that it increased the desire to dizzying heights.
In one swift move he rolled away from her, leaving her trembling in the wake of the pleasure that had just happened. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Would he have known that was the first time she’d ever known such pleasure?
He looked at her as he opened the packet, the intensity in his eyes making them so very dark. With a suggestive raise of his brows he rolled on the condom, then before she even had time to blush his body was overs her, his long lean legs pushing hers apart. Without any encouragement other than the constant hum of desire within her, she lifted her legs, wrapping them around him, lifting herself up to his possession.
With wild words in Spanish, so guttural she couldn’t make them out, he thrust into her, making her gasp and press her fingernails into his back. The erratic thumping of desire exploded wildly inside her as she moved with him, taking him deeper as he claimed her, harder and faster. It was explosive, wild, but completely wonderful.
‘I never thought...’ she gasped as she clung to him, the waves of passion crashing harder and faster over her, making her thoughts as disjointed as her words ‘...it could be like this...’
He silenced her with kisses as they moved together until the world splintered and she floated above the earth, barely conscious of his wild desire-induced growl.
‘Don’t think,’ Raul said between deep and hard breaths. ‘Tonight I will not allow you to think, not when such passion, such fiery desire still hums between us.’
‘It does?’ Her voice trembled as he slid away from her, her body cooling, and she was able to focus once more.
His lips hovered over hers, his breath hot as he teased her. She closed her eyes, wanting his kiss and so much more. When it came the kiss was hard and demanding but he pulled back enough to look at her and she opened her eyes, trying to hide the need, the disappointment that it was over.
‘It does, querida, and we have the whole night ahead of us.’
‘All night,’ she replied in Spanish, kissing him and allowing all her hungry desire to show.
THE WHISPERS OF a new day had begun to slip into the room as Lydia opened her eyes, acutely aware of the warmth of Raul’s body against hers. It also confirmed to her questioning mind that last night had really happened. The exquisite passion hadn’t been the dreams of a woman falling harder and harder for a man who’d coldly told her love was for fools.
Last night had been very real, deepening her feelings to newer levels, but now what should she do? Should she slip from the bed and return to her room? Slowly she moved, pushing aside the covers very carefully. She looked at Raul’s watch, lying on the bedside table after it had been discarded last night. It was still early and as she watched the seconds ticking away the thump of her heart became louder.
‘You are not going anywhere, querida.’ Raul’s voice, heavy with sleep, instantly stilled her then his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her naked body back into bed and against his. He might still be in the clutches of sleep, but he wanted her, she was in no doubt of that.
‘Now that is such a tempting idea.’ She turned in his arms, trying to fight the rising desire in her, wanting to sound carefree and flirtatious, as if this were a situation she was used to. Last night she’d wanted him to think she was an experienced lover and now she wanted him to think she knew exactly how it went—the etiquette of waking up beside a man who had been your lover for one night only.
‘The night isn’t over yet.’ His husky voice sent a tingle all over her as his hands slid down her body to her hips, where his fingers lightly circled on her skin, teasing her until she knew she wasn’t going to be able to resist him.
She laughed brightly, fighting the urge to give into the heady desire now burning brightly within her once more. ‘It’s almost morning.’
‘Don’t tease me with your sexy body.’ The Spanish words were soft and seductive as he brushed his lips against hers and she closed her eyes, imagining the kiss was because he loved her, because they were something more than one-night lovers.
She pushed against his chest with her palms, ignoring the firm muscle beneath her fingers, the soft hair she just wanted to run her hands through. Inwardly she groaned with a mixture of despair and longing, outwardly she laughed again.
‘I am not a tease, Raul Valdez.’ Her voice was so light, so playful it didn’t even sound like her.
‘You are,’ he began as his hand moved up her waist to cover the firmness of her breast, making her drag in a deep breath as passion exploded inside her. ‘And very sexy.’
‘Sexy?’ she questioned coyly, not able to believe she was being so flirtatious. Was it because she didn’t want the night to end, didn’t want the daylight to bring the harsh reality of having become just another one of his conquests?
He pulled her closer, his intentions emblazoned in the black depths of his eyes. Her heart raced as she surrendered to his kiss, to his caress. She wanted this so much—wanted him. She put her heart and soul into the kiss, allowing it to convey all the emotions she could never tell him.
‘Sí, querida. Very sexy.’ He whispered the words against her lips, the sensation wildly erotic. ‘And now I can’t let you go.’
‘Is that so?’ She moved daringly against him, enjoying the momentary rush of power, but not for one minute did she believe she was truly in control. That kind of mistake could be fatal with a man like Raul Valdez.
In a movement so swift she gasped, Raul pushed her back against the softness of the pillow, the weight of his naked body preventing her escape. Laughter glittered in his eyes as he looked into hers and she wanted to hang on to this moment for ever, to remember how it felt to be loved by him and to love him in return.
‘You are not going anywhere, not until I have made love to you again and again.’ His voice had become deep and husky, adding to the fire of desire that was rapidly burning out of control within her.
‘But it’s nearly morning.’
‘Then we shall have all day, no, all weekend together.’
‘All weekend?’ Now she was shocked. Was he saying it as some kind of test for her? After all, hadn’t she insisted on being his for just one night?
‘Yes. One weekend of passion and I don’t intend to waste a moment more of it.’
Before she could respond, offer up any kind of defence, his lips were claiming hers in a hot kiss, the heat of his body coaxing hers into submission and she knew she couldn’t fight it any longer.
* * *
It had been hard to leave Lydia in bed, but as the mid-morning winter sunshine streamed into his apartment Raul had done just that. Their lovemaking had been powerful and passionate, but as Lydia had slept his thoughts had wandered. Now she was sitting opposite him as they had breakfast, the air of aloofness she often hid behind threatening to return. But he wasn’t ready to end it yet.
‘I thought you wanted to go to London today.’ Lydia’s voice held a note of uncertainty and he downed a black coffee
