hate you for leaving. I know that sleeping together doesn’t mean we’ve dealt with our shared past, but I don’t care. Santiago, I want you and I’m tired of pretending that I don’t.”
“Dios, pequeña,” he said and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the terrace doors.
Esmerelda was desperate. She wanted Santiago naked and she wanted him clothed all at once. She wanted to taste his lips for five years without coming up for air and she wanted this, this interlude to be over. Over and done with because the overwhelming need to be with him had to lessen once they’d made love. Didn’t it? And once the wanting lessened maybe they, no she, maybe she could focus again.
She pushed against his chest when they neared the cushioned chaise lounges surrounding the sparkling blue waters of the infinity pool. He didn’t budge. Didn’t sink onto the cushion, didn’t even take a step backward. If anything he stepped closer to her. Not a breath of air squeezed between their bodies. Esme relished his chest rising and falling sporadically as his breathing roughened. When she tried to lift her head to look at him, his hand pressed against her hair, pressing her lips to his over and over again.
Her hands settled at his hips, her thumbs playing with the string tie of his board shorts. When her fingers connected with a sliver of abdomen, he sucked in a harsh breath. Good. She wasn’t alone in this all-consuming fire of need.
“This isn’t at all what I had planned,” he said, finally releasing her head and pulling back a fraction. Santiago rested his forehead against hers as he struggled to catch his breath. She couldn’t force her eyes to move the fraction of an inch it would take to look deeply into his deep brown gaze. If she looked she would be lost and she needed just a sliver of control over the situation. Wanting Santiago or not, Esme wasn’t ready to completely let go. Instead, she focused on the string at his waist, wondering if she had the courage to pull it.
“Exactly what were your plans?”
“A bed. Flowers. Music in the background.”
“You were going to seduce me,” she said, laughing because that was exactly what she thought she wanted. Now she knew differently. She didn’t want Santiago to be in control. For the first time in a long time, she just wanted to be. To let nature take its course, clichéd thinking or not. Esme cut her eyes to his and smiled. “I’d say you’re exactly where you want to be, then. This place is primed for seduction.”
Santiago grinned back at her as his hands began a wicked trek from the nape of her neck down her back. His fingers grazed her ribs and her abdomen quivered. Despite the light silk separating his skin from hers, Esme swore she could hear a little sizzle at the touch. “There isn’t a bed or a rose in sight. That isn’t seduction.” His hands inched lower and so oh-so-slowly that Esme caught her breath.
She planted kisses along his jaw and pulled on the string in his shorts but it didn’t budge. “The chaise may not have a pillow-top, but it is definitely serviceable as a bed. Don’t you remember sleeping out here as children?” She reached his earlobe and lightly bit down. He sucked in a breath. “We are surrounded by palms and blue jacaranda and have the scent of a thousand day lilies and morning glories perfuming the air.” And the hard beat of the Pacific driving us on, a voice said in her head.
“And here I thought I would be the one doing the seducing,” he said with a scorching kiss to the hollow at the base of her throat. His hands finally reached her bottom and he pulled her so close she thought they might merge into one body.
“We’re partners, remember? I figure that translates to seduction as well as business. Oh, do that kissing thing again.”
Santiago complied. He pressed another kiss to the hollow at her throat, flicked his thumbs against her breasts and then sucked at the hollow. Every nerve in her body screamed to
“Dios, pequeña,” he said and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the terrace doors.
Esmerelda was desperate. She wanted Santiago naked and she wanted him clothed all at once. She wanted to taste his lips for five years without coming up for air and she wanted this, this interlude to be over. Over and done with because the overwhelming need to be with him had to lessen once they’d made love. Didn’t it? And once the wanting lessened maybe they, no she, maybe she could focus again.
She pushed against his chest when they neared the cushioned chaise lounges surrounding the sparkling blue waters of the infinity pool. He didn’t budge. Didn’t sink onto the cushion, didn’t even take a step backward. If anything he stepped closer to her. Not a breath of air squeezed between their bodies. Esme relished his chest rising and falling sporadically as his breathing roughened. When she tried to lift her head to look at him, his hand pressed against her hair, pressing her lips to his over and over again.
Her hands settled at his hips, her thumbs playing with the string tie of his board shorts. When her fingers connected with a sliver of abdomen, he sucked in a harsh breath. Good. She wasn’t alone in this all-consuming fire of need.
“This isn’t at all what I had planned,” he said, finally releasing her head and pulling back a fraction. Santiago rested his forehead against hers as he struggled to catch his breath. She couldn’t force her eyes to move the fraction of an inch it would take to look deeply into his deep brown gaze. If she looked she would be lost and she needed just a sliver of control over the situation. Wanting Santiago or not, Esme wasn’t ready to completely let go. Instead, she focused on the string at his waist, wondering if she had the courage to pull it.
“Exactly what were your plans?”
“A bed. Flowers. Music in the background.”
“You were going to seduce me,” she said, laughing because that was exactly what she thought she wanted. Now she knew differently. She didn’t want Santiago to be in control. For the first time in a long time, she just wanted to be. To let nature take its course, clichéd thinking or not. Esme cut her eyes to his and smiled. “I’d say you’re exactly where you want to be, then. This place is primed for seduction.”
Santiago grinned back at her as his hands began a wicked trek from the nape of her neck down her back. His fingers grazed her ribs and her abdomen quivered. Despite the light silk separating his skin from hers, Esme swore she could hear a little sizzle at the touch. “There isn’t a bed or a rose in sight. That isn’t seduction.” His hands inched lower and so oh-so-slowly that Esme caught her breath.
She planted kisses along his jaw and pulled on the string in his shorts but it didn’t budge. “The chaise may not have a pillow-top, but it is definitely serviceable as a bed. Don’t you remember sleeping out here as children?” She reached his earlobe and lightly bit down. He sucked in a breath. “We are surrounded by palms and blue jacaranda and have the scent of a thousand day lilies and morning glories perfuming the air.” And the hard beat of the Pacific driving us on, a voice said in her head.
“And here I thought I would be the one doing the seducing,” he said with a scorching kiss to the hollow at the base of her throat. His hands finally reached her bottom and he pulled her so close she thought they might merge into one body.
“We’re partners, remember? I figure that translates to seduction as well as business. Oh, do that kissing thing again.”
Santiago complied. He pressed another kiss to the hollow at her throat, flicked his thumbs against her breasts and then sucked at the hollow. Every nerve in her body screamed to
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