Reckless Night in Rio (14 page)

When Laura came to herself, she realized she was wearing nothing but ripped silken panties and thigh-high stockings, beneath the dark Brazilian sky, on a remote stretch of coastline where any passerby could see them. She’d totally lost her mind. And it had been so, so good.

But Gabriel had won. He’d seduced her, just as he’d said. He’d possessed her.

And not just her body, but her heart.

She pulled away, intending to find her red gown in the darkness, to try to cover herself.

But he pulled her back into his arms on the long warm hood. ‘Where are you going?’

‘You got what you wanted,’ she said bitterly. ‘You won.’ She shivered in the warmth of his arms. She’d surrendered and now she knew exactly the power he had over her—the power he would always have. She felt suddenly afraid of how vulnerable she was. He had her heart in his hands. ‘Now it’s done.’

‘Done?’ He gave a low, sensual laugh, then his hands tightened on her as he murmured, ‘
Querida
, it’s only beginning.’

CHAPTER TWELVE

B
Y
the time they arrived back in Rio two hours later, one thought kept repeating in Gabriel’s mind. One thought over and over.

‘Here,’ he said to her, covering her shoulders with his tuxedo jacket as they entered the lobby of his building. She threw him a grateful glance. Her red designer gown now hung askew on her body, the zipper broken from when he’d ripped the dress off her earlier.

As they passed the security guards, Gabriel glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. His white shirt was rumpled, the cuffs hanging open, his tie crumpled in the pocket of his trousers. Laura was looking at him breathlessly, her eyes luminescent, her makeup hopelessly smudged and her lips full and bruised.

He saw the security guards nudge each other with a smirk, and he knew he and Laura had fooled no one. There could be no doubt what they had been doing.

Normally he wouldn’t care if people knew he’d taken a woman as his lover. But this was different. This was Laura. And one thought kept going through his mind, no matter how he tried to avoid it.

He never wanted to let her go.

Gabriel exhaled. When he’d taken her on the hood of the car, beneath the night sky and in full view of the dark moonlit sea, he’d thought he would die of pleasure. Touching her naked skin, thrusting inside her until she screamed, holding her tight, the two of them joined together as one…

He shuddered. After that, he should feel satisfied, at least for the night. He should be satiated.

But he wasn’t. Now that he’d had one taste of her, he only wanted more. And more.
He never wanted to let her go.

Silently, they took the private elevator upstairs to the penthouse. The doors slid open, and he followed Laura inside. They found Maria quietly reading a book by the light of the lamp in the main room, beside the wall of windows two stories high.

The housekeeper rose to her feet, smiling. ‘The baby is sleeping, Mr. Gabriel, Mrs. Laura…’ And then the older woman got a good look at both of them. She coughed, closing her book with a thump. ‘I will wish you both good-night.’

‘Thank you, Maria,’ Gabriel said gravely, and his former nanny scurried out, the elevator doors closing behind her.

After she was gone, Laura turned to him, a frown furrowing her brow. ‘You don’t think she guessed about us, do you? You don’t think she could tell?’

‘Absolutely,’ he said, then at her horrified expression, he added, ‘not. Absolutely not.’

She sighed in relief. ‘I’m going to go check on Robby.’

Laura turned and went down the hall. He watched her go, watched the curves of her back and graceful sway of her body in his oversize tuxedo jacket as she moved like music. She stepped into the bedroom and disappeared.
Gone.

His feet moved without thought, and he was down the hall and suddenly behind her in the darkened bedroom. He watched as she crept up to the crib and stood silently, listening to her baby’s snuffling breaths as he slept. Gabriel came closer.

In the dim light of the tiny blue night-light plugged into the far wall, he could just barely see the sleeping baby. Robby’s chubby little fist was tossed back over his head. His plump cheeks moved as his mouth pursed, sucking in his sleep. Gabriel heard the soft, even breathing of the child in the darkness, and something turned over in his chest. He felt the sudden need to protect this little boy, to make sure he never came to any harm.

Just as he’d once felt about his family.

The thought caused a raw, choking ache in his throat. Without a word, he turned and left.

He stood in the hallway for long moments, shaking. But by the time Laura came out into the hall a few moments later, he’d gathered his thoughts. Come to some decisions.

She closed her bedroom door softly behind her, then looked at Gabriel in the darkened hallway. ‘I’m so sorry about Robby,’ she said in a low voice. ‘I never should have lied, Gabriel. I was just so…scared.’

Clawing back his hair, he gave a sudden laugh. ‘To tell you the truth, I was almost scared myself for a moment.’ He looked at her. ‘But it was brilliant of you to say I was Robby’s father. It saved the deal. That was a stroke of genius, Laura.’

Her beautiful face suddenly looked pale. ‘What?’

‘It was the perfect lie. But don’t worry. If Adriana spreads the rumor I’m his father—and she likely will—I will not deny it.’ He set his jaw. ‘Since your baby’s real father can’t be bothered to give him a name, somebody has to do it.’

She bit her trembling lower lip. ‘Gabriel—you never thought…for one moment…that it might be true? That Robby might actually be your son?’

He snorted. ‘No, of course not. If Robby were really my child and you’d lied to me all this time…’

‘Yes?’

He shrugged. ‘I’ve destroyed men for less.’ Reaching forward, he smiled and stroked her cheek, then lowered his head to playfully kiss her bare shoulder. ‘But I knew Robby couldn’t really be mine. We used protection. And you wouldn’t lie, not to me. Other than Maria, you are the only person I trust in all this world. You are…’

But then he leaned forward, frowning at her. ‘You are crying again.’ He tilted his head, trying to see her face. ‘Is it from happiness?’

She looked away sharply, wiping her eyes. ‘Yes. Happiness.’

‘Good,’ he said. ‘Now.’ He stroked her cheek. ‘We must celebrate winning the Açoazul deal tonight.’ He gave her a wicked smile. ‘I can think of one way—’

‘No,’ she blurted out. ‘I just need to—I need to…be alone.’

Turning abruptly, she ran down the hall. He heard the soft whir of the sliding doors as she fled out onto the terrace. When he followed her moments later, she’d dropped his tuxedo jacket from her body. Her strapless gown was barely hanging on her full breasts, askew with the broken zipper.

‘What are you doing?’ he asked. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Just leave me alone,’ she said. Her voice was low, almost grief-stricken. ‘Go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.’

Her red dress suddenly fell to the ground, but she didn’t seem to notice or care. He licked his lips, unable to look away from her half-naked body in the white bra and torn panties and thigh-high stockings. ‘What are you doing?’

She looked away. ‘I’m going to take a swim.’

He smiled. ‘Wonderful idea. I’ll join you.’

‘No!’ she cried vehemently.

He blinked at her, frowning. ‘Why?’

For long moments, she didn’t answer. He could hear the noise and music of the street party below them. She finally said in a low, muffled voice, ‘I need some time alone.’ When he didn’t move, she choked out, ‘Just go away, Gabriel. Please.’

Looking away from the illuminated turquoise water of the pool, she stared out at the vast dark ocean beyond Ipanema Beach. He’d seen a glimmer of tears in her eyes. And there was
no way
they were tears of happiness.

But she wanted him to leave. She’d made that clear. Setting his jaw, he turned and left her on the terrace, opening the sliding glass doors with a whir and closing them behind him.

Once inside, he stopped, clawing his hair back with one hand. He couldn’t let it end like this. Did she have so much regret that she’d allowed him to make love to her? He turned around, intending to go back and argue, to plead.

Instead, he froze.

He saw her on the moonlit terrace, sitting on a lounge chair, her face covered by her hands. Then she dropped her hands. Squaring her shoulders, she started to roll down her stockings.

He stared at her, transfixed. She pulled off her garter belt and tossed that, too, to the limestone floor.

Rising, she stood in the moonlight. Now wearing nothing but her bra and panties, she walked to the edge of the illuminated pool. Ripples of water reflected tiny shimmers of light that moved across her naked skin. Gabriel stared at her as he touched the window, unable to move or even breathe as she stood on the edge of the pool, looking down into the water.

Then in a graceful movement, she dived in. She stayed underwater for so long that he was suddenly afraid. Sliding open the doors, he ran out onto the terrace.

He saw her sitting on the bottom of the pool, her eyes closed. It seemed to take forever before she finally rose to the surface with a gasp, her hair sleek and sopping wet.

Laura was facing away from him, the moonlight frosting her bare shoulders in silver. Her thighs spread wide as her legs chopped the water, which moved around her in illuminated ripples of blue.

He choked back a groan. He was hard and aching for her. There was no way he was leaving her now. Walking to the edge, he said, ‘Laura.’

She turned to face him with a gasp. Her eyes were luminous, a dark shade of blue, as she tried to cover her breasts, treading water with her feet. ‘What do you want?’

Sitting on a chair by the pool, he looked down at her. ‘I want you to tell me what you’re thinking.’

‘I’m thinking I want to be alone!’

‘Tell me,’ he threatened. ‘Or I’ll kiss it out of you.’

Her eyes widened. Then she turned away. ‘Just go away.’

But in spite of her defiant words, he heard a sob in her voice that caused his belly to clench. Had he done that? Had he caused it? His jaw set. Pushing the chair away, he rose to his feet. He calmly kicked off his black leather shoes.

‘What are you doing?’ she said, alarmed.

He didn’t answer. Fully dressed in his tuxedo shirt and trousers, he jumped into the pool.

He’d been on the swim team in school, and was a fast swimmer underwater. He rose to the surface directly beside her, pushing her back against the hard edge of the pool. She gasped as she felt his hands on her.

‘Tell me,’ he said grimly.

‘No.’

‘Now.’

Her eyes became wide and tearful. ‘I can’t.’

Gabriel looked at her, and again he had that same strange feeling in his chest, like a twist in his heart. Holding himself suspended in the water, he gripped the edge of the pool with both hands around her, trapping her. She had nowhere to escape.

‘You’re going to tell me.’ He felt the warmth of her curvy body against the sopping wet shirt now clinging to his chest. ‘Whatever it is.’

He heard her intake of breath. Then she lifted her chin.

‘It wouldn’t do any good,’ she whispered. ‘Not to you. Not to anyone.’

He growled in frustration. Holding on to the edge of the pool with one hand, he cupped her cheek with his other palm. ‘Remember,’ he said roughly, tilting her chin. ‘You left me no choice.’

And he ruthlessly kissed her.

Her lips trembled beneath his, soft and warm and wet. He moved his mouth against hers in a seductive embrace, luring her without force, tempting her with their mutual hunger, with the insatiable need between them. Deepening the kiss, he softly stroked down her cheek, down her neck. His hand went below the surface of the water and he stroked the side of her body, her plump breast beneath her nearly invisible silk bra, her taut, slender waist, the full curve of her hip.

With a shudder of desire, he pulled back to look at her.

In the moving prisms of light from the pool, he could hear the music and noise of the street party on the
avenida
. But here on the terrace of his penthouse, in the moonlit night, he saw only her. They were connected in a way he didn’t understand.

He never wanted to let her go.

Reaching beneath her, he lifted her out of the pool. She was warm in his arms and her weight was light, barely anything at all, as he set her down gently on the limestone. He climbed out beside her, his wet tuxedo trousers and white shirt clinging to his skin. Impatiently, he pulled off the shirt, then yanked off his trousers with awkward force as the fabric clung stubbornly to his legs, nearly tripping him.

Laura, still sitting on the terrace floor in her transparent bra and panties, choked out a giggle.

‘Laugh at me, will you,
gringa
?’ Gabriel growled. He threw his sodden trousers on the floor, and his socks swiftly followed. He lifted her into his arms, holding her tightly against his naked body.

The laughter faded from her eyes, replaced by something hot and dark. Looking at him in wonder, she reached up and stroked the rough bristles of his jawline.

Just the gentle touch of her small hand sent his senses reeling, spiraling out of control. He wanted to push her into a lounge chair—that one, there at his feet—and throw himself on top of her, grinding into her, filling her until they exploded.

But he’d already done that once, on the hood of his car. No. Now, he would take his time.

Now, he would do it right.

Water trailed behind them as he padded naked across the terrace and back inside. The expensive rugs were left sopping wet with every step.

He looked down at her, this beautiful, soft, loving woman who had her arms wrapped around his neck and looked up at him with a mixture of apprehension, desire and wonder. He went down the hall to the master bedroom and set her reverently on his large bed.

He saw her lying across his white comforter, nearly naked, and he shuddered with need. Lines of silvery moonlight from his half-closed blinds slatted across Laura’s bare skin, emphasizing the shadows of her full breasts and hips, and his whole body shook with hunger.