They reached the villa and were greeted by the manager of the estate who expressed his relief that Grace was safe and well. Javier thanked the man and his staff, while Grace wanted to die of embarrassment for causing so much fuss. As soon as they were alone she attempted to struggle out of his arms, but he ignored her and carried her into the master bedroom where he dropped her unceremoniously onto the bed.
‘I was perfectly all right. I can look after myself, you know,’ she told him crossly.
‘I feared you might have drowned,’ he replied, his jaw tightening at the memory of the hours he’d searched for her. ‘You’d left your clothes on the sand and were last seen walking into the sea.’ He shrugged awkwardly, faint colour staining his cheekbones. ‘I know that our marriage does not make you happy.’
‘It might be a fate worse than death, but I promise I have no intention of drowning myself,’ Grace said flippantly. She caught the gleam of anger and another, indefinable, emotion in his eyes and realised too late that he had genuinely feared for her safety. ‘I’m sorry—that was a stupid thing to say,’ she faltered, her eyes widening when he leaned over her and trapped her against the mattress.
‘So being married to me is a fate worse than death, is it?’ he murmured silkily. ‘Let’s see, shall we?’
‘Javier—no, I didn’t mean…’ The rest of her words were lost beneath his lips as he swooped to claim her mouth in a searing kiss that was meant to punish rather than give pleasure. She twisted her head frantically until he tangled his fingers in her hair and held her fast while his tongue forced entry between her lips. He was hot and hard and dominantly male as he crushed her beneath him, and the throbbing force of his arousal pushing between her thighs sent liquid heat scalding through Grace’s veins.
The pressure of his mouth eased a fraction as his kiss became a flagrant seduction of her senses and, unable to resist his mastery, Grace curled her arms around his neck and clung to him.
‘Tell me honestly, Grace, do you find my touch abhorrent?’ he demanded roughly. ‘Do you despise the feel of my mouth on yours?’ His golden eyes gleamed with passion and injured pride, and Grace could almost believe that she had hurt him. Slowly she shook her head from side to side, and then gasped when he released the ties of her bikini top and peeled the clingy material from her breasts. ‘Do you hate it when I caress you here?’ He rolled her nipple between his finger and thumb and she whimpered as sensation racked her. ‘Or here?’ He stroked her other breast and then lowered his head and used his tongue with such devastating effect that she groaned and twisted her hips in an agony of need.
‘I’m waiting for your answer.’ The sound of his harsh voice forced her to open her eyes and meet his gaze. She wanted to reject him and wipe the arrogant smile from his face, but her body was on fire and she was desperate for him to continue his skilful ministrations.
‘I…don’t…hate it,’ she said thickly and saw the flare of hunger in his eyes before he took her mouth once more and demolished the last vestiges of her pride. She wanted him so much that she trembled with it. There was a nagging ache low in her stomach, and she could feel the heat between her legs. Would it really be so wrong to abandon her principles and give herself up to the pleasure of his full possession? she wondered feverishly.
She felt his hand drift down over her stomach and then lower, to caress the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs. With consummate ease he nudged her legs apart and she held her breath when he slid his fingers beneath her bikini pants. At first he simply stroked her soft, downy curls but then slowly, inexorably, he separated the delicate folds of her flesh and eased into her. Instantly her muscles clamped around his finger and she gave a startled cry when he began to explore her, each pulsing stroke sending her higher and higher until she felt as though she was teetering on the edge of some magical place.
‘Javier…’ Overwhelmed by sensation, she dug her nails into his shoulders as if she needed to anchor herself to something solid. His fingers were now performing an erotic dance deep within her, and she sobbed his name as the first spasms of exquisite pleasure ripped through her body. It was so beautiful, but so wrong. She shouldn’t have been doing this—not with a man who had no respect for her and considered her his property because he had bought her.
‘Shh, easy, cara mia. It’s all right,’ Javier murmured huskily. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, but Grace pushed against his chest while tears streamed down her face.