A Deal Before the Altar

He didn’t love her and had gone to extreme lengths to tell her he couldn’t love anyone. He might have discarded pretence for the night, but would tomorrow be different?

Santos murmured again, pulling her against him and kissing her hair, sending a rush of heat through her body. Firmly she closed her eyes against the new wave of desire that was washing over her—because surely tomorrow it would be different.

Tomorrow she had to focus on Emma, on making sure Santos kept his side of the deal.

* * *

Santos woke in the early hours of dawn, his body heavy and relaxed in a way he’d never felt before. Georgina’s scent lingered on the pillow next to him, reawakening the desire that had coursed like an overflowing river through him last night.

From the other side of the room he heard movement and he propped himself up on his elbow. With amusement he watched as Georgina, sexily naked, appeared to be looking for something to put on. He took in her slender waist, shapely hips and long legs as she stood, her back to him, looking around the room.

‘Buenos dias, mi esposa.’ My wife—that was something he’d never thought he’d call a woman.

She turned to face him and despite her nakedness looked as in control as she always did. For him, last night had changed something, softened the way he felt about her, but apparently it was not the same for her. She looked as if finding herself naked in a man’s room was perfectly normal. A situation she was well used to.

‘Morning,’ she replied huskily, a smile playing about her kissable lips. ‘I was looking for something to put on.’

‘Your bag is in the wardrobe, but you will also find everything else you need in there too.’

Transfixed, he watched as she walked across the room, the swell of her breasts causing the blood to pound in his veins. If she didn’t put something on very quickly she’d find herself back in his bed.

‘Very convenient.’

The hint of sarcasm in her words was not lost on him. Keeping an array of women’s clothes in his villa or on his yacht was not something he’d done before—but then catering for a future wife was not something he’d had to do either.

‘I was merely trying to think of your convenience, querida.’

She opened the door of the wardrobe, assessed the contents, then opted for a cream silk dressing gown. She slipped it on and pulled it tight around her, knotting the belt at her stomach. The garment should have doused the fire now raging in his body, but it didn’t. The outline of her body, still clearly visible, was more teasing than seeing her naked.

‘Come here.’ His voice was gruff and husky as desire pumped through him.

Instantly she looked shy, a blush creeping over her face, and he wondered which was the act. The bravado he saw more often or the innocent shyness she now displayed.

Slowly she walked towards the bed, her eyes darkening, remaining locked with his. He reached towards her, grabbed her hand and pulled her down to the bed.

‘Santos!’ she gasped in shock. ‘What are you doing?’

‘I would have thought that was obvious, querida.’ As she lay beside him on the bed, her breathing faster, her breasts rising and falling in the most erotic way, he pulled the belt undone and pushed aside the silk, exposing her delicious body. ‘I’m going to make love to my wife.’

Those words lit a raging fire inside him.

Unable to analyse those feelings now, he silenced her with a kiss so hard and deep he almost couldn’t breathe. His need for her was far greater than last night—as if now he’d tasted her he needed more, like some kind of addict. Her hands explored his body, pushing aside the sheet and touching him until he couldn’t stand it any longer. Urgently he pushed her back against the bed, covering her body with his as he thrust hard and deep within her delicious warmth.

It was as if his whole world rocked as he climaxed, relishing the feeling of being deep inside her. She cried out, her body arching towards him as she too found release. As his heartrate slowed and his mind regained the ability to think he realised he’d done the one thing he’d never done before. Early-morning sex. It gave women the wrong message. Made them think he wanted more.

But Georgina was already his wife. What more could she want from him?

He lay back, exhausted and exhilarated at the same time, his breathing and heart-rate finally returning to normal, and contemplated what had happened. Because something had changed, but he just couldn’t understand what.

* * *

‘I’ll just go and shower.’ More vulnerable than ever, Georgina wanted to put a little distance between herself and this man’s magnetism.

‘Don’t be too long, querida.’ He smiled at her, sending her senses into a spin as her heart flipped over.