by Jennie Lucas
Or would she? He paused, remembering how she’d let herself conceive a child by a man who wouldn’t marry her, a man she didn’t even love.
Adriana said scornfully, “With her adoring, sickening gaze on you all the time, I knew it was just a matter of time.” She gave him a hard look. “But your relationship won’t last. Because we both know you care about only one thing.”
Aware of Oliveira watching them, Gabriel stared down at her coolly. “And what is that?”
“Power. Glamour. Blatant sex appeal. And your secretary does not have it.” Adriana tossed her head. “She’s nothing but a drab little nobody who…”
She paused, tilting her head. Gabriel frowned, then he heard it, too—a low hum of male voices behind them, rolling across the pool and terraces like gathering thunder. Adriana leaned forward to look around the doorway of her cabana. Oliveira and Gabriel slowly turned.
A woman had just stepped out of the mansion, and was coming down the stairs from the upper terrace toward the pool. She was wearing a tiny bikini, typical attire for Rio. Carioca women were among the sexiest in the world, and the women at this party were among the most beautiful in the city. One new beauty should have been nothing, and yet something about this particular woman caused every man who saw her to stop in his tracks.
Even the young men who’d hovered around Adriana suddenly were craning their necks to stare. A waiter who’d come to refill Adriana’s drink accidentally poured vodka on her bare thigh, causing her to curse aloud as she rose to her feet. “Oh, you stupid—get away from me!”
But no one was looking at Adriana. Not anymore.
The beautiful new guest was petite and curvy, her hips swaying as she moved. Long honey-blonde hair hung in waves down her bare back. She had creamy skin, and beneath the triangles of her top, the largest, most perfect breasts any man could imagine.
Gabriel’s jaw dropped as he recognized her, this woman coming around the pool toward the cabanas with such effortless grace. The woman who had brought Felipe Oliveira’s exclusive, glamorous party to a standstill.
Laura.
Laura trembled as she walked in her high heels. She felt naked in her bikini, passing through the crowds of beautiful, glamorous people who one by one turned to gape at her. Her legs shook as she walked down the stairs toward the lower terrace, where cabanas overlooked the pool and private beach.
She walked past the musicians, past the buffet table, where a handsome, hawkish man in a gray suit stood staring at her. She stiffened as she walked passed him, her head held high though her cheeks burned. People’s heads were turning sharply enough to cause whiplash. Men’s eyes widened. Women’s eyes narrowed. Laura’s hand shook as she pushed her mirrored aviator sunglasses a little higher up her nose.
Wearing this tiny bikini was almost worse than wearing nothing at all. It had been crocheted of natural, wheat-colored yarn. She’d never gone out in public dressed in so little before. She had barely ever seen herself this naked, always averting her eyes from the mirror when she came out of the shower. Now, she could feel the hot sun of Rio burning against her skin.
Or maybe it was just the flush of heat caused by all the eyes roaming every inch of her, tracing the lines of her breasts, butt and legs.
Laura swallowed, wishing the earth would swallow her whole. She threw a glance of longing toward the Atlantic on the other side of the terrace gate. She had the sudden yen to throw herself in the water and start swimming for Africa.
But she forced herself to keep walking, looking for Gabriel to the right and left. She couldn’t run away. He was paying her a million dollars, and she couldn’t quit just because she was scared. She was on a job and she would earn her money. Every penny.
But she wished she knew what people were thinking. Were they staring because they thought she looked nice? Or because she looked so hideously bad? As soon as she was out of earshot, would they all dissolve into scornful laughter?
Mrs. Tavares had taken her into the center of a whirlwind at Zeytuna, barking orders in quick-fire Portuguese, and there had soon been five stylists surrounding her, doing her hair, hands, toenails. An on-call optometrist had come to fit her eyes for contact lens. Laura had tried on hundreds of potential outfits for the pool party, for the Fantasy Ball, casual clothes for later, even lingerie. Though she had protested at the lingerie, her every complaint had been ignored. Laura’s mousy brown hair had been highlighted. The stylists had started to prepare a spray-on tan to darken her skin, until Mrs. Tavares had stopped them.
“No. Leave her pale. Her creamy beauty will stand out from the fake tans of all the rest.”
Laura’s makeup had been done to perfection, so lightly as to be barely visible, and yet somehow making her look…good.
Mrs. Tavares had ordered her to try on many bikinis before she’d finally been satisfied with this one. Laura couldn’t tell the difference—they’d all just seemed to be tiny triangles of fabric, barely covering anything at all. But the Brazilian woman had chosen this one, crocheted of soft beige yarn. “Perfeito,” she’d said. “It shows you off to perfection, Miss Parker. You are soft, womanly, with those curves. You are real.” Mrs. Tavares’s thin lips had curved. “You will stand out.”
It was true that Laura’s breasts had always been somewhat on the generous side, and since she’d left New Hampshire to have a secretarial career in New York, she’d gone to a great deal of effort to hide them, to make sure it was her professional skills that attracted attention, not her body.
“You have the perfect figure,” Mrs. Tavares had said with satisfaction as they’d stared at the result of Laura’s makeover in a full-length mirror. “A Marilyn Monroe for the modern age. The gold standard of femininity.”
Laura didn’t quite believe her. A lifetime of feeling plain and unfashionable, especially compared to the glamorous women of New York, had left it imprinted on her mind that she was the hardworking one. The smart one. Never in her whole life had she been the pretty one.
But of course Mrs. Tavares would give her compliments, Laura had told herself as Carlos drove her to the mansion. The woman had been hired to give Laura a makeover, so naturally she would try to make the best of things. Laura had taken her praise with a pound of salt.
But still, the older woman had almost managed to convince her. Laura had felt confident, even pretty, when she’d left the boutique. Now, beneath so many open stares, she felt shy.
And afraid. What if, after everything, she failed Gabriel? Would he refuse to pay her the million dollars he’d promised? Or worse, would he just shake his head and look at her with cool dark eyes and say in a low voice, “I’m disappointed in you, Laura. I thought you were better than this”?
It had taken more courage than she’d imagined even to get out of the Rolls-Royce. Carlos had held her door open for almost a full minute, conspicuously clearing his throat before Laura had gathered enough bravado to get out of the car and walk into the mansion with her shoulders thrown back. Now, beneath the eyes of so many glamorous people, she felt vulnerable. Exposed.
Where was Gabriel?
Laura’s feet shook in her ridiculously high heels as she walked around the pool. She didn’t dare meet anyone’s eyes, for fear of the scorn or mockery she might see there. She kept walking, keeping her gaze over people’s heads, looking for one man who would stand out above the rest. She ignored the low hum of voices around her. She held her hand above her forehead, shading her sunglasses, as she looked for him. Would he laugh when he saw her? Would he regret whatever madness had caused him to think, even for an instant, that she could convince the world she was the woman who’d finally vanquished his playboy heart?
The thought made her throat hurt. Her hand fell to her side. She swallowed, suddenly unable to take the strain of all those mocking eyes on her.
“Que beleza.”
Hearing Gabriel’s low, husky voice behind her, she whirled around. She saw him standing in the doorway of a large poolside cabana. He was wearing shorts and an open
shirt that revealed his muscular chest, tanned and laced with dark hair. Beside him she recognized Felipe Oliveira, looking sweaty and suspicious. But she was so relieved to find Gabriel that she hurried forward, pushing her sunglasses up on her head with a relieved smile. “Oh, Gabriel. I’m so glad to find you. I—”
Then she saw the woman standing behind them in the cabana and drew back with an intake of breath. “Oh. Miss da Costa. Hello.”
The supermodel folded her arms icily. “I think we’re a little past the politeness of ‘Miss da Costa,’ don’t you? You must call me Adriana now,” she said, in the exact same tone one might say Go to hell.
Laura blinked beneath the woman’s malevolent gaze. Then she remembered Gabriel’s words. You have something Adriana does not. You have me. Looking at Adriana’s angry expression, Laura realized their plan was working. The supermodel clearly believed Laura was Gabriel’s lover—and hated her for it!
Straightening her shoulders, she looked at Gabriel with a smile. “Sorry I’m late.”
He kissed her cheek tenderly. “I waited thirty-eight years to find you, querida,” he breathed. “What are a few minutes more?”
He put his arm around her. After smiling at each other, they both turned to see the effect.
Felipe Oliveira looked skeptical. Adriana was scowling, sticking out her lower lip.
“You can’t really be moving in together!” she said.
Laura glanced at him. Moving in together?
“It’s already done,” Gabriel said. He looked down at Laura, and his dark eyes were hungry and tender as he stroked her cheek.
Adriana gave a forced laugh. “She’s no one. Nothing.”
Gabriel wrapped his arms around Laura’s bare waist. She nearly gasped at the rough feel of his hands against her naked skin.
“I am the one who is nothing.” His black eyes burned through Laura’s soul. “Nothing without you.”
It’s an act, she told herself as her heart turned over in her chest.
“All this time, you were right in front of me,” he murmured as his wide, rough hand traced softly down her cheek. “The woman of my dreams.” He cupped her face, tilting up her chin as he suddenly smiled. “I would fight them all for you.”
“Fight who?” she whispered.
Staring at her, Gabriel gave a sudden laugh. Turning, he silently pointed behind them.
Following his gaze, Laura saw all the gorgeous party guests whispering to each other around the pool, staring back at them.
Of course they would stare at Gabriel, Laura thought. He was the sexiest, most sought after bachelor on earth. But they weren’t looking just at him. Even Laura, inexperienced as she was, could see that.
And she suddenly knew, down to her bones, that they weren’t staring at her because she was ugly.
She suddenly blinked back tears. Her makeover had created the illusion that Laura was worthy to be Gabriel’s mistress. For the first time in her life, she felt beautiful. It was dizzying. Electrifying.
But the feeling hadn’t been caused by magic fairy dust. She looked up at him.
It was the magic of his dark, hungry gaze. The magic echo of his words.
All this time, you were right in front of me. The woman of my dreams.
She was dimly aware of Adriana’s angry scowl. But Laura didn’t care about her anymore. Everyone else around them faded into a blur.
She and Gabriel were the only two people on earth. His dark eyes met hers, and his gaze fell to her lips. With agonizing slowness, he started to move his head toward hers. She realized he was going to kiss her, and her heart pounded frantically in her throat.
“Am I to understand,” Felipe Oliveira said in a gruff voice behind them, “that this girl, your supposed lover, used to be your employee?”
Straightening, Gabriel turned to him, and Laura was able to breathe again. She leaned her cheek against his chest, still dizzy from how close she’d come to being kissed.
“His employee?” Adriana sneered. “She was his secretary.”
Gabriel gave her a cool smile before turning his focus back on his rival. “Laura was once my secretary, sim, for five years. But now she’s so much more.” Looking down as she nestled in his arms, he stroked her cheek and said softly, “Now…she’s the woman who tamed me.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
IT’S only an act. Only an act!
But in spite of the constant repetition of those words, Laura’s heart still didn’t believe it as she looked up into Gabriel’s dark eyes.
“Really,” the other man drawled in accented English. His eyes traced over Laura. “She’s certainly beautiful. But this is all too convenient.” He folded his arms over his belly. “You’ve fabricated this affair, so I’ll still sell you Açoazul.”
Laura’s pulse hammered in her chest. Convinced that their plan had failed before it had half started, she pulled away from Gabriel. But he held her tight in his powerful arms, even as he never looked away from the other man.
“Why would I do that?” Gabriel said coolly.
The man looked at Adriana’s tall beauty, then back at Gabriel with a scowl. “You know why.”
“You’d be a fool not to sell me Açoazul,” Gabriel said sharply. “No other competitor has offered you a fraction of the price. Théo St. Raphaël certainly won’t. Don’t lose a fortune based on some unfounded fear!”
The older man stiffened. “I’m not afraid. And it’s not unfounded.”
Gabriel nuzzled her neck. “I’m not interested in any woman except Laura.”
She leaned back against him, closing her eyes. The feel of his lips and the nibble of his sharp teeth against the sensitive flesh caused sparks to thrill down her body. She heard the other man hiss through his teeth, and opened her eyes. Felipe Oliveira and Adriana were staring at them with shock. Looking up at Gabriel, Laura shivered as a single bead of sweat trickled down her bare skin between her breasts. The air between them suddenly crackled with sexual energy.
“Come, querida,” Gabriel said in a low voice. “It’s getting hot. I need to cool off.”
Wrapping her hand in his own, he pulled her away from the cabana and across the terrace through the open gate, past the security guards to the private beach. Turquoise waves pounded the white sand with a rhythmic roar. Laura glanced back at the party behind them. She and Gabriel were still in full view of the mansion and terraces as he led her across the sand.
“You did it,” Gabriel said when they were out of earshot.
“Did I?” Looking up, she furrowed her brow. “He didn’t seem to believe us.”
“Of course he’s suspicious. The man’s not stupid. But we’ll soon convince him we’re in love.”
“How?” she whispered.
He reached down and stroked a tendril of hair from her face.
“To think all this time I had such a beauty working for me,” he breathed, then shook his head with a laugh. “I’m glad you didn’t look like this when you were my secretary. I wouldn’t have gotten any work done.”
“You wouldn’t?”
“It was hard enough as it was. You were always too pretty. I wanted you from the first day I met you, when you came up to my office wearing that old brown suit and big glasses.”
He remembered the clothes she’d worn the day they met? “You don’t have to talk like this.” Her heart was hammering in her throat. “No one can hear us.”
“That’s why I’m saying it,” he said. “Come on.”
He yanked off his flip-flops and shirt, leaving them on the sand as he pulled her into the sea. Kicking off her high-heeled shoes, she followed him, almost willing to follow him into the very depths of the ocean as long as he kept hold of her hand.
He led her into the water, deeper and deeper still. She looked at him in front of her, and her eyes hungrily traced the hard curves of his muscular back, his strong legs. She felt the shock of cool water against her skin as they walked through the ocean waves, moving slower and slower until the water reached their
thighs.
He glanced behind her. “They’re still watching.” He smiled. “You make this too easy. Any man would want you. Half the men here are in love with you already.”
Laura swallowed, yearning to tell him she didn’t care, that he was the only man she wanted, the only one she’d ever wanted. She’d once loved him with all her heart, this man with the warm dark eyes that made her melt, who whispered words of adoration, who made her body sizzle even when they weren’t out in the hot sun.
Gabriel’s sensual mouth curved. “And you’ve proved yourself every bit the skilled actress I hoped you’d be. The way you shivered and leaned back against me when I kissed your neck, as if you were head over heels in love with me…they bought it all.”
Except it hadn’t been an act. Beneath the blazing sun, they stared at each other, thigh-deep in the cool turquoise water, swaying in the currents. She felt the splash of the cool waves against her hot, bare thighs.
He came closer to her. “The way you look at me sometimes…” His gaze searched hers. “It reminds me of something that Adriana said. As if you really…”
“Really what?” Laura whispered.
He pulled back, his self-mocking mask back in place on his darkly handsome face. “I think I really do need to cool off,” he said with a laugh, and he fell back with a splash into the water.
When he resurfaced, Gabriel sprang from the waves like a god of the sea, scattering sparkling droplets as he tossed his black hair back. Rivulets streamed down his tanned, hard-muscled chest. She couldn’t look away. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to make love to her, hard and fast, slow and soft, and never stop. Most of all, she wanted him to love her.
He came toward her, his eyes dark. He took her in his arms, and she felt the hard muscles of his chest press against her bare skin. He looked down at her.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said huskily. “I know what you need.”
Her mouth went dry. “You—you do?”
Without warning, he lifted her up in his arms, against his wet, muscled chest. Her head fell back in surprise, and she had a brief image of the blue sea and distant green jungle before she realized what he meant to do. Holding her tightly in his arms, he fell back into the waves.