CHAPTER ONE
CALANDRASMYTHE’SEYESflew open as a warm, muscled arm curled around her stomach. She met her own gaze in the mirror above the bed and barely bit back a gasp.
Midnight-blue silk covered her chest and hips, but beneath the covers she was most definitely nude, the fabric a cool kiss against her bare skin. Her hair, which she normally kept contained in a bun, flared out in dark brown waves across her pillow. Lips swollen, cheeks tinged pink...
Oh, no.She looked like she belonged on the cover of a romance novel.
So did the naked man with his arm across her belly. His face was buried in his pillow, but his bare backside was on full display in the mirror. Dark hair curled across the nape of his neck; he had broad shoulders and a muscular back that begged for a woman’s fingers to glide over every ridge before trailing lower...
Stop!
Slowly, Calandra got her racing heartbeat back under control. How the hell could she have let this happen? She never did anything this impulsive. Never let anyone get too close. But last night it was like someone else had taken over her body, made her respond with a smile and a flirtatious laugh instead of the cold stare she usually leveled at people who bothered her. If her boss found out what she’d done, or in this casewhomshe’d done, the career she’d fought tooth and nail for would be gone.
Sunlight streamed through the blinds and hit her square in the eyes. Squinting against the brightness, she managed to wiggle out from under the heat of her lover’s arm and swing her legs over the edge of the bed. Her feet sank into the plush rug, belying the ache between her thighs. A marble fireplace dominated one side of the room, while a row of windows provided an incredible view of the sun rising over the Hudson River.
Once, a long time ago, she’d been surrounded by opulence like this. Endless toys, designer clothes, trips to France and Italy and Turkey.
She’d been miserable.
But easier to focus on the luxury than the stark-naked man sleeping peacefully behind her. Easier to evaluate details like the spa tub she glimpsed through the bathroom door than to recall the feel of lips trailing over her neck, her breasts, her stomach, leaving sparks of fire burning across her skin. To face the realization that she’d finally given up her virginity to a man whose company she’d despised for the past three years.
She grabbed her phone off the table and stifled a gasp. Six thirty in the morning? She hadn’t slept past four in years.
A delicious shiver danced down her spine. Given how energetic their bed play had been, it shouldn’t surprise her that she’d overslept.
Fortunately, there were no missed calls or texts from Adrian. No matter how incredible the night had been, no experience was worth risking her reputation.
Or her heart. She prided herself on her ability to keep everyone at arm’s length. Indulging in a night of sex had never been worth testing that ability.
Until a night had suddenly seemed worth it. A night of incredible, mind-blowing, soul-stirring sex.
A quick glance over her shoulder verified that he was still sleeping. Sunshine fell upon his back, casting a golden glow over his chiseled muscles. Muscles that had sent a thrill through her veins as her fingers explored every inch of him.
Enough of that.
She turned away and stood. Where had her evening gown ended up? She needed to get dressed and get out of the suite before—
“Buenos días, Callie.”
Alejandro Cabrera grinned as Calandra froze, her stunning body backlit by the morning sun. The light caressed her toned frame, from the delicateness of her swan-like neck to those long, long legs. Perhaps he could persuade her to join him back in bed and kiss his way up from the slender curve of her calves to those luscious lips, with some detours along the way.
Although judging by the tense set of her shoulders and the alarm in her gray eyes, a repeat of last night’s performance wasn’t happening anytime soon.
Too bad. The cold-blooded event manager with a heart of ice that he normally dealt with had thawed and revealed an enticing woman who had intoxicated him with heady kisses and passionate moans as he explored every inch of her supple body.
Her virgin body. That had been an unexpected shock. Yet it had filled him with a possessiveness he’d never experienced, one that had made him an even more attentive and gentle lover.
Although their second round had not been gentle. Calandra had responded with a passion that brought him to new heights of pleasure. Heights, he thought with a grin, he was more than happy to revisit.
He sat up and leaned against the headboard. Calandra’s gaze flickered down to his groin. Just a glance made him stir. Two spots of red appeared in her cheeks, and she looked away.
His grin widened. “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”
A grimace passed over her face. “Please don’t remind me.”
Not the first thing women usually responded with after sharing his bed. He frowned. Had he imagined the passionate temptress in his bed last night? Or worse, had he not been gentle enough? Her virginity had surprised him, but when he’d tried to pause, she’d grabbed his hips and pulled him deep with such demand he’d nearly embarrassed himself.
Before he could say anything else, she darted across the room and scooped her dress off the floor. She fumbled with the soft material before it slipped from her fingers and pooled in a black satin heap at her feet. She stared at it for a moment, as if willing the dress to levitate off the ground and cover her. Then, with a quick breath, she raised her chin and looked right at him.