Don’t ruin it, she pleaded silently. It’s been so good—don’t ruin it yet.
Because she couldn’t say the words out loud, she did the only thing she could do, the only thing she was comfortable doing. Sliding her hand inside his jeans, she took a hold of his erection and held his eye.
“Do you mind if I borrow this if you’re not using it?” she asked.
For a moment, she was sure she saw a flash of something—disappointment?—in his eyes. Then he reached for the buttons on her shirt.
“As long as we can work out some kind of reciprocal arrangement with these breasts of yours…”
As he lowered his head to her breasts and licked and sucked and gently bit her nipples, the rest of the world fell away and there was only his body and hers. Closing her eyes, she pushed everything else away.
* * *
“AT LAST, YOUTH TRIUMPHS over experience,” Dom crowed as he reached the peak ahead of Leandro. At least, he tried to crow, but the fact that he was gasping for air ruined the effect somewhat.
Leandro didn’t bother responding to his brother’s goad—they both knew Dom had enjoyed a substantial head start since he’d taken off while Leandro was still tying his shoelaces at the bottom of the hill.
It was Saturday on the week following his Marina Del Rey sojourn with Claudia, and the sun was high in the sky as they once more ran the fire trails in the Hollywood Hills. Below them, the L. A. basin basked in heat and haze, and a warm breeze dried the sweat on Leandro’s face. He felt the press of something cold against his arm and saw that Dom was offering him a water bottle.
“Thanks,” he said, turning away from the view and swallowing half the bottle in three big glugs.
Dom also made short work of his water, then he mopped the sweat from his face with the hem of his T-shirt.
“I definitely did better this time,” he said.
Leandro just smiled to himself, and Dom nudged him.
“Don’t you think?” he said.
“Well, you don’t look like you need a cardiac team on standby. That’s a good start,” Leandro said.
Dom laughed and squirted the last of his water at Leandro’s chest.
“Smart-ass.”
Leandro returned the favor, and once they’d stopped laughing they stood and stared out at the view together.
After a moment, Dom broke the silence.
“Hey, I’ve got a bone to pick with you, Mr. Big Shot. Why’d you pull out on your date with Stella? Betty is seriously pissed. She thinks you don’t trust her taste.”
“How could I doubt her? She married you, didn’t she?”
“Very funny. Seriously, what happened to your big date?”
Leandro shrugged uncomfortably. “It didn’t feel right. She seems like a great woman, but my head’s not in the right place right now.”
Dom gave him a cut-the-bullshit look.
“What’s her name?”
“Why does there have to be another woman?”
“Because last time we came up here, you attacked this mountain like it had done you a personal wrong, and today you were happy to let me lead the way. Me thinks you are getting laid, brother o’mine.”
Leandro shrugged a shoulder. Why did he feel so…uncertain about mentioning Claudia to his brother?
“Her name’s Claudia,” he said, just to prove to himself it wasn’t an issue. “I’ve been seeing her a few weeks now.”
Two weeks, to be exact, if he counted from the day she’d barged into his office and taken up his challenge.
“Is she Greek?” Dom asked.
Leandro did a mock double take.
“My God, for a moment there I thought I was standing next to Mom,” he said.
“It’s relevant! It doesn’t matter one way or the other, but it’s relevant,” Dom said, hands gesticulating defensively.
“Yeah, she’s Greek.”
Dom gave him a searching look. “Why are you being so cagey? What’s the big secret?”
“There’s no big secret.”
“So is it serious?”
Leandro frowned. “Have you been taking hormones or something? What’s with the twenty questions?”
“Just answer the question, asshole,” Dom said good-naturedly.
Leandro peered up at the sun for a few seconds before answering. “Yeah. I think it might be.”
“You think?”
“She’s…complex,” Leandro said.
“She’s a woman. It comes with the territory.”
Leandro tried to explain.
“She’s smart, successful. Really into her career. She plays her cards pretty close to her chest.”
Dom made a disgusted sound. “Let’s just call her Peta mark two and sign the divorce papers now,” he said. “Why do you keep going after these career chicks, man?”
“She’s not like Peta,” Leandro said firmly. And she wasn’t. She was warmer, and more vulnerable, despite her bravado. He laughed with her more. When they were together, time was irrelevant.
“Sounds like Peta to me. Another power-hungry bitch more interested in picking out the upholstery in her Audi than having a life.”
Leandro swung around to glare at his brother. “You haven’t even met her, okay? Back off.”
Dom held up a hand. “Whoa there, Slugger. No need to go loco.”
Leandro saw that his brother was trying not to smirk, and he realized that he’d snapped at Dom’s bait like a greenhorn.
“You’re a dick,” he said.
Dom nudged him. “So you really like her, huh?”
Leandro shoved his brother back.
“Yeah, I really like her.”
“You should bring her to Grandma’s party next weekend,” Dom suggested. “Introduce her to everyone. Ease her in.”
“Ease her in? The whole family will be there.”
“She’s got to meet them sometime, right? If you guys are serious?”
Leandro squinted up at the sun again. His instincts told him it was too early to do the family thing with Claudia. The truth was, he didn’t know where he stood with her. She liked the sex. She enjoyed his company. But he could never get a read on her. And the more he saw of her, the more he got to know her, the more he knew he wanted things to work out between them.
“I’ll think about it,” he said after a long silence.
“Way to go, really decisive. I love that captain of industry thing you do,” Dom said, ragging on him mercilessly.
He shut his brother up with the simple expedient of giving him an atomic wedgie, Mandalor-family style.
“You son of a bitch! I think you just ruptured a testicle,” Dom howled.
“I thought you’d given up balls for Lent,” Leandro said.
Then he took off, his brother hot on his heels.
CHAPTER 7
A WEEK LATER, CLAUDIA checked her lipstick in her hall mirror one more time and smoothed a hand over her hair. It was as perfect as it had been thirty seconds ago, but at least it gave her a break from checking her watch and pacing.
Leandro was late. He’d been away on business in New York for the past three days, and she had missed him so much it scared her. She hadn’t been able to sleep, food had tasted like sawdust in her mouth, and she felt about as stupid as she’d ever felt in her life. How could sex be so powerful?
The sound of a car door shutting jolted her from her thoughts, and she opened her front door just as Leandro stepped up onto the step. Without pausing to think how it might look, she launched herself into his arms, her body going crazy just at the sight of him.
His arms closed around her, and his head lowered toward hers, and she gave a sigh of pure relief as they kissed. His smell, the size of him, his strength—she’d craved him like a drug, and she pressed herself closer and closer, her hands clutching at his shoulders.
His caresses were equally as fervent, and they moved into her house without breaking their kiss. Kicking the door shut, Leandro pressed her against it and ran a hand up the insid
e of her thigh. She felt the muscles of his arms bunch for a second as he discovered she was sans underwear, and then he groaned low in his throat.
“I swear, you’re my dream woman,” he said as he slid his fingers into her ready wetness.
She gasped as he slipped a finger inside her, then two. She’d needed this so badly, and she whimpered with need when he withdrew his hand. But he was just kneeling at her feet, pushing the skirt of her black sundress up around her waist and pressing his face into the neat curls at the apex of her thighs. He inhaled deeply, his hands sliding around the back of her thighs, his fingers caressing the lower curve of her butt.
“You’ve kept me awake every night, you know that, don’t you?” he said, glancing up at her. She could feel the warmth of his breath between her legs, and she bit her lip. She didn’t think she could stand any more teasing, any more waiting.
“I want—” she said, but she was unable to articulate how much she needed him right now.
He just pressed his face more closely between her thighs and began to stroke her with his tongue.
“Yes,” she moaned. “Yes, please, Leandro.”
He nuzzled deeper again, his tongue laving from her inner lips up to her clitoris, his fingers reaching between her legs from behind to tease her hot center.
“Oh!” she gasped, her orgasm already building.
Then he sucked her clitoris into his mouth, flicking his tongue over and over the tight bud. Her hips rocked forward of their own accord and she clutched at his shoulders as she climaxed powerfully, her inner muscles spasming again and again.
Her knees wouldn’t hold her in the aftermath, and she slid to the ground, boneless with sensation. He cupped the side of her face and kissed her deeply, and the scent of her sex surrounded them with an earthy perfume.
Pushing him onto his back, she fumbled with his belt buckle and fly and finally had him in her hands. She slid onto him with one shift of her hips. Throwing her head back, she shivered with pure wanton pleasure at how good he felt inside her. Leandro’s hands roamed up her thighs to find her hips, and he began to move inside her, pumping up into her with strong strokes, lifting her hips to increase the friction between them. Desire tightened inside her, and she found his rhythm, tilting her hips as she rode him. After an intense, breathless few minutes, his hands tightened on her hips and he stilled. She opened her eyes to find him staring up at her.
“Condom,” he said reluctantly.
She shook her head. “I’m safe,” she said, starting to ride again.
He hesitated a moment longer, then he gave into the need gripping them both. She began to pant as pleasure gathered within her, and she stared down into his face, loving the flush of desire along his cheekbones, and the wicked glint in his eyes. His teeth were slightly bared, and the muscles of his neck tensed as he climaxed. Her own orgasm swept her away, and she threw back her head and gave a cry of absolute abandonment.
She collapsed onto his chest and listened to the thundering of his heart as he, too, returned to reality.
His hand came up to caress the back of her neck, and she pressed her face into his neck, enjoying the small moment of satisfaction and peace.
“It’s good to see you, too,” he said dryly after a few long minutes.
She smiled as she slid off him, even though a part of her was reeling at the rawness of what had occurred between them.
“That’ll teach you to go away again,” she said, but her voice wavered uncertainly.
He reached out and caught her hand when she started to stand.
“I missed you,” he said, his eyes serious.
“I believe the feeling was mutual,” she said lightly, her gesturing hand reminding him that they hadn’t even made it past the foyer of her house.
He just held her eye, not saying anything, and she felt faintly ashamed of her flippant answer. Before she could stop herself, she lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. He curled his hand into her cheek, his thumb caressing her cheekbone as he stared into her eyes.
She had to look away from what she saw in his face. She didn’t want this—did she? She didn’t want to lose herself in a relationship, to feel the pull of all the obligations and concerns that love brought with it.
Pushing herself to her feet, she left him behind as she made her way to her en suite and shucked her dress. She was beneath the shower and lathering up when he joined her.
“We’re going to be late,” he said.
“Where exactly are we going again?” she asked.
He’d been very cagey about what he had planned for their Saturday afternoon together.
“Don’t tell me—you don’t like surprises? Typical control freak behavior,” he said as he soaped her back.
“I’m a control freak, am I? Who was it who insisted on knowing where the cashews in his salad came from the other day when we were out?” she asked archly, pleased that he wasn’t about to bring up what had just happened between them.
She’d been sure that he was going to push things, but it seemed she could enjoy what they had for a little while longer before it self-destructed.
“Cashews from Vietnam might have been exposed to Agent Orange,” he said pedantically.
“Spoken like a true control freak,” Claudia said.
He swatted her backside and moved in for a kiss. “Takes one to know one.”
They were in the car and on the way to God knows where when he casually fished a small, flat parcel from his door pocket and passed it to her.
“Saw this and thought of you,” he said casually.
She stared down at the elegant paper for a beat, taken off guard.
“Thank you. You shouldn’t have,” she said.
“Too late,” he said.
She sensed that he was being very careful after their earlier moment, and she slipped a finger beneath the tape and unfolded the gift wrap. A slim, deep red silk scarf lay inside, and she instinctively ran it through her fingers. It felt as soft as a cloud against her skin, and she admired the rich ruby color.
“It’s beautiful,” she said sincerely. “Thank you, Leandro.”
She leaned across and pressed a kiss onto his neck, not wanting to disturb him while he was driving.
“I know you like black, but red seemed like the right choice,” he said. “I thought it would look good with your dark hair.”
Flipping down the visor mirror, Claudia impulsively tied the scarf in a jaunty knot around her neck. It contrasted beautifully with her sleeveless sundress made from black Broderie Anglaise, and she preened happily.
“I should wear color more, I know,” she said ruefully. “Black is the lazy woman’s escape clause.”
He flashed a smile at her, and for the first time it occurred to her that he was behaving a little oddly. It wasn’t the gift, or the crazy foyer-sex. He seemed…nervous. A little uncertain, even. Both were so foreign to the way she thought of him that she peered at him through narrowed eyes.
“So, where are we going again?” she asked.
“We’re here already,” he said, pulling into a parking space.
She glanced up and saw they were out the front of a Greek restaurant in downtown L. A., a place she’d driven past a million times and always meant to try.
The tension went out of her as she realized he was simply taking her out for lunch, Greek style.
“They make great dolmades here,” he said as they exited the car.
It had been a while since she’d had Greek food. Her mouth watered as she thought of bean salads, fresh fish, lemon and garlic.
The restaurant was cool after the warmth of the sun, and surprisingly empty. Claudia looked around at the whitewashed walls and red-and-white checked tablecloths and wondered if she should be worried about food poisoning. Where were all the other customers?
“There’s a courtyard out the back,” Leandro said, obviously sensing her confusion.
“Oh, right,” she said.
He led the way up a terr
a-cotta tiled hallway, and then he pushed open a door and they were outside, surrounded by the buzz of people, the twang of bazouki music and the savory smells of cooking meat and fresh baked bread.
For a second she clutched at Leandro’s shirt, thinking they’d accidentally walked into the middle of someone else’s party and readying herself to make a graceful exit. Then a nut-brown, gray-haired man just a shade shorter than Leandro spotted them and sent up a cry.
“Leandro! Finally you come!”
Every head seemed to swivel toward them, and Claudia felt a hundred pairs of eyes scan her from head to toe, taking in her cherry-red nail polish, her strappy high heels, the tight, low-cut bodice of her sundress, the jaunty scarf at her neck and the fact that Leandro had rested a proprietorial hand on her shoulder.
“This must be Claudia,” the man said, stretching both hands out toward her as he approached. “We are so pleased you could come with Leandro today to celebrate my mama’s birthday,” he said.
She submitted meekly to being kissed on both cheeks as she realized that she’d just met Leandro’s father.
“Claudia, this is my father, Stavros Mandalor,” Leandro confirmed. “Dad, this is Claudia Dostis.”
She was still trying to come to terms with the fact that Leandro had thrown her into the midst of a family party—an extended Greek family party—when the rest of the hordes descended. She found herself kissing cheek after cheek and subjected to hearty embrace after hearty embrace as the Mandalors welcomed her with flashing white teeth and good cheer.
Leandro’s mother was smaller than Claudia with gray-streaked black hair confined in a tight bun and she touched Claudia’s cheek approvingly as she stepped away from their greeting kiss.
“So beautiful. Leandro did not say you were so beautiful,” she said.
Leandro rolled his eyes.
“Ma, stop trying to get me into trouble,” he said.
She met his two brothers and two sisters, their wives and husbands, their children. She met cousins, uncles, aunts, family friends. She met the guest of honor, Mrs. Mandalor, a formidable gray-haired old lady who cast more than one disapproving glance at Claudia’s cleavage.
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