The Best Bet (22 page)
“What? What are you saying, Rafael? My father just got out of surgery. I want to be married in the Church and wear a beautiful gown. I want my father to give me away.” She poked him in the chest with her finger. “And I should think you’d want me to meet your family first and have them at the wedding, too.”
He waved his hand in dismissal. “We’ll do all that later. We’ll be married a second time, with all the family and gowns and flowers you want. But I don’t want you to have second thoughts or get cold feet. I want to marry you tonight and know we’re bound together, that we’ll make our lives together.”
“But tonight isn’t a good time. I want to come back and visit my father—”
He silenced her with a kiss, and his lips on hers were hard and demanding, hungry and needy. Melting against him, she twined her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
He broke their kiss and grinned at her. “There will never be a perfect time. Or maybe I should say that if we love each other, truly love each other, any time is perfect.”
She couldn’t argue with the logic of that.
And she understood his need. It had taken her so long to recognize and accept her feelings that he craved her reassurance, wanted to know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that she was willing to commit her life to him.
And she was more than willing. She wanted to marry him.
He’d been so devoted and patient, so caring and understanding. He’d always been there for her. Now he needed her devotion. Now he wanted her to show her commitment to him. Thinking of it that way, it was the least she could do, and it was the right thing to do.
She wanted to marry him with all her heart. Marrying him in a Las Vegas wedding chapel sounded so romantic. And then they would have a second wedding, too, a proper wedding. How many women could boast of that?
Gazing into his warm, brown eyes and said, “Yes, I’ll marry you tonight. And next month, and the month after that, and three years from now and—”
His mouth found hers, stopping her words and sealing their newfound commitment—a lifelong commitment.
__________
Author Bio
Hebby Roman is the author of eight print published romances, four historical romances and four contemporary romances. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the past president of her local chapter, North Texas Romance Writers. She was selected for the Romantic Times "Texas Author" award. She lives in Arlington, TX with her husband, Luis, and her maltipoo, Max.
Please visit her at:
www.hebbyroman.com
or on Facebook at:
http://tinyurl.com/q79n4qp
Also by Hebby Roman
The Best Game
(Excerpt from the companion book to BEST BET, featuring second twin of the series)
Leaning against him, she put her head on his broad shoulder and gazed at his profile. He lowered his head. Their lips were a mere two inches apart, if that much. This was known as the defining moment. But she didn't want it, didn't want him to kiss her. Not now, maybe never.
She pulled away and skipped ahead, hurtling down the steep, stone-carved stairs. Stopping, she waited for him on the walk in front of the exclusive hotel La Maision. When he joined her, she offered her hand.
He grasped it, and she fought the feelings coursing through her. She tried to ignore the touch of his rough, male flesh against hers, tried to disregard the pull of his masculine appeal. Her feminine needs, long suppressed, clamored like a Hydra monster, threatening to gobble her up.
She struggled to sort out her confused feelings and reversed her earlier decision. She wanted to kiss him, because she needed to know what this crazy attraction was about. Too much tequila, maybe?
Reaching up, she curled her arm around his neck and forced his mouth down to hers. At first, he seemed startled by her blatant approach. He hesitated and his lips merely grazed hers.
But then he warmed to the task.
His mouth moved over hers, warm and supple, molding to her lips. His hands came up, cradling her head. His mouth was like hot velvet against hers, his lips firm and moist, searing her senses and heating her blood.
Moving with infinite care, he made a song of their lips pressed together. With each fraction of a second, she expected the questing thrust of his tongue, demanding access, suggesting intimacies she didn't care to share. But he surprised her, his tongue slid over her lips, worshipping their contours but not demanding to get in.
It was a full kiss, a kiss of heated and moist flesh, of wonder and awe, of reverence and carefully controlled passion. It was a kiss that was hot and tender and cherishing, all at the same time. It was a kiss she would never forget because she'd never experienced anything like it before.
This was her first kiss . . . Her first
real
kiss, she realized with a sense of awe. Not that she hadn't been kissed before. She'd been kissed many times, too many times. But the kisses had been meaningless, a predictable prelude to seduction.
When they were both breathless, they parted and gazed deep into each other's eyes. Taking each other's measure again, a new awareness suffused them, along with a grudging respect.
He circled his arm around her waist again. She followed suit. "Let's walk," he echoed her earlier request. "Finish telling me how you started modeling."
And weak fool that she was, grateful for a kiss that hadn't been a prelude to anything other than the simple pleasure it gave, she did as he asked. "Okay." She took a deep breath. "When I was close to graduating, the agency wanted me to move to New York and start my career. My parents wanted me to go to college." She paused, glancing at him. "I was torn. I wanted to go to college. I've always wanted to be a social anthropologist."
"A what?"
"A social anthropologist."
"Forgive my ignorance, Liana, but what in the hell is that?" She laughed and squeezed his waist. "An anthropologist is someone who studies cultures, usually ancient cultures in conjunction with archeologists. But a social anthropologist is different; they study present-day cultures, the cultures they see around them." "It sounds like what my brother, Rafael, does. He's a professor of multicultural studies, specializing in Mexican-American culture." Recalling her conversation with Elsa, she said, "I knew your brother was a professor, but I didn't know that was his field." She tapped her chin with her finger, considering. "That's interesting. I wish I could talk to him." "He took a teaching position at the University of Las Vegas. He's in the process of moving, but if he has the time, I would be happy to reintroduce you two."
"Thank you, I'll look forward to it." "What did you decide to do, Liana?" Damian circled back to the original subject. "Although I guess it's a stupid question. It's obvious you went to New York."
"
Sí,
I defied my parents." She tossed her head. "I ran away to New York to be a model.”
"And you were successful?" "Yes, I was successful. Maybe not supermodel status, but I work steady."
"Do you know Cindy Crawford?"
She cringed. This was the man who had just gifted her with the most soulful kiss she'd ever experienced. Unfortunately, like everyone else, he couldn't get enough of talking about famous people. And just like everyone else, he wanted to know if she brushed elbows with stars. It was too stupid. After all, his small ordinary life wasn't going to be suddenly made bigger by a vicarious association.
"Nah, Cindy was a little before my time. She’s retired and has her own furniture line, I think. But I met Daisy Fuentes early on. Daisy is a Latina, too. Her people are from Cuba." She fluffed her hair. "And I know Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Elle MacPherson, to name a few." She pinned him with her gaze. "Are you impressed?"
"I didn't mean to . . . That is, that's not what—""Don't apologize, Damian. It goes with the territory." She stopped in front of the Hyatt Riverside. "I'm tired. Could you take me home?"
End of Excerpt
Summer Dreams
Where else but in her beloved New Mexico would Natalia Colon want to spend a summer---preferably in the strong arms of her macho childhood friend, Esteban Montalvo. But when she arrives home, hurting from a broken engagement, Natalia discovers her childhood pal has become a minor league baseball player, and with his dark, athletic good looks, is attracting women like bees to honey. She fears he'd never be interested in a bookish school teacher like her. But how wrong she is! Esteban has been secretly in love with Natalia from the time they were children, but he worries his love isn't good enough for her. Can he win Natalia's heart with a soul-searing romance that fulfills all of her summer dreams.
The Princess and The Templar
(a medieval romance) To be published by The Wild Rose Press in January 2014
Raul de Porcelos, a dedicated Knight Templar, is duty bound to bring orphaned Irish Princess Cahira O'Donnell to wed the Earl of Orkney, Raul's lord. But Cahira has a mind of her own and resists the handsome Templar, refusing to relinquish the castle and lands that her family died to protect. Thrown together by fate, they come to know each other and a forbidden passion is kindled. Who will be the first to surrender to desire, the warrior-princess or the warrior-monk?
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 by Hebby Roman
Previously Published by Kensington
Cover by Kim Van Meter
Formatting by
Ink Lion Books
All Rights Returned to the Author
All Rights Reserved
This book and parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author and publisher, except as provided by the United States of America copyright law. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.