He glanced down at Anna as she straightened the straps of her dress, smoothed her hair and shot him a thousand-watt smile that rivaled the brightness of the mini chandelier overhead. Being with her, thinking about everything but what was safe, made him reckless.
His feelings for her had made him reckless once before. He felt differently now, more in control...but what if he hadn’t really changed?
Enough. Time for self-contemplation later.
When the elevator doors opened, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the hall and across the threshold. She threw back her head and laughed. He laid her on the bed, climbed up next to her and covered her body with his, his fingers cupping the back of her head as he kissed her deeply. He started to pull the straps down once more. But before he could bare her breasts to his gaze, she shimmied out from under him and darted over to the doors leading out to the balcony.
“May I share a secret with you?”
That shyness killed him every time. With other women, he might have assumed it was an act, an attempt to be coy. But not his Anna.
“Given how much you’ve shared with me this week, I think I can handle one secret.”
“The first time you kissed me...” Her hand fluttered toward the far end of the balcony. “When you put me up on the table...”
He rolled off the bed and stalked toward her, enjoying the quickening rise and fall of her chest.
“Vividly.”
He reached her side but didn’t touch her, heightening the anticipation.
“I imagined you laying me down on the table and making love to me.”
It was the first time either of them had said the words “make love” out loud. He noted her blink, the quick disconnect as her mind scrambled to come up with an alternative term.
“I mean, have se—”
He cut her off, wrapping his arms around her, lifting her up and tossing her over his shoulder. Her laugh filled the night air, melodic and sweet.
“Antonio! What are you doing?”
“Fulfilling your wish,mariposa.”
He flipped a switch on the wall. Lights Paul had insisted on being installed among the ivy lit up, creating an intimate glow. He made a mental note to give Paul a raise as he set Anna down and watched her look around the balcony with awe.
“This is beautiful.” Her smile landed on him. “I’m really happy for you, Antonio. This place is going to be so successful.”
Pride swelled in his chest. No one outside his family had shown any interest in his hotels, other than to inquire about free rooms or how much money his properties raked in.
“Thank you, Anna.”
Before she could reply, he slid his fingers under the straps of her dress, tugging the material down over her body. As the fabric peeled away, he pressed kisses to her heated skin, delighting in the sounds she made for him. By the time he’d finished, she was panting, her skin flushed with desire. He scooped up her naked body, laid her out on the table. She watched as he undressed, slowly, teasing her as he took his time unbuttoning his shirt, sliding off his slacks and rolling a condom onto his hard length.
He started to join her on the table, but she sat up and shook her head.
“Lay down.”
He nearly came right then and there. He laid back on the table, watched with bated breath as she straddled his hips. She braced her hands against his shoulders. Then, with aching slowness, she lowered herself onto him, eyes closing as she moaned. As she found her tempo, he met her body with his own thrusts. When she found her release and cried out, he reached up, his hand tangling in her hair and bringing her head down for a kiss. He followed a moment later, his body shaking as his climax shuddered through him.
Anna collapsed on top of him. He stroked his hand up and down her back, savoring the feel of her body against his. He took mental note of everything: the silken caress of her hair against his face, the heated dampness of her skin, the freckles dotting her nose.
No matter how the weekend ended, he would remember this for the rest of his life.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THESOFTSTRAINSof a romantic song drifted across the deck of the ship. A dance floor had been cordoned off by lights strung up above the wood decking. Couples swayed together, dressed in a sea of vividly colored gowns and ebony suits. In the midst of the crowd, Alejandro and his bride, Calandra, had eyes only for each other.
Anna smiled down into her champagne glass. Who would have thought the boy she’d once spied filling the sleeves of the British ambassador’s coat with shaving cream would end up married to someone as straitlaced and put together as Calandra?