Fierce Pride

by Phoebe Conn

  Santos and Libby waited while Nuñez spoke with his men. They bagged the bottle and found the cap. They measured the distance from the SUV to where Victoria had fallen to the ground. When Nuñez was satisfied he had all the facts, he left without saying good-bye and went on to the Ramirez house.

  Santos’s arms were still locked around Libby’s waist, and she patted him lightly. “I’m surprised he didn’t threaten to arrest you for assault.”

  “I’m sure he would have if Victoria had been carrying only a bottle of water. She had such a terrifying expression, like a snarling dog, and I knew it had to be something far worse. I’m not going to make it to therapy today after all. Let’s go on out on the patio and eat pastries until we explode.”

  “Good plan.”

  Tomas had just sent out the pastries and coffee when Maggie arrived. Julian hurried back inside to fetch her a cup and a plate. Libby greeted her with a weary sigh. “Wait until you hear the latest.”

  Maggie took a chair and a sip of coffee. “Tell me everything.”

  Libby sat back and let Santos explain how horribly the morning had begun. “Libby kept telling me to be careful, but I’d never dreamed Victoria would launch such a vicious attack. She must have wanted to blind me and leave me badly scarred, but there was no way she could have gotten away with it.”

  “From the first awful drawing,” Libby reminded him, “none of this has come from a rational mind.”

  Maggie leaned back in her chair. “I don’t feel like looking at apartments today, do you?”

  Libby shook her head. “Not really. I’m going to sit right here until the sun sets.” Santos raised a brow, but if he thought she’d sit out there nude after dark, he was dead wrong.

  That night, Santos insisted upon taking Libby out to one of his favorite restaurants for dinner, a romantic place with soft lighting and candles on the tables. He’d worn a pale silk shirt and dark pants, and she looked pretty in an aqua top with her tie-dye skirt. “I needed to get away from the house tonight,” he said. “I hope you’ll find something you’ll like on the menu. I usually have the filet mignon. It’s always excellent here.”

  “I’ll have it too then.” She closed her menu and set it aside. “I’m not keeping up with my e-mails to my parents, but Daddy didn’t want weather reports, and that’s the most innocent thing I can send.”

  He laughed. “How do you mean ‘innocent’?”

  She reached under the table to give his thigh a playful pinch. “You know exactly what I mean. Your bed, or closet, is a blissful haven compared to the everyday strangeness we’ve seen. I hope it’s over now.”

  “So do I, but I’ve never worried about violent fans, and I should have been better prepared.”

  “Victoria and her brother weren’t fans, though. I don’t want to think about them tonight.” There were couples seated as close as they were in nearby booths. The conversations around them were soft, intimate, with the diners more into each other than their meals. A guitarist sat on a stool in a darkened alcove, strumming soft love songs for a seductive musical background.

  “This place has an incredible ambience. It would be popular no matter what they served,” Libby said. “Do men bring their dates here, hoping to seduce them?”

  “I’ve no idea what other men expect,” Santos assured her. “I don’t ever want you to sleep with me if you’d rather not.”

  The soft light gave his dark gaze a hint of mystery. Enjoying the wine, she licked her lips. “I’m afraid I can’t even imagine such an unlikely event.”

  Their waiter approached their table. “Matador, how good it is to see you again, and your beautiful lady.”

  Libby looked up, and the waiter’s eyes widened in surprise. With her blonde hair, he must have mistaken her for Ana Santillan as he approached, but she smiled as though she hadn’t noticed his startled reaction.

  Santos placed their orders and refilled her wineglass. “I like it here because it’s quiet and photos don’t turn up in the tabloids after I’d been here. Let’s just relax and enjoy each other as though nothing existed beyond our table.”

  As far as she was concerned, nothing did. “That’s fine, but we get along remarkably well no matter where we are.”

  He reached for her hand and kissed her fingertips. “We do. I have a present for you.”

  She was thrilled but didn’t want to look like an overeager kid. “It’s not my birthday.”

  He pulled a small, shimmering gift bag from his pocket and handed it to her. “I hope you like it.”

  The drawstring bag was tied with a ribbon bow and easily came open. The lavender tissue inside held an intricately designed gold-link bracelet and was one of the prettiest pieces of jewelry she’d ever seen. “Oh, Santos, I love it! Help me put it on.”

  It had an intricate clasp, and he had to play with it a minute to open it. “Tell me if this is too long or too short, and I’ll get you another one.”

  She waited until he’d fastened it on her wrist and turned her hand. “It’s perfect. Thank you!” She doubted she’d ever want to remove it. “What sort of present could I give you?”

  “Men are supposed to give women gifts. You don’t owe me one in return.”

  “I think you already own everything except for a squawking parrot, and I’m sure you don’t want one of those.”

  He chuckled. “No, I don’t.” He sat back as their first course was served.

  Libby kept her eyes on the exquisite bracelet as she ate. She didn’t know when he’d had time to shop. Perhaps he knew of a jeweler who delivered, or maybe, like his father, he had a drawer of gifts handy. It saddened her to think he might.

  “You’ve gotten awfully quiet. Is it the food, or me?”

  She regarded him with a glowing smile. “You’re wonderful company, and the food is delicious. I’m sorry if you’re so used to my chatter you worry when I’m quiet.”

  “You don’t chatter. You are blunt at times, but you never chatter the way some women will if there’s even a second of silence, for which I am deeply grateful.”

  Ana Santillan didn’t look like a chatterer to her, but she wasn’t going to speak the model’s name. “Not to change the subject, but what’s happened with the photos for the cologne ads? Shouldn’t they have sent you copies by now?”

  “The shoot was only last week, but I’ll call the ad agency and ask when I can expect them.”

  “Was that only last week?” She could hardly believe it. “Does time pass more slowly here than the rest of the world?”

  He smiled gently. “Perhaps, but it’s only an illusion.”

  Talk about an illusion, she thought. How many women were dining with rich, handsome matadors that night? Damn few. “You’re the best, Santos, you really are.”

  “Thank you.” He saluted her with his wineglass and refilled hers.

  She didn’t usually drink more than a single glass, but the rich red wine from a popular Spanish vineyard was especially good. “I can’t eat all my steak. Do you want the rest?”

  He stabbed her portion with his fork and transferred it to his plate. “That might not be what books of manners recommend, but I really don’t care. I need the protein.”

  “I agree.” She sat back and looked around the room at the other diners. One woman was looking their way, but she wasn’t holding a camera. “Do they have that great custard dish here?”

  “The crema catalana? Yes, they do. Would you like some?”

  “Please. I’d like to sit here for hours and eat it in tiny bites.”

  He ordered it for her and some for himself. “Let’s take our time but return home before morning.”

  The inviting gleam in his eyes made her laugh. “It’s nice when the house is empty except for us. I locked my door the first night I was there, but I haven’t bothered to since.”

  He regarded her with a sly smile. “It’s my house. Didn’t it occur to you that I’d have all the keys?”

  Startled, she stared at him. “No, and that was truly
lame, wasn’t it? Of course you’d have the keys. I’ll remember to jam a chair under the doorknob the next time I’m a guest in someone’s home.”

  He frowned slightly. “Whom are you planning to visit?”

  “Other than you, no one, but it’s always good to have a plan.”

  “I’m all for plans,” he assured her.

  She ate her dessert in tiny bites, as she’d promised. “This is so good. I’d love to be able to make it when I get home. There just hasn’t been time to ask Tomas for his recipes.”

  “Maybe tomorrow,” he suggested.

  She regarded him with a suggestive smile. “I hate to think about tomorrow, when there’s so much left of tonight.”

  Santos couldn’t hold her arm with his crutches, and she had to make a concerted effort to walk straight as they left the restaurant. She did all right until they got into the backseat of his SUV, and then she couldn’t stop giggling. It was a low, musical sound, and Santos laughed as he hugged her close. By the time they got home, she walked with only a gentle sway, but she pulled Santos toward the stairs.

  “I don’t want anything more tonight except you.” She kicked off her shoes and clung to the banister as she started up the stairs. “Wait, you need help, don’t you?”

  “Manuel will be back after he puts away the car. Go on up to your room.”

  When she got there, she went into the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. Santos was just too damn good in bed for her not to be wide-awake to enjoy it. She brushed her teeth, donned the lavender gown and brushed out her hair.

  Santos knocked lightly before coming in. He wore only a black silk robe knotted loosely at his hips. He dropped his crutches and moved to the foot of her bed. “Come here.”

  She set her brush on the dresser, came over to the bed and knelt in front of him. She ran her hands up his thighs, and he caught her wrists. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing, but I want you first. You are a better dessert than icy custard.”

  “And not a calorie goes to your abs.” She crawled up onto the bed, and he caught her in a playful hold that quickly turned as passionate as his kisses. Breaking away to breathe, she licked his ear and whispered softly, “Is this just a protein rush?”

  “No, it’s all you.”

  He wound his hands in her hair to hold her down on the bed and rubbed his cheek over her breasts. He then kissed her so thoroughly she failed to notice how low he’d pulled the neckline of her gown until she felt the warmth of his tongue on a nipple. He pulled the tender bud gently through his teeth, and she arched her back to revel in the glorious sensation. “We need to turn off the lights,” she whispered.

  “You’re too beautiful to hide in the dark,” he murmured and sucked her other nipple.

  She loved looking at him too and combed her fingers through his hair as he spread kisses over the slight roundness of her breasts. “You must be the only man alive who doesn’t like big boobs.”

  “Be grateful you found him.” He pulled up her gown to place a noisy kiss in her navel and spread a trail of teasing kisses up her thighs.

  She took a deep breath, raised her arms above her head and floated on the delicious sensations he created with such a tender touch and light kisses. The boys at home had so much to learn, but she had absolutely no desire to tutor them. She just wanted Santos and sighed as he held her open with his fingertips and blew across her clit. His breath was warm, his mouth hot when he licked her with a slow, circling caress. When he slid two fingers inside her, she moaned as a hot bolt of joy swept through her. Too weak to do more than mumble softly, she needed a couple of breaths to find the strength to open her eyes and smile.

  “Too much?” he asked.

  “With you, never. Come here.”

  He took care to move over her and kissed her with his lips still tasting of her sweetness. “I love making you come.”

  He’d spoken the word without choking, but he hadn’t said he loved her. “What I like is drawing you close and pushing you to the edge when your eyes have the dark gleam of melted chocolate. That’s when I like letting you come.”

  He closed his eyes and sighed. “That’s it. My turn.” He remembered to pull on a condom and eased into her, rocked her, breathed into her ear to make her giggle and stroked her, sliding on her wetness to bring her to a second jolting orgasm before he found his own deep within her. He held her tight and let her float back to earth in his arms. “I’m going to make love to you all night.”

  “Go for it,” she begged against his lips, and she smothered his deep laugh with a hungry kiss. They needed nothing more than each other to skim paradise, and she gave as much as he gave and loved it all.

  When she fell asleep, he hugged her close and stared up at the ceiling. They’d turned out the light, and the room held only the soft moonlight glow from the balcony. The sea sang a calming refrain in the distance, but sorrow overwhelmed him.

  He knew what he had to do, but felt sick clear through at how badly he’d hurt them both. She was fond of reminding him she’d be gone at the end August, but he’d fallen hard for her and felt as though he were awaiting execution. The sex was so good, he knew he could talk her into staying with him, but she’d planned her life, and he’d be pulling her onto a passionate but ultimately deeply disappointing detour.

  He couldn’t take her where she wanted her life to go. She’d realize it soon enough, and her affections would cool to indifference. It would be better to bring the heartbreak now while he could still bear it.

  When Libby awoke the next morning, Santos had already left for the physical therapist’s office, and she was amazed he’d found the strength to leave her bed. She blinked at the travel clock and realized Maggie would be there any minute. She quickly showered, dressed and was walking down the stairs as her sister arrived.

  “We need to make up for a lost day,” Maggie greeted her. “Have you had breakfast?”

  “I don’t need anything this morning.” Her mischievous smile turned into an incriminating giggle.

  “You look too sated on sex to eat. I know the feeling. It’s glorious, isn’t it?”

  “Hmm,” Libby answered. She’d worn one of her short dresses and easily climbed into Rafael’s Mercedes sedan. She showed off her new bracelet. “Isn’t this gorgeous? I don’t need presents from Santos, but it’s so nice he wanted to give me one.”

  “It’s a beautiful bracelet. I told you he was sincere,” Maggie insisted. “Now today I’d like to look at the apartments near the university. Not so close they would be filled with rowdy students, but close enough so Rafael won’t have a long commute.”

  “You’ve become such a doting wife.”

  Maggie laughed. “It’s much easier than I ever thought it would be.”

  “I understand. With the right man, everything’s easy.” Libby smiled to herself and wondered what delicious fun the coming night would bring.

  Santos met them for lunch, but he had little interest in his sandwich, while Libby was so hungry she eyed the half he’d left on his plate. “Do you mind?” she asked.

  “Not at all.” He swapped plates with her. “Tell me more about your morning.”

  Maggie described the apartments they’d seen. “We need something with at least two bedrooms, but the choices all seem to be too big or too small. We’ll just have to keep looking.”

  Libby watched Santos as her sister spoke. He nodded in the right places, but appeared preoccupied. “Santos, what’s wrong? Please tell us if there’s another disaster coming.”

  He pushed his chair away from the table and leaned toward her. “Thank you. I didn’t want to put this off any longer, and please don’t argue with me. I spoke to your father yesterday, and you’re leaving for home this afternoon on a five o’clock flight. I’m not the man you want, the man you deserve, and let’s not make your leaving any more painful than it has to be. Maggie can help you pack. We’ll take the Hispano-Suiza to the airport.”

  Had he smacked her
with a freshly caught trout, Libby couldn’t have been any more dumbfounded. His determined expression made it plain the matter was settled in his mind. His voice held a confident depth, as though sending her away on such short notice wouldn’t faze him at all. He’d let her eat lunch while he’d known all along what was coming! How could he have been so damn detached? She felt sick.

  He’d ripped her heart right out of her chest. Rather than fly apart in a dozen directions, she fisted her hands and forced herself to speak slowly, as though she actually had control of her tattered emotions. “What was last night? The standard Santos Aragon good-bye party?” His eyes narrowed, making her elated she’d gotten to him.

  “Absolutely not. I felt what you did. I just need you to go home now. I’ve already transferred the amount we’d agreed upon into your account.”

  Thoroughly disgusted with him, she stood to leave the table. “This has never been about money, and I’ll transfer it right back to you. Maggie can take me to the airport, so I won’t have to trouble you any further or ride in your funky old car ever again.”

  Maggie started to rise to follow Libby into the house, but Santos grabbed her hand. “I know I did that badly, but it was my only choice.”

  Tears sparkled in her eyes. “You broke my sister’s heart. What sort of choice was that? I warned Libby not to fall for you, but none of us can choose whom to love.”

  Depressed clear to his soul, Santos let her go and remained alone on the patio until he was sure Libby had left for the airport. Then he couldn’t find the will to move beyond his chair.

  Mrs. Lopez came out the door behind the stairs and called to him. “Detective Nuñez is here again.”

  Santos had thought his mood couldn’t dip any lower, but he sank down another slippery level. “Send him out, please.”

  Nunez strode out to the patio but refused a chair. “Mrs. Ramirez was changing the sheets on the little bed they have for Miguel Angel and found a rifle tucked into the side of the mattress. It wasn’t loaded, so there was no danger to the baby, but it should prove to be the one fired at you. I never feel a case is closed until I’ve wound up the straggling ends. Not having the rifle had bothered me.”