‘I can manage. Please...’ she whispered when he didn’t move. ‘I want to be alone. I don’t need your help.’
Her rejection was no more than he deserved, Rafael acknowledged. But it hurt more than it should—more than he would have believed possible when he had prided himself for nigh on thirty years in not allowing anyone the power to hurt him.
He stood up and stared at her downbent head. Her hair was arranged in a classical bun that showed off the delicate line of her jaw and her slender neck.
‘Don’t lock the door,’ he said tautly. ‘I don’t want to have to break it down if you have a problem.’
* * *
Juliet lay back in the roll-top bath and felt the ache in her thigh start to ease in the warm water. She had been an idiot to dance on points, she thought ruefully. But giving a dancing lesson to Rafael’s nieces had reminded her of how she had fallen in love with ballet when she had learned those first simple steps as a child.
After the class Sofia had taken the twins and Poppy to play in the garden, and Juliet had found the temptation to dance in the huge ballroom too strong to resist.
She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to run over the other events of the day. Rafael’s shocking revelations about his childhood, when his mother had abandoned him to his fate with his violent father. It had made her want to cry when he’d told her his story, and she hadn’t been able to control her anger when they’d had lunch with his mother.
She did not care about Delfina’s haughty disdain of her, but Rafael deserved better than to be treated like an outsider by the Casillas family.
The water was cooling and she rested her arms on the edge of the bath while she levered herself upright. Her thigh muscle spasmed and she couldn’t hold back a yelp of pain.
Immediately the bathroom door flew open and Rafael appeared, glowering at her. ‘What happened? Your leg...?’
‘It’s fine. It just twinged a bit.’
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth when it belatedly occurred to her that she was naked, standing there in the bath with water streaming down her body. Rafael was staring at her with an intensity that caused her stomach to swoop, and now his gaze dropped down from her breasts to the neatly trimmed triangle of pale red curls between her legs.
Her skin, already pink from being immersed in hot water, flushed even pinker, and there was nothing she could do to prevent her nipples from hardening so that they jutted provocatively, as if begging for his attention.
‘Go away...’ she muttered.
‘You’ve got to be kidding.’
His rough voice rasped over her, setting each nerve-ending alight. The fierce glitter in his eyes caused her heart to kick in her chest as he walked purposefully across the bathroom.
She licked her dry lips and saw his eyes narrow on the movement of her tongue. ‘Will you pass me a towel?’
He took a towel from the shelf and held it out to her. But when she unfolded it, she discovered that it wasn’t a big bath sheet but a hand towel that was too small to cover her nakedness. Seriously?
His mouth curved into a wicked grin that destroyed her flimsy defences like skittles tumbling after a strike. Modesty dictated that she should at least hold her hands in front of the pertinent areas of her body, to hide them from his hot gaze. But instead she burned in the fire that danced golden and bright in his green eyes.
‘Rafael...’ she whispered, with so much longing in her breathy voice that he gave a chuckle as he settled his hands on either side of her waist and lifted her out of the bath. ‘I’ll make you wet.’
She caught her breath when he settled her against him, so that one of his arms was around her back and the other beneath her knees, and carried her through to the bedroom.
‘Not as wet as I am about to make you, chiquita.’
The promise in his voice echoed the desire in his eyes. His skin was stretched taut over the blades of his cheekbones, giving him a feral look that sent a quiver through Juliet. She felt boneless, and when he bent his head and angled his mouth over hers she parted her lips and gave herself up to the sweet seduction of his kiss.
The room tilted as he lowered her onto the bed and leaned over her, running his hands over her body from her hips up to her breasts, scalding her skin wherever he touched. She wanted him to surrender to the passion that she sensed he was controlling with his formidable willpower. What would it be like to see that control shatter? Would she survive the tsunami?
‘You said that any woman would do,’ she reminded him.
‘I lied.’
His husky admission dispatched her doubts. He stopped nuzzling her neck and claimed her mouth once more, gentle seduction replaced by hungry demands that she was powerless to deny. He had fascinated her from the start, and she shuddered with delight when he moved down her body and flicked his tongue across one pebble-hard nipple and then the other, again and again, until the pleasure was too intense and she gave a keening cry.
Eyes closed, she felt the scrape of his beard over her belly—her thighs. Her eyelashes flew open. ‘What are you doing?’
He lifted his head, amusement and something else that made her stomach muscles contract glinting in his narrowed gaze. ‘What do you think I am about to do, chiquita?’
‘I have no idea.’
His low laugh rolled through her and she tried to twitch her thighs together, to hide the betraying dampness of her arousal that scented the air.
‘You cannot really be so innocent,’ Rafael said half beneath his breath as he pulled her hips towards him, so that her bottom was on the edge of the bed, and dropped to the floor on his knees.
A suspicion finally slid into her mind. ‘You can’t...’ she whispered, appalled yet fascinated, and excited when he pushed her legs apart and lowered his head to her feminine core.
‘Want to bet on it?’
His accent was thicker than usual, and his breath fanned the sensitive skin on her inner thigh. One strong hand curled around her ankle. He lifted her leg and draped it over his shoulder. And then he simply put his mouth against her centre and ran his tongue over her opening, making the ache she felt there so much worse, so much more.
Juliet glanced down at his dark head between her thighs and knew there was a part of her that was horrified for allowing him to pleasure her in such a way. But she could not deny that he was giving her the most exquisite pleasure as he teased and tormented her with his tongue. She sank back against the mattress, twisting her head from side to side as the heat and the fire and the terrible need inside her built to a crescendo.
Nothing had prepared her for sheer delight of Rafael’s intimate caresses, or his soft murmurs of approval when she arched her hips and offered herself to him. She was aware of a coiling sensation low in her pelvis that wound tighter and tighter, until she was trembling and desperate for something that hovered frustratingly out of reach.
And then it happened.
He flicked his tongue across the tight nub of her clitoris and the coil inside her snapped, sending starbursts of pleasure shooting out from her core in a series of exquisite spasms that made her internal muscles clench and release, clench and release, flooding her with the sticky sweetness of her earth-shattering climax.
Her first.
She would remember it long after their marriage was over.
Her heart contracted painfully as the thought slid like a serpent in paradise into her mind.
In the aftermath, as her breathing slowed, she realised that the most amazing sexual experience of her life could not have been satisfactory for Rafael. When he leaned over her and kissed her lingeringly on her mouth she tasted her own feminine sweetness on his lips and wondered if he expected her to afford him the same pleasure he had given her. But how to suggest it?
She felt frustrated by her inexperience. ‘I—’ She broke off, at a loss to know what to say. He had t
aken her apart utterly and she didn’t know how to put herself back together again, or if she even could.
She watched him uncertainly when he stepped away from the bed. ‘I can hear Poppy,’ he murmured.
Her daughter! How could she have forgotten?
She scrambled off the bed when she heard voices from somewhere in the apartment and guessed that Sofia had returned Poppy after she’d spent the afternoon with the twins.
‘I’ll go and see her while you get dressed,’ Rafael said, kissing the tip of her nose before he strolled out of the room.
It took Juliet seconds to slip into the blue silk dress she had worn at lunch. Silently cursing the tell-tale flush on her cheeks, she hurried through the apartment.
As she entered the sitting room Poppy ran towards her. ‘Mummy, can I have my pyjamas?’
‘It’s not bedtime.’
Sofia laughed. ‘The twins would like Poppy to come to us for a sleepover.’ She glanced at her brother. ‘Rafael has explained that you have a dinner engagement in Valencia this evening, so it’s perfect timing.’
It was the first Juliet had heard of a dinner engagement, but Rafael seemed determined to avoid her gaze.
For the next ten minutes she was busy packing a bag with Poppy’s pyjamas, toothbrush and an assortment of cuddly toys. She gave her daughter a big hug and felt a pang when Poppy trotted off happily with Sofia. Her baby was growing up so fast.
When they had gone she turned to Rafael. ‘Who are we meeting? Some more of your relatives? Or is it a business dinner?’ She did not relish the thought of either. ‘What should I wear?’ She frowned when he didn’t answer. ‘Is it a formal function?’
‘It’s a date.’
‘A date?’ Her confusion grew as dull colour ran along his cheekbones. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘It’s quite simple, chiquita,’ he said, strolling towards her. ‘I’m taking you to dinner, away from the Casillas mansion, so that we can spend some time alone.’
‘I thought the point was for us to stay here in the house under your grandfather’s nose so that we can convince him our marriage is real?’
Instead of replying, Rafael tucked a tendril of hair that had escaped from her chignon behind her ear. The unexpectedly tender gesture tugged on Juliet’s heart.
‘I would like to explore the attraction between us and I think you would like to do that too,’ he said quietly.
She did not deny it and a heavy sigh escaped him.
‘We have done everything in the wrong order—married before we had even spent a day together. I was arrogant enough to believe that it didn’t matter. But I would like us to start again. So, bella Julieta, will you have dinner with me?’
She nodded, feeling suddenly shy, but excited too—and apprehensive, and a host of other emotions she was afraid to define. Rafael had made it clear that he desired her, and although it felt as if she was about to jump from the top of a precipice she was ready to leap into the unknown.
‘I’d love to.’
‘Good.’ He dropped a swift, hard kiss on her mouth that left her lips tingling. ‘I have some work to do in my study and we’ll leave in an hour.’ He paused on his way out of the room. ‘By the way, you’ll need to bring an overnight bag as we’ll be spending the night at my penthouse in the city. Oh, and wear something sexy, amante.’
Juliet’s heart missed a beat. Amante meant lover.
CHAPTER NINE
‘WE COULD SKIP dinner and go straight to the penthouse.’
Rafael’s voice was oddly hoarse and it sent a shiver across Juliet’s skin. She tore her gaze from the unholy gleam in his eyes and glanced around the restaurant, which he’d told her was one of the best places to eat in Valencia. Situated in a charming little square in the old part of the city, it had plenty of atmosphere, and a band was playing traditional Spanish music.
He had promised her a date. ‘I’m hungry,’ she told him, unfolding her napkin.
‘Same here,’ he growled. ‘You look incredible in that dress. Good enough to eat.’ His accent thickened. ‘I am looking forward to tasting you again later.’
Heat scorched her cheeks at the memory of how he had pleasured her with his tongue, and she buried her face in her menu. A black velvet dress clung to her slender figure and the low-cut neckline pushed her breasts up to give her a cleavage. Sheer black stockings and high-heeled strappy sandals completed the outfit, and she had left her hair loose, with just the front sections drawn back from her face with diamante clips.
She’d worn a lightweight wool coat when they had left the Casillas mansion, so Rafael had only seen her dress when they’d arrived at the restaurant. The sizzling look he’d given her had made her feel like a sex goddess and boosted her confidence.
When the waiter had taken their order Juliet sipped her champagne cocktail and gave a small sigh. None of this was real. She still expected to wake up in her flat in the tower block and find it had all been a dream. Especially Rafael.
Her eyes were drawn across the table to him. In tailored black trousers and a black silk shirt, casually open at the throat to reveal a vee of bronzed skin, he was darkly gorgeous, and the black stubble on his jaw gave him a dangerous sexiness that sent her heart clattering against her ribs.
‘Were you in love with Poppy’s father?’
Startled by his question, she gave him a wry look. ‘I thought I was. I met him at a party given by some friends of my cousin. Bryan was good-looking, and he knew it, and I was naïve and grieving for my parents. I was flattered that he’d noticed me. But after we’d slept together he told me he’d only wanted sex.’
She sighed.
‘I had been taking the contraceptive pill to regulate my periods, and I stupidly agreed to have sex with him without a condom. I’d been taking a herbal remedy to help with my feelings of depression following my parents’ deaths and I had no idea that it could decrease the effectiveness of the pill. When I discovered I was pregnant Bryan wasn’t interested, and he refused to support his child, although he did agree to have his name on Poppy’s birth certificate.’
‘He sounds like a jerk. It’s Bryan’s responsibility to make a financial contribution towards his daughter’s upbringing.’
Juliet stared at Rafael. ‘Would you support your child? You’re a renowned playboy, but if one of your mistresses became pregnant what would you do?’
‘It won’t happen because I always use protection,’ he told her smoothly. Seeing her frown, he added, ‘But in the extremely unlikely event that it did, I would make a settlement to ensure the child had financial security for life.’
She grimaced. ‘Money isn’t everything. A child needs to be loved and nurtured. My parents had little money but I had a wonderfully happy childhood, with the security of knowing they loved me.’
‘I had a miserable childhood, living in poverty—and, believe me, money would have made a huge difference to my life and my sister’s.’ A nerve flickered in Rafael’s cheek. ‘The best thing—no, the only thing I could give a child of mine is access to my wealth.’
His harsh tone warned Juliet to drop a subject that was clearly contentious, but she couldn’t. ‘Are you saying you wouldn’t want to be involved in your child’s life? You wouldn’t love your child?’
‘The question is irrelevant,’ he said coldly.
His expression was as haughty as his mother’s, Juliet thought. Centuries of his family’s aristocratic heritage were stamped on his hard features and revealed that he was every bit a Casillas. No doubt some of his noble ancestors had been as ruthless as Rafael was.
It was a relief when the waiter arrived at their table to serve the first course. When they were alone again Juliet stayed silent while she ate her grilled scallops with chorizo. The food was delicious, but tears pricked the back of her eyes at the thought that she had spoiled the evening.
Rafael sippe
d his wine. ‘I thought you might like to visit the Museum of Fine Arts tomorrow. The building is very beautiful, and worth visiting simply to see the baroque architecture. It houses the second most important art collection in Spain.’
‘I’d love to go.’
His mention of ‘tomorrow’ reminded her that they would be staying at his apartment in the city tonight.
‘But what about Poppy? I’ll need to get back for her.’
‘My sister is planning to take all three girls to the beach, and she will have the nanny to help out. Valencia is a beautiful city and I think you would enjoy the City of Arts and Sciences and the aquarium—although both are a day’s visit. But we don’t have to do everything in one day. There will be plenty of time in the year ahead for you to enjoy all that Valencia has to offer.’
Rafael’s words were a timely reminder of why she was there with him. Their marriage was a temporary arrangement and she would be a fool to hope for more than he was offering.
Why not use this opportunity to explore her sensuality and enjoy great sex, free from the expectations that came with a normal relationship? Juliet asked herself while the waiter cleared away her plate and served her main course. Life had taught her to seize the moment, and she would regret it for ever if she did not make love with Rafael. As long as she remembered that love wasn’t involved.
She looked up, and her heart leapt when she found him watching her. His mouth crooked in a sexy smile that made her pulse race and her spirits soar as the awkwardness between them disappeared. For the rest of the meal they chatted with an ease that surprised her. Rafael had travelled widely and she was fascinated to hear of the places he had visited.
‘I’ve only been to Australia—and now Spain,’ she admitted.
‘I have to go to New York for a few days next month. I’ll take you with me.’
Going to New York was another dream of hers that she had never imagined she would fulfil when she had lived in the tower block.
Juliet licked the last morsel of the chocolate mousse she had chosen for dessert from her spoon. The light-as-air mousse felt sensual on her tongue and she closed her eyes while she enjoyed the sensory experience.
Wed for the Spaniard's Redemption Page 13