Fierce Passion (29 page)

He combed her hair away from her face. “I’m going to be very suspicious if they don’t.”

She laughed. “Are you warning me to take lovers who look like you?”

“I don’t want you taking any lovers, no matter how they look.”

She snuggled against him. “I wouldn’t have married you if I hadn’t thought I’d be faithful. Don’t you intend to be?”

“Yes, but don’t change the subject. We’re talking about children.”

She drew her lower lip through her teeth. “I’d like a few. We’d make very pretty and tall babies.”

“Being tall is good, but they’d also be smart.”

“I should have added smart. What about you? Do you have a certain number in mind?”

“No, but a few sounds good.”

“What else didn’t we discuss?”

He pulled her closer. “We won’t know until it comes up.”

“Hmm…”

Her breathing slowed as she fell back asleep, but a long while passed before his conscience let him close his eyes.

When he woke Wednesday morning, he was alone in the bed and the wheelchair sat outside the bathroom. He threw back the covers and quickly crossed to the door. “Ana, is Marie in there with you?”

She slid open the door a crack and peered out. “Good morning. My vision’s better, and I don’t need her. If you’ll help me put on my mascara, I’ll be ready for the day.”

Her breath smelled of peppermint toothpaste, and she looked so sweetly innocent he swallowed the string of curses hovering on his lips. “At least let me help you back into the wheelchair.”

“I got out and I can get myself back in.”

“If your vision has improved, can you see my face well enough to tell how little I think of that idea?”

“No, but I can imagine it.” She relaxed against the jamb and let him slide open the door. She took his hand to sit down, and waited while he used the bathroom. When he came out, she was right where he had left her.

They spent the morning by the pool. Alejandro swam laps, and Ana relaxed on a chaise longue in her own pretty blue one-piece bathing suit. She recognized the captain’s voice when he greeted her. His white uniform was nearly blinding, but today she could see his blue eyes. “Good morning, Captain. I’m enjoying doing absolutely nothing, but I suppose you’re always busy.”

“Always.” He sat down on the end of the chaise beside hers. “Your husband is a fine swimmer.”

“Yes, he is, but let’s hope he doesn’t have to rescue us if the ship sinks.”

Reyes’s laughter caught Alejandro’s notice, and he swam to the end of the pool.

“What’s so funny?”

“Your wife made a joke about the
Siren
sinking, which it won’t. The Ortiz Line has never lost a ship, and the
Siren
won’t be the first.”

“I suppose it was in poor taste,” Ana remarked.

“It’s all right in port,” Alejandro replied. “Just don’t do it when the ship’s crowded with passengers who could be frightened.”

The captain stood. “Good advice. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”

“Thank you.” Ana waited until she was certain the man had gone. “He wasn’t flirting,” she whispered.

Alejandro hauled himself out of the pool and grabbed a towel. “Of course he was, but other than for dinner, we won’t see much of him once the cruise begins.”

She pursed her lips. “He may not want to flirt after Dr. Hibiscus removes my stitches.”

“Higareda, wasn’t it? You’ll be a walking advertisement, so he would have done his finest work on you. You’re allowed to worry, but don’t obsess over it.”

“Do you actually expect to govern my thoughts?” She smiled, and there was no threat in her voice. “We should stay out of each other’s thoughts, Alejandro. Let’s agree to that.”

“We only argue on Tuesdays and stay out of each other’s thoughts. It sounds reasonable for the time being.”

“I suppose I could let you in on one thought.”

He brushed his hair dry with the towel. “Fine. What is it?”

“There are multiple ways to have sex that won’t leave me more bruised than I already am.”

“Fascinating. Let’s go to our cabin and try them all.” He scooped her up and placed her in her wheelchair.

She laid her hands in her lap. “I hope you’re always this agreeable to my suggestions.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Some men grow deaf to their wife’s voices, or so I’ve heard.”

“Where would you have heard that?”

She looked up at him. “A clever woman never reveals her sources.”

He pushed her to the elevator and pressed the button. “Are many of your model friends married?”

“None of them are. What are you trying, a process of elimination?”

“Am I that transparent?” He rolled her into the elevator.

“You’re very pleasingly solid.” She could almost make out the numbers on the elevator panel. She remembered him very clearly.

The bed in their cabin had been neatly made and the curtains opened to let in the sun. Alejandro helped Ana from the chair and pulled her close. “You have an energy that makes holding you feel incredibly good.”

“Tingling chemistry? You have it too.” She raised her arms to encircle his neck and rubbed against his hairy chest. “Everything about you feels better than good. I could stand and hold on to the balcony rail, but we should probably wait until after dark.”

“Unfortunately, the ship’s lights would prohibit it, but I like the idea.” He glanced around the room. The bathroom mirror showed through the partially open door, and he nodded toward it. “You could hold on to the sink.”

“Yes, I like watching you. Help me out of my suit.”

He took a step back but kept hold of her with one hand. “I got you into it, and I’ll be happy to peel it off.”

Her voice was low and suggestive. “Go slow rather than yank it off.”

“Peel you like a banana?”

She licked her lips and rose up to kiss him. “I’d rather think of myself as a peach.”

“You’d be delicious as a peach or plum or mango. Let’s go into the bathroom first, just to be safe.”

She held on to his side and hopped through the doorway. “See? I can get around now that I’m no longer dizzy. A ballet dancer has incredibly good balance.” She watched him in the mirror as he lowered the narrow bathing suit straps to uncover her pale pink nipples. Even if his features weren’t distinct, she appreciated his smile, but the bandage on her cheek bothered her. “If I’m not pretty enough to model any longer, you’ll tell me, won’t you?”

He paused with her suit at her waist. “The scar will barely show, Ana. Wait until Friday, and you’ll see.”

If she could see clearly, she didn’t add. She placed her hands over his, and he met her glance in the mirror, or at least she thought he did. “I’d been in El Gato a dozen times before I met you.”

“So had I. The stars must have aligned, or fate filled the other tables so I’d have to share yours.”

She rubbed her bottom across his erection. “What if I hadn’t come back?”

He brushed his hand over her breasts and plucked her nipples. “You would have come back.”

“I wanted to, but I didn’t allow my imagination to go this far. This is all a luscious surprise.”

“For us both.” He dipped his head to kiss her bruised shoulder.

She grabbed hold of the sink. His touch always made her feel cherished, and she leaned into his kisses. His hands were callused, and his rough palms tickled as he lowered her suit. He helped her hop out of it and tossed it over the shower door. “I told you I didn’t need a maid.”

“I may be a rather clumsy maid, but you definitely need me.”

“You’re my lover, Alejandro, not a maid.”

He wrapped her in his arms and hugged her tight. “I’m also your husband. How well can you see us in the mirror?”

“Well enough. You’re tan and I’m pale, and we blend into each other very nicely, harmoniously.”

“We should have photos made in this pose,” he teased.

“With a mirror behind us too, the image would repeat like an echo.” She closed her eyes and tilted her head against his shoulder. “Just for us though, no one else.” He slid his hand between her legs and rubbed her gently. “That feels so good, but I can’t touch you while I’m hanging on to the sink.”

“We’ll take turns,” he promised. He loosened his hold on her to shake off his trunks. He had condoms in his shaving kit sitting on the counter, donned one and eased into her.

Caught between him and the sink, she could barely move, but the sensations he created with slow, gentle lunges took her to the brink of release before he paused to ease them both down to an anxious calm. It was such delicious torture. She wiggled against him and clenched her inner muscles to pull him deep.

“Slow is better,” he breathed against her ear. He crossed his hands over her chest and fondled her breasts tenderly. His thumbs brushed her nipples in time with his surging hips.

She curved her spine to roll her back against his chest, slanted her shoulders to brush against him and closed her eyes to savor the joy they created so easily. It had to be more than mere chemistry and a deeper, stronger link. “Ah, that’s it, stay right there,” she nearly purred. He rocked back on his heels, and a final thrust sent her tumbling into perfect bliss. She locked her arms over his to ride his orgasm and doubled her own. Heat flooded her limbs to her fingers and toes, and it took a long while for her jagged breathing to slow.

Alejandro carried her to the bed and kept her in a warm embrace until their stomachs began to growl, and laughing, they remembered they had to eat.

On Friday, Ana had an early morning appointment with Dr. Higareda. His office was located in a medical building adjacent to the hospital, and after parking, Alejandro unfolded the wheelchair and helped her into it. “I don’t think you’ll need this much longer.”

“I hope not.” Her vision was nearly perfect, but rather than tell him, she waited so she could gauge his true reaction to her scar. She also loved watching him apply her mascara. He moved slowly, as though he were restoring a treasured piece of art rather than helping her with makeup. She shouldn’t have worried, however, because when the physician removed her stitches, Alejandro’s expression was one of mild surprise rather than anguished alarm.

Dr. Higareda was ecstatic. “The scar is so faint, it will soon disappear. I’ll refrain from asking you for an endorsement of my work, but I’m sorely tempted.” He gave her a hand mirror. “I’m sure you’ll be pleased.”

She had to gather the courage to look, but the thin pink line on her cheek struck her as a glaring flaw. She worked in a world where perfection mattered, and when her skin fully healed, she could cover the scar with makeup, but she’d still know it was there. Thinking she was lucky it wasn’t worse, she forced a smile. “Thank you. I’ll talk to you about using my photo when we come back from Greece. Unless it has to be taken right now.”

“For my files only today,” the physician assured her. He took photos at several angles. “You’re sure to have a wonderful time on your cruise. The pastries on the Ortiz Line are the best I’ve ever eaten. All the food is good, but the pastries are lighter than an angel’s caress. The pestiños bathed in honey syrup are beyond compare.”

“I can’t wait to taste them,” Ana assured him. She had his card and promised to call when they came home. They returned to the ship before the passengers had begun to board, but there was far greater activity along the dock as the final supplies were loaded.

She wouldn’t complain in front of Alejandro, but being scarred hurt more than she’d ever reveal. “It was so nice having the ship all to ourselves,” she said. “I brought my red wig as well as the Goth girl. Maybe I should wear a disguise.”

“You could alternate. People would think I’d brought two women on the cruise.”

“The wheelchair would give it away. I hope I’ll be enough for you no matter what color my hair.”

He pushed her chair out on their cabin balcony so they could watch the activity below. “Of course you’re enough. We already agreed we’d be faithful, and you’re far more likely to attract admirers.”

“They’re drawn to the illusion, not the real me. Do you suppose the chef has already baked the pestiños Dr. Higareda loves?”

“Yes. Would you like to send him some?”

“Could we?”

He kissed her soundly. “I’ll see to it right now. Do you want to send anything to anyone else?”

She licked her lips to savor his kiss. “No. Just bring a few for me, will you?”

“Of course. We ought to sample them. I’ll be right back.”

She blew him a kiss as he left. She raised her hand to her cheek and quickly pulled it away. She’d not expected to remain in modeling many more years, and if the accident ended her career, she’d not waste a minute crying over it. It was just the way life worked. As for acting, special effects created all sorts of magical creatures, and her scar wouldn’t be a challenge to cover. Still, the accident had changed her life so suddenly, it was difficult to cope as easily as she pretended for Alejandro. She wanted the truth from him, but as a woman, she ought to be allowed a few secrets.