He looked at her for a moment and then shrugged. ‘It seemed less trouble than tracking you through the rainforest.’
But even his casual answer wasn’t enough to dampen the happiness inside her. He’d thought about what she needed. About what might help her.
The pool was deliciously cool and refreshing and Grace slid into the water with an appreciative moan. ‘I wish I could transport this pool back to London with me.’
‘Why would you need to do that?’ In a series of swift movements, Rafael removed all his clothes and stood for a moment, watching her, completely unselfconscious.
Confronted by such a blatant display of potent masculinity, she felt her cheeks heat. ‘Because I love it.’
‘Then stay in the rainforest.’ With a shrug that indicated that he considered the problem solved, Rafael plunged head first into the water in a smooth, athletic dive.
She gave a gasp of shock as he surfaced right next to her. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes.
‘There are all sorts of potentially lethal predators in this pool, minha paixao,‘ he said huskily, sliding his hand behind her back and urging her against his hard, powerful body. ‘You need to be careful.’
Engulfed by a sexual excitement that shocked her, she pushed against him and lifted her mouth to his. ‘Is that right?’
It was crazy to allow herself to become this involved with him, but how could she stop herself? It was as if her mind and her body were outside her control and she gave a low moan of encouragement as she felt his hands slide down her body, removing her costume in the process. In a matter of seconds she was naked but she didn’t even care because all she could think about was what he did to her.
‘Rafael …’ She moaned his name against the slick muscle of his shoulder and felt the hot, hard throb of his arousal brush against her.
He clamped a hand behind her head and captured her mouth, his tongue creating an explosion of sensations that sent her whole body into meltdown.
She wriggled and writhed against him in an attempt to get closer still, her body slippery and lithe in the water, and she heard him mutter something in Portuguese and then he held her firmly and entered her with a smooth, sliding thrust.
The contrast between the cool of the pool and the incredible, pulsing heat of his body made her cry out and her head fell backwards, her hair trailing in the water as he thrust into her with a rhythm so exquisitely perfect that she almost immediately lost control. Her body exploded around his and she heard his answering groan and felt the sudden increase in masculine thrust that heralded his own completion.
Drained, sated and more than a little dazed, Grace closed her eyes and clung to his wide shoulders, relieved that he was still holding her, otherwise she had a strong suspicion that she would have drowned and died happy.
‘Not leaving Brazil any time soon,’ he purred, stroking her damp hair away from her face with a gentle hand.
Barely able to focus, she opened her eyes and looked at him. Did he care about her? Surely he had to care in order to respond like that? And he’d changed towards her, she felt it. He’d softened in his attitude. They shared a bond that wasn’t just sexual.
Did they, just possibly, have some sort of future?
Watching Grace sip cautiously at a glass of wine, Rafael wondered why it was that everything about her fascinated him.
And why, he wondered with a faint frown, had repeated sex done nothing to dampen his ravenous libido?
He was rapidly coming to the conclusion that he just might be addicted to Grace Thacker’s incredibly lithe, seductive body.
He noticed the faint shadows under her eyes with a frown. ‘You’re tired?’
‘A little.’ She put her glass down and picked up her fork, taking a small mouthful of the dish that Maria had put in fron
t of her. ‘More worried than tired, if I’m honest.’
‘Worried?’ Discovering that he absolutely didn’t want her to feel worried, Rafael leaned forward. ‘What’s worrying you? Tell me and I’ll solve the problem.’
‘My father.’
‘I’ll deal with him.’
‘I don’t want you to. It isn’t your problem. And it isn’t the thought of dealing with him that bothers me. It’s everything else.’ She toyed with her food. ‘I suppose I’m just very upset.’
‘Why? Your business is going to be fine.’
‘But it isn’t just about the business, is it?’