The caress in his voice sent shivers racing through her. She welcomed his touch and wanted him to make love to her, now, in the pool. Her sudden lack of inhibition surprised her. She struggled to sort out her feelings—desire mingled with love. Love. Did she love this man? Too soon, much too soon. In a moment of doubt, she pushed herself away from Ricardo and sank to the bottom of the pool. Her hair swirled to tangle around her shoulders.
Suddenly, strong hands groped around her body until they settled about her waist. With a noisy splash, Ricardo lifted her high in the air. His laughter drifted into the night—laughter that was lusty and pleased. "So now you want to play," he exclaimed.
Angela braced her hands on his shoulders as she admitted to herself that perhaps she did love this man. "I thought it took two for this game," she teased.
She wanted to learn everything she could about him… and his body. His muscles bulged from holding her up and they flexed when she began tracing the ridges of his shoulders.
"So, do you want to continue to play?" she asked when he shuddered.
"I want you."
"Tell me why?"
Slowly lowering her body, he turned to sit on the submerged bench. As he slid her down with him, the feel of his torso sent jolts of electricity through her. Angela gasped from the contact.
"There are many reasons why I want you," he told her after settling her weight high on his waist. "You're beautiful and desirable, to begin with."
"Flimsy reasons." She ran her fingers through his hair as she strove for light banter. Impossible.
"Not enough?" he queried in mock surprise. "Let me see, could it be your body?"
"At this point, probably," she managed the wry joke. His body certainly governed her reactions.
"¡Aí, querida!" he moaned. "You underestimate me. There are other reasons, too."
"Such as?" Wouldn't he ever kiss her again? She ached for his caress. He had to be made of steel because he didn't seem to react to the circles she traced on his chest.
"I like the way you care for others, the way you love your students." He stopped her teasing caresses by grabbing her hands. The motion made waves and Angela shifted. His breath caught and her heart hammered in anticipation.
"I like your dedication and your spirit, the way you fight for your beliefs." His voice sounded strained and Angela wondered how much longer he could tease them both this way.
"Even when it's you I'm fighting?" she dared to ask.
"Especially then," he chuckled. "Don't you know I love a challenge?"
"Is that what you're doing now?" She cast him a wry smile that he couldn't see. "Giving yourself a challenge? Testing your stamina?"
"No, but I've reached the end of it," he admitted, to Angela's relief. "Let's get out of here."
In an almost desperate haste he helped her to rise and step up from the pool. The night air cooled their overheated skin. Expecting him to turn on the light, Angela waited while he shuffled around to the far wall. In moments, he stood before her again and wrapped a huge fluffy towel around her shoulders.
Darkness surrounded them. Anxious now for what surely would follow, Angela's muscles knotted. She listened to him rustling in the dark and thought he must be dry by now. "Shall I get our clothes?" she asked. Surely they would go inside.
"Later," he said. "Lie down here."
Angela hesitated, unsure of what he expected. Taking a deep breath, she bent to feel a padded mattress spread on the redwood decking.
In the dim gazebo, she could see his outline as he stretched out on the mattress. Folds of fabric smoothed out beneath her fingers as she inched her way down beside Ricardo.
"A satin sheet? Rather exotic for the pool isn't it?"
"It's like your skin." He curved his hand along the line of her hip and tucked her close beside him.
His body heat lured her to nuzzle close, but instead she touched the slick satin—not with the tips of her fingers but with the open palm of her hand. Its fine texture pleased her. She knew the feel of his skin would please her even more, but before she could reach out, he whispered, "Lie on your stomach."
She hesitated, excitement playing havoc with her heart rate.
"I'm going to take good care of you." With a gentle nudge he rolled her into a prone position. Shifting to his knees, he moved to kneel at her feet. Angela's breath caught in her throat.
"Just relax and enjoy," he soothed as he lifted one slender leg across his lap. "I'm going to begin at your feet and cover all of you until I've rubbed away every bit of stress I caused you this month."
A massage. He began kneading her muscles and a sound rumbled up from the depths of her being, a purr of total contentment.
Ricardo listened to her moans of pleasure and a strange sense of peace assailed him. He would never have guessed that he could derive such pure satisfaction from pleasing this woman.
Her tension eased with each firm prod of his fingers. He congratulated himself on his instinct to leave the lights out and not rush her. He had felt her apprehension several times. She needed, as he had already surmised, continuous cherishing and pampering. He wanted that for her.
"Is that better?" he asked as he worked out a stiff knot in her back.
"Wonderful," she breathed. "You've hit places that have been tied up in knots for years."
"Years?"
"I guess I let too many things upset me at work.”
"What you need is a back rub every evening when you get home." The idea of being there to make sure she got one appealed to him.
“I would think I'd died and gone to heaven.”
He fell silent as he moved along her back. He could feel the urge to slip his fingers underneath her and enjoy the ripe fullness of her curves. But he refrained—for now.
At last he arrived at the tips of her fingers. He played with her reflexes, pressing sensitive nerve ends until her slender fingers curled around his. To complete his ministrations on her arms, he nipped tiny kisses into the palm of her hand.
"Now for the other side," he announced as he rolled her onto her back.
"Hmm," she moaned. No inhibitions stiffened her body this time as he positioned his hands on either side of her face.
Ricardo stretched out beside her, his body taut. ¡Madre mio! He wanted her. Now. This moment. She wouldn't hesitate to give her all to him—he knew it. But still he refrained.
"Querida," he whispered before he feathered his lips over her closed eyelids, her temple and the sensitive curve of her neck.
"You're wonderful," she whispered. Her lazy voice traced sexy shivers along his spine.
"I want to kiss you all over." His heart hammered at the thought.
Suddenly she stiffened, only slightly, but enough to alert Ricardo to her subtle uneasiness. Not yet, he decided.
Ricardo shifted to his knees to massage her. By the time he reached her toes, every nerve and sinew in his body was stretched taut with overtaxed restraint. Never had he pressured himself to this point and he wondered if he had overestimated his willpower.
Not a word had been spoken during these last long minutes. His whole body had been focused on the silky feel of her skin, and the curves beneath his fingers had invited thoughts that constricted his throat.
In an effort to regain some measure of control, Ricardo rocked back on his heels. He took deep breaths of the steamy air that was heavy with the scent of flowers—and of Angela.
Careful not to disturb her, he stretched out on the satin sheet. Warmth radiated from her body as it reflected in the moonlight.
"Ummm," she moaned, sending shivers through him.
That was it. There would be no more temptation. It was time to end the evening.
"Come on, darling," he whispered into the cloud of silvery hair that billowed around her. "Let me take you to your room."
He lifted her body into his arms and carried her across the lawn and into the house. He passed through the back entryway, down the hall and into the guest bedroom where he laid her on the
bed. The bedside lamp bathed her in a soft glow.
Angela's eyes adjusted to the lamplight. "Are you going to love me now?"
"No, querida. You need a good night's rest." Before he could change his mind he quickly left the room.
BRIGHT SUNLIGHT reflected off the water in the pool. Angela donned her sunglasses to cut the glare before she sat down at the wrought iron table.
"Are you hungry, querida?" Ricardo asked, nipping lightly at her neck.
"Famished." She smiled while pouring fresh-squeezed orange juice into their glasses. It was difficult to focus on food when all she could think about was last night. Ricardo’s gentle consideration had left her with mixed feelings. It took a strong man to be so patient.
She selected several pieces of fresh fruit, some slices of cheese and a hunk of French bread.
"Do you want some melon?"
He took the plate of honeydew and served them both a slice. Angela watched him, knowing her confusion was obvious, but she sensed he didn't mind.
"What do you want to do for the rest of the day?"
"Whatever.” She shrugged. As long as she spent it with him, it didn't matter what they did.
"It'll be hard to top last night." He winked and then reached over to plop a succulent strawberry into her mouth. "But we'll try."
While the sweet juices of the strawberry satisfied her hunger, the sensuous reminder renewed her desire. She couldn't stop the tide of sensations that flooded through her every time she thought about the last few hours. From the expression that crossed his face, she guessed Ricardo felt the same.
"We could relax by the pool," she suggested as erotic images of where that could lead flashed through her brain.
"I have one errand I need to run." He tore a piece of flaky crust off his bread and placed it in his mouth.
"We could stop by your place on the way back and pick up some more clothes," he suggested before he leaned forward to trace his finger down the line of her collar. "But on the other hand, I like the way you're dressed now."
Her sharp intake of breath was the only sound as his finger trailed to her cleavage. Angela glanced down to see that the robe she’d borrowed from him lay open. She pulled the black silk panels of it together despite being overly warm.
"I think we'd better make that stop." She cast him a rueful grin.
Actually she didn't mind wearing his robe. Designed to fall mid-thigh on him, it covered her almost to her knees. Of course, the rolled-up sleeves were awkward but the scent of Ricardo that enveloped her more than made up for that inconvenience.
"Bring something to wear in case we decide to go out tonight." He reached across the table with another strawberry.
She accepted the offering, not resisting the time he took to trace her bottom lip. "And tomorrow?" she murmured lazily.
"Hmm." He seemed distracted as he stared at her mouth. "We could take a drive into the desert. The cacti are in bloom."
Purposely, she licked her lips with the tip of her tongue. His eyes dilated, just as she hoped they would. "We could stop by my folks’," she suggested.
How had that invitation slipped out? Was she ready for him to meet her family?
"Ah…just teasing," she backtracked. "You wouldn't want to go there."
In dismay, she watched his eyes narrow at her quick reversal. She cursed her inability to hide her reactions from this man. He probably wouldn't have batted an eye at her suggestion, but now, because of her discomfort, he was closely scrutinizing her.
"Why not?" The tone of his voice sounded casual, but the rigidity of his body belied it.
"It's just a family get together." She shrugged and prayed he wouldn't pursue it any further. "My two brothers bring their wives and kids to my parents’ home in Scottsdale every Sunday."
Which was the exact reason she never brought her dates along. Overprotective and aggressive, her brothers intimidated the unsuspecting males with their third degree. They had been unmerciful at times, and so she had just stopped bringing her dates home.
Who knew what they would think of Ricardo? But then again, maybe that was why the invitation had slipped out. She had a feeling Ricardo could hold his own with her older siblings.
"I don't mind going." Ricardo sipped his coffee and watched her over the rim of the cup, his expression guarded. "If they're expecting you, we can stop by. Besides, I like family gatherings."
Eager to change the subject, Angela took advantage of the cue. "Do you have family in Phoenix?"
"They're all in Los Angeles. Four brothers and two sisters." His eyes lit with genuine warmth as he thought of them. "They all converge on mi mama every Sunday, too. So you see—a family get together would be no problema."
"I guess I really don't want to go, now that I think about it. Let's just spend the time together."
"Is it because of me you changed your mind about going to see your family?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Are you ashamed to let them know you’re dating me?"
Angela stared at him, disbelief mingling with sudden anger. "Ricardo, after all we've been through, you have the nerve to accuse me of that?"
"You invited me to your parents' home and then immediately changed your mind."
"Here we go again. That deep-seated problem of self-esteem. When does it stop? How does it end?” Angela swung around, afraid that if she continued to look at him she'd want to pound him with her fists. She drew a shaky breath and tried to control the quiver in her voice. "How could you believe that of me?"
Ricardo was behind her in seconds, grasping her shoulders and pulling her around. "Hey, what's all this? I was teasing you. All of a sudden you fly off the handle. What're you talking about?"
Now she felt rather foolish. "It's not something to tease about. I thought I'd hurt your feelings."
"Me? You're looking at a man with thick skin. It's been a long time since anyone's hurt me." He tucked her hair behind her ear and then trailed his fingers along her neck. "You though, querida could be the one to do that. I'm beginning to care a lot about you."
Her pulse quickened. Caring preceded love. "I care for you, too. And I wouldn't do anything to hurt you."
"No, you're too sensitive for that. So what's the verdict, anyway? We were discussing a visit to your parents' tomorrow. Is it a go or not?"
"I'd like you to meet them. But I'll warn you—I don't usually take men to visit."
"Hmm." He rocked back on his heels and grinned. "Does this prove how special I am?"
"Maybe."
He curved his fingers around her neck and pulled her to him. His kiss was sensual and demanding, leaving her breathless and hungry for more.
"I'm not a coward."
Definitely not. She smiled. Her brothers were going to meet their match in Ricardo.
"My parents are going to think this is serious."
"Isn't it?"
Was he still teasing? Before she could ask, he kissed her again, long and hard.
When their kiss ended, he held her in his arms and studied her face. "I can't decide if I like you better like this, all warm and tender, or full of fire over one of your causes."
Glints of mischief twinkled in his eyes.
"So tell me," he prodded. "Am I special?"
"Shall I list all the ways? Like you did last night for me?"
"Would you have enough time?"
She poked him in the chest and took a step forward. "Not enough time, huh?" The man needed to be taken down a notch.
He backed up. She advanced.
"You think the list is so long?" she quipped. "Don't get the idea I think you're a saint."
"Surely I must be close." He chuckled, caught up in her good humor.
"You're close, all right." To the edge of the pool, she smirked. "After all, you're dedicated to your causes, ambitious, caring, and sympathetic." She smiled innocently and poked him one last time. "You're also all wet!"
His arms flailed as he lost his balance and landed with a splash i
n the pool. He came up sputtering and shaking the wet hair from his face.
"You fox!" He glared when she laughed. "I'll show you what we do with such clever ones in my culture."
The threat was barely spoken before he was scrambling out of the pool after Angela. With a screech of mock alarm, she raced into the house. Ricardo pushed his way in before she could shut the door.
He chased her down the hall and into the bedroom, where he finally grabbed hold of the trailing belt of his robe.
Angela gave up the struggle when he pulled her into his arms. "You're wet and cold," she complained.
"Now why is that?"
"Really. You shouldn't go swimming with your clothes on."
He nuzzled her neck. Angela flinched when he pressed her body next to his soggy, chilly one.
"I take it all back. You aren't even close to being wonderful. You're mean and a bully."
She attempted to escape, but he continued to hold on to the robe. His smile wavered slightly his expression sobered.
She backed up until she bumped into the shower door where she paused, assessing her options.
Ricardo blocked the exit. "Now we'll see what happens to sexy ladies who have the nerve to push innocent men into pools."
"Innocent?" She watched, wide-eyed and curious. "That's one trait I never said you possessed."
He started toward her. Stalking. Ready. "But I have other traits you like, qué no?"
"Definitely,” she managed to say.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her against his hard body. This time his skin burned.
Her toes barely touched the tile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She forgot about their argument. He carried her into the shower and turned on the tap.
Frigid water streamed over her head and down her back. Angela screamed.
He held her tight when she tried to escape, his body vibrating with laughter. "Revenge, my love. That's another trait you didn't know about."
My love. Those two words drowned out the rest of what he'd said. Suddenly, she was immune to the cold, and the only sensation she felt was a deep longing for those two simple words to have full meaning. My love. Love. She wanted his love.
Heedless of the cold spray, she drew his head down to hers and kissed him hard. At first he maintained his playful mood but soon grew serious as her demands became more insistent.
A Flower for Angela Page 11