Knight in Tattooed Armor: International Billionaires XII: The Latinos

by Caro LaFever

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, swimming toward her. “There’s no big fish in here, only little ones, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

  “Um.” Her toes curled into the warm sand, her mind whirring with indecision.

  He stood, exposing his torso and again, his beauty hit her. The wideness of his shoulders, the luster of his skin, the way his tattoos rolled over his arms, highlighting the grace of the male muscles. “Princesa, I can’t—”

  “It’s Risa.” Swinging her gaze from his body to his eyes, she firmed her lips. If she could get him to acknowledge her once more as a real person and not as the nasty seductress of his imagination, then perhaps she’d be able to decide about the clothes issue.

  His own lips tightened.

  They stood—him in the water, her on the land. They stared at each other and although the rush of the water roared around them, she felt as if a hush descended.

  “Pleeeaase.”

  Her one word, her plea, took some of the stiffness out of his taut shoulders. “Okay. Risa.”

  Another kind of joy flooded her. This time it wasn’t tied into making love or making this man happy. This time he’d given to her. He’d reached out and handed her a gift. “Thanks.”

  He looked nonplussed for a moment, but then, amusement crossed his face. “Are you coming in, then?”

  The last thing she wanted to do was sully this moment and make him withdraw. So keeping her clothes on was probably for the best. And now that she thought about it, she could wash the dirty things at the same time as she got herself clean. “Here I come.”

  With a loping stride, she took off, running across the sand and sailing into the air with a whoop.

  The fresh water felt like silk on her skin, completely different from the salty seas surrounding this island. Risa let herself fall down and down, into the depths of the pool.

  It was deep.

  And as beautiful as its owner.

  Opening her eyes, she took in the craggy rocks encircling the pool. The splash of the falls kept the water surging at the far end, but the sound was muted now, a dull roar that made her feel safe, for some reason. The rush of the falls didn’t turn the water murky, either. Instead, the sunlight filtered into it, revealing a tight school of tiny silver-and-blue fish swimming by. Below her, waved a forest of gold and brown seafood and algae. Finally, needing a breath of air, she swam toward the surface.

  “I thought I might have to perform a rescue.” His wry voice came from behind her.

  Whipping around, she gave him a look. “When have you ever had to rescue me?”

  The mist in his eyes disappeared at her challenge, turning his gaze into a brilliant azure. “Hmm.”

  “Other than at the beginning of my visit,” she rushed in. “You didn’t have to rescue me last night, though. I figured out the hammock on my own.”

  “Hmm.”

  “And you didn’t have to rescue me when I cooked our food. I figured that out, too.”

  “With my help.”

  “A little help.” She swept her wet hair back, marveling at how the fresh water had turned it back to normal. “But I’ve proved to you I’m capable.”

  “Have you?” Before she could respond, he took off using a freestyle stroke, heading toward the falls themselves.

  The man moved with such economy of purpose. She’d noticed before that he never wasted his energy on worthless gestures, or unwise physical attempts. When they’d worked on the beach together yesterday, she gradually realized how he tackled each job using only the energy needed. He’d always stopped, staring at the task and thinking it through, she was sure. Yet, not until this moment, had it hit her how purposeful he was in his movements. Yesterday, she’d been partially focused on the need to prove her worth to him and too distracted by his beauty.

  But he moved with scale. As if every part of his body was used in a calculation to obtain the maximum result. His arm arched over him with elegance, and the roll of his shoulder moved in perfect alignment. He stopped near the falls, surveying the flash of water as he swam in place.

  “Did you learn that in the Marines?” she blurted, before she thought.

  “What?” With a quick swerve, he turned to meet her gaze, his expression confused. “I can’t hear you.”

  “Never mind.”

  He either heard her words this time, or read her lips. However he’d understood, it drove him to swim toward her. Stopping again, this time right in front of her, his brows rose. “What did you say?”

  “Swimming.” She sighed, wishing she hadn’t brought it up. “You swim well, that’s all.”

  His mouth quirked. “Sunshine, don’t you know what SEALs are all about? If I hadn’t learned to swim, I’d have been chucked out of the corps in a flash.”

  “Not swimming, exactly.” She paddled closer, trying to decide if she should continue with this strange train of thought, or stop before he got riled. “Everything you do.”

  Including sex, now that she thought about it. Once he’d decided, he’d moved with finesse and with a clear goal. There’d been no dithering in his kisses, or blurring his objective with wasted maneuvers. With Spencer, she’d often waited for him to get to the point with sex. He’d thought of himself as a great lover, and aimed to prove it by spending way too much time kissing and petting.

  This man didn’t wait when he wanted something.

  And she liked that better.

  A shock ran through her at the realization.

  “Everything I do?” Curiosity filled his eyes, turning them crystal clear. “What do you mean?”

  “Never mind.” She took off toward the beach, not wanting to continue the conversation.

  Blunt fingers clamped onto her arm, stopping the stroke away. “Uh-uh.”

  “I’m done talking.”

  “We’re not done.” Wry humor edged his words. “This is the first conversation I’ve had with you where I’m actually interested.”

  That was so untrue, she had to rebut it. Turning, she scowled. “Don’t lie. You’ve enjoyed every time we’ve talked.”

  “Lie?” He rolled the word through his mouth, letting it hang between them. “Are you accusing me of lying again?”

  Risa couldn’t tell if he was teasing, or growing angry. There were no tell-tale signs of aggravation on his face or in his eyes. If she had to describe his expression, it would be distracted. Something lurked under the lightness of his words, though. Like he had lied to her at some point, or many points, and didn’t want to be reminded.

  She swam in place, her hands and feet moving in a slow glide through the soft water. Instinct told her to stay. To push. “Have you lied to me?”

  A look of consternation flickered across his face.

  He had. He’d lied.

  The fact hurt.

  “What have you lied to me about, you jerk?”

  His mouth quirked once more, and the confusion fell off his face. “Calling me names is going to get me to confess? You might want to rethink that, Princesa.”

  “I told you.” With a burst of energy, she came right into his personal space. “It’s Risa.”

  “Risa,” he said slowly, as if relishing the word.

  She wanted to be happy at that relish, but she needed to make a point. The slap of her hand on his pectoral echoed in the lagoon, even over the rush of the water. “Tell me.”

  “You do that a lot, don’t you?”

  Amusement colored his tone, so she knew she wasn’t in trouble. Not yet, at least. “What?”

  “Tell me about what you said to my daddy at dinner.” His voice went high in a bad imitation of hers. “Tell me about this island. Tell me the truth instead of lying.”

  A blush rose up her neck, flustering her because, again, it wasn’t like her. “I don’t appreciate liars.”

  “Neither do I.” His arms weaved under the water, keeping him afloat. His gaze didn’t swerve away, surprising her. “You remind me of my family.”

  “Really?” By the look o
n his face, she couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or bad.

  “Yeah, really.”

  Of course, this man had a family. No one was hatched from an egg, fully formed. Still, a jolt went through her at the thought. This man appeared so independent, so private, she couldn’t visualize a whole family surrounding him. But it thrilled her he was willing to talk about them. Thrilled her enough to let go of his hidden lies in order to hear about his relatives. “How do I remind you of them?”

  “My two brothers are always asking me to tell them something.”

  Two brothers. He had two brothers. “Older?”

  He eyed her, his expression quizzical, as if he couldn’t believe she was interested. “Yeah.”

  The secret yearning for an older brother or sister returned. Or even a younger sibling to play with. She’d never expressed the want, because her parents had told her she was the perfect child and everything they needed. How was a girl supposed to ask for more after that? Yet, she’d yearned. For many years. “I always assumed if I had older siblings they’d be telling me all sorts of things.”

  “You’d be right about that.” Irritation strummed through his words. “Jorge advises me on how to get a woman, and Drew tells me I should go to the VA about my knee.”

  Although she took in the clear irritation, the yearning for what he had continued to swim inside. “It has to be wonderful to have them in your life, though, doesn’t it?”

  He tilted his head, his gaze turning intense. “You wanted siblings.”

  “How did you know?”

  “It’s written all over your face.” He moved closer, gliding in like a sleek shark. “Most of what you think and feel shows up on that pretty face of yours.”

  Risa didn’t like knowing she was such an open book, yet she couldn’t help but focus on the compliment. “Pretty, huh?”

  “Yeah,” he sighed in mock disgust. “As if you don’t know that.”

  “It’s nice to hear you say it.” Her hands drifted through the water, pulling her closer and closer to him. “It’s nice to get a compliment from you instead of a curse.”

  His lips tightened, and a flash of remembrance flickered through the mist of his eyes. “Well, I had a good—”

  “I know,” she said. “It would be nice if we could move on from the fact I came here uninvited.”

  “Nice, huh?” His gaze slid to her mouth. “Where did you want to move to, Princesa?”

  “I told you—”

  “Risa,” he cut in. “Where?”

  A shot of thrilled excitement zagged through her at the look in his eyes. There was lust there. Definitely. An answering lust to the one sweeping through her body. Except as she drew closer, she thought she detected more. Wasn’t there a growing appreciation for her—not just her looks? Wasn’t there a flicker of liking her in the misty blue? A smidgeon of respect? “Where do you want to go, Riq?”

  He stilled, as if the sound of his name on her lips stunned him. Maybe because she’d never said his name other than when they were joined together as a man and a woman. However, instead of retreating as she feared, he drew closer. “I know I’m going to regret this, but I can’t seem to help myself around you.”

  His words were like tiny daggers digging into her sore heart. It was evident he wanted her and it was also evident he didn’t appreciate it. She’d thought perhaps he was growing to like her as well as want her. The tiny daggers told her differently. Surprising him and herself, she was the one to withdraw. With a swift swish of her hands and feet, she pulled away, toward the waterfall, staring up at the top of the rocks. “Can we jump?”

  Bewilderment crossed his face, before being replaced with intense intent. “Come here, Risa.”

  The use of her name assuaged the hurt. Somewhat. But not enough to make her want to swim into his embrace and give him the kiss he obviously wanted. Or didn’t want. Confused and depressed, she flipped her feet and headed for the rocky wall, where she thought she detected a way to the top.

  “Hey.” A strong, male hand grabbed onto her ankle and pulled.

  Spluttering, she bobbed toward him. “Let me go. I want to jump.”

  What she wanted to do was return to when she was a girl who believed that life was her oyster. That her parents were wise and knowing and would always keep her safe. She wanted to return to feeling happy all the time and secure within herself.

  The caveman tugged again, as if he were determined to pull her into a new reality.

  A reality where she didn’t love Spencer. Not at all. A reality where, instead, she found herself hopelessly falling for an impossible man. A reality where she was turning into a new person, someone who could handle adversity and survive. A reality she’d accepted with courage for days, but didn’t have any reserves left to confront more. “Stop.”

  A male arm encircled her waist and pulled her tight to him, her back to his front. “Risa.”

  Sudden tears clogged her throat, making her heave, then gulp.

  “Hey, hey,” he crooned.

  The soft, gentle sound was so opposite of what she was used to from him, she shot a startled look over her shoulder.

  His gaze met hers unflinchingly. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings.”

  The well of tears flooded into her eyes. Not because he’d hurt her, but because he was being sincere. Completely sincere.

  “I want you,” she admitted. “Except I don’t want you if you think I’m just manipulating you with sex.”

  His rose lips firmed. Not in rejection, rather in thought, she was almost sure.

  “So I think we should be friends instead.”

  “Really?” His tone was wry and dry. “You think we can be friends, not lovers?”

  “Yes.” She turned to stare at the wall of falling water. “I think we can. And we should start by jumping.”

  “Jumping from what to what, though, is the question.”

  It hit her—he wasn’t only big and burly and strong. He wasn’t only an ex-SEAL who used his body like a well-oiled machine. He didn’t make tons of money out of luck or being in the right place at the right time. It struck her—he was wise as well as smart. Because his statement reeked of self-awareness, and sure knowledge of her, and where she was emotionally. His words told her he understood the situation and didn’t want to make a wrong move.

  Risa looked at him again. “I’m game if you are.”

  He stared back at her, not saying a word with his mouth, but saying quite a bit with his eyes.

  They said yes.

  And they also said no.

  Chapter 24

  Riq had survived more dangerous situations than most people on the planet ever encountered in a lifetime. He considered this particular moment as dangerous as they come.

  The princesa…Risa…stared at him, daring him. Daring him to be friends and not see her as only a female body he lusted for. Daring him to accept her as a person worthy of paying attention to and caring about.

  Daring him to be friends. With a female.

  He couldn’t say he hadn’t had other women in his life whom he liked and appreciated. True, the SEALs didn’t have many females applying, yet being in the military meant working as a team with anyone who came through a mission. And sometimes, those people had been women. He’d grown to like quite a few of them. But after leaving the SEALs, his life had devolved into interacting with females as a male looking for sex. Not looking for much else.

  “Well?” Risa arched her brows. “Are you jumping with me?”

  Before he could decide and respond, she pushed off him and headed for the rocky outcrop riding one side of the waterfall. With an agility he admired, she clambered out of the water and began to climb up the steep grade. “Be careful.”

  She glanced at him as she reached for the next step. “I didn’t take you for a careful kind of guy.”

  That was true.

  For most of his life.

  He’d been the bad boy, the daredevil, the Navy SEAL. The guy who jumped into fights
and out of airplanes. To this day, his entire family still thought of him this way. The wild, wily, wayward youngest son who never came to any good. During these last few years, though, as he drifted from a washed-out vet into a man who made money because he had nothing else to do, he’d become very careful. Careful who he talked to, who he had sex with, who he trusted. He’d used his knee and his growing wealth as an excuse to be careful about everything.

  Too careful.

  When he didn’t answer, she turned her attention back on the climb and reached the top of the ridge in a few short seconds. She stood, her arms akimbo, her wet clothes clinging, and scanned the horizon. “What an amazing view.”

  Riq had climbed and explored this island of his from one end to the next. However, he’d never found himself where she was. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t wanted to chance the climb with his bum knee, or go another way and cut through the thick jungle surrounding the top of this bluff. Or perhaps, if he were more truthful to himself, he hadn’t wanted to feel alone up there surveying the world by himself.

  The fact that she’d seen part of his island he hadn’t, made the old, wild side of him discard his habitual caution. “I’m coming up.”

  Glancing down, she gave him a wide grin. “It’s about time, caveman.”

  He swam to the edge of the pool and pulled himself up. The climb wasn’t hard, and his knee only gave him one twinge. It took less than a minute to get to the top. He gave himself a grunt of satisfaction as he eased to a stand beside her.

  “Can I jump into the water?” She didn’t even let him catch his breath. “It’s deep enough, isn’t it?”

  Reaching out, he grabbed her arm. “Take a moment here.”

  “I already have.” An impatient look crossed her face. “I want to jump.”

  He saw more. More than her need to jump for joy. Beneath her words and impatience, he saw her need to escape his closeness. The realization seeped into him, easing his own worry about them and being with her sexually. “Risa.”