‘It’s not that small.’ He inched down determinedly.
‘I’m hot.’
His body stiffened in instinctive reaction to the dismissive challenge in her voice. ‘Then we’ll take off the coverings.’ He kicked the blanket to the floor and pushed the sheet to her hips. ‘You’re sleeping naked anyway.’
And just like that he was ready again.
‘I’m not planning on going anywhere,’ he muttered, rolling to his side to lean over her. ‘Except down on you.’
She was forced to look at him then. Her eyes were wide and dozens of emotions flickered through them. He kissed her before she could argue and worked his way down, down, down...
* * *
He woke early in the morning. He blinked at the light streaming in through the windows and saw the clear blue sky. He was cramped and achy all over. In the end he’d slept the night in her stupidly narrow bed. But he’d simply been unable to move—his muscles slammed by total exhaustion.
Now she was snuggled right into his side, her body soft and warm as it encroached on his. Her hair was like a mass of flames across his chest—soft and warming and with a faint fresh scent. He gently lifted a strand to see it glint in the light. His chest tightened and breathing suddenly seemed harder.
He wanted her to wake, yet he also wanted her to rest. He’d woken more than once in the darkness, unused to having someone with him right through the night. But she’d woken too and welcomed him when he’d turned to her, his appetite rapacious again.
Now she opened her eyes with that sense she seemed to have for when he woke. A pair of emeralds glittered at him, filled with accusation. ‘You’re still here.’
‘Yes.’ His throat felt raw and his voice sounded gravelly but, given how long and how harshly he’d groaned during the night, he wasn’t surprised. ‘I’m still here.’
He watched wariness enter her eyes. He tensed in anticipation. Regrets were not allowed. And this wasn’t over yet.
She shifted as if to move away from him but he pressed his palm on her back, holding her in place against him. That tight feeling ventured further south—to familiar territory.
‘Is that how you greet your fiancé good morning?’ He smiled at her and shifted down her body. ‘Maybe I should put you in a better mood, hmm?’
To his pleasure, she parted her legs, letting him in. Always he wanted her to let him this close. He adored doing this to her. Teasing her. Arousing her until she thrashed beneath him and begged for it. He didn’t think he’d ever tire of hearing her excitement build. Of making her moan for him. Of making her hot and fierce. He smiled as he kissed her slick, sweet core. He didn’t take her again, just licked her to orgasm because he imagined she was probably tender today. He’d not been gentle on the stairs. Or when they’d finally made it to the bed. Hell, even he was aching in parts he hadn’t realised he could ache in. He blamed that on the cramped little bed.
‘Oh... Yes!’ The cry was wrenched from her as she clenched her hands on his shoulders, shuddering through another orgasm.
He stifled his groan as his need sharpened. He’d hold back this time. He kissed her gently through the aftershocks, feeling laxness grow within her and seeing sleepiness return to her green eyes. He gently stroked her hair until her eyelids fluttered shut. Then he moved. But at the doorway he turned, unable to resist taking in one long, last look before beginning his day. She was beautiful, enthusiastic and generous, and the most gorgeous challenge. He could hardly wait already.
It was mid-morning before Kitty woke again. She’d slept better than she had in months. She stretched languorously. Oh, hell. There were aches in places too private to be named. So many aches. And the worst?
In her heart.
Never could she regret what had happened yesterday. He had won. Totally. But it had to be done with. She’d finish sifting through all the family stuff and get out of here before she got too enmeshed in an affair that was only going to end painfully for her. Alejandro, for all his arrogance and immunity to emotional depth, was too easy to like.
She took her time in the shower, hoping the hot water would soothe her muscles and over-sensitised skin. But she was half aroused again already, just thinking of him. It was the most rapacious case of lust ever. Who knew sex could be so addictive, so much fun and so intense? That it could be all those things at once was both mind-blowing and terrifying.
She fought for control over her own damn mind—making herself get dressed and head downstairs and get on with work. Once she was underway with the boxes, she was startled by a repeated knocking on the front door.
‘I’m sorry to interrupt you, Miss Parkes-Wilson, but there’s a delivery for the top floor.’ Paolo didn’t look her in the eye as he explained.
She tried to smile but she was mortified. The man had brought condoms when he’d busted them out of that room yesterday! So Kitty looked past him to where a beautifully tailored woman and a couple of brawny delivery men stood in front of a large truck double parked in the street.
‘A delivery?’ She blinked then stepped aside to let them in. ‘Of course.’
Then she saw what it was—a massive, massive bed.
‘For the top floor?’ she questioned, her voice squeaking. This was going in her bedroom?
‘Yes, the attic bedroom,’ the woman said crisply. ‘Mr Martinez requested I dress the bed for him and ensure it’s perfect.’
Did he, now? Unable to answer, Kitty stood aside. It was his house now and she had no authority to argue. She went down to the kitchen and hid. A new, massive bed for her bedroom? The guy had serious nerve.
Almost an hour later she heard Paolo calling for her.
‘All done?’ She stepped out into the hallway, glad when he nodded.
‘You don’t wish to inspect it?’ the woman asked.
‘I’m sure it’s lovely.’ She led them to the front door and opened it. ‘Thanks so much.’
She shut the door on them before her blush became visible to the astronauts on the International Space Station and, with a combination of avid curiosity and outrage, ran back up to her bedroom, freezing on the threshold when she saw it.
He’d replaced her ancient little bed with a monstrosity best suited to a whorehouse, with its four posts perfect for tying dominatrix straps to. Except that was her being overdramatic. It wasn’t tacky
. It was beautiful. Freshly laundered white linen covered the whole thing so it looked like a soft cloud. The thing that annoyed her the most was that it was gorgeous and fitted her room perfectly. And she was turned on just at the sight of it.
She turned on her heel and marched out of the room, determined to get the sorting done even more quickly than she’d planned. The sooner she got away from Alejandro Martinez, the better for her emotional health.
* * *
‘Darling, I’m back.’
Anticipation rippled through her body. Despite his sarcastic call, she heard the rough edge of desire underneath it.
‘What took you so long?’ she taunted, knowing full well he was home earlier than usual. Again.
He walked towards her, his gaze penetrating, that cocky smile curving his arrogant mouth. ‘I take it the bed arrived? Let’s go use it.’ He grabbed her hand and led her to the stairs, carrying a plastic bag in the other. ‘I walked into the store and chose what I wanted.’
Was this the new routine? Now this liaison was exposed as the blistering lust-fest that it was. No dinners out any more—or even in. It was just straight to bed to have sex the second he walked in the door. She ignored her own desire for exactly that—she couldn’t let him have it this easily.
‘It’s too big,’ she grumbled as they got to the top floor.
He sent her a sideways look that told her he wasn’t fooled. ‘I figured we needed a little more space to be creative.’
She was not hot at the thought of that. She wasn’t.
In her bedroom he set another box of condoms on the table. She stared at it, feeling the shifts deep within her treacherous body.
‘I suppose the best thing is I’ll have the space to be able to sleep without having to actually touch you,’ she muttered.
‘Yes, because you hated using me as your pillow last night.’ He stood his ground as he began to unbutton his shirt. ‘Why don’t you come closer and try to tell me again how much you don’t want me?’
She flung her head back, watching as with each flick of his wrist more of his beautiful skin was exposed. ‘What’s in the bag—sex toys?’