Abby Green - Latin Lovers - Seductive Frenchman

All too soon it was time to go. The last drops of wine had been drunk, the espresso cups were taken away. A bare tablecloth sat between them. Xavier stood easily and held out a hand. She allowed him to pull her up, a little unsteady with the effects of the wine. He slipped an arm around her waist and together they walked out. His scent was heavy and potent in her nostrils. She had to stop herself from turning into his chest and breathing deeply.

Instead of going back the way they had come, he led her down by the beach. She hesitated for a second, before taking off her shoes and then reaching up under her dress to pull down her stockings.

‘Wait.’

Her hands stilled as Xavier crouched down in front of her.

They were sheltered from the main promenade by a tree, the sound of the sea only feet way.

‘Let me.’

Jane stood and closed her eyes as she felt his hands come up under her dress to encircle one thigh, fingers stalling, and slowly snagging the stocking top to bring it down. Exquisite pleasure. Especially when his hands seemed to take far too long to travel their way up her other leg. She was shaking, her hands heavy on his shoulders by the time he reached his destination and pulled the other stocking down, trembling with the unbearable desire for him to keep going up … fingers reaching higher until they found …

He stood up lithely, dangling her shoes and stockings with one hand. On impulse she reached up and tugged at his bow tie until it came loose and free, then undid his top button, tongue between her teeth when it proved stiff and unwieldy.

When she had finished she looked up to find him staring down at her, eyes fixated on her mouth. She innocently moistened her lips with her tongue.

He took her hand with urgency, and led her onto the beach. ‘There’s a quick way back to the hotel from here …’

Jane barely took in the magical view as they made their silent way across the beach, the moonlight bathing everything with a milky glow, sounds of laughter and muted music coming from the strip on the other side of the bushes.

Soon they were at the steps that led up to the gardens at the back of the hotel. They stood there looking at each other, lost in the moment. Then he handed her the shoes and stockings and disappeared—before she felt an arm coming under her legs and herself being lifted and held against his broad chest.

‘Xavier … you can’t.’

‘There’s gravel on the ground up here, and I can’t wait for you to put your shoes on … As sexy as you are walking in them, it’ll take too long …’

‘Too long for what?’

‘To get you where I want you … on my bed … under me.’

She buried her head in his shoulder as they approached the hotel, arms around his neck. She felt extraordinarily cherished and protected and desired. They avoided bumping into anyone, and took the service elevator all the way up, coming in to the penthouse from another entrance. He didn’t put her down until they reached the bedroom.

Shoes and stockings fell from nerveless fingers as he slowly lowered her down his body. When her feet touched the floor they were standing so close that she could feel his heart beating against her chest.

In what felt like slow motion, her zip was pulled down, buttons popped open, catches undone. There was the whisper of clothes falling to the floor, skin meeting skin, soft and hard and silky, tongues touching and tasting, legs buckling, falling onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. Jane shut her eyes and ears to the voices in her head, concentrating on Xavier’s hand as it glided over her breasts and down across her belly, down further …

When Jane woke the next morning she was alone in the bed. Just then the bathroom door opened and Xavier emerged, with an indecently small towel around his waist. She felt a blush coming on when she remembered the previous night … To think of how wanton she’d been … had become in the space of a few days. Where on earth had she ever got the nerve to do those things to him?

He watched the expressions flit over her face. Did she have any idea how beguiling she looked? How much it turned him on to think that he was the only lover she’d ever known? She looked at him, sleepy eyes, flushed cheeks, biting her lip, pulling the sheet up. He strode over to the bed and came down on his arms beside her. Her eyes widened, the pupils dilating. It firmed his resolve for what he was going to ask her. But not yet. Later. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and straightened.

‘Morning, sleepy. I’m sorry about this, but there’s an emergency with the hotel in Malaysia and I have a crisis meeting to attend … Stay put, and I’ll be right back. We can have breakfast together.’

‘OK …’

Jane watched dry-mouthed as he let the towel drop and unselfconsciously pulled on his clothes. What a body.

When she heard the main door close she rolled over, burying her face in the pillow. She had to face it. Couldn’t block it out any more. Especially after last night. He had brought her to the height of something so beautiful that she knew without a doubt that she would never experience anything remotely close with another man.

She had fallen in love with him. Hard and deep and fast. Irrevocably. Unbelievably. Needless to say he had made no indication that to him this was anything more than a brief diversion, which was ending today. She wouldn’t allow her thoughts to fly ahead a few hours, when she would have to think about leaving. As if ignoring it would make it less of a reality.

Forcing herself to block the dangerous thoughts, telling herself she had to be crazy, she got up and went to have a quick shower, noticing faint marks on her body and colouring when she remembered herself urging Xavier to go harder, how she had assured him that he didn’t need to be so gentle. She groaned under the powerful jet of water.

After towelling her hair and donning a voluminous robe, she wandered into the suite and opened the windows, looking out over the pool area and the sea beyond, breathing in the warm morning air.

There was a knock on the door. That was funny—didn’t he have a key? Jane went and opened the door, a ready smile on her lips.

‘Missing me already?’

HER smile faded fast when she saw who it was at the door.

Sasha.

His assistant looked sparkly and bright. As if she’d been up for hours. Before Jane knew what was happening, Sasha had sidled past her and into the room, looking around with interest.

‘If you’re looking for Xavier, he’s gone for a meeting—’

She turned and fixed Jane with cold eyes. ‘I know exactly where he is. I always know where he is.’

‘I’ll tell him you called …’ Jane stayed by the open door and hoped she would take the hint.

‘Actually, I came to see you.’

Sasha sat on the couch, crossing one elegant leg over the other. Where was this going?

‘Did you enjoy last night? The pampering…. the restaurant?’

How did she know about that? Jane felt a stillness come into her body, as if it were preparing for some kind of attack. Her hand gripped the knob of the door.

‘Yes, thank you,’ she said faintly, dimly thinking to herself, Well, maybe she booked it for him, so she’d be bound to know …

‘Oh, yes! I nearly forgot about the champagne and everything else …’

A dull roaring sensation was beginning somewhere in her head as Sasha continued.

‘I hope I organised it all to Xavier’s satisfaction. I thought I’d check with you to make sure I did a good job …’

‘You … you organised everything?’

She knows about the dress?

Sasha threw back her head and laughed. ‘Of course, silly! You don’t think someone like Xavier has time to go around booking restaurants and making facial appointments do you?’