It was enough that she was here. With him. For right now. He hadn’t looked to the future since the night she’d disappeared from the hotel in Mexico. Instead, his thoughts had always gone back to when she had been there beside him. Smiling, laughing, giving him a secretive look that told him she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.
Rico had never planned on giving her a confession about their time apart, but since she had been so open with him, he could do no less and still retain any sense of honor in his own mind. If he was honest with himself, he would have to say that he’d enjoyed having her think that he had moved on to other women. But now, especially with what had just happened between them and with her admission, he couldn’t let her go on believing his lie of omission.
Lie. He was only now seeing that as much as he hated being lied to himself, he was as guilty as anyone when it came to convenient untruths.
“I have not been with anyone since you, either.” He watched surprise flash in her eyes and pleasure quickly followed.
“But—” She shook her head. “All of the pictures of you with models and actresses…”
“Things are not always what they seem.” He ran one hand up and down her bare back in long, slow strokes, loving the feel of her skin beneath his palm.
“All right, then answer me this.” She took a breath, blew it out, and asked, “Why haven’t you been with any of those women?”
He laughed shortly. “Because unlike you, I knew I was still married.”
She flushed and the soft color filling her cheeks made her look even lovelier, though he wouldn’t have thought that possible.
“And you?” he countered. “What kept you from other men?”
She was silent for several long, tense seconds before she said, “You’re the only man I wanted.”
Heat spilled through him instantly. He realized that he wanted to believe her. He wanted to think that she had missed him as desperately as he had missed her for the last five years. But if she felt so strongly about him, how could she disappear from his life? How could she have lied to him about who she was? And how could she have stayed away for so long?
She leaned her head against his chest and he knew she could hear his heartbeat slamming against his ribs. Since she’d arrived on Tesoro, Teresa had tried to explain her past actions to him and he hadn’t been interested in listening. Now, though, he wanted to know. Needed to hear her explanation, whatever it was. And yet he had to wonder if he would be able to believe her.
His mind was a rushing torrent of contradictory thoughts. His blood burned in his veins. His body was hard and ready to take her again.
What this woman could do to him was dangerous.
What he had just done to her, he reminded himself, was unforgivable. Even if they were both healthy, he thought, no condom meant there was a chance at an unexpected pregnancy. And they had to talk about the possibilities.
“Teresa,” he said softly, turning her face up to his. “I must know. Are you taking birth control?”
“No.” She shook her head, then laid her hand over his, holding his hand to her breast. “I’m not. But don’t worry, Rico. Everything will be fine. What are the odds I could be pregnant from one time?”
It depended on whether or not the gods had a sense of humor, he supposed. He remembered how not too long ago he’d actually imagined Teresa pregnant with his child. Now, through his own stupidity, there was a chance that would happen.