so rapidly she felt dizzy.
When she knocked on Alex’s door, and he opened it immediately, she practically fell into his arms. “No one saw me,” she whispered.
Alex was dressed again...in the same clothes he had worn earlier, minus the shoes and socks. His bare feet were long and sexy.
He took her shoulders in his hands, looking at her with alarm. “You’re shaking, Maria.”
“Adrenaline,” she said on a sigh, thrusting her bag into his arms and dropping into an armchair. “I think I need a drink.”
He poured her a glass of white wine and crouched at her side, his warm, dark eyes dancing with amusement. “If I had known it was such a big deal, I would have gone to your room myself.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And let you riffle through my unmentionables? I don’t think so. We don’t know each other that well.”
He stroked a finger down her arm, making her shiver. “I’ve seen you naked,” he said solemnly. “I think I’m allowed to touch your underwear.”
“It’s a slippery slope. First it’s the underwear and next thing you know you’ll be asking me to spend the night.”
His chiseled, masculine lips quirked. “I think I already did.”
She stared at him moodily. They were so close at this angle all she had to do was lean forward three or four inches and she could touch her mouth to his. “Do you really think we can concentrate on work in between...um...you know?”
His breath was warm on her cheek. “I have no idea. But I’m willing to find out. Besides, we’re supposed to be taking the weekend off.”
“Doesn’t matter. You and I both know that we have to make sure the proposal is ready for the briefing.”
“We’ll get it done, I promise. I work best under pressure.”
“And what if we can’t stop having sex? What if we ravage each other 24/7 until we barely know if it’s day or night?”
Alex’s erection had abated during Maria’s absence. But if she planned to say things like that to him, how was he supposed to keep his head? His imagination exhibited a sudden astounding propensity for cinematic sexual fantasy. Clearing his throat, he rose to his feet and put some distance between them. “I suppose that’s a risk we’ll have to take.”
The chair was oversize. Maria had curled her legs beneath her and huddled into the depths of the cushions until it seemed as if she were trying to become invisible.
Small, perfect white teeth mauled her bottom lip. “You’re not taking me seriously.”
His hoarse chuckle was strained. “I’ve never been more serious. But I’d feel a whole lot better if you weren’t regarding spending two days and nights with me as the equivalent of going in for a root canal. Sex is fun, Maria.”
“Not with you.”
She’d spoken rapidly and with conviction. Without the hint of a smile on her face. “I’m almost afraid to ask you to elaborate,” he muttered, telling himself grown men didn’t get their feelings hurt.
Maria’s hands gripped the arms of the chair, her knuckles white. “It wasn’t fun earlier. Earth-shattering, maybe. Mind-blowing. Unequivocally wonderful. But not fun. That’s a word for carnival rides and animated movies and walking barefoot in the rain.”
Her earnest speech might have been good for his ego if she didn’t seemed so distressed.
He scooped her out of the chair and sat back down with her in his lap. “You’re overthinking this, Maria.” He nuzzled her ear. “Maybe we didn’t start with fun. I’ll give you that one. But we’ll get there. Eventually. Good sex, I think, hits all the positive adjectives eventually.”
She sighed, resting her cheek against his heart. “Have you had bad sex?”
“Enough to know the difference.” He stroked her hair. “Trust me, sweetheart. Trust us.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“And you’re making it far too complicated. We’re here in this room. A man and a woman. Attracted to each other. Unattached. With time on our hands. What makes you think something bad is going to happen?”
“Superstition?”
He laughed ruefully. It was hard to argue the point that the old ways in Alma were laden with superstition. Legends. Folk tales. Fables delineating the fates of those who tempted the gods. Alma’s was a culture steeped in centuries of oral tradition.
“You’re a thoroughly modern woman. We’re here representing the best and brightest of a country eager to make its mark on a new millennium. Relax. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I think it’s all those years of my mother warning me that misbehavior on my part would have drastic consequences. It was a very effective deterrent.”
“I’ll protect you if the sky starts to fall.”
“Not funny.”
He tickled her rib. “A little bit funny. Admit it.”
Her body relaxed in his embrace. They had broken some awkward barrier and made it safely through to the other side.
She put her hand on his thigh. “Did you mention room service?”
* * *
Alex watched Maria eat a strawberry and was forced to lean forward to lick juice from the slope of her breast. “I’ll order more of those,” he promised.
They were both naked. It was three in the morning, and they had chosen to shore up their energy with a snack of fresh fruit and champagne.
Maria’s hair tumbled around her shoulders. Dark smudges beneath her eyes attested to the fact that so far he hadn’t managed to let her sleep for more than thirty minutes at a stretch.
How could he? When she nestled close to him, her bottom cradled against his groin, he wanted her again and again.
More juice dribbled onto her cleavage. “You’re doing that on purpose,” he accused.
She eyed him innocently, her lips closing on a bite of red berry. “Are you complaining?”
“Hell, no.” This time when he licked her velvety soft skin, he shuddered. “We need to sleep.” His hands were at her hips, tugging her down onto the mattress. He had no intention at all of closing his eyes.
“We can sleep when we’re dead,” she said, the words slurred with exhaustion. She was so beautiful in her sensual abandon that it hurt to look at her.
Those six words were all the invitation he needed. He eased her onto her side facing away from him. Lifting her leg over
