he had left.
He somehow broke the kiss and stared into her beautiful eyes. “You promise you won’t regret it when I leave? That you won’t feel hurt that I can’t stay?”
“I won’t regret it. I won’t be hurt. Unless you walk away this second. In which case I’ll have to become like autocratic Rafael Moreno was the first day we met and ‘take control of the situation.’”
How a woman’s eyes could be amused, sensual, and flashing all at the same time he had no idea, but it was an irresistible combination. He loved how Gabriella made him smile and laugh and want her so much he ached. “You already know I hate to give up control of any situation, mi ángel,” He touched his mouth to hers and began to walk her backwards ten feet down the hallway to his own door. “So how about we take control of it together?”
“I like that idea a lot.”
And with that she plastered her body close to his, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, which was so distracting he had a hard time remembering in which pocket he’d stuffed his room key. “Can you wait for just two seconds while I find my key?”
“I don’t know. But I’m happy to help you look.”
She peppered kisses on his face at the same time she put her hand caressingly into his pants pocket, obviously looking for something other than his room key, and he laughed then nearly moaned.
“I’d never have dreamed that charming midwife Gabriella Cain could be such a vixen.” Thank God he finally found the key in his jacket pocket, because she was driving him crazy and they were both still fully clothed. He shoved the door open and nearly stumbled as he backed her inside because now that they weren’t in a public hallway and he’d abandoned all worries of hurting her, he couldn’t get his hands and mouth on her fast enough.
“I’ve never been a vixen, I don’t think.” She pushed his jacket off at the same time he was unzipping hers. “Apparently, you bring her out in me.”
“I’m about to show you what you bring out in me. Didn’t you say you felt like Cinderella at the charity ball? I think I may be turning into the Beast.” And while it was a joke, it wasn’t far from the truth. He’d already stripped off her sweater and was in the process of unbuttoning her pants, and couldn’t remember a time he’d felt as desperate to make love with a woman as he felt right now.
“You’re mixing up your fairy tales. But since you are a prince, I guess that’s okay.”
She lost him on the conversation because he’d gotten her pants off and he took a moment to look at her, holding his breath at the vision before him. At her slim body, her luminous eyes, her hair a little tousled and her beautiful lips parted. He reached to unclasp her bra and as she stood there in near-naked perfection, he felt humbled. Incredibly lucky to be the man she’d chosen to break out of her shell with.
“Gabriella.” He drew her close and kissed her, drinking in the taste of her and the sweetness of her, then scooped her up against his chest. A couple of steps to the bed and he’d deposited her in it, stripping off the last of his clothes to slide in next to her, loving the feel of her skin against his.
He captured her wrists in his hands and raised them above her head, letting his other roam in a gentle touch over her breasts and down her ribs as his mouth captured her nipple.
“I guess you were serious about taking control.” She gasped. “How can I touch you if you’re holding my hands?”
“Later. First, I want to make you feel good.” So good, so special for her that she’d never feel regret. Just memories of what it had been like between them, which he knew he’d never forget.
He moved his mouth back to hers, slipping his hand between her legs to feel the wetness there, caressing her for long minutes, and with any other woman he might have joined with her right then. But this was Gabriella, and he wanted to touch her all night. Could listen to her little moans forever as she writhed and gasped, but finally her hands broke free of his hold and she reached for him.
“I thought we agreed we were going to share control tonight, hmm?” she said, grasping and stroking him until he was the one moaning.
“Take pity on me, bella. The truth is I have little control around you.”
He could feel her smile against his lips. “That’s what I like to hear, Dr. Moreno. And remember how I said I was a Girl Scout? Always prepared?”
He laughed when he saw she had a condom in her hand, and where she’d grabbed it from he had no clue. Didn’t care either, because after she slid it in place she rose up and sheathed herself on him. Rafael had never seen anything so beautiful in his life as this woman moving gracefully above him, looking down at him through eyes shining with the same intense desire that clawed into his very soul, leaving him weak. He held her hips, moving faster, wanting to see her expression as she came undone. When she did, arching her back and crying out, he was again filled with awe that he’d been privileged enough to be the one to put that look of ecstasy on her face. Then he followed her with his own cry of rapture as he gathered her close to his pounding heart. A heart he knew would never be quite the same again.
* * *
Rafael awoke to the feel of a slender shoulder pressed against his collarbone and a round, firm bottom spooned against him, and instantly began to harden at the sweet sensations and memories of last night’s incredible lovemaking. Never had he experienced something so beyond the physical with a woman. Something that had demanded engagement from his heart and mind and soul every bit as much as his body.
He softly kissed Gabriella’s hair, the hair he so loved to look at and touch. The golden fire that was such a part of who she was both inside and out, feisty and angelic, determined and dazzling. He moved his lips to the soft curve behind her ear, which he’d learned was a sweet spot she particularly enjoyed him kissing, but she didn’t stir. Apparently she felt as worn out by their time together as he did. Worn out by the emotion of sharing their secrets with one another as much as their late-night lovemaking.
Finally hearing her story about her ex had been satisfying. Not completely, because he had a feeling there was more to the story than she’d wanted to talk about last night. But knowing she’d trusted him enough to share at least part of the reason she confessed she’d hidden away the past two years felt good. He wanted to be the person she danced with in the sunlight now that she’d decided to come out to play.
But he couldn’t be that person, couldn’t risk hurting her, and that reality blasted his sense of triumph to smithereens. He wouldn’t be here for her. Couldn’t be her forever love, because such a thing didn’t exist.
He tucked her warm, captivating body closer, closing his eyes to breathe her in, and the ache in his chest told him one thing for certain. At least one person would hurt like hell when he moved on from L.A., and it would be the first time in his life that ending a fling would make him feel anything but guilt or relief.
The muffled tones of his cellphone had him searching for it in the bed, finally finding it when he slid his hand beneath Gabriella’s pillow. This time she did stir, and his good morning murmur in her ear got cut off in mid-word when he saw who was calling.
His brother.
What could he possibly want? His brother’s life was full of responsibilities that Rafael was more than happy to not have. Also more than happy that his brother rarely called, because when he did it was usually to scold
