Stand-In Bride's Seduction

He quickly recovered his scattered thoughts. “Perhaps later. She’s tired, just returned from Perpignan.” And God only knows where else judging by the exhaustion dragging at her lithe body. “I didn’t even give her time to say hello before we were on our way here. I’ll suggest it to them after Javier has brought coffee.”

It must have taken a minor miracle but Javier eventually returned with a series of steaming hot paper cups in varying sizes and handed each to its recipient, the shortest and darkest brew going to Abuelo.

“Ah, thank goodness. Finally, a decent cup of coffee.” The old man sighed his pleasure as he savored the aromatic beverage.

“I thought it would be okay, just this once,” Javier said by way of explanation to the brothers. “What they serve him in the convalescent home is…” Javier’s expression left nothing to the imagination.

“That’s fine,” Rey replied and watched as Sara lifted the top off her cup and blew on the milky contents before taking a sip. Abuelo had distracted him when she’d given Javier her coffee order earlier, but now Rey looked at her in surprise. He knew for a fact that she took her coffee black, when she drank it. In the past couple of weeks, though, she hadn’t touched any, saying she was on a health kick or something like that. Looked like the health kick was over, if the way she obviously enjoyed the coffee now was any indicator.

Rey watched as her throat slowly swallowed, the muscles moving sinuously beneath her pale skin, and suddenly he was jolted with a burst of sexual awareness that completely blindsided him.

Their relationship to date had been more platonic than passionate. Sure, they’d exchanged a few kisses in the moonlight, but overall he hadn’t been fixated on getting her into his bed. They had fun together—kept things light and carefree—and that was the way he’d planned on keeping it before eventually carefully deconstructing the engagement and withdrawing with no hurt feelings. Right now, though, he wanted nothing more than to lose himself, and what was happening to his family, in the soft scents of her skin and the sensations of being entwined with her body.

She looked up at him over the rim of her cup, her gray eyes widening at what he could only assume was the burning hunger reflected in his own. Her hand shook slightly as she tipped her cup straight again and lowered it onto the table next to her. Her pink tongue swept away the trace of moisture left behind by the coffee on her lips.

Inside, whatever had taken hold of him tightened and sharpened into something totally inappropriate for a hospital waiting room. Remembering that somewhere on this floor his younger brother fought for his life beneath a surgeon’s blade brought Rey painfully back into the here and now. “Querida, you look weary. Perhaps you should go back to the cottage. I can call you there—let you know when we hear any news.” Before she could answer he turned to his grandfather. “Would you escort her back for me, Abuelo? I promise, we will let you know every ten minutes, if necessary, if there are any updates, but for now, I would prefer it if Sara was taken home. Clearly she’s worn out and needs rest.”

He looked at Sara, his eyes locking with hers and willing her to agree, as he waited for his grandfather’s blustering refusal. He saw the instant she understood his intention and watched as she turned to the old man.

“Would you? I always feel better if someone sees me to the door, and I’m really drooping here,” she said, clasping his grandfather’s hand between both of hers.

“I see what you are doing,” the old man grumbled at Rey, “but for this young woman, I will do the gentlemanly thing and escort her home.”

He slowly rose to his feet, slapping away at Rey’s hand as he reached to support him.

“I’m not completely incapable yet.”

He straightened to his full height and stared Rey straight in the eye. “You will tell me. The minute you hear anything.”

“Sí, Abuelo. I promise.”

Rey turned to Sara and took both her hands in his. “Go home, rest, I will call you when I hear anything.”

“I’ll be back in the morning,” she promised, reaching up to kiss him lightly on the cheek.