had things started to change? When had he begun to notice the way her smile hit him in the gut? Or been stricken with the need to touch her? To make her laugh?
Grabbing up his key and his phone, he strode across the room. But when he jerked open the door in preparation for leaving, Maria stood in the hallway, her hand raised to knock.
Her arm dropped, and her eyes widened. “Alex.”
He pulled up short, his adrenaline-fueled momentum stymied by the fact that she had come to him. “Maria.”
To an outsider, the tableau would have seemed comical. Maria recovered first, already backing away. “You were going out,” she said. “I can talk to you later.”
He grabbed her arm and dragged her inside, closing the door firmly. “No. We’ll talk now.”
“But—”
He put a hand over her mouth. “I was coming to find you,” he said gruffly.
Maria freed herself from his loose hold and moved to stand beside the window. “If you’re going to yell at me again, I’d just as soon pass.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t yell.”
“What would you call it?”
“Mutual aggravation?”
That coaxed a smile from her. “Fair enough.”
“Why did you come to find me?” he asked.
“I wanted to let you know how the dinner went.”
His chest tightened with disappointment. So much for the personal agenda. “Okay. Let’s hear it.”
“May I have a seat?”
“Of course.”
They moved to the nearby grouping of sofas and chairs. The room was extremely large. Though Alex hadn’t asked for it, he presumed that his position as head of the delegation had warranted the generous quarters.
Maria was dressed casually in a soft multicolored skirt that touched her knees and a thin, sleeveless top of ivory silk. The barely there sandals she wore showcased pink toenails.
Although she sat on the love seat, he was too antsy to join her at the moment. He ran a hand through his hair. “So tell me. How did it go?”
She shrugged, her expression pensive. “It’s hard to say. They asked a million questions. Good questions. Rafe, as always, was reserved.”
“Do they seem at all receptive to the proposal?”
“They’re guarding their options. We have to remember that they haven’t even seen a copy of it yet.”
“True. If the rough draft gets an okay next week, the plan was to go ahead and let the Montoros take a look.”
“Does that mean they get a chance to approve or disapprove?”
“I don’t think the delegation will like that idea. Unless we have a solid commitment first.”
“In other words, two stubborn entities in a standoff.”
“No one wants to lose face or operate from a position of weakness.”
“I think the key to winning them over is going to be the personal touch. If they trust you and the delegation, they’re going to be much more likely to agree to our proposal.”
“Well, they trust you. That’s a start.”
She crossed her arms and thrust out her chin. “There you go again. Flinging insults.”
He held out his hands. “I certainly did not. It was a compliment.”
Her expression was skeptical. “Didn’t sound like one.”
Judging himself sufficiently in control of his emotions to get closer, he sat down beside her and touched her arm. “I’m glad they feel comfortable talking to you. Really I am. You’re an incredible asset to the team.”
She stared at him, vulnerability in the depths of her gaze. At times he forgot about her humble beginnings and that her maturity belied her years. “I’m serious,” he said softly. “I admire you, Maria. You’re smart and quick-thinking and you have a better grasp of human emotions than I do. Thank you for meeting with Rafe and Bella and Gabriel tonight.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, her words barely audible.
She no longer met his gaze, so he had to lift her chin with his finger. “I don’t like it when we fight,” he muttered.
Maria didn’t reply, but her hand came up to cover his. He thought she meant to push him away, but instead, she twined her fingers with his. “I don’t like it, either.”
Ten seconds passed. Or maybe a hundred. Awareness quivered in the air. He could hear the thump of his own heartbeat in his ears. Maria’s cheeks flushed, her eyes starry with something he dared not put a name to. Later, he couldn’t remember which of them moved first.
Their lips met softly...tentatively. He slid a hand beneath her hair to cup the back of her neck. The top of her spine was fragile, the curve of her nape feminine. “I want you,” he said. He had an advanced degree in diplomacy and a reputation as a persuasive leader. But in that moment he felt as awkward as a high school kid on his first date.
Maria leaned into him, her posture both eager and trusting. He should try to be worthy of that trust, but if such a thing meant sending her away, then he was doomed.
She put a hand against his cheek, stroking the stubble that appeared if he didn’t shave twice a day. Her gaze clashed with his, her eyes deep enough to drown in. “I want you, too, Alex. But without regrets. If this time in Miami is all we have, let it be enough.”
The wording made him frown. What she was offering would be the perfect scenario for most men. A temporary liaison. No strings attached. Yet, oddly, her plea unsettled him.
Because he didn’t want to answer, he let his actions tell her what he couldn’t yet say. The silk shell she wore came off easily over her head. He caught a ragged breath at the sight of her breasts barely covered in smooth, ivory satin. When he tossed the top aside, he realized that his hands were shaking.
Maria had gone still, her wary gaze alert, like a doe in the forest scenting danger. But she didn’t stop him when he drew her to her feet. “I need you naked,” he groaned, unzipping her skirt and drawing it down and off. Her French-cut undies matched the bra. Plain...unadorned...but sexy as hell. “Ah, Maria.”
She hadn’t said a word since he began unwrapping the most wonderful present he’d ever been offered. Was it shyness that kept her silent?
“I don’t know what you’re thinking,” he muttered. The bra fell away. He steadied her as she stepped out of the sandals. Tracing the elastic band of
