LusitanianStud (7 page)

Diogo had been back to confront my grandmother in the hope
of getting my address? More than once? And I’d never heard of it? Hurt by her
omission and joyous to learn Diogo had not forgotten me as readily as I’d once
believed, I felt confused and betrayed by my own family. How could she? She,
who knew how I felt about him… So many times I’d demanded she tell me if Diogo
had asked about me and every time she’d said, “No, not a word heard from him.”
My lips curled inward, stopping me from bawling all my sorrows in front of him.

“I wrote you five letters.”

My head snapped up and I gawked at him in disbelief.
What?
He wrote five letters and not one was delivered to me?
This was too much
to grasp in one go. My head was spinning with all sorts of questions, and
nobody could answer them now that my grandmother was dead. My shoulders slumped
before I realized the answers to my questions were probably still back at the
house.

Without a minute to lose I bolted out of the bed, quickly
slid into my clothes and left the room at a run, followed closely by Diogo.

“Sarah, wait. We’ll take the Jeep, it will be quicker.” He
didn’t have to ask where I was going, he just knew.

* * * * *

We entered my grandmother’s library, a place where in the
past weeks I’d enjoyed looking at family albums to learn about my ancestors,
and went straight to her roll-top desk. I opened it without the slightest
hesitation. I was sure if she’d kept Diogo’s letters they would be there. I
quickly combed through bills and notes, newspaper clippings and old postcards,
and just as I was starting to despair, I saw a box tucked away in the back of
one of the drawers.

I gasped. “This is it!” I said, barely holding my excitement,
hoping I wasn’t wrong.

“Open it,” Diogo urged gently, his tone soothing, though he
had to be as nervous and anxious as I was.

I slowly opened the lid and stared in wonder. There lay all
five handwritten white envelopes. Tears long held back streamed down my face.
How
could she?
Diogo pulled me into his arms and hugged me tight, rocking me
through every heart-wrenching sob. When I finally stopped crying I felt as if I’d
cleansed my soul, and I settled into Diogo’s arms on the sofa and began reading
his first letter.

It was a lovely letter and so were the following ones. My
heart went out to him, how saddened he must have felt when he got no answer
from me, and then I loved him even more.

When I picked up the last envelope one other remained in the
box, this one addressed to my grandmother. “Why is this here?” I wondered out
loud.

“Maybe she put it there by mistake,” Diogo offered.

Curious, I turned it over in my hand and read the return
address. “Francisco de Sousa Carvalho. Rua Sao Jose, Lisboa.” I felt Diogo
stiffen and glanced up inquisitively. “Do you know this person?”

He answered without hesitation, his face closed. “Yes, I do.
He was my maternal grandfather.”

Why would my grandmother keep Diogo’s grandfather’s letter
together with Diogo’s?

“Open it.”

I began to suspect Diogo knew the contents of the letter. “Do
you know what this is all about?”

He nodded slowly. “I believe I do.”

“Tell me.”

He curled his lips inward before he spoke, as if he was
trying to find the right words. This was clearly a delicate subject he didn’t
want to mess up. “Our grandparents were high school sweethearts, then my
grandfather went away and he ended up marrying a girl he met in college. I
believe he broke your grandmother’s heart, actually I’m sure he did because she
never spoke to him, or his descendants, ever again.”

I gasped in astonishment. Oh my God! How hurt she must have
been to hold such a grudge her entire life… No wonder she went berserk when she’d
found me in bed with Diogo, the grandson of the man who had ditched her for
another, and broke her heart in the process.

I read the letter, and more than the words, the tear-stained
paper told me of a broken heart that had never mended. How sad. I felt so sorry
for her, though I had nothing left in me to give but my sympathy. My energy and
attention were channeled to the man cradling me in his arms, petting me with
light kisses and soothing words, showering me with his love.

S
he still had no right to withhold those letters from me
all this time.
Of course not, but I could understand her. Now that I was
sure of Diogo’s love it was easier to be merciful toward Grandma Ana and
forgive her for her wrongdoing. I sighed deeply, chasing away all the residual
effects of the emotional turmoil I had gone through in the past hour.

“I think you need some comfort food and a nice long bath to
help restore your emotional balance.”

These were great suggestions from a very caring man—my
man—but not what I wanted. I felt too languid, too needy, too in love to be
bothered with food and a bath right now. I wanted to stay cradled, my head on
his shoulder, his arms around me. And I longed to feel him inside me, moving
slowly as I gazed into his beautiful eyes, melting as much from desire as from
love, wishing he’d go on kissing me forever and knowing in my heart he felt the
same way. That’s what I wanted. All I wanted was him.

I gave him my most alluring smile. “I was thinking of
another way to restore my emotional equilibrium.”

Attuned to my mood he raised one dark eyebrow. “Yeah? What’s
that?” His question sounded perfectly innocent but his sexy lips curved
slightly as he dragged my dress up, just enough to caress my bare thigh.

I drew his head toward me, our lips almost touching. “Love
me, Diogo,” I rasped.

“I do,” he said, his loving gaze tender as he feathered his
thumb across my bottom lip, kindling a warm desire in my belly. “And I always
will.” My lashes fluttered closed as my heart swelled in my chest. God, I loved
him so much! I hugged him tight.

“Marry me, Sarah.” My lashes fluttered open as joy filled my
entire being and elation blossomed within me.

Marry me, Sarah!

“Oh Diogo,” I breathed, my eyes brimming with tears as the
significance of his words registered. But while my world tipped on its axis and
my heart burst with love for this man—this wonderful man I loved so much—my
emotions were still tempered by doubt. Was it really possible that after all
these years I was finally keeping my prince?

“Are you sure?”

An adoring smile appeared. “Totally,” he said as he placed a
kiss on the tip of my nose.

A tear slipped down my cheek. He wiped away the moisture
with his finger. “Say yes, Sarah, and make me the happiest man on earth,” he
coaxed me tenderly.

I bit my bottom lip and nodded jerkily. “Yes, I’ll marry
you. I’ll be Mrs. Diogo Vilas-Boas,” I murmured, the sound and meaning of the
words starting to ring true in my head.

Diogo chuckled, amused as he held my face between his palms.
“That’s the idea, though in Portugal you would be known as Dona Sarah
Vilas-Boas.” His wink released some of the tension swirling inside me as I
sniffed and smiled.

He glided his hands up my thighs and over my hips, dragging
my dress up my torso and over my head until I lay in his arms in my sexy
underwear. “How have I lived the last seven years without you in my life?” he asked,
his tone awed.

“I think it was meant to happen this way,” I said, and I
knew it to be true.

The past was the past. There was so much to look forward to
in the future and I didn’t want to waste another minute dwelling on bygone
issues.

The sassy look in my eyes was meant to tempt and tease him,
as well as to focus his mind on more pressing, happier matters. “I believe we
should seal our love with a special celebration, don’t you think?”

His gaze connected with mine and he grinned, ready and
willing to accommodate me, now and for the rest of our lives together. “Yes ma’am,
I do.”

My heart rate accelerated and I felt the blazing heat of his
gaze on my lips. “Same room?” he asked, and I nodded.

We moved swiftly into the corridor that led to my old
bedroom. Planning on staying only the summer, I hadn’t bothered to move into my
grandmother’s bigger and more comfortable room. I wish I had, the bed was wider
in there, but the thought of starting a new chapter with Diogo in the same room
where another chapter had ended seven years before felt like a sweet
vindication to me.

“This place hasn’t changed,” Diogo said, looking around as
he tugged at his clothes.

“No.”

He returned his attention to me, but finding me in the
process of removing my bra he put his arm out and covered my hand with his. “Allow
me…please.”

Butterfly wings fluttered in my chest at the sound of his
low voice and gentle touch. His hands clutched my shoulders as he stared into
my eyes, the desire in his expression leaving me spellbound. He slid his thumbs
under the straps of my ivory bra and ran his hands over my shoulders, taking
the garment with him. When he leaned forward and brushed his lips over my
exposed skin—his kiss but a caress—I shuddered, causing him to smile as he
stroked my breasts.

“Diogo,” I breathed, closing my eyes, relishing his hands
loving my breasts.

His hands moved to my shoulders and he kissed me again.

It started out slow, a soft, light kiss, just the joining of
lips. Then he pressed a little more and I tugged him tighter, my arms closing
around his waist. His tongue swept my lower lip, then he nibbled it. I inched a
little closer, my hands moving up his back, his trailing up my neck to the back
of my head.

“You’ve got the most beautiful lips,” he said with almost
religious fervor, his thumb slowly contouring them, and I relaxed my jaw and
they fell open.

His roving gaze paused over my mouth and he let out a low
groan. “Jesus, Sarah, how do you do it?”

Huh?
“Do what?” I asked, puzzled.

He gave a short chuckle in response. “You still don’t get
it, do you?” Confounded by his words, I just stared back at him, waiting for
him to explain further. “Everything about you turns me on.”

Bolts of electric heat raced through my body, converging
between my legs, soaking the little strip of cloth still covering my pussy as
an overwhelming rush of love swelled in my chest.

“The flip of your hair, the sway of your hips, the biting of
your lower lip when you’re thinking hard, your teasing look, your lazy smile,
your happy smile—any of your smiles—bloody hell, I’m mad about you!”

I shuddered and laughed with joy when lifted high in the
air. Then he placed me in the middle of the bed before joining me there. “So I’m
better for you than ice cream and a hot bath, is that right?” he teased before
resuming the kissing.

This time our mouths opened in simultaneous accord, and he
thrust his tongue, stroking, sucking mine hard, bringing us to a state of arousal
so high it could only be satisfied by an immediate release.

I reached for him and guided him to my moist entrance. I
breathed hard, quivering with anticipation.

He plunged inside me. “Oh Jesus,” we groaned together.

I couldn’t think. The feeling of him stroking me as he sank
deeper and deeper into my tight, slick channel was indescribable. I closed my
eyes, my thighs circling his waist, my fingers kneading and clawing the skin
and muscles of his back as he ground hard to get deeper.

“Oh God, Diogo, I love you,” I said in a rush of breath and
pressed my pelvis farther into his.

He buried his face in my neck, his warm breath and moist
lips on my soft spot, and I began to spasm, my hot insides flooding us as he
grounded and pulled back, grounded and pulled back until he brought us to the
edge. One more plunge and he began to shudder.
Oh dear God
. A wave hit
me, then another, and another and another. I thought it was never going to
stop. My ears began to ring and then everything went black. When I surfaced
again Diogo was panting heavily, his full body weight on me. I kissed his
shoulder, then let my arms and legs slide off him. I was drained, lightheaded
and completely sated.

“I’ll move in a minute,” he mumbled.

I smiled and closed my eyes. “No rush, I’m not going
anywhere.”

Not going anywhere. Staying right here with you…forever.

Lulled by this thought, I slipped into a deep sleep.

The End

I was born on a ship in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This
unique event set the scene for an exciting life of romance and adventure, basic
ingredients for my sexy short stories.

After having experienced life in six different countries,
I'm currently living in southern Europe with my incredibly supportive husband,
1 of our 5 children, and my beloved 14 years old cocker spaniel.

When not writing, I enjoy watching period BBC series,
trekking and baking for myappreciative family and friends.

As a new author with three books published in my first year,
and two more to be released in the next six months I'm grateful to my
publishers for having believed in me, and to readers and critiques for giving
me the incentive to continue to write.

Francesca welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author
bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.

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Lusitanian Stud

ISBN 9781419949173

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Lusitanian Stud Copyright © 2013 Francesca St. Claire

Edited by Shannon Combs

Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill

Cover photography by romancenovelcovers.com, mari
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Electronic book publication October 2013

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