Untamed Fire (23 page)

Rafael eased over her, reaching for her
hands. She grasped her fingers with his, locking them together. He
spread her arms up above her head while his powerful legs moved
between her slim ones.

His ache for her was painful.

“I need you,
querida
,” he said
against her mouth as he found her lips once again.

She could feel the strength of him resting
between her. He held back, not wanting to hurt her, not wanting to
bring her pain. But it was more painful not having him.

Her lips felt bruised with pleasure when his
mouth deserted hers and she ached for more.

“I want you, Rafael,” she said harshly. “I
want you.”

Her breathless pleas were enough to send him
over the edge and so he entered her slowly. She was so hot and wet
that he slipped partially into her with ease. He raised his weight
slightly off her, allowing her room to breathe and accept him.

Her eyes were wide, but not with fright. She
curled her fingers around his and smiled.

“Wicked,” he whispered, then lowered
himself, pushing into her quickly.

She gasped, and he tightened his grip on her
hands as he took a quick peek into her eyes.

“Don’t stop, please,” she begged.

And he didn’t. He moved slowly at first,
allowing her to grow accustomed to him. As she stretched to take
more and more of him, he moved harder and harder and she urged him
on, her body quickly and eagerly matching his tempo.

They moved together as one, pushing nearer
the edge, dangling there, enjoying the anticipation, letting it
build until they both tumbled down to explode in a fiery ball of
pleasure.

Rafael released her hands and she wrapped
them around him as well as her legs and squeezed him to her,
causing him to shudder as well as herself.

They remained silent and unmoving
until...

“Am I allowed to speak?” Gaby asked.

Rafael pushed himself up to look down at
her, realizing her legs still remained locked around him. He liked
the feeling. “If there’s a breath left in you, you may speak.”

Gaby smiled and shrugged her shoulders
slightly. “For a while there I thought you had stolen my breath
away.”

“And was it a pleasant robbery?” he
teased.

“Yes, most pleasant.”

“Then you hold nothing against the thief
that robbed you?”

Gaby knew he no longer spoke of her breath.
“Nothing.”

Rafael felt a tug at his heart. He touched
her cheek. “I did not hurt you?”

She wasn’t certain what hurt he spoke of,
physical or emotional. But she had made her choice. He had not
forced her. “You caused me no pain only pleasure.”

He expected her admission to shed his guilt,
but it didn’t. It worsened it.

“Are you certain there is nothing that
disturbs you?” he asked irritably.

Gaby never noticed the irritation in his
voice. She was too busy thinking of other things. “There is one
thing,” she answered, not looking him in the eye.

Rafael braced himself. Now she would finally
make her demand, extract her payment for submitting to him, as all
women did.

“What is it?”

She looked at him then. “You had mentioned
something about all night?”

Rafael stared down at her, shocked. Then he
smiled. “What is it you want all night,
querida
?”

“You.”

“Only me, nothing else?”

“Only you, Rafael. I want only you.”

Her voice was a whispery plea, and Rafael
found his passion quickly building.

In minutes they were lost in their own
world, once again climbing to the edge.

~~~

Rafael sat braced against the pillows that
were supported by the thickly carved headboard. Gaby sat
comfortably nestled between his legs with his arms around her
stroking her bare backside as he spoke. “So what you’re telling me
is that Padre Jose was speaking the truth,” he said, enjoying their
talk of her childhood.

“Yes, that’s right,” she answered.

Rafael shook his head and tried not to
smile, but he wasn’t successful. “Why in heaven’s name didn’t you
leave the room once you saw Padre Manuel standing there naked?”

Gaby shrugged. “Because I purposely went
there so that I could see him naked.”

“What?”

“I purposely—”

“I heard that,” he said, startled by her
admission. “Why did you wish to see him naked?”

“It was all my brothers’ fault.”

Rafael’s smile widened and he patted her
bottom. “This I have to hear. Why was it your brothers’ fault?” Her
face took on a serious expression, but he could have sworn he saw
that mischievous look lurking in her eyes.

“Well, my brothers told me that I could
never see them naked or my eyes would fall out of my head. Don’t
laugh!” Gaby ordered and playfully smacked his chest.

Rafael bit at his lower lip, trying to
prevent himself from doing just that, but it was difficult.

“Anyway—oh, did I forget to tell you I was
only twelve when this happened?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Well, I was twelve, and I decided I should
find out for myself if they were telling the truth.”

“So you chose Padre Manuel to look at.”

“Naturally, I assumed that he being a man of
God—”

“That God might spare your eyes falling from
your head,” he finished for her.

“Right. So I went to get his clothes for
washing, which I always did—”

“But not when he was there.”

“Are you going to let me finish?”

“By all means. I want to hear about the look
on Padre Manuel’s face when he saw you standing there.”

Gaby stuck her tongue out at him and
continued speaking before he could comment. “So I—Owww!” she
cried.

“That’s what you get for sticking your
tongue out at me,” he said, rubbing the same spot on her bare
backside that he had just playfully slapped. “Now get on with the
story.”

Gaby obeyed without question, finding
pleasure in sharing her childhood tales with him. “So I went to
Padre Manuel’s quarters, opened the door, and walked in... with my
eyes wide open.”

“And?”

She smiled, recalling the old plump padre
standing there naked. “He was naked, a cloth in his hand, ready to
bathe from the wash basin on the chest beside him.”

Rafael was grinning again. “What did he
do?”

“He just stood there and stared at me as I
told him I’d only be a moment. After all, I had to make certain it
would take more than a quick glance for me to lose my eyes.”

“Of course,” Rafael said. Laughter began to
rumble deep in his chest.

“I picked up the clothes, getting a little
closer, and took a really good look at him.”

“Where at him?”

“Where?”

“Yes, his face, his arms, his belly,
his—”

“You know perfectly well what I looked
at.”

“And your eyes didn’t fall from your
head?”

She bit her lower lip attempting to control
the laughter. “No, but...”

“But what?”

“Well, everything would have been fine if
the padre had remained still until I left.”

“What did he do?”

Gaby burst out laughing.

Rafael joined her although he didn’t know
why. Gaby,” he said, after gaining control, “what did he do?”

“He—he reached for that black wide-brimmed
hat that the padres always wear to shade themselves from the sun
and lowered it to cover himself between his legs. He then made the
sign of the cross, saying, ‘Bless you, my child.’”

Rafael roared with laughter.

“It was that night the metalworker put locks
on all the padres’ doors and I was banned from picking up the
padres’ wash.”

Tears came to Rafael’s eyes, he was laughing
so hard. “You are special,
querida
.”

“That’s what Padre Jose insisted always
saved me. He felt Padre Manuel thought I was special.”

“I agree with the padre.”

“We are all special in our own way,” she
said and yawned before resting her head on Rafael’s shoulder.

“Tired?”

“A little,” she answered, drawing designs on
his chest with her finger.

“Perhaps you should get some sleep.”

Gaby’s head quickly lifted from his
shoulder. “You are tired?”

Rafael loved that innocent, yet yearning
look in her dark eyes. He playfully pinched her bottom and she
smiled. “No, but you most certainly must be.”

“I am not,” she said, attempting to pull
from his grasp and sit up.

Rafael wouldn’t allow it and secretly she
was glad. She didn’t want to leave his arms... ever. The sudden
thought brought an unexpected frown to her face.

“What’s wrong, Gaby? Are you
uncomfortable?”

She knew he referred to the fact that they
had made love many times and by now she was probably sore and
tender, when actually she wasn’t. She was anxious to make love with
him again. One night, she had repeatedly told herself, one night
with him was all she could allow herself, and she wanted all that
she could get of him.

“A little,” she answered, placing her head
on his shoulder once again and releasing a fake, but convincing
sigh.

Rafael felt a pang of guilt. He had not
given proper consideration to her virgin state. He had continually
satisfied himself within her. But she had felt so good even sitting
here now holding her felt so right. They had talked and laughed and
sipped wine. Ah, the wine, he thought smiling. It had spilled, with
a little help from him, on her breasts, and he had gallantly
cleaned it off her... with his tongue. How he would love to share
each night thusly with her, but not as lovers. He wanted her in his
arms in the morning when he woke. He wanted to see her belly grow
heavy with his child. He wanted a lifetime with her.

But that could never be. There was tonight,
only tonight.

“Perhaps cool water will soothe your ache,”
he offered, hoping to ease her discomfort enough to make love to
her at least once more this night.

“Perhaps,” she sighed.

Rafael didn’t notice the sly little smile
that touched her lips as she slid off him.

He wet a cloth with cool water from the
ceramic basin that sat on the top of his chest and returned to the
bed. He stopped at the bottom and stared.

Gaby lay stretched out, her arms above her
head, her legs spread apart enticingly. He couldn’t help but smile.
She was like no other woman he had ever met. She may have been
nervous and unsure at first but she had soon turned playful,
unpredictable, demanding, and not the least inhibited about making
love with him.

He pushed her legs further apart to make
room for him to sit on the bed right between them. He watched her
face as he touched her between her thighs gently with the cloth.
She squeezed her eyes shut, moaned and squirmed provocatively.

He continued watching her and touching until
the cloth itself was hot in his hand. He threw it aside and leaned
over her, kissing her belly. “Does it still pain you?”

“Yes, Rafael, I am in pain,” —she sighed—
“such terrible pain.”

He kissed her belly again, lower this time.
“My poor,
querida
. What can I do to make it better?”

She raised her head and looked at him. “I-I
don’t know.”

“Perhaps if I kiss it I will make it feel
better,” he whispered and lowered his head between her legs.

Gaby dropped her head back and at that
moment thought she had died and gone to heaven.

~~~

Gaby saw the distant light through the
window. Dawn would soon be upon them and the night would be left to
memories. She lifted Rafael’s hand to slip out from under his arm.
She quietly left his bed and gathered her clothes, putting them on
with haste.

She walked over to the bed and looked down
at him. He slept so peacefully. She touched her two fingers to her
lips and then brought them down to press lightly against his.

“I love you,” she whispered. “I will always
love you.”

She turned and hurried to the door, slipping
the lock across as quietly as possible. She turned back to take one
last look. Her eyes roamed over his body stretched on his side,
drinking in every last detail of him, from the curl on his forehead
to the thick muscles of his chest she had slept on, to his powerful
arms that had held her so tight, to his long legs that had snuggled
with hers, and to his firm, sculpted buttocks she had playfully
patted. Tears came to her eyes and she fought them.

It was your choice.
The words
screamed in her head, and she turned, opened the door, and walked
out.

“Where is she?”

Lupe’s head snapped up in surprise, not
having heard Don Rafael enter. He did not look happy. His posture
was stiff, his lips set tight, and his dress impeccable. He was
annoyed, no doubt about it. He always wore that air of arrogance
every time something irritated him. And Lupe was pretty certain who
the irritant was, so she trod carefully. “Who are you looking for,
Don Rafael?”

“Gaby!” he said with more emphasis then he
had intended.

“She’s gathering eggs for me,” Lupe
continued, hoping to alter his mood. “She must have had a wonderful
time last night. She’s in such good spirits this morning, smiling,
humming cheerful tunes, and looking radiant. Yes, last night did
her good.”

Rafael grew more annoyed with each word. He
had hoped to be awake before she left his quarters. He had wanted
to make certain she was all right, that she harbored no regrets,
felt no remorse for what had passed between them. Evidently, from
Lupe’s description of her joyous mood, she didn’t.

Why the thought irritated him he couldn’t
say, but it did, very much so. He had thought he would have found
her seeking solace in her quarters, perhaps even fighting tears, or
sleeping, exhausted physically and drained emotionally from the
night they had spent together. But here she was feeling
wonderful.