His Unknown Heir(18)

With deft fingers he unbuttoned her blouse, and groaned as he slipped his hand inside her bra and rolled her swollen nipple between his finger and thumb. He felt the tremor that shook her, and suddenly his patience snapped. He wanted her now—hard and fast across the desk—and with a muttered oath he thrust his other hand beneath the hem of her skirt and skimmed his fingers over her gossamer-fine hose, the wide band of lace at the top of her stocking, and finally the silky-smooth flesh of her inner thigh.

‘Dios mio, querida—I have to have you now.’

Oh, please, yes—now, now. The words were like a chant in Lauren’s head. She hadn’t felt sexual desire for so long. It was as if those feelings had been locked away since she had ended her affair with Ramon. But now he was here, and her body was screaming for the fulfilment only he could give. The feel of his hand on her thigh was unbearably frustrating when she longed for him to move it higher and slip it beneath the edge of her knickers, to touch her where he hadn’t touched her for so long.

She could sense his impatience, and the thought filtered into her mind that she hoped he would be gentle. Mateo’s birth had been relatively short, but nonetheless it had been a painful experience…

Matty!

She tensed, and her eyes flew open as reality doused her in an ice-cold shower. What in heaven’s name was she doing?

For a few seconds she was torn between the powerful drumbeat of her desire and the firm insistence of her brain, that told her she must stop this now—because allowing Ramon to make love to her would only make an already complicated situation even worse.

‘No!’ Her sharp denial sliced through the air, and, taking advantage of Ramon’s surprise, she pulled out of his arms and stood shaking like a leaf in a storm as she frantically refastened her blouse.

‘No?’

His tone was deceptively soft, but she could sense his anger. It was justified when she had responded to him with such wanton enthusiasm, she thought miserably. She had given him every reason to believe that she was happy to leap into bed with him, but thoughts of Mateo had brought her crashing back to earth. She could not make love with Ramon when she had kept his son a secret from him.

Ramon drew a harsh breath as he fought the urge to snatch Lauren back into his arms and finish what they had started. Frustration clawed in his gut and made him want to lash out.

‘We both know how easily I could make you change your mind,’ he taunted. He stared at her nipples, jutting so provocatively through her blouse, and cursed the throbbing ache in his groin. ‘You say no, but your body says yes, querida.’

‘Well, it’s been outvoted,’ Lauren bit out, barely trusting herself to speak as she struggled to regain some sense of composure. ‘You…you took me by surprise, but I don’t want you, Ramon.’

‘Are you sure about that?’ Ramon demanded disbelievingly. ‘I’ve just proved that the fire still burns for both of us.’ She had tormented his thoughts and disturbed his dreams for months, until he had given in to his need to find her again. ‘I want you back, Lauren,’ he admitted roughly.

His voice had softened, and when Lauren stared into his sherry-brown eyes that were so like Matty’s her heart ached. His words were beguiling. Perhaps it was being back here at his apartment, where they had shared so many good times, that was undermining her defences, but Ramon had sounded serious. Did he mean that he wanted a proper, meaningful relationship with her? she wondered, clutching at the fragile green shoot of hope. And, if so, would he want Mateo too? Was there the slightest possibility that they could work things out?

‘I thought you were supposed to marry a woman from the Spanish nobility who would give you an heir to continue the Velaquez name?’ she said shakily. ‘Are you saying the situation has changed?’

Ramon shrugged. ‘No. It is still my intention to fulfil my duty. But that is for the future. For now I want to concentrate on running Velaquez Conglomerates and the Castillo del Toro. I do not wish to have a child yet, and therefore I do not need to consider marriage for several years.’ He paused, and deliberately dropped his gaze to her breasts. ‘But neither do I have any wish to live like a monk, querida,’ he drawled softly.

Lauren cursed her body’s traitorous reaction to the hungry gleam in his eyes. So all he wanted was an affair. The little shoot of hope shrivelled and died. Nothing had changed, she thought painfully. She wondered if he realised how insulted she felt to be told that he only considered her good enough to be his mistress, but not his wife.

Admittedly marriage was not something she wanted, she thought wearily, rubbing her brow as myriad confused thoughts swirled inside her head. Having witnessed her mother’s devastation after her father had walked out, she had decided that she would never give up her independence for any man.