Love Contract (The Match Broker) (16 page)

Chapter 26

W
ith a blush, Milán leaned backward and whispered into Adrian’s ear, “Do you have to be so obvious?”

“Damn right, I do,” he said aloud. “Sorry all, but we’re disappearing.”

“Oh, really? Where to?” Milán said excitedly.

“Yes, where indeed?” Elena chimed in.

“I think I might be able to help with that,” his friend said standing. “Excuse me a moment while I make a phone call.”

Tómas came back less than ten minutes later. “It’s all arranged,” he said smugly.

“What is?” Adrian asked.

“Your trip. You’ll be staying at my rental cottage in Eleuthera.”

“What?” Milán’s eyes widened. “We couldn’t possibly—”

“Yes, you can. It’s just a forty-five-minute plane ride to Nassau and then a connecting flight that’ll take you right in to Governors Harbour Airport. From there it’s a twenty-minute drive to the house. My assistant is booking the flights and rental car as we speak, and the caretaker will meet you at the house to give you the keys.”

Adrian set Milán on her feet and stood up. “We can’t let you do this,” Adrian began.

“Nonsense. It’s my pleasure. You flew all the way here to look at properties with me. It’s the least I can do.”

Nyah took Milán by the elbow and pulled her to the side along with Elena. “Lani, what’s the problem? It sounds like a wonderful trip. You should go.”

“But what about you two?” Milán frowned. “I can’t just up and—”

“Are you crazy?” Elena demanded. “We’ve been here a few days, and we’re having a great time. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think Nyah and I will have plenty of things to keep us occupied while you...hang out with your boyfriend.”

Nyah nodded. She looked past her sisters to Adrian’s friend. “Milán, you and Adrian need some alone time. Besides, I can just imagine how beautiful Eleuthera is. You need to go get your groove back, Stella. It’s time you dusted those pipes off, my dear. The man is hot and you know you want him. As Adrian neared, Nyah switched to Spanish and said, “If anyone needs to get sexed, it’s you.”

“
¡No puedo creer que hayas dicho que!
” Milán hissed.

“
Creo que debo decirles que puedo hablar en español,
” Adrian said from behind them.

Elena burst out laughing. “
¿Usted habla español?
”

“
Con fluidez
,” Adrian admitted his gaze immediately traveling to Milán.

“What?” Nyah blurted out and then glanced at her sister. “Why didn’t you tell us?

“Sorry, I forgot,” Milán said quickly.

“You forgot?” Elena chuckled. “I guess you were too busy doing...other things.”

“The day we met, your sister cursed me out in Spanish and then tried her best to slam my door off its hinges.” Adrian smiled at the memory. “I was pretty angry at that moment, so I didn’t let on that I knew what she’d said. Suffice it to say, your sister can use some very colorful metaphors.”

“Now that it’s all settled, you two have to get moving if you’re going to make your flight. Milán, you get packed and I’ll bring the car around.” Before anyone could protest, Tomás hurried off.

“Wait up,” Nyah called out. She turned and gave Elena a pointed look.

“Yeah, we’re coming.”

Milán watched her two sisters practically run after him. She regarded Adrian. “It seems everything is all arranged.”

He gathered her in his arms and kissed her deeply. “Good.” His voice caressed her right ear. “Now let’s go get into trouble.”

* * *

Milán packed in record time, said goodbye to her sisters and left with Adrian for the airport. Adrian’s friend had thought out every detail. Upon their arrival in Nassau, there was a driver waiting at the airport to escort them to Adrian’s resort. He packed his bag and they were off again to catch a flight to Eleuthera. Less than an hour later, they arrived at the Governors Harbour Airport. As promised, the caretaker was there to drive them to their cottage. Their escort passed the time with information about the island and places to eat and visit. Milán only heard half of what the man was saying. Every now and then her thoughts turned to her spontaneous decision to accompany Adrian to an island getaway. Her stomach did a somersault just thinking about the upcoming evening.

“Hey, are you okay?”

She started when Adrian’s hand touched hers. “Hmm?”

“I asked if you were okay,” he repeated.

“Me? Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”

“Because you looked like you were worried about something.”

Milán relaxed her features. “Of course not. I’m just tired, I guess. It’s been a long day.”

“That’s true. Quite a few surprises, too.” He smiled.

“I’ll say. All good ones.” She smiled back.

“We’ve got some time before we get there. Why don’t you try and take a nap?”

Milán decided that sounded like a good idea. Adrian put an arm around her and pulled her into his side. A few minutes later, she was sound asleep.

* * *

“Sleeping Beauty, we’ve arrived.” He rubbed her shoulder a few times.

Milán yawned and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times before glancing out the window. Her jaw dropped. “Adrian,
que es el paraíso!
”

“That it is,” he agreed. “Welcome to Eleuthera. Come on, beauty. Let’s look around.”

The elderly caretaker had stocked the kitchen with food, and mentioned that he was a phone call away if they needed to go into town. Taking their bags into the house, he commenced a guided tour. Milán was surprised at how bright and modern it was. Their cottage had stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and panel doors that recessed into the walls, giving the rear of the house an uninterrupted view of the ocean.

The decor was neutral and calming. The wood furniture was black making a very nice contrast to the white walls and ecru-and-black cushions. While they followed their host around, Milán kept resisting the urge to run out the door and down to the water’s edge. The scenery was that beautiful.

They were surprised to hear the cottage had only one bedroom.

“It’s a very popular honeymoon destination,” the man chuckled cutting a look between them. “Most find that one bedroom is plenty.”

He opened the louvered French doors and then he stood aside allowing them to enter. The secluded retreat was at the back of the house, and its biggest asset was the massive four-poster king-sized bed engulfed in a canopy of cream-colored mosquito netting. The regal wood frame monopolized most of the room.

Milán tried to look nonchalant, but it was all she could do to keep her face from turning scarlet as they passed it on their way to the bathroom.

Moments later, the tour had concluded and they were alone. Adrian turned toward her. She tried her best to look like this sort of thing happened to her every day. She failed miserably.

“
¿Tienes hambre?
”

Milán shrugged. “
Un poco
. Did you see the size of that tub?” she said excitedly.

“Yeah. It looked more like a hot tub than a bathtub.”

“I know. It’s almost as big as the bed.”

“Almost,” he joked. “Come on,” he said taking her hand. “Let’s eat.”

* * *

Taking inventory, they chose a container of conch salad on a bed of lettuce, a fruit plate and some crackers. They decided to dine alfresco. Milán located the plates and silverware while Adrian took the food outside onto the deck. He came back for the wine and two glasses.

By the time he returned, Milán had already fixed their plates. He sat across from her and poured the wine. He held his glass up. “To paradise.”

“To paradise,” she repeated.

They took a sip and then began eating.

“I have to admit, this was the best idea I’ve ever had,” Adrian said between bites.

“Your idea?” she laughed. “If I recall, it was your friend’s plan.”

“Yes, but he knew how much I wanted to be alone with you, so when you look at it, I was the catalyst to putting all this in motion.”

“You’re so full of it,” she teased. “Do you have to take credit for everything?”

“Almost everything, yes.” He grinned.

“Well done then. Honestly, this place is so beautiful it doesn’t seem real.” She looked around. “I keep thinking this is just a dream and I’ll wake up.”

“This is real, Lani.” He slid a finger down the top of her hand. “Imagine. We’re on a deserted island. It’s just the two of us—no interruptions.”

Her breath caught in her throat at the flash of desire that swept across his face. She lowered her eyes to her plate.

Adrian studied her. “You aren’t sorry you came, are you?”

Her eyes locked with his. “The only thing I’m sorry about is that we have on all these clothes.”

Seconds later, she stood up and bolted down the steps and onto the sand. Laughing, she ran toward the water pulling off clothes as she went. By the time she was down to her bathing suit, Adrian was right behind her. He scooped her up and continued running. Milán laughed so hard she starting hiccuping. When he reached the water, he ceremoniously dropped her into the rolling waves.

“It’s so warm,” she said, once she came up for air.

Diving in, Adrian’s powerful arms propelled him effortlessly through the water. He swam a good distance from the shore and then turned back. He stood up and wiped the water from his eyes. The rolling waves crashed into him, but he remained steady. He watched Milán swim toward him. When she reached his side, he scooped her up and held her close for a few moments. A grin played at the corners of his mouth.

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t even—”

Milán didn’t get any further. Adrian ceremoniously dumped her into the water.

Sputtering, she came up for air. They began pushing water at each other like little kids—taking turns boasting about their skills. The fight went on for a while longer until Milán declared herself the winner and struck off for the shore.

Adrian sprang into action. He caught up to her in no time and grabbed the back of her leg to reel her in. Kicking and screaming, Milán tried her best to break free. It was futile. With a look of triumph, Adrian wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around. “Hold still, mermaid. I’ve caught you fair and square and I’m claiming my prize.”

Milán slid her arms around his neck. She let her fingers roam through the wet hair at his nape before drifting lower to squeeze the corded muscles on his back. “
¿Es así?
”

“
Absolutamente
.”

Playtime drifted away with the outgoing tide. Sexual tension swirled around them like the current tugging at their legs. Adrian held her firmly in an iron-tight embrace. When his mouth claimed hers for a kiss, it was with a passion that left no doubt of his intent.

Milán moved her hands over his body. Lowering his mouth to her neck, Adrian kissed the sensitive area on her collarbone before tracing a path to the beginning of her bikini top.

“
Eso es peligroso, Lani,
” he warned with a low growl.

“
No tengo miedo
.”

Adrian raised his head. He roared with laughter. “You’re not scared of me, huh?” His expression held an air of challenge. His thumb moved across the wet material covering her right breast. Her nipples sprang to life. “¿
Estás seguro,
Milán?”

She took a deep breath. Her grip tightened on his forearm, but her eyes never left his. She reached up on her tiptoes and sucked his lower lip into her mouth.

Adrian’s reaction was immediate. He groaned and grasped the back of her head letting his fingers wind around her hair to hold her in place. When she released his lip, his returned the favor before moving his tongue past her teeth and into her mouth. She tasted like salt water and mangoes. It was an interesting contrast that made him long to taste more of her.

Unable to help himself, Adrian’s dipped his head and kissed the mound of her breast that wasn’t covered by her top anymore. His tongue slid over the slick surface of her skin while his hand worked its way lower until it disappeared into the front of her bikini bottom.

“Adrian,” she gasped throwing her head back as delectable sensations ricocheted throughout her body.

He leaned over and kissed her. “I’m glad this beach is deserted.”

“
No me importa. Te quiero—ahora.
”

His fingers stilled. A wide grin came across his face. “I want you too,
cariño
. Come on,” he said grasping her hand. “As amazing as this water is, I think a bed would be a lot better.”

Chapter 27

T
wo thoughts came to mind as Milán watched Adrian remove her bathing suit and then his own. The first was that he was the most handsome and sexy man she’d ever met. The second, and more important, was that she was completely and irrevocably in love with him.

Madre de dios,
she lamented to herself. There was no point in denying it. Adrian touched her in ways that she never knew possible. He was exasperating, vain, funny and lovable all at the same time—and he was hers.

The last part was what made her skin tingle and her palms turn moist. They were about to make love and she knew deep down things would never be the same again.

“Hey?” Adrian asked walking up to her. “Are you okay?”

Startled, Milán focused her attention back to the moment. “Yes, I’m sorry,” she said quickly.
No zoning in and out now
, she cautioned. She wanted to feel and remember every single detail.

“Sweetheart, are you having second thoughts?” he said with concern.

“Are you crazy?” she blurted out.

They both laughed.

“No, I’m not,” she clarified. “I was just daydreaming about how sexy you are and how much I’ve wanted this—you.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “My first thought when I saw you was that you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”

Her eyes sparkled. “My first thought was that your mother wasn’t exaggerating. You did have that magnetism that draws a woman in, but then you opened your mouth and ruined it.”

There was no way she could contain the laughter the bubbled up at the expression on his face. It was too funny.

“I’ll have a hard time living that one down,” he chuckled.

Milán shrieked with surprise when he swept her off her feet. “It seems I’ll have to give you something better to erase that awful memory.”

He eased her onto the bed. Adrian knelt there for a moment just looking at her. He raised her hand and kissed the inside of her palm. “Thank you,” he said solemnly.

Milán sat up slightly. “For what?”

“For being here. For giving me the chance to tell you how important you are to me.”

Getting up on her knees, Milán hugged him. She took his hand and laid it over her heart. Her gaze captured his. “
Muestrame
.”

Adrian nodded and lowered them both back against the plush mattress. He did just as she commanded. He showed her how much she meant to him and he loved every amazing minute of it.

* * *

If there was one thing Adrian Anderson was, it was thorough. Milán found out just how much by the detailed way he set out to drive her to the brink of insanity. Adrian studied her body as if she were his greatest work, and he a master artisan. Each caress, kiss and stroke he gave was designed to pinpoint the sensitive areas that excited her and to intensify it.

“Tell me what you want, Lani,” he whispered in her ear. “Where should I touch you next?”

Milán raised his hand to her mouth and slid his index finger across her lips. As good as this delicious game was, she wanted much more. “Inside,” she told him with a wanton smile.

She took pleasure in seeing the strained look on his face at her brazen declaration. It made her heady to know that she could topple his control with one word like he did hers. Keeping the momentum going, Milán pushed him onto his back. She got up on her knees and hovered over him. Her lips inches away from him. She blew her breath across the hairs on his chest. Adrian tensed.

“But first...a little payback.”

Milán let her hand roam from the top of his neck to his stomach. Her fingers splayed across the taut skin learning the feel of him. She felt his muscles flex beneath her as she went lower still.

Adrian closed his eyes. “
Toca me
.”

She did as he asked. Her fingers touched him reverently. Up and down in slow, deliberate motions. Milán watched his face for a reaction. She loved the expressions he was making as she increased the pace. It was intoxicating.

Suddenly, Adrian reached up and stilled her hand. Before she could ask, he had her underneath him. He kissed her fiercely. “I’ll be right back.”

She watched him roll to the other side of the bed and halfway disappear over the side. “What are you doing?”

He sat up with a box of condoms in his hand.

A blush of excitement crept up her cheeks as she watched him slide a condom on. Pulled tighter than a violin string, Milán was more than ready for the next round to begin. That thought was hammered home when seconds later, he was deep inside her. It felt incredible to finally experience what had kept her up nights, and occupied her thoughts at random moments throughout the day. She held onto him and just reveled in the energy coursing through her body as it stretched to accommodate him. When Adrian began to move faster, Milán wrapped her legs around his waist to increase the sensations.

With each thrust, Adrian took her closer to the edge. He kissed her and repeatedly whispered sentiments into her ear. She loved the sound of his voice. The barely controlled timbre of it as he neared his climax was just as much of a turn-on as them making love. Then she felt it. The warmth. It built inside her, slow and steady like an elevator rising to a higher floor. She held on and waited eagerly for it to eventually hit the top. When it did, Milán called out Adrian’s name as wave after wave rolled over her. Adrian was right there with her, holding her tightly until the last spasm ebbed.

Adrian rolled onto his back taking Milán with him. Lying halfway on top of him, she was as satiated as she’d ever been, and for the life of her she just couldn’t stop smiling. She raised herself up on her forearms to kiss him. “That was pretty damned incredible,” she sighed.

With a flick of his wrist, Adrian smoothed her hair out of her face. “Almost as incredible as the smile on your beautiful face right now,” he murmured.

She hugged him. “You put it there.”

“Hungry?”

“Uh-uh. You?”

“Nope. I’m doing the only thing I want to do right now.”

“Good,” she yawned. “Because I’m not moving from this spot.”

* * *

Adrian stroked her back with his free hand. He listened to her breathing even out.

He wasn’t kidding; he was perfectly content to lie there with Milán wrapped around him like a blanket. She felt as delectable as she’d tasted. Finally making love to her had been well worth the wait. Many a night he’d lain awake fantasizing about her. His instincts told him if they ever got together, it would be explosive, and he hadn’t been disappointed. Milán Dixon was as fiery in bed as she was out of it.

Adrian stifled a yawn. The tug of sleep was getting too great to ignore. Checking to make sure that Milán was sound asleep, he dislodged himself and rolled over to retrieve the covers. Pulling them over the both of them, he gathered her back into his arms and promptly drifted into a satiated sleep.

* * *

Night had approached before either of them stirred. Milán was the first to come fully awake. She sat up in the bed and stretched. Adrian had rolled onto his stomach and was still so she didn’t disturb him. She crept as silently as she could out of the bed and padded to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she came out with her hair in a ponytail and feeling refreshed. Deciding to check out the fridge, Milán retrieved a sarong from her bag and slipped it on before heading to the kitchen.

She was perusing the contents of the refrigerator when Adrian’s arms snaked around her waist.

“
¿Quién es?
” she asked.

“How soon they forget,” he chuckled pulling her against him. He buried his face in her neck. She turned and wrapped her arms around him. “I was hungry.”

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “For something other than me? Impossible.”

“Good to see your vanity is still in place.”

He arched an eyebrow. “That’s never going anywhere,” he teased before swatting her on the behind. “What do we have?”

Milán rattled off the choices that were quick to make. “How about shish kebabs and a salad?”

“Sounds good to me.”

They both prepared the meal. It was such a lovely night; they sat on the deck under candlelight and ate. When they were finished, they took a stroll along the beach. Milán put her feet in the water.

“It’s still pretty warm,” she said moving farther into the surf.

That was all Adrian needed to hear. Seconds later, he had divested her of the sarong and the two were skinny-dipping under the moonlit sky.

“I’ve never gone skinny-dipping before,” she admitted floating farther out into the water.

“Really? I wonder what else you haven’t done?” he said with interest.

He wrapped her legs around his waist and moved lazily around in circles. Milán’s arms floated out to her sides keeping her afloat.

“This is amazing,” she sighed. “Look at all those stars.”

Adrian let his hand move across her flat stomach and higher up to cup her breast. Seconds later she was in his arms. “I’d rather look at you.”

They kissed for several long moments before his hand moved underneath the water and found her heat.

“What are you doing?” she moaned aloud.

Adrian’s wicked smile shone in the moonlight. “Time to finish what I started.”

* * *

The next day, they opted to spend their last few hours at the house instead of exploring Eleuthera. While they were stretched out together on a chaise longue, Milán decided to call and check in with her sisters.

“We’re doing well,” Nyah told her. “We had a wonderful night with Tomás. He took us out to dinner and—”

There was a muffled sound and then arguing.

“Hello?” Milán said into the receiver. “Nyah?”

“Hey, it’s me,” Elena replied. “Enough about us. How was your night? Was it good? How many times did you—”

“It was great, thanks for asking,” Milán said quickly.

“Details later?” her sister pressed.

“Yes, that sounds good.”

“Fine,” her sister huffed. “When are you two coming back?”

“Tonight. Since Monday is our last night, we decided it would be great for all of us to spend some time together. Adrian would love to get to know you both.”

“Uh-huh,” her sister replied. “You’re crazy. I’d be butt naked and—”

This time Nyah interrupted. They talked a few more moments before Milán hung up.

“Now that was interesting,” Adrian chuckled after she returned the phone to the table next to them.

“That’s an understatement,” she laughed.

His hand drifted down her leg. “So, what did they want to know? All the juicy little details about last night?”

“
Por supuesto,
” Milán replied before she rolled over and straddled him. “
Pero no voy a decir.
” She leaned down and kissed him. “So, how much time do we have before we need to leave?”

Adrian glanced at his watch. “About an hour.”

“Oh,” she pouted. “We’ve still got to pack, too.”

“No, we don’t.” He grinned. “I packed us up while you were napping earlier.”

An excited look crossed her face. “
Excelente,
” she said leaning down for a kiss.

* * *

Milán spent the next week in a perpetual state of happiness—and exhaustion. After she and Adrian bid her sisters and his friend goodbye and returned to Chicago, it had been nonstop for both of them. Work was busy, but it was nothing compared to their social calendar. From the moment they returned home, Norma Jean had paraded them around at various functions all over town. She was so happy that they were a couple neither of them had the heart to say no to her events.

“You realize we’re going to be at this for a while,” Milán said when they were in bed one night.

“We most certainly will not,” Adrian contradicted. “My dad called me yesterday and begged me to say no the next time my mother wants us to go somewhere.”

“Why?” Milán asked.

“Because he’s tired of being her escort to all these things. He’s complaining that his TiVo unit only has thirty-three percent of recording time left and that he hasn’t watched any of his shows since we got back from the Bahamas.”

Milán giggled. “Your poor father.”

“Ha, poor us. Between work and the Love Broker, I’m exhausted,” he groused.

“
Mi pobre bebé.
” She ran a hand over his bare chest. “What can I do to help?”

Adrian caught her wrist in his hand. He kissed it. Seconds later, she was under him.

“I can think of several things off the top of my head,” he said kissing her neck.

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” he said thickly. His thumb glided across her breast.

Milán squirmed beneath him. “Adrian,” she moaned.

“I’m right here, baby.” His hand drifted under her nightgown.

His fingers stroked her with infinite care. It wasn’t long before her legs were wrapped around his waist urging him on.

“Tell me what you want?
Dígame lo que usted necesita, cariño.
”

“I need you,” she choked out. “
Te necesito. En estos momentos
.”

In record time, Adrian had removed his boxer briefs and her lingerie. When they were both naked, he put a condom on and then sat her on top of him.

* * *

Milán loved straddling him. He engulfed her in all the right places and it drove her wild with desire as she moved over him. She was soon rewarded with the sound of him calling her name. That set her over the edge. Unable to take the sweet torture any longer, Milán lost herself in the maelstrom that they’d created. She collapsed against his chest in a heap. Their combined uneven breathing was the only noise in the room.

Adrian wrapped his arms around her and stretched out on the bed.

“That was...”

“Yeah, it was,” he said with some effort.

“I’m glad you agree,” she replied before lapsing into companionable silence.

Each time they made love, it only got better. Milán wasn’t sure how to keep her emotions in check. Who was she kidding? She was way past the point of no return.
El cielo me ayude,
she said to herself. Heaven was going to have to help her, because she loved Adrian more now than the first time they had made love, and nothing on earth was going to change that. “I love you,” she said with conviction. Silence ensued.