Then he gave a sudden laugh. “I’ve missed you, Laura,” he said softly. “No one stands up to me like you do. You’re not afraid of me at all. You see right through me. I like that.”
She jerked away from him, near tears and furious with herself. She couldn’t believe she’d let herself get seduced by his sweet kisses, not even for an instant. Absolutely nothing had changed. Gabriel didn’t want a wife or child. And for her, only a real family would do.
“Sorry,” she said coldly. “But my days of being your work slave and casual late-night lover are over. Don’t you dare kiss me again.”
But his hands only tightened on her. “I can and I will.”
She exhaled in fury. “You have some arrogance to think—”
Seizing her in his arms, he kissed her at once, roughly, hard enough to bruise. Showing mastery. Showing possession. And to her eternal shame, when his hot lips were against hers, she could not resist. She sagged in his arms—and kissed him back.
“I want you, Laura,” he murmured against her skin when he finally pulled away. “And I will have you. If not this instant, then soon. Tonight.”
She shoved her hands against his hard chest, his deliciously muscular, taut body beneath the tight cotton tank top…Maybe it hadn’t been so much a shove as a caress. Angry at herself, she stepped back from him, her cheeks hot. With more confidence than she felt, she said, “Not going to happen.”
“We’ll see.” His voice held a smug masculine tone.
“Our deal had nothing to do with sex.”
“Correct.”
“I don’t have to sleep with you.”
He had the temerity to give her a sensual, heavy-lidded glance. “And yet you will.”
“Ooh!” Clenching her hands into fists, she gave a little stomp of her heel and went back into the penthouse. She found her son still playing on the spotless floor in the kitchen as Maria washed the dishes.
Gathering her baby in her arms, Laura took Robby into the living room and sat down in a new rocking chair by the wide windows overlooking the city. When Gabriel followed her, she glared at him, daring him to interrupt her time with her child. With a sardonic uplift of his brow, he just turned away, disappearing down the hall.
For long moments, Laura held her baby. She fed him, rocking him to sleep, and suddenly felt like crying.
She couldn’t let Gabriel seduce her. She could not. No matter how much her body craved his touch. No matter how her heart yearned.
Because her heart yearned for a lie. Gabriel would never change. Getting close to him would only break her heart—again. Break her heart, and possibly risk custody of her son. If she fell into bed with Gabriel, if she gave him her body, she feared she would also give up the secret that had tormented her for over a year.
She looked down at the sweet six-month-old baby slumbering in her arms. Gently, she rose to her feet and carried him down the hall to her darkened bedroom and set him in his crib. She stared down at Robby for a moment, listening to his steady, even breathing. Then she stiffened when a shadow fell from the open doorway.
“Time to go,” Gabriel said behind her.
Straightening her tight dress over her hips, she walked out of the bedroom and closed the door. She glared at him, then glanced behind her. “I hate to leave him.”
“Your son will be fine. Maria will be looking after him. And anyway—” he lifted a dark eyebrow “—this one night’s work will allow you to give him a comfortable life.”
She took a deep breath. “You’re right. A million dollars is worth it.” She lifted her chin. “It’s even worth spending a night with you.”
His lips curved into a sensual smile. “The whole night.”
“Not going to happen.”
“We’ll see.” He turned without touching her, and after bidding farewell to Maria, they took the elevator downstairs. Carlos had the Ferrari waiting in the alley behind the building, engine running.
“Obrigado,” Gabriel said to him in passing, then held open the door for Laura. “If you please.”
She tottered into the low-slung Ferrari, feeling squeezed like a sausage by the tight black dress and half expecting to bust a seam. Gabriel climbed in beside her and the red sports car roared away from the curb.
As he drove through the crowded streets, Laura stared out in amazement through the window. Rio de Janeiro always lost its mind and found its wildest heart during Carnaval, and this year that was more true than ever. Music wafted through the air, horns and drums to accompany people singing. Impromptu parades marched through the streets, and even those not on carnival floats from the prestigious samba schools often wore costumes that sparkled with sequins—and barely covered enough to be decent. Everyone became sexier, more daring versions of their regular selves. Laura took a deep breath. Even her.
“I’m taking you to Zeytuna,” Gabriel said as he drove. “From there we’ll go directly to Oliveira’s pool party.”
“Zeytuna?” She’d heard of the large, exclusive boutique, but had never shopped there. She licked her lips and tried to joke, “They sell magic bikinis, right?”
As he changed gears in the Ferrari, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Yes.”
Yes. Just yes. No encouragement. No reassurance. Laura tried not to think of her looming bikini face-off with Adriana da Costa and the sheer humiliation that was sure to follow. She bit her lip and changed the subject. “So what is our story?”
“Story?”
“When did we fall in love? So I’ll know when people ask.”
He considered. “We had an affair last year,” he said finally. “You quit your job and left me when I wouldn’t commit.”
“Believable.”
He glanced at her. “But I missed you. I’ve been secretly pursuing you for months—video chats, flowers, sending you jewelry and love letters and so forth.”
“Sounds nice,” she said, looking away.
“You invited me to your sister’s wedding, and we fell into each other’s arms. You surrendered to my charm and agreed to be mine at last.”
“A true Valentine’s Day fantasy.” Her lips twisted as she looked back at him. “And Robby?”
Gabriel blinked, then his hands tightened on the steering wheel as he stared at the road. “Ah, yes. Robby.”
“Everyone knows you would never date a woman with a child.”
“Yes.” He set his jaw. Then, relaxing, he shrugged. “It will only add to the credibility of the story. It makes you unique. I wanted you so desperately, I was even willing to overlook your baby.”
“Overlook Robby? Thank you,”
