Gregorio felt warmth staining his cheeks. ‘It was my way of letting Richardson know that you aren’t alone in the world, no matter what he may think to the contrary.’
‘By giving him the impression that I’m now engaged to you?’
A nerve pulsed in his jaw. ‘It worked, didn’t it?’
‘And what if he decides to tell someone else about our bogus engagement? Maybe the media?’ Lia challenged. ‘Did you even think of that?’
Of course Gregorio hadn’t thought of that. His only objective had been to protect Lia.
Really?
Was he being honest with himself?
Knowing Lia was with David Richardson had filled him with a blinding rage. Seeing her in the company of the other man, her hair a loose tumble about her shoulders in the way that he liked it, had sent every thought from his head except getting rid of Richardson.
And one word.
Mine.
Lia was his—whether she knew it yet or not.
Perhaps it was time that she did.
‘Gregorio!’ Lia squeaked in protest when he didn’t answer her but instead resumed pulling her along the street beside him, his face set in grim lines.
Lia wasn’t sure she altogether trusted that expression. And she felt even less reassured when they entered the hotel through the underground car park, where one of the lifts for the penthouse floor was situated. Gregorio scanned his key card to open the doors and pressed the button for the penthouse floor once they were both inside.
Lia could only assume the two bodyguards would either remain downstairs or come up later. Because Gregorio obviously wasn’t willing to let them travel in the same lift as them.
Lia could feel the heat and tension radiating from Gregorio now they were together in this small confined space. He didn’t so much as look at her—because he was so disgusted with her?—but his harsh expression said he was every inch the arrogant and ruthless Gregorio de la Cruz at this moment.
She ran the tip of her tongue over the dryness of her lips before speaking. ‘I believe I owe you an apology for the way I behaved and spoke to you yesterday evening—’
Her words were cut off abruptly as Gregorio pressed her back against one of the mirrored walls, grasping both her wrists in one of his hands before lifting her hands above her head and holding them there as he fiercely claimed her lips with his own.
The length of his body was pressed intimately against Lia’s, allowing her to feel how aroused he was. And she was aware of the response of her own body.
She kissed him back with all the pent-up emotions from last night and from this morning, parting her lips to allow Gregorio’s tongue to claim the heat of her mouth. Possessively. The victor with his captive. Exactly like that conquistador Lia had once likened him to.
She loved it.
Was she falling in love with Gregorio?
It was far too soon for her to know that for sure. Besides, right here and right now she just wanted to kiss and devour him in the same way he was claiming her. To lose herself in the desire that was never far away when the two of them were together.
She pressed even closer against him as she returned heated kiss for heated kiss. Neither of them was even aware of it when the lift doors opened and then closed again—until the lift started to go ba
ck down again.
‘Dios mio!’ Gregorio reluctantly dragged his mouth from Lia’s, his forehead resting on hers as he kept her pressed up against the wall. ‘You are driving me so crazy we risk being stuck in this lift for the rest of the day.’
Lia laughed softly under her breath. ‘I’d much rather we spent our time in a bed!’
Gregorio drew his breath in sharply. ‘Me too.’
She smiled teasingly. ‘That’s it? Just “me too”?’
He grimaced. ‘As you said, conversation seems to be our downfall. I do not want to ruin the moment as I obviously did yesterday evening.’