother warning me that misbehavior on my part would have drastic consequences. It was a very effective deterrent.”

“I’ll protect you if the sky starts to fall.”

“Not funny.”

He tickled her rib. “A little bit funny. Admit it.”

Her body relaxed in his embrace. They had broken some awkward barrier and made it safely through to the other side.

She put her hand on his thigh. “Did you mention room service?”

Alex watched Maria eat a strawberry and was forced to lean forward to lick juice from the slope of her breast. “I’ll order more of those,” he promised.

They were both naked. It was three in the morning, and they had chosen to shore up their energy with a snack of fresh fruit and champagne.

Maria’s hair tumbled around her shoulders. Dark smudges beneath her eyes attested to the fact that so far he hadn’t managed to let her sleep for more than thirty minutes at a stretch.

How could he? When she nestled close to him, her bottom cradled against his groin, he wanted her again and again.

More juice dribbled onto her cleavage. “You’re doing that on purpose,” he accused.

She eyed him innocently, her lips closing on a bite of red berry. “Are you complaining?”

“Hell, no.” This time when he licked her velvety soft skin, he shuddered. “We need to sleep.” His hands were at her hips, tugging her down onto the mattress. He had no intention at all of closing his eyes.

“We can sleep when we’re dead,” she said, the words slurred with exhaustion. She was so beautiful in her sensual abandon that it hurt to look at her.

Those six words were all the invitation he needed. He eased her onto her side facing away from him. Lifting her leg over his thigh, he entered her from behind, joining their bodies with an ease that made his head swim. This was so perfect…so right.

Maria’s head rested on her arm.

“Are you asleep?” he asked, smiling though she couldn’t see him.

“Just catnapping. Keep up the good work.”

“I never knew you were such a smart-ass,” he teased. He withdrew and thrust firmly, burying himself all the way to the hilt and making each of them gasp in unison.

“I’ve been on my best behavior at work.”

“Will you be insulted if I say I like this version of you even more?”

He curled an arm around her hip and reached for the spot that controlled her pleasure. Toying gently with the small nub, he slowed his penetration to enjoy her restless arousal.

“Not insulted,” she moaned. “Don’t stop.”

He felt his climax bearing down on him and willed it back. “What will you do for me if I let you come?” he asked, the words ragged.

“Anything, everything. Damn you, Alex. Please…”

She tried to twist in his embrace so she could face him, but he held her firmly. Already he felt small contractions in her sex that told him she was close, so close. “I like it when you beg.” He bit the back of her neck. “Will you let me kiss you in public?”

He didn’t even know where the question came from…hadn’t realized he was about to ask it.

Maria stiffened, the small shake of her head unmistakable. “Not that. Nothing out in the open. I’m offering you this room, this weekend, these two nights. Anything and everything. No holds barred.”

Though her words promised a sexual carte blanche, he was pissed at her refusal to have a real relationship with him in the light of day. Really pissed…but not enough to let her go. “Fine.” He forced the word past clenched teeth. “But I’ll make you pay for that.”

He couldn’t wait any longer. Cursing softly, he released the tight control he’d maintained and plunged wildly, taking her again and again with a force and fury that rocked the bed and sent them both into a fiery crash with orgasmic pleasure so intense they collapsed instantly into a deep, sated sleep.

Maria awoke completely disoriented. For a split second she thought she was in her small apartment in Alma. Then gradually, everything came back to her, including the fact that a large, naked man held her tightly with both arms locked around her even as he slept.

For a moment, she remained still, struggling to assimilate everything that had happened. Fragments of memories…pieces of the night before, sent hot color to her face and made her wonder how much was dream and how much reality.

But when Alex murmured in his sleep, his face buried in her hair, she couldn’t pretend any longer. She and Alex had made love…repeatedly. And the experience had changed her forever. She had given him a part of her soul and it wasn’t something she could or would take back.

Panic rose in her chest. She had done the one thing she knew was dangerous. She had let Alex get too close. It wasn’t just the sex, though that was bad enough. But even worse, she had let down her guard with him…let him see who she really was.

Whatever professional distance had existed between them had been obliterated in one unprecedented night. Alex clearly wasn’t alarmed by that. He seemed to have some notion that it was no big deal.

But Maria knew the truth. Soon they would return to Alma, and there it would be impossible to continue whatever this was between them. Alma was struggling to assimilate the fast-moving future with their traditional past, but it was a struggle that would take more than a week or a month or even a year. In the meantime, the old lines of class and social standing would remain mostly intact.

Not only was Maria not a native of Alma, she was a woman with no past. No father, no relatives, no lineage. Only a hardworking mother who had done her best to keep food on the table.

Oh, what the hell. Just because heartbreak lurked around the corner, it didn’t negate the benefits of a weekend in bed with the man she lo—

She pulled herself up short. Love was an inappropriate word in this context. She wasn’t in love with Alex. In lust maybe. But who could blame her? He was smart and sexy, and underneath that oh-so-serious exterior, he was an animal.

Even so, one of them had to show some sense. Carefully, over the space of at least a minute and a half, she stealthily eased out of his embrace and off the bed. Poor man never even moved. He had expended an impressive amount of energy in the past twelve hours.

Maria’s insides clenched in helpless longing as she remembered the crazed fervor of his lovemaking. He’d been like a man possessed, as if trying to make up for lost time. Or maybe, deep down, he knew as she did that their time together was limited.

In the bathroom with the door closed, she showered, dried her hair and secured it at the back of her neck. The comfy clothes she’d grabbed while in her room last night would be perfect for an informal workday.

She’d expected to find Alex awake by the time she finished. Opening the door to the bedroom stealthily, she saw that he still slept. Only now, he was facedown on his stomach. His broad, muscular shoulders and smoothly tanned back narrowed to a taut waist and buttocks that were…well…it was a good thing the sheet hadn’t slid any lower.

She jumped when low, amused words startled her. “Are you going to stand there staring or are you going to come back to bed?” He reared up on one elbow and turned to look at her. His voice sounded as if he had swallowed sand.

“It’s nine o’clock. We need to order breakfast and get to work on the proposal.”

He sat up and scrubbed his hands through his hair, yawning. “Are you always so perky at this hour?”

“If you’re trying to make me mad, it won’t work. Tell me what you want to eat and I’ll have it waiting when you get out of the shower.”

When he swung his legs over the side of the bed, she held up a hand. “Wrap the sheet around you, for heaven’s sake.”

He stretched, the muscles in his broad chest doing some kind of mesmerizing flex and ripple. “Are we shy this morning?”

“Not at all,” she said primly. “But we don’t need to get sidetracked. There’s work to do.”

He stood up, sans sheet, and crossed the room in three long strides. Putting a finger beneath her chin, he tilted her face up to his, searching her eyes. “You okay, sweet thing? We got a little crazy last night.”

She couldn’t do a thing about her blush, aggravating as it was. “I’m fine. Better than fine. But seriously, Alex. It’s late. One of us has to remember why we’re here.”

He kissed her long and slow, telling her in no uncertain terms what he thought of her work ethic. Her arms went around his neck and clung. Every inch of his big, honed body pressed against hers, stealing the oxygen from her lungs.

When he finally released her, she had to grab hold of him for a few seconds until her world settled back on its axis. “Stop that,” she whispered, going up on tiptoe to kiss him again.

His low, triumphant laugh was masculine arrogance personified, but she couldn’t fault his confidence since she was clearly besotted. Did anyone even use that word anymore? If not, they should. It was a perfect description of her current state. Intoxicated. Infatuated. As if all her good sense had flown out the window, and she didn’t even care.

But she could pretend. Releasing him reluctantly, she took a deep breath. “More kissing later. Go, Alex. Now.”

He bowed, managing despite his nudity to look perfectly relaxed. “Far be it from me to argue with a lady.”

When he disappeared into the bathroom, she exhaled, not realizing she had been holding her breath. Dealing with Alex in his current mood was like trying to tame a big, determined tiger.

While he was gone, she escaped to the living room. After a moment’s consideration, she moved the vase of fresh flowers from the cherry writing desk. Opening the drapes that framed a stunning view of the Atlantic, she dragged the ornate table in front of the window. Next, she located both laptops, plugged them in behind the new workspace, booted her computer and opened up the rough draft of the Alma proposal to the Montoros.

Once that was done, she called in two orders of scrambled eggs, bacon and black coffee. Room service at this hotel was extremely efficient. She didn’t want the food to get cold.

She would have liked to sit down and start working to show Alex that she was taking their new relationship in stride, but it was impossible. She paced the room. Today was a watershed moment for her and Alex. She recognized the importance of what would happen in the next few hours. So she felt a certain amount of pressure to guard her emotions.

Alex was a guy. He was going to have one thing on his mind. Despite his position as deputy prime minister of commerce, he would be able to compartmentalize. Sex wouldn’t interfere with his position or his responsibilities.

But for Maria, life wasn’t so clear-cut and simple. Could she have an intimate physical relationship with him and still be able to carry on with business as usual when they were with other members of the delegation?

She was so deep in thought that she never heard his footsteps on the plush carpet. When his hand landed on her shoulder, she spun around. “You scared me,” she said, not quite able to meet his gaze.

“Who were you expecting, Maria?”

A knock at the door saved her from answering. “I’m going in the bedroom,” she whispered. “I don’t want anyone to know I’m here.”

Alex shook his head with a wry smile but let her go.

When he gave her the all clear, she returned to a beautifully laid out breakfast. Linen napkins, real silver utensils, crystal stemware and delicate china. “That smells wonderful,” she said as her stomach growled audibly.

He held out her chair, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Looks pretty damn good, too.”

Fortunately for her peace of mind, Alex was content to eat in silence. They were both starving. He caught her eye at one point and grinned, as if to say he knew exactly what she was thinking. She hid behind a cup of hot tea and wondered how long it would be before they ended up back in bed. Bad Maria, her conscience chastised.

But apparently, she had convinced Alex of her dedication to the project at hand. Once they were done with their meal, he carried his coffee to the desk where she had placed two chairs side by side.

“How do you think we should approach this?” he asked, waking his own laptop and clicking on a file.

His matter-of-fact attitude took her aback. She’d been prepared to convince him, to deflect amorous advances. Was he genuinely so cavalier about working with her?

When he burst out laughing, she stiffened. “What’s so funny?” she demanded, finishing her tea and standing up. She couldn’t quite make her feet move in his direction.

“You,” he said, his smile gentle. “You told me we had to be all business this morning. But when I took you at your word, you were disappointed.”

“No, I wasn’t,” she said. The rebuttal wasn’t convincing, even to her.

“Well, I am,” he said firmly. “We’re going to get this done as quickly as possible so I can get you back in bed.”

Her spirits lightened. “You must think me awfully naive, Alex. I’m not accustomed to combining business with pleasure. This is new territory to me.”

He frowned, leaning a hip against the desk. “What do you think it is to me? I don’t make a habit of sleeping with coworkers. In fact, you’re the first.”

“Why me?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, watching her with a hooded gaze. “If you want explanations, I’m fresh out.”

“So where and how do we go from here?”

“Does everything in life have to be explained? Let’s file this thing between us under the same category as raindrops trapped in cobwebs or the color of the sky at dawn.”

Her eyes widened. “Why, Alex, I never knew you were a poet.”

His expression was impassive, not a trace of humor in sight. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Maria. So how about giving both of us a chance to learn something and possibly to be surprised?”

There was an odd tone in his voice, some tiny indication that he was not as certain as she thought he was about what had happened between them last night.

It was then she realized she wasn’t being fair. Either she was in this, or she wasn’t.

It took courage, but she walked to where he stood and slid her arms around his waist. “I’ve been second-guessing myself, Alex. But that’s over. I’m content to take things one day at a time. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to work with you and not want to jump your bones, but I’ll try.”

He hugged her so tightly she thought her ribs would crack. “God, Maria.” He pulled back and rubbed his thumb over her cheekbone. “I thought I might have scared you off.”

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