over her shoulder. “I don’t want to have to do that again in a hurry!”
Ricardo, following close behind, was disarmingly disheveled . “No need to shout,” he mouthed playfully.
Helen grinned back. “Sorry, deaf as a post, so noisy in there!”
The air outside the back door of the club was cool on her face and the sky shimmered with stars as Ricardo relieved her of her handbag and then took her by the hand as they walked down a side street towards the marina. “I thought you’d want to stay for a few more hours.”
The palm of his hand was dry and warm, wrapped around hers and she fought the urge to squeeze it. “Perhaps now would be the time to confess that I’ve never been that into the clubbing scene.”
“Seriously?”
“Tonight was my second time and how can you be surprised? I asked someone how much it cost to get in when you were in the loo. A hundred euros one bloke paid and that’s before you start spending fifteen euros on a drink!”
“You know money’s not a problem now.”
“And I don’t like the music that much either.”
Ricardo chuckled and surprised her by suddenly stopping in the middle of the deserted street. He pulled her into his chest until his mouth was inches from hers. “Thank God for that,” he muttered and kissed her softly on the lips.
Helen’s eyes closed and she didn’t resist as the kiss deepened. Couldn’t resist. His mouth felt and tasted too good. Her nerve endings sizzled as his warm fingers trailed the length of her neck, skimmed the sides of her breasts and then closed around her waist, pulling her tightly against him in the cool night air. She wasn’t doing a very good job of pretending she didn’t want him, but was too tired to fight it anymore. “We should find somewhere to sleep,” she whispered as his mouth found the pulse in her neck. “There’s always my place. I’ve a spare key hidden outside still.”
“I’m never letting you go back to that dump.” He brushed his fingers across her breast, lingering on the tight bead that was pushing against the silk of her dress. “However much I want to take advantage of you right now.”
“We could—”
“I own the Gran Finca Hotel, woman. And the Playa Caribe.” He laughed into her hair. “That equates to at least a hundred king size beds with air conditioning and breakfast in the morning.”
“Oh.”
“But I’m feeling wild now the fresh air’s hit me. I want to take you down to the beach and—”
“Hey!”
Helen jumped at the sound of another man’s voice behind them. It was familiar.
“Helen! Marshymallow! It’s me!”
She turned to see a man in cut off jeans with shoulder-length blond hair and tattooed arms. “Bjorn!”
“It is you! I’d recognize that arse anywhere. Nice dress!”
Ricardo’s arms tightened around her waist. She smiled back cheerfully at the other man. “Thank you.”
“Would you care to introduce me to your… friend?”
“Oh, yes, sorry. Ricardo, this is Bjorn. We worked together once and he runs the archaeology course I went to before, before you and I met.” She held her breath as Bjorn held out his hand. Ricardo didn’t return the gesture for a few seconds. To her relief he eventually did. “And Bjorn, Ricardo is my very new husband.”
Bjorn’s sandy-colored eyebrows snapped together over his blue eyes. “Husband! But it was only two weeks ago we—”
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind romance. I’ve not had a chance to tell everyone yet.”
“Well.” Bjorn raked nail-bitten fingers through his mane and appeared to force a smile. “I guess it’s congratulations to you guys. Want to come back to mine for a bite to eat? We could crack open a few beers, watch the sun rise with one of my signature curries.”
“Oh that’s very kind of you, but—”
“But we need to be somewhere,” Ricardo said abruptly.
Bjorn sighed. “Finishing your sentences for each other already?” His smile faded. “How cute.”
Ricardo glared
Ricardo, following close behind, was disarmingly disheveled . “No need to shout,” he mouthed playfully.
Helen grinned back. “Sorry, deaf as a post, so noisy in there!”
The air outside the back door of the club was cool on her face and the sky shimmered with stars as Ricardo relieved her of her handbag and then took her by the hand as they walked down a side street towards the marina. “I thought you’d want to stay for a few more hours.”
The palm of his hand was dry and warm, wrapped around hers and she fought the urge to squeeze it. “Perhaps now would be the time to confess that I’ve never been that into the clubbing scene.”
“Seriously?”
“Tonight was my second time and how can you be surprised? I asked someone how much it cost to get in when you were in the loo. A hundred euros one bloke paid and that’s before you start spending fifteen euros on a drink!”
“You know money’s not a problem now.”
“And I don’t like the music that much either.”
Ricardo chuckled and surprised her by suddenly stopping in the middle of the deserted street. He pulled her into his chest until his mouth was inches from hers. “Thank God for that,” he muttered and kissed her softly on the lips.
Helen’s eyes closed and she didn’t resist as the kiss deepened. Couldn’t resist. His mouth felt and tasted too good. Her nerve endings sizzled as his warm fingers trailed the length of her neck, skimmed the sides of her breasts and then closed around her waist, pulling her tightly against him in the cool night air. She wasn’t doing a very good job of pretending she didn’t want him, but was too tired to fight it anymore. “We should find somewhere to sleep,” she whispered as his mouth found the pulse in her neck. “There’s always my place. I’ve a spare key hidden outside still.”
“I’m never letting you go back to that dump.” He brushed his fingers across her breast, lingering on the tight bead that was pushing against the silk of her dress. “However much I want to take advantage of you right now.”
“We could—”
“I own the Gran Finca Hotel, woman. And the Playa Caribe.” He laughed into her hair. “That equates to at least a hundred king size beds with air conditioning and breakfast in the morning.”
“Oh.”
“But I’m feeling wild now the fresh air’s hit me. I want to take you down to the beach and—”
“Hey!”
Helen jumped at the sound of another man’s voice behind them. It was familiar.
“Helen! Marshymallow! It’s me!”
She turned to see a man in cut off jeans with shoulder-length blond hair and tattooed arms. “Bjorn!”
“It is you! I’d recognize that arse anywhere. Nice dress!”
Ricardo’s arms tightened around her waist. She smiled back cheerfully at the other man. “Thank you.”
“Would you care to introduce me to your… friend?”
“Oh, yes, sorry. Ricardo, this is Bjorn. We worked together once and he runs the archaeology course I went to before, before you and I met.” She held her breath as Bjorn held out his hand. Ricardo didn’t return the gesture for a few seconds. To her relief he eventually did. “And Bjorn, Ricardo is my very new husband.”
Bjorn’s sandy-colored eyebrows snapped together over his blue eyes. “Husband! But it was only two weeks ago we—”
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind romance. I’ve not had a chance to tell everyone yet.”
“Well.” Bjorn raked nail-bitten fingers through his mane and appeared to force a smile. “I guess it’s congratulations to you guys. Want to come back to mine for a bite to eat? We could crack open a few beers, watch the sun rise with one of my signature curries.”
“Oh that’s very kind of you, but—”
“But we need to be somewhere,” Ricardo said abruptly.
Bjorn sighed. “Finishing your sentences for each other already?” His smile faded. “How cute.”
Ricardo glared
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