His Ultimate Prize

Something of her feelings must have shown on her face because his eyes darkened dramatically. His gaze dropped to her lips, the heated pulse beating a wild rhythm in her neck, then back to her face.

Calmly, he breathed out and gave her a slow, electrifying smile. Eyes still locked on hers, he pulled out his phone and spoke in clear tones. Unfortunately, Spanish wasn’t her forte so she had no clue what he was saying. But she made out the word avión, which made her even more curious.

‘What was that about?’ she asked when he hung up.

‘I’ve arranged for our things to be packed. I thought we might head to Mexico a couple of days earlier than the rest of the racers.’

‘Won’t you be needed?’

‘Possibly, but for the next two days I’m taking your advice and delegating. Does this make you happy?’

There was a deeper question beneath the stated one, a hungry gleam in his eyes that boldly proclaimed his intention should she agree to what he was proposing.

In a single heartbeat, Raven accepted it. ‘Yes.’

It was almost a relief to let go of the angst and the rigid control. At least for a while. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that it would return a hundredfold soon enough.

CHAPTER NINE

SHE WAS GOING to take a lover. She was going to lose her virginity to the very man she’d run a mile from last year. The man who would most likely break her heart into a tiny million pieces long before this thing between them was over.

Nerves threatened to eat her up as their tiny seaplane banked and headed towards the private beachfront of the stunning villa Rafael owned in Los Cabos, Mexico. By now she knew all about the eighteen-bedroom villa, the lower level sauna and steam room, the two swimming pools and the names of every member of the construction crew who’d built the villa to Rafael’s exact specification three years ago.

Because she’d needed to babble, to fill her head with white noise to distract her from the urge to spill the fact that she hadn’t done this before. The closer they drew to their destination, the higher panic had flared beneath the surface of her outward calm.

Rafael’s experience with women was world-renowned. What if she made a spectacular fool of herself? What if he was so put off by her inexperience he recoiled from her? To silence the voices, she babbled some more, found out that he had a staff of five who managed the villa and that he practised his handicap on the legendary golf course nearby when the occasion suited him.

In direct contrast to her nervous chirping, Rafael had been circumspect, his watchful silence unlike anything she’d ever known. Although he’d answered her questions with inexhaustible patience, his eyes had remained riveted on her the whole time, occasionally dropping to her lips as if he couldn’t wait to taste, to devour.

They touched down on the water and powered to a stop next to a large wooden jetty. After alighting, they headed towards an open-topped jeep for the short drive to the villa.

Even though she felt as if she knew the property inside and out, Raven wasn’t prepared for the sheer, jaw-dropping beauty of the adobe white-washed walls, the highly polished exposed beams and almost ever-present sea views from the windows of the mission-style villa. Spanish-influenced paintings adorned the walls, lending a rich tapestry to the luxurious interior.

In her bedroom, rich fabrics in earthy colours formed the backdrop to a mostly white theme set against warm terracotta floors. But one item drew her attention.

‘What’s this for?’ She touched the black high-powered telescope that stood before one large window.

He came and stood behind her, bringing that warm, evocative scent that she’d come to associate with him and only him. It took an insane amount of willpower not to lean back into his hard-packed body.

‘The waters around here are well-known grounds for sperm whales. They tend to come closer to shore first thing in the morning. If you’re lucky you’ll spot a few while we’re here.’

Again the sombre, almost guarded response caught her off-guard. She glanced at him over her shoulder. He returned her stare with an intensity that made her breath catch. After a full minute, he lifted his hand and drifted warm fingers down her cheek in a soothing, belly-melting gesture.

‘You’re nervous, bonita. Don’t be. I promise it will be good.’

Her laugh was aimed at herself as much as at him. ‘That’s easy for you to say.’

His finger touched and stayed on the pulse jumping in her throat. ‘It isn’t. I haven’t done this for a long time, too. Hell, I don’t know if the equipment works.’

He gave a wry smile when her brows shot up. ‘You don’t?’