The Twelve-Month Marriage Deal (6 page)

Now it looked as though he would have to be patient, very patient.

Elena sighed. Vidal was making her feel uncomfortable. This was a side to him that she hadn’t been aware of. He was actually being nice and, although she appreciated the fact that he hadn’t forced her into making love, she knew that it still wouldn’t do to trust him completely.

He was too virile a man to go without his pleasure, nor was she sure that she would be able to resist him the next time. Her inability to go on had probably been a psychological block, caused by the trauma of the day.

Amazingly, even now she felt like flinging herself back into his arms, declaring that she was ready—but
knew that it would be far too embarrassing if the same thing happened again.

On the other hand she could not see Vidal accepting twelve whole months of nothingness, despite what he had said.

Actually she ought to be thanking Vidal, not backing off. If he hadn’t agreed to marry her and take over their bank then her mother would be in a far worse condition. She had clearly worried herself sick over the last few months. And now that a heart murmur had been discovered they must all pull together and see that she had no more serious concerns. If only her parents had said something before. Not that she personally could have saved the bank, but she might have been able to do something.

Instead of putting herself into the hands of Vidal Marquez!

‘I am grateful to you, Vidal,’ she conceded reluctantly. ‘Without your help my mother might not—’ Tears filled her eyes and she dashed them away angrily. ‘My mother could be a lot worse. I never knew how bad things had got and how worried both she and my father were.’

Vidal felt sorry for Elena’s mother too, very much so, and he knew that she didn’t need any more stress, but he didn’t want to talk about her now. On his wedding day! When he should be partaking in glorious sex. Where was the fairness in this world? The way he looked at it, making love would help take Elena’s mind off her mother. And it would certainly help him.

Marrying her wasn’t having the result he had ex
pected. From the instant he had set eyes on the newly grown-up and deliciously exciting Elena he had wanted her. He’d said that he was prepared to wait—but hell, he wasn’t made out for the waiting game. Especially when she’d responded so amazingly.

He smiled slowly. ‘The pleasure will wait. I can be patient. Though I’m afraid that for tonight we’ll still have to share the same bed.’

Elena knew very well that his smile wasn’t genuine. She also knew the impossibility of Vidal sharing a bed and doing nothing. But what choice had she? There was a sofa in the adjoining room, but it was overstuffed and not conducive to a good night’s sleep. Not that she expected to get any sleep—even in the bed. How could she with Vidal at her side? He was too magnetic, too potent, too everything.

In the end she did slide into the bed, pulling her negligee tightly around her, conscious of Vidal’s still naked body only inches away. She lay a long time listening for his breathing to deepen, conscious of the heat of his body, conscious too of the uneven pulsing of her heart. This was the hardest thing she had ever done. But once he was asleep then she too closed her eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

Vidal could not believe that he had slept with a woman and not made love to her. Especially on his wedding night. What sort of a fool was he? Wasn’t he man enough to have persuaded her into letting down her defences? He didn’t blame her for what had happened, even though he couldn’t truly understand it, but perhaps he ought to have coaxed and teased her into submission.
Why had he let her get away with it? This was like nothing he had ever done before.

He’d woken just as dawn was breaking and stood a few moments looking down at Elena. In sleep her face was relaxed, the early-morning light touching her with an ethereal softness. She looked like an angel, her dark hair tousled as though she had spent the night tossing and turning, a faint smile on her lips. Maybe she was dreaming a beautiful dream. Maybe she was dreaming that he was making love to her!

The thought caused everything inside him to tighten.
Dios,
how he wanted her!

She had already given away the fact that he had the power to arouse her—beautifully. All that had stopped her letting him make love last night had been her conscience. What he needed to do now, if he wasn’t to spend the next year sleeping alone, was to persuade her that everything would be okay.

But he would be patient, he would let her come to him in her own good time. Not that he wouldn’t try a little gentle persuasion. What fun would there be in being married otherwise?

By the time he had showered and dressed Elena was awake. She looked at him shyly as she got out of bed and he wondered whether he was the first man she had ever slept with. It made him realise how little he knew about her. And he surprised himself by wanting to know more.

He had thought, when he had agreed to their marriage, that it would simply be a case of them sharing a bed. It was the only direction his thoughts had gone. He had wanted her body and wasn’t interested in her for any
other reason. But now, conversely, he wanted to find out every single thing about this woman who was giving up her life to help her parents.

‘Good morning, Elena. How are you feeling?’

Her finely shaped brows shot up, as though she hadn’t expected such courtesy. She pulled her robe more tightly around her. ‘I’m well, thank you. I’d like a shower.’

‘Of course.’ His stomach muscles tightened. He wasn’t used to fully clothed women this early in a morning. Usually they were more ready to disrobe than cover up. And he certainly wasn’t used to someone who looked as though she would prefer to be anywhere but in the same room as him.

‘Meanwhile I’ll order breakfast,’ he said, aware that his tone was suddenly curt and despising himself for it. But how did she expect him to behave when he had spent the night next to her in bed?

He wasn’t made of stone—though at this moment he wished that he were. And when Elena rejoined him a few minutes later, her damp hair clinging to her cheeks, her velvet-soft skin flushed, her wide golden eyes troubled, he wanted to take her into his arms and assure her that everything was going to be all right.

‘T
HIS
is where you live?’ Elena queried, her beautiful eyes even wider than ever as Vidal drove through the electronically controlled gates of an impressively styled manor house.

Her parents’ house was luxurious, and her own place in LA was pretty smart, but this—well, it surprised her by its size. It was twice the size of his father’s house, tucked into the Andalucian countryside, a huge square two-storey property with stables and outbuildings and even what looked like a separate cottage.

Why would one man live in a place like this? she asked herself. Unless, of course, he did a lot of entertaining—in which case it would certainly be good for his image.

‘And yours for the duration of our marriage.’

Elena hadn’t realised that Vidal was watching the changing emotions on her face and when her eyes met his, when she heard the earthy growl in his voice, she felt a flood of something she would rather not think about.

‘Well—what do you think of it?’ Vidal’s voice penetrated her thoughts.

‘It’s bigger than I expected.’

He nodded. ‘I like space. I like room to move around.’

It certainly looked as though he had that. ‘Do you entertain a lot?’

‘Not frequently,’ he answered with a shrug, ‘but I do host the occasional party. We must have one while you’re here. You could organise it if you like.’

Elena threw him a quick glance of protest. ‘Aren’t you running away with yourself? You’re making it sound like a proper marriage.’ And it would never be that, not ever. Not even if their bodies joined in some magnificent play of hunger and greed. Which they undoubtedly would. Living together, sleeping together, it would be impossible not to share each other’s bodies as well.

‘Why shouldn’t it be?’ His lips quirked and surprising humour lightened his eyes. ‘What’s the point of being married and not enjoying ourselves?’

‘I didn’t think enjoying ourselves was the point of the exercise.’ Elena heard the caustic note in her voice and winced inwardly. If she wasn’t careful she would make matters worse.

‘It’s not too late to back out,’ Vidal warned, his eyes swiftly losing their softness, turning into savage slits of silver. ‘Maybe that’s what you were trying to tell me last night?’

Elena shuddered as she felt the waves of his hostility wash over her. Unfortunately she needed to hold the candle to the devil. For that was what he was—a devil!

‘I won’t do that. I have no wish to let my parents down. I’m here to help them, not make matters worse.’
She looked straight at him as she spoke, saw a mixture of impatience and arrogance cross his face.

The next second he turned away. ‘Come, let me introduce you to the staff.’

Indoors, in the vast entrance hall they were already lined up waiting to meet her. The housekeeper, his head cook, various maids, his secretary, his personal valet and finally the gardener and his assistant. Even the stable boys.

It was an impressive line-up of staff and Elena could not believe that he needed so many. On the other hand it was a large house to keep and the gardens were vast so she guessed that they all had their duties.

As she shook hands with each one in turn she was conscious of being studied as she had never been before. What would they think if they knew that theirs was a temporary marriage? Would they look at her with such respect then? Or would they talk and sneer behind her back?

They must certainly be wondering why he had married her instead of Reina. Her sister would be wellknown to them. How tongues must have wagged when she’d reneged on their marriage. Not that it would bother Vidal. He would rise above it—as she must if she were to create the right impression.

His housekeeper spoke. ‘Shall I take your new wife upstairs, Señor Marquez?’

‘Thank you, Marita, but I will do it myself.’

Everyone silently disappeared and Vidal smiled at Elena. ‘I think you’ve created quite an impression. I’ve never seen such awe on their faces.’

‘I expect they were wondering what had happened
to Reina,’ she declared with a flash of her magnificent eyes. ‘And I think it was curiosity rather than awe.’ Although she privately thought that it was Vidal himself they feared. He was very much the lord and master.

She followed him up the grand curved staircase to a room that was massively oversized. It had parquet flooring and a monster-sized bed and was decorated richly in shades of gold and ivory. Leading off it was a sitting room, which he said she could have for her own personal use, and through another door were two bathrooms, all gold and marble with monogrammed towels.

There were two dressing rooms as well. Vidal flung open the door to one that was totally empty. ‘Plenty of space for your belongings,’ he declared airily, and Elena noticed that her suitcases had already been brought up.

She couldn’t help wondering, however, who had used it before her. Before her sister even. She couldn’t imagine Vidal living in this big space alone. Unless he used another bedroom when he was alone here? Maybe this one had been designed especially for when he took a bride. Or for when he entertained his lady friends! The thought of some other woman sharing that bed with him turned her stomach.

‘Shall we continue the grand tour?’

Elena shrugged. ‘As you wish.’

Her careless response dragged his brows together in a fierce frown. ‘You don’t sound very enthusiastic.’

And
he
sounded angry! Which didn’t surprise her considering that he had spent the night sleeping with her, but not touching her. How hard must that have been for him? Practically impossible, she guessed.

And the next second she found out how impossible
it had been. ‘I cannot do this, Elena,’ he growled. ‘I know I promised, but you have no idea what you’re putting me through. I want you in my bed and in my arms! And if you’d only relax I believe you want me too.’

Elena closed her eyes, trying to shut out the vision of Vidal’s face contorted with frustration. He was so right. She did want him. But she was scared now in case it happened again.

In the end she was given no choice. Vidal’s arms were around her, his mouth taking possession of hers in a kiss that declared war. In a kiss that took her breath away and left her reeling. ‘Forget that this is a temporary marriage,’ he insisted. ‘Forget the barriers.
Believe
that I am your husband. Come to me. Give me your body, let me make love to you.’

Elena did not answer; how could she when his mouth had returned to hers? When he was filling her with sensations that felt like electrical impulses? Her whole being had become intensely, magnificently alive. He had switched her on with the ease of a skilful lover.

From deep within her throat came a sound of exquisite pleasure and she could not stop herself kissing him back, her lips parting willingly to allow his tongue the access he demanded. She heard the deep guttural groan deep down in his throat as he tasted and explored, his arms binding her to the hard strength of his body.

Fireworks exploded inside her head, her hands clutching, her fingers threading through the wiry thickness of his hair. The scent of him in her nostrils nearly drove her crazy, and when she urged her body closer to his the force of his desire shocked her.

Instead of pulling away, though, she allowed herself
to be carried along on a tide of passion. Feelings that she had never expected to experience where this man was concerned were blossoming and swelling and threatening to overtake her.

It was like a roller-coaster ride of passion. The short heart-stopping ride to the first peak before a swift rush of adrenaline as she was plunged headlong into one electrifying experience after another.

Each kiss, each touch of his fingers as he explored her breasts, finding the hard, sensitive nub of each one that sprang into life the second he touched her, each time she felt his hardness against her, all conspired to whisk her into a world where nothing was real, where senses were the order of the day. Into a world she had entered with no other man.

There was no doubt about it. She wanted him to make love to her. And this time she vowed that nothing would stop her, not even her own built-in defences. She wanted this man with a fervour that should have shocked her but didn’t, a fervour that carried her along on a tide of emotion too big to deny.

She therefore felt a sense of acute disappointment when he suddenly released her. How could he call a halt when he was the one who had started this? How could he deny what his body wanted? What both of their bodies hungered for?’

‘Vidal,’ she protested, trying to hold onto him.

‘Shh,
mi amor.
’ He touched a light finger to her lips. ‘I hear footsteps approaching. But I promise you—’ his lips curved meaningfully ‘—that this is not the end. Later, when we’re settled in. When your maid has unpacked and—’

‘
My
maid?’ she asked, her voice full of shock.

‘Naturally. She will look after you well. You only have to ask and she will—’

‘But I don’t want someone doing things for me. I’m perfectly capable of doing everything for myself. Heavens, anyone would think you were royalty!’

He frowned. ‘I am a busy man—I thought you understood that. I race from one meeting to another, from one country to another. It’s appropriate that I have my needs catered for.’

‘Maybe you, but not me,’ she declared fiercely. ‘I can look after myself, thank you very much. If you’d kindly tell your staff that then—’

‘Elena!’ The warning in his voice silenced her and she turned wide golden eyes up to his face. ‘This is the way I live. This is the way you will live. You’d better get used to it.’

The moment of passion had gone. The old arrogance was back. Vidal turned and walked out of the room and seconds later her personal maid entered.

Elena did not see Vidal again for a few hours, which was probably just as well because his comments had infuriated her.
This is the way I live. This is the way you will live. You’d better get used to it.
How dared he speak to her like that? Why had she let him? Why hadn’t she come back with some equally smart retort?

The answer was simple. She was doing this for her mother. She did not want to see her in hospital again and needed to keep a hold on her tongue, which was something she was not used to doing. And she certainly hadn’t realised what she would be expected to put up with. It was no wonder her sister had wanted out.

Elena spent the day exploring the house, finding her way around, talking to the various members of staff who were all extremely friendly, if guarded, and no one said anything to make her fearful that they would question what had happened between Reina and Vidal.

She walked around the gardens too. In LA she’d lived in an apartment so it was enviable to have so much open space. There were fruit trees—figs, oranges, lemons, limes, avocado and many more. There was even a hundred-year-old carob tree, according to the gardener, in the middle of one lawn. And a round pavilion—although she wasn’t sure what purpose that served. Perhaps to sit in to escape the rays of the sun?

Stopping by the stables, she made friends with the horses, in particular a magnificent black stallion that she was told was Vidal’s own personal horse. According to his groom no one else was allowed to ride him.

Elena used to ride before she went to America, she and Reina each having their own horses, and she was very tempted to take out the stallion. Even if only to annoy Vidal. But perhaps not today.

Her biggest find was the swimming pool and its assortment of terraces and seating areas. It beckoned to her like a consuming force and she hurried back indoors to don her swimsuit, happy that she had brought one with her.

And it was here that Vidal found her. He watched unobserved from beneath a tree as Elena swam several lengths. Her long, lazy, graceful movements tempted him to remain in the shadows rather than join her. She was taller and slimmer than her older sister and he found it constantly hard to believe how much she had changed
from the scrawny schoolgirl who had held no interest for him whatsoever. If anything she had been an annoying little nuisance, hanging around when he had wanted to be with her sister.

His stomach muscles tightened as he strove to clamp down on his hunger for her now and he promised himself that she wasn’t going to get away from him tonight. Never had a woman held him in such thrall.

Even if circumstances had been different, if she had been a complete stranger, he would have looked at her once, twice, and then again. He would have made it his duty to find out who she was. He would not have been satisfied until he had pursued and bedded her.

His heart thudded heavily against his ribcage at the very thought of her sharing his bed tonight and he intended making sure this time that nothing happened to stop them—not even Elena herself. He stepped out of the shadows and as he did so, as if she had sensed him, she looked his way.

‘You found the pool, I see.’ He kept his tone soft and unchallenging, feeling himself drowning in the wide golden orbs of her eyes. Had she always had such gorgeous eyes? Why had he never noticed before? He wanted them close to him; he wanted to look deeply into them, preferably in bed, with her arms and her legs wrapped around him.

‘You should have told me about it. It’s heaven in here.’ She turned on to her back and began kicking lazily away from him.

If it wasn’t an invitation to join him then he didn’t know what was. Urgently stripping down to his shorts, he dived cleanly into the water, coming up underneath
her so that she gave a tiny scream as he rolled her into his arms.

‘You swim like a mermaid, Señora Marquez,’ he murmured in her ear. ‘And you look just as enchanting.’ He dropped a light kiss onto her lips, pulling back again quickly before she could object.

‘And you, Señor Marquez, should take more care of your clothes.’

He frowned and then followed the direction of her eyes. His trousers and shirt that he had thrown off so hastily were floating in the water a few feet away.

‘That, my beautiful wife, is because I couldn’t wait to join you.’ The sight of her half-naked body was driving him insane. ‘Have you ever been made love to beneath the water?’ The words were out before he could stop them. And he held his breath as he waited for Elena’s answer.