Second Chances (7 page)

Her heart started beating faster. “I
told you—”

“Was he so good you had to beg him not
to stop—the way you beg me?”

Talking to him was pointless. He wasn’t
ready to hear her yet. “Don’t do this.” She started to back away, but her back
hit the wall behind her.

He used the opportunity to come closer
and braced an arm on either side of her, forcing her to stay put. “What did you
let him do to you?” His voice was thick and his accent more pronounced.

“I don’t remember,” she replied, shaking
her head.

“How many times did you bring him into
our home?”

“There were no other times. It was just
the one time. I swear.”

“I don’t believe you. How often did you
see him? Are you seeing him now? Are there others?” He dipped his head to look
her in the eye. “Tell me.” He slammed his hand into the wall above her head.
“Tell me!”

“Stop!” Sabrina’s heart stuttered in her
chest. She’d never been afraid of him before, but she didn’t know him now. He’d
never been so angry at her. “There is no one else. There were no other times. I
can’t explain to you what happened that night. I only know I wasn’t myself.”

“
Como
?” His brows lowered over
his eyes. “You destroyed our marriage because you weren’t yourself?” His
breathing became harsh. “I will never forgive you,” he said in a low voice.

Sabrina took a deep breath. “I know.”

Her gaze traveled over his face, and she
could see the pain in his eyes—the source of his fury. Any number of women
would have been happy to be in her position, but she’d thrown it all away with
a reckless act.

She’d hurt the only man she’d ever
loved, wounded his pride, and tossed everything he’d ever given her back in his
face. If only she could take it back. She wanted to ease his pain, and
selfishly, she wanted to stop her own, too.

She lifted a tentative hand to touch the
smooth skin of his face. “Renny…”

His nostrils expanded, and a tremor shook
his body at her touch.

“
Deus
,” he said, his voice a
thickened groan.

His face contorted, and she sensed the
internal struggle within him. He didn’t want to want her, but he did. They were
both helpless to the pulse and beat of the intensity between them.

“Renny, honey,” she whispered, “forgive
me. I’m so sorry. I’m
so, so
sorry.”

Hesitantly, she edged closer, and when
he didn’t withdraw, she pressed a light kiss to his neck. He still didn’t move,
so she pressed another one, and another to his Adam’s apple, traveling to the
other side of his throat with tender kisses across his skin.

Desire blossomed inside of her as
another tremor, stronger this time, wracked his body. Then, with a guttural
groan, he wrapped his strong arms around her waist and his mouth landed on
hers—not soft and tender like hers, but hot and demanding.

She leaned into him, her heart soaring. He
wanted her and she wanted him. She’d never had any desire to cheat; that night
had been an anomaly. Renaldo was all she needed, all she wanted.

With no resistance from her, he pulled
her into the doorway of one of the buildings and drew her closer, sandwiching
her between him and the wall, making her breasts swell against the press of his
hard chest.

Sabrina let her purse fall to the ground
to freely lock her arms around his neck. She opened her mouth, swaying under
the force of sexual desire that claimed her body. Renaldo groaned, smoothing
his hands up the back of her thighs, dragging the hem of her dress with them.
His hands roamed possessively over her hips and the bare cheeks of her
buttocks, exposed because of the thin piece of fabric nestled between them.

How she’d missed him, missed his touch.

He buried his face in the curve of her
neck, his heavy breaths heating her skin as his hand skimmed across the damp
material between her legs. Sabrina angled her hips toward him, opening her
thighs wider to make it easier for him to caress her there, where her wet body
pleaded for more.

She found his mouth again and initiated
another kiss, but he took control by darting his tongue between her lips, scraping
past her teeth to make masterful, erotic strokes. His mouth moved over hers
with fluid control, yet it was a demanding, all-consuming kiss. She shivered in
his arms as their tongues tangled and their moist lips devoured each other.

It had been so long since she’d felt
this rush, this heat. His taste and scent were intoxicating.

His hand went to the back of her knee
and lifted her leg so that it hooked around his waist, and she could feel the
pressure of his hard length on her abdomen.

He slid his other hand down the soft
curve of her bottom, squeezed one of her cheeks, and continued the slide
between her legs until one long finger slid along her covered slit and flicked
her engorged clit.

Her lower body jerked at the intimate
touch. What rushed through her was indescribable, dizzying, and a tiny sound
left her throat. Her need for him was unprecedented, and she rocked her hips
against his, gasping into his mouth, moaning and aching for relief. She wanted
him here, now, against this wall, with a desire so explosive she no longer
cared what he thought of her.

“I need you…
need
you, Renny.”

The admission was a breathless whisper
that bared the truth to him. She feverishly kissed his lips, his chin, and
dragged his lower lip between her teeth. She caressed his head, ruffling the
short, silky strands with her fingers.

His breathing was shaky as he directed
his mouth to her jaw line, down to the erratic pulse at her throat, his kisses moist
and hot. He dragged his hand to the front and slid it between her legs, moving
it slow, sliding backward, then forward, before his finger flicked her clit
again. She trembled, clutching his shoulders, and he made circles on the damp
crotch of her panties, drawing out the torture. The oppressive ache in her
loins was too much. She needed him, as much as she needed the blood in her
veins.

Sabrina reached between them and covered
his raging hard-on with her palm, the heavy weight of it filling her hand. She
was reaching for the zipper on his pants, when all of a sudden he pulled back.

“
Não
!”

He took two steps back with a suddenness
that left her off balance, the wooden frame of the doorway supporting her
shaky-legged stance.
Their
mutual passion had them both heaving deep breaths, staring at each other with
blatant hunger.

“
Sedutora
,” he rasped, swiping a
hand across his mouth.

He stepped back into the alleyway and
turned his back to her, running the same hand down the back of his head. She
noticed how his fingers trembled. Disappointed in the turn of events, Sabrina
pushed her dress back down, her unsatisfied need a physical pain.

“Six million, and not a penny more, no
matter how enticing you are.” The words sounded torn from him. “Take it or
leave it. You move back in. If you choose not to, then I take my chances with
the mayor.”

Her heart hurt at the suggestion that
she was trying to seduce him into giving her more money, but the fact that he’d
gone up another million brought home the importance of having this deal
finalized.
He’d explained it to her once—the
significance of
família
. The ideology was commonplace in a country where
the preservation of the family was paramount. Here, the familial bond made it a
societal requirement that those who were better off help their relations.
Nepotism was actually a positive thing.

She’d found it difficult to
comprehend at first, but after so much time in the country, she came to
understand. If this deal fell through, family members who expected to have some
role in it would suffer. No doubt promises had already been made that needed to
be fulfilled. This is where she had the upper hand, because Renaldo’s Latin
pride would not allow him to let them down. She could call his bluff, press
home her advantage, and try to squeeze even more money out of him, but
ultimately, that’s not what she wanted.

“Six million, Sabrina,” he repeated,
waiting for a response, his back still to her.

It wasn’t a hard decision to make for
practical reasons. In thirty days, she could exit the country six million
dollars richer and have the funds to start her own company rather than working
for someone else.

Yet she wanted to tell him no, she
wouldn’t leave, that she wanted to stay and fight for her marriage. She didn’t
want to take the money and then be forced to disappear from his life forever,
but she’d be fooling herself to suggest anything other than what he offered.

Her explanations hadn’t changed his
opinion of her. He only wanted her to do what he demanded and get out of his
life.

Tears filled her eyes. “I accept your
offer,” she said quietly. 

“Of course you do.” Another swipe at her
character.
The explosive chemistry between them
wasn’t enough to kill the anger and pain. “We have contracts to sign. Let’s get
this over with.”

__________

Today had not gone as planned at all.

Renaldo climbed the stairs to the second
floor of his home. He walked across the thick carpet of the second living room,
filled with heavy, dark brown leather furniture and contemporary tables made of
beveled sky blue glass tops. The upper rooms were housed around the living room:
a guest bedroom and bath, a hall bath, two offices, and the master suite and
its bathroom. Against the wall, a small bar and kitchenette sat side by side,
so that the upstairs could be self-contained.

Renaldo went to the bar and poured
himself a scotch.

He thought back to the pained look in
Sabrina’s eyes when he’d called her a
puta
. Why did he want to comfort
her, gather her close and tell her everything would be okay? Why was he the one
feeling guilty when she was the one who’d been unfaithful? And why the hell was
his body still throbbing hours after he’d touched her?

He tossed back the scotch.

The apartment didn’t feel the same. He’d
lived alone before she moved in, but without her there, it seemed emptier than
before. It no longer felt like home.

He picked up the decanter, poured
himself another drink, and then walked over to the doors leading to the rooftop
terrace. Outside was an infinity-edge pool, which at first glance gave the
impression that one could fall off the top of the building, but a solid wall of
Plexiglas prevented such a catastrophe from happening. A patio set with an
umbrella and lounge chairs finished off the outdoor retreat.

He sighed. He hated her for what she’d
done. Even though he couldn’t trust a word that came from her lying lips, he
couldn’t ignore the feelings that arose as a result of seeing her again—which
showed the extent of his idiocy. 

He tossed back the second drink.

He would have preferred to have never
met her in the bar in Chicago that night. Whoever had said it was better to
have loved and lost than never to have loved at all was an idiot. Either that
or they had never loved and lost like this.

He couldn’t believe the situation in
which he found himself, needing the aid of a woman he couldn’t trust and could
barely stand the sight of.

A sudden burst of rage combined with
agony blasted through his body and he clenched his fist. The tumbler in his
hand shattered, shards of glass slicing his skin. Shocked, he watched as small
drops of blood ballooned and slid from his fingers, joining broken glass on the
soft carpet.

Merda
.

And to think, she hadn’t even moved back
in yet.

Chapter Six

Sabrina drained the last of the coffee in her
cup and set it in the kitchen sink. She still hadn’t fully recovered after the meeting
with Renaldo, even though it had taken place two days ago. Thinking about him
and that kiss made her feel as if there was a barrage of moths flailing their
wings inside her stomach.

She closed her eyes and relived the moment as
she’d done countless times already. She remembered how his powerful body pinned
her against the doorframe, the intimate caress of his hands between her thighs,
his mouth plying her lips with kisses and torturing the skin of her neck.

A shudder ran through her and she shook her head.
She had to stop replaying it; it only made her want him more.

And he didn’t want her. His body did, but he
didn’t. He’d been angry about his reaction to her; he didn’t want to have
anything to do with her. She needed to remember that and focus on getting
through the next few weeks.

The contracts had been signed that same day,
and Renaldo had expected her to move in immediately.

“He’ll just have to wait,” she muttered,
knowing he wouldn’t be pleased.

He was used to people falling all over
themselves to accommodate him. But she’d decided to move in over the weekend.
All she had to do was pack a few suitcases with enough clothes to hold her over
during the weeks at the penthouse.