But for Maria, life wasn’t so clear-cut and simple. Could she have an intimate physical relationship with him and still be able to carry on with business as usual when they were with other members of the delegation?
She was so deep in thought that she never heard his footsteps on the plush carpet. When his hand landed on her shoulder, she spun around. “You scared me,” she said, not quite able to meet his gaze.
“Who were you expecting, Maria?”
A knock at the door saved her from answering. “I’m going in the bedroom,” she whispered. “I don’t want anyone to know I’m here.”
Alex shook his head with a wry smile but let her go.
When he gave her the all clear, she returned to a beautifully laid out breakfast. Linen napkins, real silver utensils, crystal stemware and delicate china. “That smells wonderful,” she said as her stomach growled audibly.
He held out her chair, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Looks pretty damn good, too.”
Fortunately for her peace of mind, Alex was content to eat in silence. They were both starving. He caught her eye at one point and grinned, as if to say he knew exactly what she was thinking. She hid behind a cup of hot tea and wondered how long it would be before they ended up back in bed. Bad Maria, her conscience chastised.
But apparently, she had convinced Alex of her dedication to the project at hand. Once they were done with their meal, he carried his coffee to the desk where she had placed two chairs side by side.
“How do you think we should approach this?” he asked, waking his own laptop and clicking on a file.
His matter-of-fact attitude took her aback. She’d been prepared to convince him, to deflect amorous advances. Was he genuinely so cavalier about working with her?
When he burst out laughing, she stiffened. “What’s so funny?” she demanded, finishing her tea and standing up. She couldn’t quite make her feet move in his direction.
“You,” he said, his smile gentle. “You told me we had to be all business this morning. But when I took you at your word, you were disappointed.”
“No, I wasn’t,” she said. The rebuttal wasn’t convincing, even to her.
“Well, I am,” he said firmly. “We’re going to get this done as quickly as possible so I can get you back in bed.”
Her spirits lightened. “You must think me awfully naive, Alex. I’m not accustomed to combining business with pleasure. This is new territory to me.”
He frowned, leaning a hip against the desk. “What do you think it is to me? I don’t make a habit of sleeping with coworkers. In fact, you’re the first.”
“Why me?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said, watching her with a hooded gaze. “If you want explanations, I’m fresh out.”
“So where and how do we go from here?”
“Does everything in life have to be explained? Let’s file this thing between us under the same category as raindrops trapped in cobwebs or the color of the sky at dawn.”
Her eyes widened. “Why, Alex, I never knew you were a poet.”
His expression was impassive, not a trace of humor in sight. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Maria. So how about giving both of us a chance to learn something and possibly to be surprised?”
There was an odd tone in his voice, some tiny indication that he was not as certain as she thought he was about what had happened between them last night.
It was then she realized she wasn’t being fair. Either she was in this, or she wasn’t.
It took courage, but she walked to where he stood and slid her arms around his waist. “I’ve been second-guessing myself, Alex. But that’s over. I’m content to take things one day at a time. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to work with you and not want to jump your bones, but I’ll try.”
He hugged her so tightly she thought her ribs would crack. “God, Maria.” He pulled back and rubbed his thumb over her cheekbone. “I thought I might have scared you off.”
Eleven
“I don’t scare that easily, Mr. Ramon.”
“Thank God.” Her cheeky grin was adorable. Alex felt as if he had dodged a bullet. There had been women in his life who had walked away. At least one or two. But none whose defection had given him heartburn.
This morning when he woke up alone, his heart had gone cold until he heard faint sounds from the bathroom. In those moments when he thought she had fled to her room, he’d felt a little sick. Not for anything in the world would he have her feel uneasy about what had happened between them. He decided then and there that if she wasn’t a hundred percent on board with this new slant to their relationship, he wasn’t going to chase after her. Not because of any pride on his part, but because Maria was too nice a woman to have to fend off unwanted advances from a coworker.
He wrapped a hand in her silky hair, wishing he could take her hard and fast, but they had reached a tentative accord. Maybe he should show some restraint. “I suppose we need to work,” he said, finding little enthusiasm for the prospect.
“Definitely,” she said. “And if we get a lot done, we might have time for some recreation later.”
Alex replayed that promise repeatedly over the next three hours. It wasn’t easy to stay focused, but he tried. Fortunately, once they delved into the draft of the proposal, he was able to keep his attention mostly on the words they were shaping rather than the scent of Maria’s hair.
It touched him that she was so sweetly intent on their task. Though not a native of Alma, she took her responsibilities very seriously. The powers that be had been right to include her in the delegation.
The opening language of the proposal was flowery and formal, based mostly on historic documents. From there, Alex and Maria struggled with the order of points relating to the royal family’s return. Should the legalities of power and function be first, or was it more politically correct to mention the palace and what was left of the Montoro fortune from before Tantaberra’s regime?
At least they had Jean Claude’s extensive notes when it came to lawyer-speak. Neither Alex nor Maria was trained in such areas. But they were both good editors, Alex catching the occasional typo and Maria smoothing out style and syntax.
At one in the afternoon, he called a halt. Standing behind her chair, he put his hand on her shoulders. “My eyes are crossing. We’ve done enough for now. I need food, woman.”
“But we only have—”
He put his hand over her mouth. “It’s for your own good, Miss Ferro. I’m seeing symptoms of workaholic-itis. It’s a terrible disease and one that has to be nipped in the bud.”
She stood up and stretched. “You’re so full of it. But yeah...I guess we should stop. What do you want for lunch?”
He took her hand and reeled her in, tucking her against his chest and resting his forehead against hers. “You,” he muttered. “Only you.”
* * *
They eventually got around to ordering pizza. Alex threw on some pants to answer the door and tip the delivery guy, but undressed again quickly so he could eat naked in bed with Maria.
“This is really a smart idea,” she said, rescuing a blob of tomato sauce from her bare arm. “I don’t have to worry about spilling anything on my clothes.”
Alex nodded solemnly. “All part of my plan to keep you here indefinitely as my sexual plaything.”
“Plaything?”
“What?” he asked. “You don’t like the word?”
She pursed her lips, curling her tongue to rescue a string of cheese. “I was thinking more along the lines of erotic goddess.”
He reclined on both elbows, suddenly uninterested in pizza. “I stand corrected,” he said huskily.
Maria dabbed her lips with a napkin and frowned at him. “Stop that.”
“Stop what?”
>
“Undressing me with your eyes.”
“Um...I’m pretty sure that’s not a fair rap. You’re buck naked, my sweet. Or hadn’t you noticed?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “A gentleman wouldn’t say things like that.”
He grabbed her ankle and pulled, laughing when she pretended to struggle. “Then I guess I’m no gentleman.”
* * *
Maria felt as if another woman had possessed her body. A female who was sexy and fun and carefree. Maybe she was channeling a 1940s film star. Glamorous. Mysterious. Living on the edge.
Alex’s head rested on her bare belly, his hair tickling her leg. She stroked the outside of his ear. “You amaze me,” she whispered. Her back rested against the headboard. As she cast her gaze over the bed, the view almost made her laugh. All the covers were on the floor. She and Alex lay sprawled on top of the fitted sheet.
She might have been cold if the man’s body hadn’t radiated heat like a furnace.
He yawned. “Amaze you how?”
“The whole Clark Kent/Superman thing. I’ve worked for you and with you for years and only this weekend have I discovered all your superpowers.”
“Maybe not all,” he said, his smug, masculine grin rekindling a slow burn in her secret feminine places. “I just might have a few more surprises up my sleeve.”
“Bragging isn’t attractive, Alex.” She squeezed his bicep. “And I might point out that you don’t have any sleeves.”
He pretended to frown as his hand roved her bare thigh, sending gooseflesh all over her body. “Details, woman. Details. You need to look at the big picture.”
She brushed his erection with a fingertip. “Oh, I’m looking,” she said.
When he laughed, she felt a jolt of pure happiness. Alone in this room, he had shown her a glimpse of the kind of relationship she had always wanted. But the Alex with her now didn’t often come out to play.
He was dedicated to his country and to his responsibilities and to his role as deputy prime minister of commerce. The livelihoods of common people rested in his hands. He wielded tremendous talent and carried a tremendous load.
Alex sat up and hooked a hand behind her neck to kiss her. “Pepperoni,” he muttered. “My favorite.”
Suddenly, she was painfully aware of the ticking of the clock...of the invisible hourglass whose sand was draining away at an alarming pace. “Make love to me, Alex. I need you.”
Neither of them noticed or cared when the pizza box fell to the floor. Alex’s warm hands on her body caressed and petted and stroked and generally drove her insane. He liked to torment them both, to reduce each of them to desperation before finally moving over and into her with a slow, firm thrust that forged a connection she’d never known or understood.
Her body seemed already to recognize his...
The weight of him pinned her down. Her fingers clenched on his back, searching for purchase in the gathering storm. With her legs wrapped around his waist, she canted her hips, trying to force him deeper.
Alex gasped, his skin damp, his gaze unfocused. “I can’t get enough. It’s never enough...”
She knew what he meant. In the breathless moments after climax, she was as eager for him as she had been before he first touched her. Clinging to him as if he might be wrenched from her arms, she relished his hard frame, his hair-roughened arms, his male scent.
Everything about him was so different from her body. She was tall and strong, but in his embrace she felt the sweet vulnerability of a woman whose man wants her beyond all reason.
When they both crested at almost the same moment, a rush of moisture in her eyes caught her by surprise. There was nothing to cry about...nothing at all. She would carry the memories of this weekend with her for the rest of her life.
They dozed again for maybe an hour and then rose to finish their work on the draft. Finally, when they were both satisfied, Alex emailed the document to Jean Claude for his perusal. If everything passed muster, Alex and Maria would meet with the delegation on Monday morning to go over the proposal step by step.
After that, it would be up to the Montoros...
Alex stretched, his face shadowed by a day’s growth of beard. “How about a walk on the beach? As much as I love hiding out in this room with you, I could use some fresh air.”
“Definitely.” They both slipped on the clothes they had worn Friday evening. Spending a naked weekend had definite pluses...less laundry to worry about.
She lobbied for leaving the room separately, but Alex put his foot down. “You’re being silly. I’ll check the hall if it will make you feel better, but we’re not going to skulk around like we’re doing something wrong.”
Nevertheless, Maria was relieved when they took the back staircase and made it outside unobserved. They traversed the path to the sand in single file. When they reached the beach, Alex took her hand.
Her fingers linked with his as they meandered down toward the firmer sand revealed by low tide. They were not the only night owls out and about, but there was plenty of privacy for a pleasant stroll.
The moon hung low on the horizon, casting a silvery path across the sea. Maria wanted to capture the moment somehow. A photograph wouldn’t do it justice. And she was no good as an artist. The fragrance of night-blooming jasmine scented the air. She would have to rely on imagination and sensory recall to hold on to this memory.
Alex adjusted his stride to hers, keeping the pace relaxed.
She felt her muscles relax, her misgivings washing away in the waves that curled onto the shore. “Have you ever wanted to buy a boat and sail toward the unknown?” she asked, not pausing to consider whether he would think her question a bit odd.
“Every boy dreams of that, I think...at least the ones who have seen the ocean. What did you want to be when you were a kid?”
“Oh, that’s easy...a Disney princess.”
“Which one?”
“Ariel and Snow White were my favorites, but the hair color was all wrong. My mother bought me a very beautiful Cinderella doll the Christmas I was six years old, and after that, Cinderella was the one I wanted. I carried her everywhere and decided I could be just like her when I grew up. Little girls’ dreams are silly, I guess.”
“No sillier than boys who want to be soldiers and firemen and police officers.”
“But those are attainable goals. A girl can’t actually grow up to be a princess. Unless, of course, you’re Kate Middleton or someone like that.”
* * *
Alex told himself not to read too much into her innocent confession. There were a million little girls around the world who wore princess outfits for Halloween costumes and considered sparkly tiaras a vital accessory. It didn’t mean a thing.
Still, the evening lost some of its bloom.
They walked for half an hour and then retraced their steps. Afterward, Alex hailed a cab out at the street, despite Maria’s insistence that they were far too messy to go anywhere.
But when she saw the all-night diner, her protests died. They binged on chicken-fried steak and homemade mashed potatoes. Alex tried to coax her into apple pie, but she shook her head.
“I’m stuffed,” she said. “But you go for it.”
When the dessert arrived, Alex forked up a generous bite and held it out to her. “At least taste it.”
Staring at him with a small smile that made his skin tighten on the back of his neck, she leaned forward and opened her mouth, allowing him to feed her the rich mix of fruit and spices and crumbly crust.
After she swallowed, a look of bliss crossed her face. “Oh, my gosh. That’s amazing.”
“More?” Her sensual enjoyment made him shift restlessly in his seat. He did a quick calculation of how long it would take to get back to the hotel.
Maria leaned away a
nd shook her hand. “I can’t. We’ve eaten like kings since we’ve been in Miami. I don’t want to go home with an extra five pounds.”
He finished the pie rapidly and lifted a hand for the check. Outside, he pushed her against the side of the building and kissed her wildly, his breathing ragged. “You’re perfect the way you are,” he muttered. “And I want you...now.”
Fortunately, good sense prevailed and he managed to make it back to his suite before getting Maria naked. Little bits of sand showered down onto the carpet. “We should take a shower,” she said. “So we won’t get sand in the bed.”
Nodding jerkily, unable to speak, he dragged her toward the bathroom, aware all the while that Maria was laughing at him. He undressed her in record time and adjusted the water temperature before ripping off all his clothes. Even now, he could see that she was a little shy.
“Look at me, Maria.” He took her hand and pulled her beneath the spray. The water darkened her hair immediately and dripped from the tips of her breasts. It was always a toss-up as to whether her eyes were going to be more green than blue. In the tiled shower stall with cavorting dolphins and wave motifs, her irises gleamed pale emerald.
She cast her gaze downward. “I’m looking, Alex. Believe me, I am.”
When she wrapped one hand around his aching shaft, his head dropped back against the wall of the shower. Holy hell. Her fingers explored him above and below, making sweat break out on his forehead. His knees quivered embarrassingly. “Enough,” he croaked.
When she tried to soap him up, he had to intervene. A man could only stand so much torture. “You first.” Gliding his hands over slick female flesh made him shake again. He took care of his own ablutions and then hustled them both out of the shower, handing Maria a big fluffy towel.
Perhaps she’d been expecting him to suggest shower sex standing up, but he wanted her to be comfortable with him. Baby steps. Build her trust and her comfort level. Sooner or later she would feel at home in his arms and in his bed. He was counting on it.
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