A Spanish Seduction (15 page)

‘Ricardo!’ She pleaded his name on a little sob as she writhed underneath him.

‘Patience,
querida
.’

‘I want all of you.’ Hands on his shoulders, she urged him up, over her.

The feel of her hands sliding urgently down his back was electrifying. When she reached his hips and pulled him toward her, he couldn’t resist any longer.

Reaching over to his bedside drawer, he removed a foil packet and quickly ensured protection. He positioned himself against her moistness, parted the soft folds of her sex and couldn’t contain his animal groan of elation when he entered her tight sheath. Then, he was lost in the rhythm of their lovemaking.

Jessica moved in counterpoint to his thrusts. Her inner muscles clenched and released him, inciting him to drive in further and harder. He resisted for as long as he could, wanting to wait for her peak and afraid he would explode too soon.

Everything faded from Ricardo’s mind as she drove him upward. Each increasingly urgent thrust brought a new wave of intense pleasure. There was only Jessica and their shattering joining. When his body begged for his climax, he still held it in check as he watched Jessica’s expressions, determined she would have her release.

It was only when her body began to tense and shudder, that he allowed the last vestiges of his control to splinter and felt the gush of heat burst through him. The release of the fierce tension that had raged through every muscle, every nerve, every cell of his being, finally eased in the most spectacular way he’d known.

Afterwards, he cradled her to him, stunned at the magic they had made together. Their legs still entwined, her head against his chest, they both drifted back to reality from their peaks of sheer ecstasy.

For the first time he could remember, he knew a sense of intimate togetherness. He wanted it to go on and on. The realisation struck that Jessica lived with him. She would be the first woman he’d fall asleep with. The first woman he’d wake up with morning after morning.

He expected to feel panicked or agitated at the realisation. Instead, warm contentment curled through his chest.

Her breathing grew steadier.

‘Are you awake?’ he asked quietly.

In response, she shifted, bending her elbow so her head was supported by her hand. ‘Funny you should ask, because I was just wondering the same thing.’

He quirked an eyebrow at her in question.

‘I’m wondering whether I’ve just visited heaven or whether it was just the most amazing dream I’ve ever had.’

Ricardo laughed. ‘Tomorrow morning when you get out of bed, I guarantee you’ll be convinced it was real.’

Jessica rolled her eyes. ‘You’re not very modest about your prowess, but I’m sure it’s true. I think my body will remind me of just how shamelessly wanton I’ve been tonight.’

‘I want you shamelessly wanton in my bed every night.’

‘That can be arranged as long as you promise me more of your oh-so-skilled eroticism.’

Dios
, but her candid honesty did amazing things for his male ego. ‘You realise I’ve more or less delivered on the offer I made when we first met?’

‘A screaming orgasm?’

‘Mm. Although it probably should be renamed a moaning orgasm, because you hardly screamed.’

‘Thank goodness! Honestly, Ricardo, does it get any better than that?’

‘We’ll just have to see.’

‘I had no idea just what I’ve been missing out on all these years.’

‘Time to make up for lost time.’

She cast her eyes downward and they widened. ‘Seriously?’

‘I’m up for it if you are.’

‘Literally,’ she said with a laugh.

‘I hope you ate well at lunch today.’

‘No stopping to snack?’

Ricardo groaned. ‘I’m definitely going to snack, but I’m not leaving this bed for it!’

Amid numerous gasps and moans from Jessica, Ricardo set out to experience her in the most intimate way possible — as he’d been longing to do for weeks.

Chapter Twelve

The words on the computer screen started to lose focus as Jessica tried to concentrate on the latest unit of her naturopathy course. Stifling a yawn, she stretched and rotated her shoulders to ease some of the stiffness away.

‘You should be in bed!’

She felt her lips lift into an instant smile of greeting as she turned her head toward Ricardo’s voice. ‘I would’ve been in bed long ago had you been here.’

‘I’m sorry,
querida
. I came home as quickly as I could.’ He walked over to her desk, spun her chair around and bent toward her. ‘There’s still a lot to organise for the launch of this latest sports car. I’m also involved in organising an annual luncheon for my charity.’

She sighed into his kiss, instantly aflame. ‘There’s a lot you want to accomplish.’

He straightened. ‘There’s a lot I
must
accomplish if the company’s going to survive.’

‘As long as you survive in the process.’ She stood up and into his arms, savouring the hard, warm strength of him.

‘We made the last adjustments on the racing car tonight. It’ll go to Monte Carlo tomorrow, ready for the Grand Prix.’

‘I hope it performs well, and you get a huge increase in orders.’

‘So much is riding on that race. If we don’t do well, I’m not sure the other measures I’ve put in place will be enough to stop Lorezzi from foreclosing on the loan.’

‘You’re worried about the company, but I’m more worried about you. You’re working ridiculous hours, arriving home so late, and not getting anywhere near enough sleep.’

His forefinger traced along the seam of her lips. ‘I don’t return here to sleep, my beautiful one, I come home to make love to you.’

‘I’m not complaining about that.’

‘Just as well!’

What was to complain about? From the moment he arrived home, his sole focus was her satisfaction. He made earth-shattering love to her almost until the sun was about to rise. Some nights he came home and hardly drew breath before they were naked and making love with frenzied fervour. Other times their lovemaking was slow and tender. Every single time he would take her to the edge of ecstasy and hold her there until she begged for release.

Some nights they’d talk afterwards, other nights they’d simply caress each other until they finally drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms. Always, Ricardo had gone by the time she woke up.

Looking up at him, she saw strain lines around his eyes. ‘You’ve been surviving on just a couple of hours sleep for too long.’

‘I’ve never required a full night’s sleep.’ He dismissed her words with a shrug.

‘That might catch up to you. I’m worried about your health.’

He took a step back and his eyes narrowed just a fraction. ‘I’ve never been sick in my life. Don’t nag, Jessica.’

Uh-oh
. She understood the warning in his tone. It wasn’t her job to worry about him. He didn’t welcome it and she’d overstepped a line.

Tough. He’d have to deal with it. ‘I can’t help it, and tonight I’m going to use every skill I possess as a natural therapist to relax you.’

‘Being inside you is the best natural therapy I can think of!’

The man was incorrigible and insatiable. ‘Not another word, Señor Garcia. Tonight I’m your massage therapist, not your lover.’ When he began to shake his head, she insisted, ‘Three months is a long time to be away from clinic, and I don’t want to lose my practical skills. If you won’t let me practice on you, I’ll have to find someone else to work on. Maybe that bodyguard you’ve had tailing me everywhere I go.’

‘Don’t even think about it!’

Her lips twitched in amusement. It wouldn’t hurt him to think it was a possibility. ‘Well, you’ve assigned him to me and if he’s got nothing better to do with his day...’

‘If you’re going to massage anyone, it’ll be me!’ Although his expression revealed his reluctance, he allowed her to take his hand and he followed her into their bedroom without another protest.

All his stress would soon be kneaded out, and then he’d be grateful. Last night she’d felt the knots of tension in the muscles of his shoulders and neck as he’d made love to her. He worked way too hard.

‘You’ve been busy,’ he said, indicating the massage table which had arrived around lunch time. ‘Where did this come from?’

‘I hope you don’t mind. I asked your assistant to order it for me.’

‘Of course I don’t mind. Order whatever you need.’

The lights were dimmed. She’d selected a range of essential oils which would help to relax him. Some were in an oil burner for aromatherapy. Other oils were mixed in a base of walnut oil and would re-energise him.

A little smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. ‘Undressing my clients, is not part of the usual deal, but you, Señor Garcia, happen to be special,’ she told him as she began to loosen his tie.

The grin spreading across his face made him look even more devastatingly attractive. Incendiary lust flashed from his eyes and she felt her body sway toward his as she began to undo the buttons on his shirt. When she exposed the bare, olive flesh of his chest, she couldn’t resist flattening her palms and sliding her hands further under the fabric of his shirt.

His smile vanished, he sucked in a breath and caught her hands in his. ‘I’m not sure I like the thought of your hands in contact with any male flesh other than my own, even in a professional capacity.’

‘I didn’t realise you had a jealous streak.’

‘Neither did I.’ A furrow appeared between his brows. ‘It’s only surfaced since I met you.’

Standing on her tiptoes, she let her arms slide up around his neck and kissed him with all the love she felt for him. Surely if he were a little jealous, he was more attached to her than he had been to any of his previous lovers?

‘I hope...this is also...something that’s not...part of the usual...deal,’ he said between kisses.

‘Definitely not.’ Jessica reached down and undid the buckle of his belt. ‘This is only for you, Ricardo.’

‘Do I get to undress you, too?’ he asked as his fingers went to the buttons of her blouse.

‘No.’ She pulled away. ‘You’re the only one getting naked here. I’m serious about this massage.’

His smile teased her. ‘Why not use this opportunity to learn a new technique? I’m sure I’ve heard somewhere about full body massages where a naked masseuse uses her entire body to knead away tension.’

‘Ha! You know as well as I do the second we’re both naked there’s a hell of a lot of tension and there’s only one way to relieve it!’

‘You don’t have to be naked to create sexual tension in me.’ He guided her hand to feel the hard ridge of his erection through the fabric of his trousers. ‘You can massage me later if you really want to, Jessica. Right now I need to be inside you.’

The inner muscles between her thighs tightened and she felt herself moistening in anticipation of his possession. But Ricardo had orchestrated everything in their relationship so far. She wanted to take the lead here. It was important to her that he could put his sexual demands aside and accept her in a different role. She didn’t want to be merely the woman he paraded around on his arm in public and made love to in private. Being a massage and natural therapist was part of who she was, and he would benefit from her skills more than he realised.

‘Later.’ She tried to sound authoritative. ‘Now, strip and get up on the table!’

One of his eyebrows lifted, but Ricardo did as she bade, stripped the clothes off his masterfully sculpted body and lay face down on the table. Seconds later she got to work, applying the warm oil across the width of his shoulders and down and out from his spine. This man, her lover, had the most wonderful body and it was incredibly satisfying to touch him. For now she had to banish the temptation of delivering him an erotic encounter. She had to regard his as a body from a professional viewpoint.

‘That’s so good.’ He groaned in appreciation as her hands worked their magic, her fingers finding and loosening every knot.

Hands on, helping people through massage had always given her great satisfaction, but working on this man she loved was even more satisfying. After their first night as lovers, Jess knew she’d finally found the man who completed her. Now she had to figure out how to convince him he should never let her go.

‘I can feel you thinking,’ he told her.

Jess laughed. ‘You’re right.’

‘Are you thinking about making love?’

‘No.’ He wouldn’t welcome her true thoughts so she said, ‘I’m thinking about how you’ve freed me in so many ways.’

‘Tell me.’

‘Well, the most obvious is that you’re freeing me from debt.’ She felt his shoulders tense and hastened to add, ‘But that isn’t the most important freedom you’ve given me. You’ve made me see myself differently...you’ve made me think about my mother in a completely different light...and you’ve upended my whole view about sex in relationships.’

She protested to no avail as Ricardo levered himself up and swung his legs over the side of the table so he sat facing her. ‘Hey, I’m nowhere near finished with your back yet. Lie down!’

He ignored her order, took her hands and threaded his fingers between hers. ‘Because of the situation you’d grown up in, you thought sex was about delivering pleasure, but not about receiving it?’

‘Yes.’

‘You know differently now. There’s much more fulfilment in mutual satisfaction.’

‘You’ve introduced me to pleasure, Ricardo. You make love to me exquisitely. You make me feel so...special.’ She’d been about to use the word loved, but decided against it.  She truly believed Ricardo was starting to fall for her. The stubborn man was just too blind to see it. She prayed he would come to realise it soon.

He released her hands and placed his hands on her shoulders. ‘Let’s go to bed.’

‘No!’ She shook her head, becoming frustrated at his persistence. ‘Lie back down and let me finish. I’m convinced you have more knots in your shoulders and back than a fisherman has in his nets, and I want them gone.’

His outward breath revealed his reluctance. ‘You’re very good at what you do, but I’d be even more relaxed if we’d already been to bed.’

In response she merely pointed to the head of the massage table.

‘You have a stubborn streak,’ he grumbled as he lay back down. But five minutes later she heard the long exhalation which told her he was fully relaxed. ‘I could get used to this,’ he admitted.

Good.

‘No wonder you’re so highly sought after professionally.’ The fatigue in his voice was unmistakable. Despite the stamina he had, nobody could keep up the pace he’d set himself.

Another ten minutes passed and the even tenor of his breathing told her he was asleep. She kept massaging, covering his upper body with a towel as her hands made their way lower.

Jess knew exactly where she was headed when it came to massage therapy — her hands worked on his taut buttocks, powerful thighs and calves and finally on his feet. She was less certain where their relationship was headed.

Ricardo had told her she was special. He’d admitted he’d never spent the entire night with any of his previous lovers, much less had one move into his apartment. Marguerite had told her he’d never taken anyone home for dinner.

Ricardo was just as attracted to her as she was to him — the fire in his eyes when he looked at her and his instant arousal whenever they were close, confirmed it with absolute certainty. Tonight he’d sounded surprised as he acknowledged she’d stirred jealousy within him.

Surely, he felt more for her than he admitted?

Although he’d been putting long days in at the office, he’d started phoning her through the day, finding out what she was doing, and involving her with the details of his day.

In some ways, Jess felt like they were an old married couple — completely comfortable with each other. On the other hand, the fizzing awareness that cracked and hummed between them made her feel like they were newlyweds, unable to keep their hands off each other.

The unsettling truth was they were neither. They were simply a couple who turned each other on like crazy, but who were living together on borrowed time. Ricardo had not welcomed her comments earlier about the pace he was living. His reaction reminded her that he didn’t see her as an equal partner who had a right to be concerned about his well-being.

He stirred from his sleep. A second later, he rolled over and took her hands in his. ‘You have wonderful hands, but now I get to put my hands on you.’

He stood in one fluid movement, swept her up into his arms, and all she could do was cling to him like a limpet.

‘You smell so good,’ he told her, rubbing his cheek over her hair and breathing in the scent of her as he carried her over to the bed.

Her breaths were fast and slight. The thought of another session of wild, passionate sex made her go into a tailspin of anticipation.

Depositing her on the bed, his hands travelled all over her, from the indentation of her spine to the curved roundness of her bottom. His mouth swooped on hers in full-on sensual assault. Explosive sensation was all she knew as their tongues tangled, teased and enticed each other to an increasingly fervent pitch of need.