A Touch of Temptation(30)

He would see her in the mornings, all mussed up and unraveled, the way he liked her best. And before he went to bed. The sensuous scent of the woman would be absorbed into every inch of his living space. He hoped his child appreciated the torture he was going through for his or her sake.

“Diego?”

Her voice in front of him was tentative, testing, her fingers on his infinitely tempting. He swallowed a groan. The mischievous note in her voice was gliding like velvet over his skin.

Drawing another bracing breath, he opened his eyes. “Tell me what he said.”

“Something about calling him if I ever got bored with you.”

“It’s not a joke, gatinha. Women, like bikes and land, are possessions jealously guarded in that world. Coming onto you is a challenge thrown at me.”

She frowned, studying him with interest. “But you were from the same background and you never treated me like that. In fact it was the oppo...” Her gaze flickered to him, wary.

Something tightened in his chest. “How did I treat you?”

The slender line of her shoulders trembled. “Like I was a princess.”

“And yet you...?”

No. He didn’t want to turn this into a battle again.

“That was my mother’s doing,” he said. “Any little good I have in me, she gave it to me. By the time I was ten I had seen how horribly my father treated her, as if life wasn’t hard enough for her as a single mother. She would have peeled my hide if I was anything but respectful toward a woman.”

Laughter lit up her eyes. “I would have loved to see that.”

Her smile wound around him. He couldn’t breathe for a second. “And you... I could never...”

“What?” She scooted closer and clutched his hands. “Please tell me.”

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the palm. The scent of her tickled his nostrils. “That cruise... I went on it to amuse Eduardo. You were like this exquisite gift that somehow landed in my lap. That first week I was even afraid to touch you. I was terrified that I would somehow mar you.”

She shied her gaze away from him, but not before he saw the incredulous look in her eyes.

“Is that why you took forever to kiss me?” she asked with a laugh.

He didn’t buy it. She was struggling under the weight of what he had said. Why, when she had known how much he had loved her?

“I mean, I might as well have been wearing a T-shirt that said Take My Virginity that first week.”

Laughter barreled out of him. “I don’t remember you coming onto me that hard.”

“That’s not a surprise. Every woman on that cruise ship wanted a bite of the GMM. I had very stiff competition—especially from that hot dancer.”

Wasn’t she full of surprises? “What’s GMM?”

A blush dusted her cheeks pink. “Glorious Man Meat.”

“Aah...I’m very honored.”

“Liv’s term. Two minutes after meeting you I finally got what she meant.” A naughty smile—a very rare sight—split her mouth. “Though now, what with you all old, out of shape and with this whole daddy-in-the-making thing—” her gaze caressed his body in a swift sweep, belying her words “—I think we can pass the title of GMM on to Miguel,” she finished with a dreamy sigh.

The little cat was needling him on purpose. But it was this cheeky, smiling side of her that got to him. He leaned into her and clasped her face with his hands.

Before he could think better of it, he touched his mouth to hers.

The barest of contacts was enough to spread a wildfire of need inside him. With a groan that was torn out of him, he pulled her close and devoured the lushness of her mouth.

Her fingers dug into his arms. She mewled against his mouth, a sound made deep in her throat that slithered over his skin.

He half dragged her into his lap, his hands spanning her thin waist, seeking and searching the curve of her breasts.

Droga, but she was all soft and warm, the stretchy fabric of her swimsuit no barrier. He closed his hands over her covered breasts, felt the tightened nipples grazing his palms. He rubbed his palms up and down and her mouth opened on a soft moan.

“Meu Deus, I touch you and you blow up like TNT...”

He plunged his tongue inside her mouth and licked the inseam. He felt lightheaded with desire, every drop of blood flowing south.

He pressed wet kisses down to her neck—just as the two floodlights on the opposite sides of the terrace came on, drowning them in bright light.

With a gasp, Kim slid off his lap. Her lips were swollen and pink, her hair all mussed up. Their gazes met in silence for a second, before both of them burst out laughing.

“I’m thinking that was Miguel, right?” she said, her smile still in place.