The Buenos Aires Marriage Deal (10 page)

When he eased her robe off completely, in an orchestrated sensual manoeuvre that couldn’t help but elicit a startled response from her, then slipped the thin straps of her nightgown down so low over her arms that her breasts were suddenly exposed to the warm scented night air, she sucked in a shaky breath that seemed to echo round the entire room.

‘
Amante
…you are so beautiful you make my very
soul
ache for wanting you!’

His hot mouth suckled her bare shoulder as his hands circled her ribcage to massage and cup her breasts, his thumbs and forefingers stroking, then squeezing the rigid nipples, until Briana cried out and tipped back her head against his chest to allow him even greater access.

This time Pascual kissed her in the sensitive hollow between her neck and shoulder, his hands moving hungrily down to her hips, moulding them seductively in his palms. Kneeling on the bed behind her, he pressed himself against her, so that she felt the hard silk contours of his amazing body, smelled the masculine scent that had always had the power to drive her crazy. She ached so hard for his possession that she thought she might lose her mind if she couldn’t have what she so desperately craved…

As if reading her mind, Pascual urged her round to face him and helped her dispense with her nightgown and robe completely. Lying down on the bed, his dark head against the silk pillows, he encouraged her to straddle that taut hard middle of his. Immediately her soft inner thighs made contact with the deliciously warm skin beneath her Briana was devastatingly reminded of the unmatched intoxicating pleasure his touch could arouse. Feverishly seeking his mouth, she bent her head for his equally feverish kiss, lips, teeth and tongues clashing hungrily, until she thought the world could come to an end right then and she wouldn’t even notice.

‘I need to see to something.’ His ebony eyes glazed with passion, Pascual reached towards one of the elegant oak cabinets beside the bed. His lips parting in the most bone-melting smile known to woman, he opened the slim foil package he’d retrieved and handed the contents to Briana. ‘Put it on for me.’

The timbre of his captivating voice was like brushed velvet to her already impossibly heightened senses, and with her heart racing she sat back a little, to ease the black silk pyjamas down over bronzed hips as lean and straight as an arrow and release him. His sex was silky, hard and impressive, and as she nervously rolled the latex protection down over its erect length her hands were trembling.

‘Now, come here…’ He smiled, sliding his hands onto her thighs and urging her across him.

He entered her in one smooth, shattering thrust, and Briana’s ensuing moan resonated with relief, pleasure, longing and a deep sense of being home at last. Home with the man she irrevocably now knew she had never stopped loving…not even for an instant. All the years they’d spent apart had done was increase that longing and love for him. Helplessly she thought back to when she’d given birth to Adán, and how her heart had cracked loud enough for the whole of London to hear because Pascual had not been with her to share her joy.

‘That feels so good…’

Reaching for her hand, he kissed the inside of her palm as she moved over him, her hips rhythmically meeting his, feeling his possession become deeper and deeper, until she thought the deliciously wild feelings building inside her could only implode and take her straight into another stratosphere altogether.

‘
How
good?’ she teased, gripping and then releasing her feminine muscles tightly round him, eliciting a melting groan from deep inside his chest.

‘Do you want to make me lose my mind,
amante?
’ he answered, gravel-voiced, sliding his hands up her ribcage to her breasts and palming them.

Meeting his hungry, melting gaze that was like all the midnight-black skies she had ever known melded into one, Briana touched her aching mouth to his and kissed him. Voraciously his tongue slid between her lips and took command of the erotic little dance she had started, his hands sliding up and down her slim back and round to her bottom.

After a while she raised her head and now, on the most intimate terms with those black-coffee-dark eyes with their sweeping long lashes, she smiled. ‘Why don’t we lose our minds together?’

‘Why not?’ he agreed, and thrust high into her core, holding himself there as he sensed her unravel around him, showing no mercy as her shuddering soft cries littered the air.

The action was the catalyst for Pascual’s own undoing. Just as he felt Briana come apart, the intense need and hunger for release that had gripped him almost from the moment she’d obligingly and so erotically sheathed him with the protection he’d given her peaked, taking him hotly and irrevocably over the edge. Now it was his turn to cry out, and as he did so he impelled Briana towards him, hungrily drowning out his own voice with the pressure of her sweet strawberry and vanilla mouth gliding against him. Then, pushing his fingers though her soft dark hair, he kept her there for long, heart-pounding seconds…

S
HE
woke to the fragrant twin scents of jasmine and jacaranda, drifting up through the opened French doors that led onto the ornate bedroom balcony. She remembered that although it was now autumn in London, it was spring in Buenos Aires. Breathing out a sigh of deep contentment—instigated, she was sure, by the pleasant ‘well-loved’ feeling in her body this morning—Briana was a little taken aback to find Pascual already gone from their bed.

Just as she was reaching for her cotton robe, which lay across the silk counterpane, the door opened and Adán—still dressed in his short-sleeved pyjamas—raced across the room and flung himself beside her.

‘Mummy! I slept
all
night in my new bed!’ he announced happily, winding his soft childish arms round her waist.

Briefly nuzzling the warmth of his sweet-smelling neck, Briana hugged him hard and gave him a kiss. ‘I know you did, my darling…well done! You’re getting more and more grown up every day!’

‘But not
too
grown-up, hmm?’ remarked the man who’d entered the room behind him. Fully dressed in light blue denim jeans and a fitted black T-shirt that instantly drew her appreciative glance to his bronzed skin and tight toned biceps, Pascual gave her a smile. ‘Childhood is a precious time…we do not want him growing up too fast!’

Before she could raise a comment he reached the side of the bed and, bending down, pressed his warm lips to her cheek. Instantly the provocative drift of his spicy cologne and his own unique male scent made a devastating assault on Briana’s senses, and the passion of the night they had shared came back to her in all its never-to-be forgotten glory.
She blushed.

‘Buenos diás,’
he added, dark eyes twinkling.

His comment about Adán not growing up too fast was all the more poignant, she reflected, because he had already missed over four years of his son’s life. Her eyes briefly smarted as she fought to hold back her tears.

‘Good morning. You should have woken me. Adán needs a shower—and so do I.’

‘Take your time. I will see to Adán and you can shower and dress at your leisure. Then we will meet downstairs for breakfast. How does that sound?’

‘Good…if you don’t mind seeing to him? His clothes are folded away in the bureau in his bedroom.’

‘Come on,
mi hijo
! Let us leave your
mamà
in peace for a little while, to do all the things that beautiful ladies have to do in the morning to get ready for the day…
sí
?’

Catching Briana’s eye, Pascual gave her the most lascivious wink, and her skin suddenly felt like ice cream melting beneath the blaze of a scorching sun. To disguise her disturbing reaction and divert herself, she gave Adán a brief, affectionate squeeze, and helped him off the edge of the bed onto the floor.

‘Go with—go with Daddy, sweetheart, and I will see you soon.’

‘Can I play in the park again today?’ She heard his sweet voice beseeching Pascual as they went towards the door, hand in hand. ‘I want to see the fountain and the lake again!’

‘Of course. But first we must have breakfast with your mother…
sí
?’

Jogging across the lush grass, with his small son just ahead of him, Pascual thought that he was possibly the most content that he had been for a long, long time.
God had sent him a miracle, in the shape of the sweet child before him, and the woman he had once adored with all his heart had returned to him.
Even now his body was fiercely and vibrantly awake, after their long night of passionate lovemaking, and it was as though the force and strength of the Igazu Falls themselves were running though his veins!

But then, as if to cast a shadow over his newfound contentment, the thought came to him of how it must have been for Briana when she had first agreed to marry him and his family had all but made her feel like an unwanted usurper.
How he regretted the fact he had not spoken out against their treatment of her before!
Running his mind back over the days leading up to Briana leaving, there were two occasions that suddenly stood out like a newly lit beacon in his memory.

The first was when he had been discussing his forthcoming marriage with his mother over coffee at a hotel owned by a friend of his in Recoleta. She had made a comment to Pascual then about Briana that had made his blood boil.

‘Her beauty is the kind that fades. She does not possess the extraordinary bone structure of someone like Claudia, whose beauty will only become even more exquisite as she grows older.’
That was one of the things she had said, and then,
‘She knows nothing of our way of life, my son…how to conduct herself in illustrious company, what clothes to wear…I would hate it if she ever embarrassed you in any way because of her ignorance.’

If she had said those things to
him,
then had she made similar disconcerting remarks to Briana herself? he wondered painfully. If so, then it was no wonder his fiancée had felt doubtful and insecure about marrying into such a family. A family she had believed thought themselves far superior to everyone else! Given her own background, and an upper-class father who had called her his ‘regrettable mistake’, Pascual began to see for himself just
why
she had decided she could not go through with marrying him—even though she had professed to be in love with him.

And if she had been uncertain that she would have his support
whatever
his family thought of her, he reflected soberly, then surely he was partly to blame for her leaving? With a troubled sigh he saw his son’s curly head disappear over the rise that loomed up before them, and he instantly increased his stride to catch up with him, the acute realisation bolting through his insides that he was heading towards the lake.

‘Adán! Stop! Wait for me,
hijo!
’

‘I want to take you to lunch.’

Briana was gazing out onto a pretty section of the vast garden filled with the most dazzling display of African violets, roses, lilies and asters from the opened patio doors in the drawing room, and Pascual’s rich voice interrupted the quiet reflection she had fallen into. Her pulse leapt as he slid his arms round her waist from behind, and kissed the top of her head.

‘That sounds nice…can Adán come too?’

‘I want you to myself for a while, so I have asked Sofia to look after him for us. He is quite happy about the arrangement. When we return I have promised to show him the ponies.’

‘I should go and get myself ready, then.’

Shyly, Briana turned so that she was facing him and, as usual, the sight of those strongly delineated handsome features, the glossy black hair and disturbing dark eyes took her breath away. Right now he was being lovely to her…considerate, kind, and—dare she say it?—
loving, even
…But how long would that last if in his heart he still couldn’t forgive her for leaving?

Last night they had at least made some headway towards understanding, when Pascual had defended her against his parents. The fact that he was reflecting on his own past behaviour was a significant turning point. It meant that Briana could at last speak to him frankly and be heard. But lingering at the back of her mind was the still wounding memory of seeing him with Claudia, and the fear that she might not be enough for him even after they had married—even though he had explained that it had all been an unfortunate misunderstanding. Maybe having lunch together would be an opportune time to finally put some of her fears to bed?

‘Put on something sexy for me,’ he suggested now, his gaze lowering to her startled slightly opened mouth, looking as if he could eat her.

‘What do you suggest? My underwear?’ she quipped, barely able to still the violent tremors that had taken hold.

‘That works for me,
amante,
but I might not be able to deal with the stampede of admiring males that that would attract! Now, hurry up and get ready. We will go to Florida Street and see the street tango before we eat. I remember how much you used to love that.’

Thinking back to the many vibrant and exciting displays of street tango she had seen last time she had lived in Buenos Aires—from San Telmo to La Boca, and the more up-market end of Florida Street—Briana thought about the silky red dress she had hanging in the voluminous wardrobe upstairs. She couldn’t deny the warm buzz of excitement that rippled through her at the idea of wearing it especially for Pascual…

The way the two bodies moved together was mesmerising. It was impossible to take her eyes off the woman in her short, strapless black dress, her slim, shapely legs encased in sheer black stockings and matching high-heeled shoes on her feet. Her partner was older, with a thick mane of silver hair tied back in a black band, but his lithe body moved like a much younger man’s and his profile was fiercely proud. The raw sensuality of the background music, and the sight of the dancers’ limbs entwining then parting—the woman stalking away as though offended, the man striding after her and tipping her back into his arms—sent gooseflesh flying all over the surface of Briana’s skin.

In the smart tiled square where a small crowd had gathered to watch the riveting display, she felt her enjoyment intimately heightened when Pascual slid his arms round her waist and drew her next to him. She could feel his heat through the thin silk of her dress, and everything in her tightened to contain the sudden flare of desire that spread like wildfire throughout her body.

‘Enjoying it,
amante?
’

His voice low against her ear sent more goosebumps flying.

‘It’s wonderful. They’re incredible!’

‘Has it sufficiently fuelled your appetite to eat now?’ he teased.

‘Can we stay a minute or two longer?’ She turned to look at him, and he gave her one of those long, slow-burning smiles of his.

‘Why not?’ He shrugged, ‘it pleases me to see you happy like this.’

In the restaurant afterwards, with its tall woodenframed windows providing a perfect view of the colourful throng of passers-by—tourists and locals alike—and with the distant music of the tango still echoing in her ears, Briana excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.

While she was gone Pascual found himself predisposed to smile at anyone who happened to glance his way, his contented mood of the morning easily reinstated. As he finished ordering the wine, a hand tapped him on the shoulder, and he glanced round to see his friend Diego de la Cruz and his pretty wife Marisa. After greeting them with an affectionate hug each, he invited the couple to join him.

‘It is a day for bumping into old friends!’ Marisa announced, settling herself in a chair, her exquisite perfume punctuating the air. ‘We just saw Claudia with her new husband too.’ She frowned, her slim dark brows arching. ‘You
did
know she’d got married, didn’t you, Pascual?’

He shrugged. ‘How could I
not
know? Her wedding photos were in all the papers.’

‘Once upon a time we really thought you and she would—’ Her gaze narrowing briefly at her husband as she said this, Marisa quickly turned back to Pascual. ‘But then you met Briana, and we knew straight away that she was the right one for you. Hearing that she was back in Palermo with you and that you have a son together was so exciting! I cannot tell you how the news lifted us.’

‘I expect the news will be surprising to everyone who hears it. Initially she will be staying for a holiday, and then, when she has tied up all the loose ends in the UK, she will be moving here for good. And you will get to meet our son soon, I promise. His name is Adán, he is absolutely amazing, and I am still feeling quite overwhelmed that he is mine.’

‘Where are they now?’ Diego enquired, his thoughtful gaze on his friend as the waiters bustled round behind them, serving food to the other waiting customers.

‘Adán is being looked after by Sofia back at the house, and Briana has just gone to the ladies’ room. She will be back at any moment.’

‘There is something I must tell you before she comes back, Pascual.’ Covertly, Marisa bent her dark head towards him. ‘We have been friends for a long time, haven’t we?’

‘Where is this leading?’ Immediately aware of a more serious undertone to the innocent-sounding question, Pascual felt sudden disquiet arise inside him.

‘I pray you will not take offence at me saying what I am about to say, but when I heard that Briana was back with you, and that she had had your son while you were apart, I guessed why she had decided not to go through with the wedding—and I knew it was
not
because she didn’t love you with all her heart!’

His chest tightening almost painfully, Pascual could hardly take his eyes off Marisa as he waited for her full explanation. ‘Go on,’ he said, voice low.

‘Remember the party that Claudia unexpectedly turned up to with Rafa? Do you know who
really
invited her? It was Paloma. Your mother persuaded her to come and make mischief between you and Briana. She was convinced Claudia was the woman you should really be marrying, and she hoped if Briana saw you two together she would call off the wedding and leave the way clear for you to get back with her.’

‘How do you know all this?’

‘Claudia told me. She is still fond of you, Pascual, and she only wants your happiness. She truly regrets what happened at the party, and the idea that she might have helped drive Briana away. Her own happiness has made her see that she did a very bad thing. It is her hope that one day you will forgive her.’

‘I can hardly believe what I am hearing.’

Feeling slightly dazed, Pascual reached for the jug of iced water on the table and poured a glass. He took a long draught to ease the sudden aching dryness in his throat, then wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.
His own mother had helped drive away the woman he loved and consequently prevented him from knowing that she had had a son by him!
It was almost beyond belief. Now he saw that he had been right to reflect on some of his mother’s more acerbic comments before his planned marriage. If only he had reflected more on them at the time, he thought again. If only he had made his feelings towards Briana much more clear to everyone. Then maybe his mother would have seen for herself how much she meant to him, and would have stayed well clear from making mischief of any sort!