Cathy Williams - The Spaniard's Summer Seduction

There was nothing remotely sexual about his ministrations, even though she could hardly not notice the fact that he was aroused.

It was all a little surreal. She felt as though she were watching the scene from outside her body, and strangely the experience was on one level even more intimate than what had preceded it.

Finally he switched off the water. He carefully wrung the excess moisture from her hair and swathed her in a towel, using another to dry her from head to toe before picking her up once more and striding back into the bedroom. The fire in this room was lit. Flames crackled as he pulled back the covers on the bed and laid her naked body on the crisp sheets.

She watched as Rafael used the damp towel to cursorily blot the moisture on his own body before climbing in beside her.

He pulled her to him, fitting her curves into his angles before tilting her face up to his.

Finally he broke his silence.

‘Now, querida , we will do this thing the way it should be done.’

‘I thought it was fine the first time,’ she admitted, feeling so relaxed that she was boneless, though sexual awareness remained like a prickle under her skin.

He kissed the pulse spot at the base of her slender neck and the prickle became an itch.

‘You are not a woman who should settle for “fine” and I am not a man who delivers it.’

He delivered this not as an arrogant boast but more in the form of a simple statement of fact, and Maggie accepted it as such. When it came to matters carnal she was quite prepared to accept that Rafael was the expert.

‘But?’

He touched a finger to her lips. ‘And afterwards we will discuss how it is that you were a virgin.’ His eyes darkened; the discovery was one that would stay with him for ever. ‘I could have hurt you and that would have…’

The expression of self-loathing on his face as he broke off and swallowed hard drew a cry of protest from Maggie. ‘You didn’t—you were perfect.’

His mouth curved into a complacent smile. ‘Yes, you mentioned that. Don’t blush—a man likes to be appreciated.’ The smile faded from his face. ‘Now let me show you how much I appreciate you.’

Maggie’s eyes darkened. ‘Please,’ she whispered.

Much later as he lay still sheathed in the heat between her thighs Rafael struggled to make sense of his reluctance to break the physical connection even though his sexual hunger and hers were satisfied—finally.

He looked at her face pressed against the curve of his shoulder her lashes dark on her cheek as she surrendered to sleep and he realised it was foolish to analyse such things. It was not as if it were a meeting of souls; they were sexually compatible. Maggie was an amazingly passionate woman and an incredibly intuitive lover.

Rafael suspected there was still more passion there just waiting to be awakened. It was a pity that she would not be here long enough for him to unlock that promise.

MAGGIE put down her coffee cup and stared at Rafael. She waited for the maid who had fetched fresh coffee to leave before she replied to his invitation.

‘You’re suggesting I spend the rest of my holiday here, with you.’

Rafael refilled his own cup. ‘It seems logical.’

His idea of logic and hers were very different. ‘Not logical—mad.’

‘How so?’

She looked at him in astonishment. ‘It’s totally crazy.’

‘That is not an argument and, anyway,’ he said, considering her freshly scrubbed image with a smile, ‘I think you need some crazy in your life.’

She shook her head. ‘Last night was enough crazy to last me a lifetime.’

‘I seriously doubt that.’ He planted his elbows on the table and leaned towards her, a knowing look on his face. ‘You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?’

She responded to the goad with a frown and firm denial that she almost immediately cancelled by saying, ‘I couldn’t?’

‘But you want to.’

‘I have plans.’

Rafael, who knew about her plans, said, ‘Dump your plans.’

She tried to look amused when she asked, ‘Do women always dump their plans for you?’ Because of course she knew they did and she knew why.

Last night had been the most mind-blowing experience of Maggie’s life, and she would cherish it forever. Walking away this morning was hard—in a week’s time just how much harder would it be?

The thought frightened her and made her hesitate.

‘You will not regret it, I promise.’ While she was here with him Angelina was safe.

You’re such a saint .

Rafael ignored the sardonic voice in his head and added, ‘Did I not fulfil my promises last night?’

Maggie closed her eyes, hearing his smoky voice in her head promising her a glimpse of paradise and more. And he had made good on the promises more than once.

‘I’ve got nothing here, no clothes…no.’

He glanced at the watch on his wrist. ‘I am having your luggage brought from the hotel. It should be here shortly.’

Maggie laughed. ‘You were that sure I’d stay?’

‘I was that sure that I want you to stay. I will make this a holiday to remember.’

‘It’s already that.’ It would be strange going back to her normal life after this.

‘So why do you look sad?’ He had never experienced a desire to make a woman smile before, but he did now.

She shook her head. ‘I’m not sad…mad possibly,’ she conceded, ‘but not sad, just…’ She screwed up her nose and gazed around the room. ‘This is not my life.’

‘What is your life?’ Rafael heard himself ask and frowned. This situation had been a lot simpler when he had thought of her as a problem to be solved. When, he wondered, had she become a person?

A beautiful and desirable person, and her smile made him happy.

The question seemed serious. She stared at him and then to lessen the intensity of the moment she summoned a smile. ‘If you have a spare five minutes I might actually take you up on that invitation. But seriously…’

He cut across her. ‘I was being serious.’

Her eyes fell from his. His intensity was unsettling; actually, he was unsettling.

She gave a strained little laugh. ‘I’m sure you’re not really interested…’

‘I asked, didn’t I?’

‘I work in a city casualty unit. I’m a nurse.’

‘A nurse?’

She tilted her head to one side and studied his face. ‘You sound surprised.’

‘I am,’ he admitted, though now he thought about it he could see her in the role. ‘The last time I was in a casualty department in England my nurse was a rugby player called Tomas. I’m feeling cheated.’

The glow in his eyes made her dizzy and excited.

‘So its not just last night—you spend your time saving lives.’

Maggie gave an embarrassed shrug. ‘It’s not normally so dramatic and there is no danger involved, except of course when a drunk decides to take a swing.’

Rafael tensed. ‘At you?’

Maggie who couldn’t stop staring at the muscles clenching and unclenching beside his mouth, nodded. ‘It has been known,’ she admitted, blinking as he loosed a stream of fluid, angry-sounding Spanish. ‘Don’t worry,’ she added, patting the clenched hand that lay nearest her and saying cheerily, ‘I can take care of myself and I have very quick reflexes.’

‘What sort of world are we living in when a nurse takes being assaulted for granted? Madre di Dio , your family allow this?’ he grated incredulously.

‘It’s not really a question of allowing, is it? I’m over eighteen… I’m over twenty-one, and I’ve never been assaulted. It happens, but not to me.’

‘But it could. Well, I,’ he announced autocratically, ‘would not permit it.’