Bridal Bargains

‘She’s certainly found her voice now,’ Gabriela drily responded.

‘She’s found more than her voice,’ Xander bit down at her as the salon door swung shut behind them and he strode across the foyer, heading straight for the stairs. ‘She’s found a compelling desire for a death wish!’

‘Not feeling so sarcastic now?’ Nell hit right back, still fizzing and popping inside with fury.

He stopped on the stairs, blazing black eyes capturing sparking green. His wide, sensual mouth was tight with fury, nostrils flaring like warning flags. The cold mask had broken, she saw, and felt the hectic sting of a dangerous excitement vibrate just about every skin pore.

‘You are goading me for some reason,’ he ripped down at her. ‘I want to know why!’

‘Death wish?’ Nell answered in defiance, only to bury her top teeth in her bottom lip when his glittering eyes narrowed for a moment, widened—then flared.

He caught that bottom lip with his own teeth and robbed it from her. As she drew in a startled gasp he held on and sucked, turning the whole crazy thing into a very erotic kiss.

Downstairs in the salon Thea Sophia made a jerky move to follow them. ‘They will need—’

‘Stay where you are, Thea,’ Gabriela murmured quietly. ‘I don’t think they will appreciate the intrusion right now.’

‘Oh.’ Thea stopped.

‘Mmm,’ Gabriela agreed with the older woman’s dawning expression. ‘Your calm mountain spring is about to turn into a raging torrent, cara,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘And our angry, high-principled boy is about to learn what it is like to be caught up in such an uncontrolled flood.’

‘You sound pleased about that.’

‘Pleased?’ Gabriela considered. ‘I suppose I am. He never forgave me my raging torrent. Let him learn and understand how I felt.’

‘Those two are man and wife

. Your torrent took place out of wedlock and devastated more people than you care to recall,’ Thea said curtly.

The sighed-out ‘Yes,’ took place as Gabriela came to her feet then walked restlessly over to the window, where she stood staring out at the glinting swimming pool, beyond which lay a crescent beach and an ocean of glistening blue.

‘I’ve had enough of this place,’ she decided suddenly and, turning back to the room, went to collect her purse. ‘Tell Alexander we will deal with our business some other time—’

‘Oh, I did not mean to chase you away, Gabriela,’ Sophia said anxiously.

‘I know.’ Gabriela kissed the old woman’s worried cheek. ‘But I should not have come. Alexander did warn me he had no time for my problems and now I know why.’

‘They’ve been apart for two weeks, Gabriela.’

‘They’ve been apart for much longer than that, Thea.’ Gabriela smiled ruefully at the older woman’s rose-tinted view of life. ‘Those two might be married, my sweet darling,’ she broke the news gently, ‘but they are not yet man and wife …’

The kiss lasted all the way up the stairs and into the bedroom. Nell only thought to pull back from it when she heard the door slam behind them with the help of a foot. Xander watched the liquid bewilderment darken her beautiful eyes as she stared up at him. He could feel her heart racing beneath the flat of his palm.

‘I’m going to ravish you senseless until you tell me what it is you are up to,’ he bit out thinly.

The heart rate speeded up. ‘I’m not up to anything!’ she denied.

But her cheeks began to heat—a sure sign that she was lying, the little witch. ‘You have been playing me hot and cold since I arrived here! Do you think I cannot tell when someone has a hidden agenda? And don’t blink those innocent eyes at me,’ he rasped. ‘I know when my strings are being pulled!’

‘Your strings are being pulled?’ Nell tried to wriggle free of his arms but he was having none of it, strong muscles flexed in a show of pure male strength. ‘You’ve been threatening to ravish me since you turned up at my sick-bed!’

‘What a good idea,’ he gritted out with a teeth-clenching smile and headed for the bed.

Oh, my God, Nell thought and started to tremble. ‘My foot!’ she jerked out in the wild hope it would pull him up short.

It did. He stopped in the middle of the bedroom, cleft chin flexing, tiny explosions of angry frustration taking place in his eyes. Without a word he changed direction, carrying her into the bathroom, where he slotted her down on the marble top between the his-and-hers washbasins.

Her hair stroked Xander’s face as she straightened away from him, her fingers trailing a reluctant withdrawal from around his neck. Her heart was still racing, the fine tremors attacking her slender frame, making his teeth grit together because he couldn’t decide if they were tremors of anger or desire.