Cesar s
miled. ‘My name, Da Silva, isn’t strictly Spanish in origin. It comes from a very distant Portuguese ancestor. So I’m allowed...certain liberties...’
Lexie all but rolled her eyes as one of the staff got Cesar’s attention. She’d just bet he was allowed untold liberties for the promise of his favour and business opportunities. The fact that he was obviously a regular visitor to Lisbon told her that he didn’t take advantage of their respect and that made her feel soft inside.
They went one floor down and were shown into the most sumptuous suite of rooms Lexie had ever seen.
She explored on her own and found a terrace outside the bedroom’s French doors. She went out. The view was astounding. She could see the huge imposing castle up on a nearby hill, lots of steep streets with distinctive yellow trams. And then what had to be the River Tagus, spanned by a massive bridge.
She felt a presence behind her and then arms came around her, hands resting by hers on the rail. Lexie shut her eyes for a second at the way her body wanted to melt, and when Cesar pressed close behind her she did melt into him, blocking out the voices screaming Danger! Danger!
One of his hands disappeared and she felt her hair being tugged back gently, so her neck was bared. Breath feathered there and then she felt his mouth, warm and firm. Lexie’s hands tightened on the rail and the view became blurry.
She turned around to face him and looked up. His eyes were heavy-lidded, full of something dark and hot. A pulse throbbed between Lexie’s legs.
‘I have a whole agenda laid out for you today, Miss Anderson.’
Lexie arched a brow and tried to be cool. ‘Oh, you do?’
Cesar nodded, and took some of her bright hair between two fingers. He tugged gently again and his eyes rose to hers.
‘And right now I have something very specific in mind.’
Lexie was already breathless. ‘You do...?’
‘Yes.’
And then, with devastating precision, Cesar’s mouth closed over hers and Lexie didn’t care where she was in the world as long as she was right in this moment.
* * *
‘A nightcap?’
Lexie looked at Cesar and nodded. ‘That’d be nice, thanks.’
She watched as he turned and went to the drinks cabinet, her eyes devouring his tall, lean form sheathed in a dark trousers and a light shirt. He’d already shrugged off his jacket.
Lexie was reeling after the day. Not wanting Cesar to see how overwhelmed she was, she made her way out to the terrace that was accessible through the living room too. She heard the faint sound of a mobile and Cesar’s deep tones as he answered.
A quiver of relief went through her—a moment alone, to try and assimilate everything. She sucked in the evening air, hoping it might cool her hot cheeks. They’d felt permanently hot since Cesar had made love to her that morning.
Afterwards, when she’d been sated and replete, he hadn’t let her burrow back under the covers as she’d wanted to. He’d all but washed and dressed her, picking out a pretty shirt and jeans, sneakers.
They’d left the hotel and a car had taken them up to the impressive St George’s castle, with its breathtaking views of the city. Peacocks had strutted on the paths, fanning their colourful tails much to the delight of the tourists.
Then, as if reading Lexie’s mind, he’d taken her on one of the old yellow trams down a steep hill. It had been so packed that Cesar had pulled her into his body in front of him, arms wrapped tight around her. By the time he’d pulled her out at another stop she had been thoroughly turned on.
She’d found herself being led though a dizzying labyrinth of ancient streets. Cesar had explained that it was the Alfama—the old Arabic quarter.
Beautiful murals decorated walls at the ends of alleyways, little children darted dark heads out of tiny windows and called, ‘Bom dia!’ Washing hung on lines between houses.
They’d had lunch there, on a tiny terrace overlooking the river. Afterwards they’d wandered some more, Lexie’s hand tightly in Cesar’s. At one point she had tugged gently, and when he’d looked at her she’d asked, ‘No paparazzi?’
Something had flashed across his face but he’d smiled and said, ‘No. Not here.’
Something very dangerous had infused Lexie’s blood to think that here they were truly anonymous. That Cesar hadn’t automatically thought of the bigger agenda.
Dangerous.