As he’d hoped, the ridiculousness of the moment caused a real smile to burst into being as she laughed. “Fantastic. Your teachers would be proud.” Her expression started to slip, but before he could open his mouth to say anything, she leaned against him, nibbling at his jaw. “Take me to bed?”
His gaze flashed to the box even as his other brain took over. The dress could wait.
He stood and swept her into his arms, making her laugh again. “What? You specifically said to take you to bed. I’m only following orders.” Of course, as soon as she had his clothes off, Mercedes shoved him onto the mattress. “This is a change.”
“Not at all. You seemed to like it when I took charge before.” And the darkness in her eyes said she needed to do so again now, needed to control this moment.
Lucas was nothing if not a giver, so when she slithered up his body to take him in her mouth, he wasn’t about to tell her she couldn’t. Then she did that thing with her tongue that he was pretty sure was illegal in a few countries, and he lost the ability to tell her anything at all.
He gripped the edge of the mattress in both hands, knowing if he touched her, he’d want to take over, and his princess needed to rule. When she climbed on top of him a few minutes later, she rode him with a frenzy he could hardly match. This wasn’t what he’d planned. He’d wanted to show her how precious she was and this frantic lovemaking was desperate and feral. Mercedes clawed at his chest as she contracted around him, squeezing his length until he thought he wouldn’t be able to bear it anymore.
He had to touch her. His hands found her hips and cradled them, squeezing gently as he rose to meet her thrusts, trying to slow her pace. Letting out a sound that was half growl, half moan, she grabbed his hands and slid them up to her breasts.
Clearly now was not the moment she wanted to be cherished. She needed this, whatever it was for her. He just needed her. Squeezing and rolling her nipples in his fingers, he lost the rhythm and gave himself over to her completely.
The woman undid him—every touch, every stroke made him yearn for more, for her, in ways he’d never thought possible. Then her muscles clenched on him as she came again. Still, she didn’t stop moving, pumping him as her insides spasmed around his length until he had no choice but to follow her into the wondrous momentary oblivion of orgasm. As soon as he’d finished, Lucas sat up to kiss the nipples he’d abused moments before.
Mercedes wrapped her arms around him, pressing his head against her breasts, and didn’t let go. Finally able to show her the gentleness, the caring, he felt, Lucas ran his hands up and down the silky skin of her back, letting her cling to him for as long as she needed. After several minutes, she sighed and her entire body relaxed.
Lucas eased her onto the bed and shifted his hands to brush the long black hair from her face. “Is there something you want to talk about?”
“Amado, you talk too much.” She nestled her head in the hollow between his shoulder and chest, splaying her hand on his stomach.
“That I do. Can’t blame a guy for wanting to know everything about you though.”
“Of course I can. Avoid asking stupid, general questions and I’ll tell you anything you want to know. I promised.” Her eyelashes fluttered against his skin, tickling, as she snuggled closer, clearly planning on a nap.
He ran his hand up and down her side, trying to soothe what remained of her earlier agitation, when his fingers came to rest on her hip. He’d been curious about the tattoo since the first time he saw it. A pair of roses, their stems twined together like they’d grown that way. Only… One had vicious looking thorns, the kind that would stick you and leave a scar. The other had no thorns at all. “Okay. Just one, and then I’ll let you rest. What’s the story behind your ink?”
Her cheeks moved as she smiled. “That’s an easy one. Kelsey and I got matching tattoos during spring break our senior year of college. We drove for two days to reach Mexico and slept on the beach. Every dime we had went to gas, food, booze, and the tattoos. And then we drove back. Missed classes on Monday because we thought we could get back in two days, too. Neither of us took into account how tired we’d be.”
“That’s a great memory but not what I meant. What’s the story behind the two roses? I’ve seen a lot of tattoos in my day, a fair number of them flowers, but yours is unique in the way it’s done.”
She swatted at his chest, her hand bouncing off his pecs. “I thought you said you’d let me rest.” Wrapping her leg over his, she slithered closer and let her hand drift south, like she thought that would distract him.
Obviously she didn’t know him as well as she thought. “And I will, right after you answer the question like you said you would.”
She grumbled something in Spanish before propping herself on her elbow and gazing down at him, challenge lighting her dark eyes. “The roses are me and Kelsey. We wanted something that represented the two of us. Kelsey is the kind of woman who goes with the flow and lets things roll off her. Nothing gets to her and she’s always there to help. Then there’s me. I’m prickly. I have pent up anger and pain. I’m the one who attacks when things go wrong.”
“And somehow you think that makes her better?”
Shaking her head, she scoffed at him. “Tell me how many times you would buy the roses with thorns over the ones that won’t prick your lady’s pretty little fingers.”
Lucas propped up opposite Mercedes, slid his hand up her body, swooping with her curves, and then combed his fingers through the length of her hair. “Funny thing about roses. The flower’s the part the animals want to eat, the part that smells good and looks most beautiful. Do you know what happens in the wild to roses without thorns? They get devoured first. The roses with thorns are the ones that know how precious they are. They also know that protection starts with the self.”
“Dios. Did you mother have people tutor you in poetry, too? Does this sort of thing ever work?” Her words had an edge to them, but the softness in her gaze and the way she bit her lip for a second told a different story—one of a woman who wanted to believe.
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never said anything like that to anyone else.” He closed the distance between them and kissed her, slowly, deeply, until he forgot how to breathe. “All I know for sure is I know how precious you are, and I adore you and your thorny nature.” Her eyes widened the tiniest bit and he smiled, taking less than a second to decide he should press his advantage. “If you’re really curious about how I feel, there’s a little something for you in the other room.”
…
Mercedes froze.
He said adore. That was half a step away from love.
Granted he’d said it in tandem with talking about her personality, but…he’d still said it. He hadn’t even blinked when he did it. As much as she wanted to rail against it, tell him he was crazy and that they’d only known each other a few days, she’d been calling him her beloved since that first damn night. And this was what she’d been working toward, but…was any of it even real?
No. It couldn’t be. Because he didn’t know the truth. Didn’t know the real her.
The whole idea was nuts. She was just a fiery, emotion-driven Latina. Of course endearments would fall easily from her lips. That wasn’t anything crazy—probably just a trait she’d picked up from her mother without noticing. But Lucas… Did this mean something? Anything?
And if it didn’t, why was she shaking so badly as she walked back into the living room, his sheet wrapped around her body? Her bare feet scuffed against the short, tight carpeting, almost tripping over nothing when she spied the box resting on the bar. Her heart beat a strange staccato that urged her to bolt—run out the door and down the corridor, leaving him behind once again.
She’d promised herself no more running though. Whatever there was between them, she was going to see it through, even though she had a hard time believing it could end in anything other than heartache.
She had to give the gift back though. With that future in the cards
, she needed to pick up the box, take it back into the bedroom, and tell him she couldn’t accept it—whatever it was.
Instead her fingers pulled on the red ribbon, untying the elaborate bow in one simple move. Then her traitorous hands lifted the lid and folded back the tissue.
No manches…que padre.
No longer even considering the consequences of her actions, Mercedes reached into the box and lifted the dress. In a slither of silk and chiffon, it unfolded, the hem swishing against her toes. Just as she’d thought when she caught sight of it in the window downstairs, it was the most beautiful gown she’d ever seen.
This was what Lucas thought of her.
Her heart slowed down so quickly it could have stopped and she wouldn’t have noticed. The money. He spent all that money on a dress? Then his arms were around her and he pressed a kiss to her hair, and she remembered how to breathe.
“This is the kind of thing princesses wear,” she said, negativity taking hold as she dwelled on the cost. It was money she hadn’t earned and didn’t deserve. “I’m not a princess.”
“I disagree, but every girl deserves to feel like a princess at some point. I’m pretty sure you didn’t get the chance when you were younger, and there’s no time quite like the present.”
Shaking her head, she tried to force herself to put the dress back. It was too much—too real. “The money this cost…it could do so much more good than to throw it on me for one night.”
“Then when you get back home, auction it off. Sell it. Use the cash for something better, but for tonight, wear the dress.” He nuzzled her neck and her voice stopped working, lost to the gown and his touch. “And you’re going to get some princess shoes, too. I also have you booked at the spa to have your hair and nails done. Tonight is your night; I want you to look the part.”
“But—”
“Before you say a word, I know how these things work. The people you’re after—the ones with, as you put it, ‘more money than sense’—they want to see someone like them up there speaking. It makes them feel safe, like they can believe you won’t squander their donation. Trust me on this.”
“But I’m not like them. I’m not like you.” The truth of the statement hit her like a fist to the gut. She wasn’t like him, and the dress, the primping, all of it just brought the fact home again. Regardless of his pretty words and saying he adored her, he could only care about her the way someone loved a wild thing—nice to look at, but it gets left behind when it’s time to go home.
“Tonight you are.”
And tomorrow she’d be herself again, no matter what Lucas seemed to think. That was the world she knew. The one she trusted and understood.
Chapter Eleven
Mercedes had her feet soaking in the sudsing bath and had managed to relax into a nice state of thank-God-all-these-women-stopped-talking Zen when her cell phone rang. Her eyes popped open as she jerked upright. The others might not be talking anymore but, considering the way everyone glared at her, apparently her ringtone was a much bigger offense in the pedicure room than their chatter had been.
“Sorry,” she said quietly as she answered the phone. “Kels? What’s wrong?” There was no way Kelsey would call unless something was wrong—both because she’d insisted on R & R and because she knew how expensive the roaming charges would be.
“Wrong is an interesting choice of word. Nothing is wrong exactly.”
Mentally ticking off a minute in her head and hoping the call wouldn’t run more than a buck per, Mercedes heaved a sigh. “Okay, then what’s up?”
“Just kind of wondering what Luc Bellamy is doing sending a very nice donation to Better Todays. It struck me kind of odd, and I wondered if you had any idea why he might do that.”
Shit. If it weren’t for Kelsey specifying the donation, she would have thought Eva squealed. “That was supposed to be anonymous.” She winced as soon as the words left her mouth. Great answer, Mercedes.
“Is that so? Well someone screwed up then, but you didn’t answer the question.”
Damn Kelsey and the smile in her voice. This was the last conversation Mercedes wanted to have right now. “He lost a bet. Paying up meant paying the charity. Nothing more complex or sinister than that.”
“A bet with you?”
Why did this sound like things were about to get worse? “Yes…”
“And how precisely were you going to pay him five grand if you lost?”
“Five? It was only supposed to be two.” Because of course she had two thousand dollars lying around for gambling purposes. Mercedes wished she could ask one of the other women in the room to please smack the stupid out of her.
Then laughter echoed over the line. “When I told you to solicit donations, I didn’t mean get busted for solicitation.”
“He did not pay me to have sex with him!” Judging by the ears perking up around her and the heads ducking in from other rooms, she might have said that bit a little louder than intended. “Damn it, Kels, I’m surrounded by people, do we have to have this chat now?”
“Have to? No. Going to? Hell yes because if we don’t, you’ll find a way to avoid it forever. Even if he isn’t paying you for it—which I know you’d never do—you had sex with him, didn’t you?”
Mercedes ground her teeth together and wished she could chuck her phone out a window.
“Yes,” she groaned, knowing she’d never live this down.
“It’s okay, if the society pages are any indication, he’s yummy. I can see the appeal. Plus, you must have done something—or a lot of somethings—right since he threw us such a nice, meaty bone.”
“Ha-ha. You’re real funny. Are you satisfied? Can we forget about me sleeping with the enemy and let me go find some artificial rock to hide under now?”
“Sweetie, you get that we only hate him because he’s going after the same property as us, right?”
“That and he has a reputation.” One he hadn’t really been living up to since she met him.
“Did you ever wonder if maybe that’s not at least partially contrived by the media? You know, the way they do with movie stars? Plus…the man gave us five grand that he has to know will go toward the property if we can get our money together before the zoning board gives the go-ahead for his school. He could have waited until he got home to pay on the lost bet. Or even waited until after he already had the property and made it feel like some consolation prize. I’m not suggesting sainthood or anything, but maybe he’s not quite the ruthless shark the press likes to paint him as. And if that’s the case—because I know you weren’t talking about that part of his reputation—it could be he’s not as much of a playboy as they make him out to be either. With how generous he was to the ‘enemy,’ maybe, just maybe, he actually likes you, which I’m pretty sure is an angle you never considered.”
Mercedes almost dropped the phone into the footbath. Sure, he’d said he “adored her thorny nature,” and she’d wondered about it herself a bit. But if Kelsey was bringing it up… No, she couldn’t believe it—couldn’t let herself believe it. He liked having her in his bed was all. Even that would be over after the cruise ended. She couldn’t let herself believe otherwise—not beyond the boundaries of her revenge scheme. Could she?
“And now that I’ve gotten stunned silence from you, I’m going to give you some time to process everything and stop running up your phone bill. Have fun, and for God’s sake, stop overthinking everything. Enjoy the cruise. Enjoy the man. I’ll see you Sunday.”
Just like that, the call clicked off.
Mercedes didn’t even notice when the nail tech pulled her foot out of the water and got to work. Her thoughts were spinning, pausing briefly on all the little things that had happened since meeting Lucas.
Setting up the dinner with the captain so she could propose Better Todays as a charitable organization for the sailing.
Volunteering to help and actually following through even though she’d walked out on him that first morning.
Enc
ouraging her to face her fears and being there to hold her when she crumbled.
The ridiculous bets that channeled money straight to her charity.
More than doubling the amount he’d lost.
The crazy gift of the dress and today and…
If he liked her as much as all of that said, as much as he had said earlier, then there was the distinct possibility he’d back off the property. Eva’s ridiculous plan had worked, even if Mercedes had started to fall for him, too. A weight eased from her shoulders, sliding to the depths of the ocean. If Lucas Bellamy cared about her that much, he wouldn’t try to block the property deal once he knew it was the one thing that meant the world to her. She just needed to find the right time to explain everything to him.
And if he liked her that much, maybe good-bye on Sunday might not actually be good-bye for real. Crazy as the thought was, maybe there was a place for an ex-druggie princess in his fairy-tale world.
…
When Lucas had sent Mercedes off to get dolled up, he hadn’t expected her to have the spa call him and tell him not to be in the room when she came back there to change. He’d argued that she needed to eat and they’d simply informed him that her meal had already been taken care of. For a few minutes, he’d bristled and contemplated sticking around anyway.
Then he remembered her need to take control earlier and gave in again. He paced outside the entrance to Dazzles, waiting for her as other couples entered. Though it was still early, he recognized a few of them as people he’d seen in the concierge lounge, which meant they were either Diamond members or had booked suites—a good sign.
In the midst of contemplating how to best help Mercedes make the night a success, his breath caught. A goddess stood in front of the elevator, her gaze darting around like someone would admonish her for being there. Hell, anyone who glanced her way would only end up as enthralled as he was.
Seducing Her Rival Page 12