Valaquez Bride (27 page)

They arrived late because Holly had only been released
from the hospital that afternoon. With them, they brought the baby, all
dolled up in a tiny pink dress and matching booties, looking much less
like a gnome than she did when she cried. Having never held her, Juliet
couldn't resist taking her in her arms, despite Holly's warning that
her wedding gown might get drooled on.

Supporting the tiny dark-haired head in the crook of her
arm, Juliet rocked the baby gently, then smiled up at Holly. "She
really is lovely. Have you decided what to name her yet? You can't go
on calling her 'the baby' forever."

"Oh, she has a name," Benny answered with a secretive
smile. "We toyed around with the idea of naming her after my mother or
Holly's but then we decided she should be named after you. So, she's
Juliet."

"Really?" Juliet exclaimed softly, smiling with pleasure.
"I'm very honored."

"It was a nice thing to do," Raul agreed, stepping up
beside Juliet. Draping his arm possessively across her shoulders, he
smiled down at her, then glanced at the baby she held. In an incredibly
tender gesture, he touched one finger against the child's plump pink
cheek. Then he smiled up at Benny and Holly. "Juliet is very
appropriate. I'm sure she'll grow up to be as lovely as my beautiful
bride."

Juliet tried to fight the happiness his words elicited. He
was just being nice. "Wouldn't you two like some wedding cake?" she
offered, effectively diverting attention from herself. "And some
champagne?"

"Wish we could stay awhile but we can't," Benny replied
regretfully. "It's about time to feed the baby and Holly's tired. She
needs a good night's sleep before we catch that flight at eight in the
morning."

"Flight? What flight?" Juliet exclaimed softly. "Where are
you going?"

"Back to the States," Holly explained, then smiled
gratefully at Raul. "And we have you to thank for it all, Señor
Valaquez. It was so kind of you to tell your friend about Benny. I know
he's going to love teaching at the music conservatory."

"What conservatory? What friend? What's going on?" Juliet
questioned bewilderedly. "Benny, you didn't tell me you had any
prospects for a job in the States."

"And I didn't have any until the day before yesterday.
Then, a Dominic Harrison called me from upstate New York. He had an
opening for a teacher with knowledge of folk music and was even willing
to send us plane fare to go there and discuss a contract. It's a
terrific opportunity but of course, even though we haven't talked to
you for the past two days, we thought you knew all about it. After all,
your husband brought it all about by recommending me to his friend, Mr.
Harrison." He held his hand out to Raul. "We do appreciate your doing
that, Señor Valaquez."

"Raul, please," he said graciously, then smiled down at
Juliet rather sheepishly. "I meant to tell you but with all the wedding
preparations going on, I suppose it just slipped my mind."

Juliet nodded automatically, as if she accepted his
explanation but actually, the entire situation boggled her mind. Raul
was completely beyond her understanding. He had never liked Benny, yet
he had done something this nice for him. Why?

There was no chance to search for an answer to that
question because Benny and Holly repeated that they really had to be
going. Raul left them to say their farewells privately and after Benny
hugged Juliet briefly, he took the baby from his wife.

As Holly kissed Juliet's cheek, she whispered tearfully.
"We're really going to miss you. But now that you're a wealthy
Valaquez, you can fly to New York any time and visit us. And be sure
and bring Raul with you. He's so nice. I can't imagine why you've ever
felt intimidated by him."

"Can't you?" Juliet retorted with a nervous little laugh.
"Well, believe me, he can be intimidating. In fact, I'm shaking in my
ivory satin slippers at this very moment."

"Ah, yes, the wedding night jitters," Holly said wryly as
she retrieved the baby from Benny's arms. "But I'm afraid even good
friends can't help you with that, so we may as well leave. Besides, I
suspect you'll discover you were jittery for no good reason at all."

Praying silently that Holly was right, Juliet waved
good-bye to her and Benny after they had promised to write as soon as
they reached New York. Raul rejoined her as they began bidding
good-night to the other guests and soon everyone was gone except Uncle
Will and Dona Alicia. After kissing her uncle and watching him being
wheeled away toward the wing of the house by his nurse, Juliet smiled
at Dona Alicia, who was planning to spend the night with a friend.

"Welcome to our family,
niña
,"
Raul's grandmother murmured as she embraced the bride gently. Then a
small frown marred her brow. "You are too tense. I recommend a glass or
two of champagne before you go upstairs." Having issued that advice and
received a blush in answer, she went to kiss Raul good-bye and stood
talking quietly to him for several minutes.

Then she was gone. Everyone was gone. The servants had
disappeared and finding herself alone with Raul, Juliet swallowed
convulsively. Her heart skipped several beats as he came to her,
reaching out to brush pleasantly rough-textured fingertips across her
cheek.

"You're tired," he said softly, his gaze warm as it
drifted lazily over her. "Why don't you go upstairs and I'll be along
in a moment or so."

She nodded and went. A minute later, she walked nervously
into Raul's vast bedroom. Rosita was there to undo all the tiny
silk-covered buttons that marched down the back of her wedding dress
and for once she had nothing to say though she did smile knowingly as
she left Juliet alone to slip into a white satin nightgown and matching
peignoir.

In the adjoining bathroom, Juliet brushed her hair more
thoroughly than was necessary, then examined her reflection critically.
Did she look as nervous as she felt? She couldn't tell and since
thinking about it made her more nervous still, she left the bathroom.

Raul was waiting in the bedroom, removing the gold
cufflinks from his shirt, but he looked up at her immediately as she
walked from the bathroom. His eyes narrowed.

"You could still get out of this, you know," she blurted
out foolishly. "We can have the marriage annulled."

Dropping the cufflinks carelessly onto the dresser-top, he
shook his head. "An annulment won't be possible after tonight, Juliet,"
he answered quietly but firmly, then gave a slight smile. "Don't look
so surprised. You knew this marriage would be a real one in every way."
After removing his white bow tie, he inclined his head toward the
bedside table. "As you see, I had champagne brought up. Would you care
for a glass?"

She nodded jerkily. After what he had just said, she felt
like downing the entire bottle in an attempt to ease her tension. And
when he beckoned her to him with an evocative smile, she felt rooted to
the spot where she stood. Unable to maintain that disturbing eye
contact with him, she glanced up at the heavy wooden beams that
crisscrossed the ceiling, then down at the floor and finally her gaze
involuntarily drifted to the wide high bed with its heavy carved head-
and footboards and its wine-colored coverlet and ivory satin top sheet
already pulled back invitingly, probably by Rosita. Juliet swallowed
repeatedly and since she couldn't and didn't move toward Raul when he
beckoned, he came to her, taking her hand to lead her to the bedside
table.

A moment later, as he handed her a glass of the
effervescent wine, her fingers gripped the fragile stem tightly, nearly
snapping it in two when he touched the rim of his glass against hers
but, oddly enough, made no toast. She hastily took a sip, then rubbed
the tip of her nose that the bubbles had tickled and tried to ignore an
indulgent smile that set her pulses pounding.

"It was very nice of you to tell your friend in New York
about Benny," she spoke up suddenly, unable to look at Raul. "I mean, I
was sort of surprised to hear you'd done that for him. You've never
liked Benny so why did you want to help him?"

"What else could I do?" Raul murmured mysteriously, taking
her glass and putting it with his on the table. Catching her wrist, he
sat down on the brown, velvet-covered easy chair facing the bed and
with slow deliberation drew her down onto his lap. Hard warm hands
spanned her trim waist, his fingers tracing small circles over the
smooth satin of her gown. Half turning her so that she had to look at
him, he lifted one corner of his mouth in a rather sheepish smile. "I
had to get rid of Benny somehow, didn't I? Helping him find a job in
the States seemed the best way to ease him out of your life so I had to
do it. And you know why, Juliet. You know I'm jealous as hell of him."

"Jealous?" she whispered, finding it nearly impossible to
breathe. "You're jealous of Benny? But why?"

"You know exactly why," he whispered back. His hands came
up to cup her warm full-cushioned breasts, his thumbs stroking over the
rounded peaks until they surged taut against satin. "I couldn't stand
him being so close to you. You're too fond of him and I wanted him out
of the way. Now he is and we're alone and…" He lowered his
head to press his lips into the hollow beneath one ear. "
Juliet
,"
he groaned softly. "
Te quiero
."

Though she trembled as he gently nibbled the small lobe of
her ear, she couldn't respond uninhibitedly. Pulling back slightly, she
shook her head. "I—I know you want me, Raul but I need more. I
need…"

"Foolish
niña
," he chided gently,
scattering burning kisses across her cheek toward her mouth. "I see
I'll have to give you those Spanish lessons.
Te quiero
not only means I want you. It also means I love you and I do. God, how
I love you!"

"
Raul
?" was all she was allowed to
murmur incredulously before his mouth brushed over hers, then parted
her soft lips hungrily, taking total possession. As he gathered her
closer, cradling her against the unyielding broadness of his chest,
Juliet's fingers fluttered up to stroke his hard cheek and she felt his
jaw tighten as he reluctantly released her mouth. Piercing jade green
eyes probed her bemused gaze as he commanded huskily, "Say it, Juliet.
I need to hear you say it, please."

"Oh, Raul, I love you too, so much," she obeyed
tremulously, then was lost in the triumph that flared in the dark
depths of his eyes. Hardly able to believe any of this was really
happening, she searched his dark face for some sign of duplicity and
when she found none, she pressed against him. "I didn't think you could
ever love me. How… When?"

He laughed softly as his fingers gently explored her face.
"I think maybe I've loved you since last summer but wouldn't admit it
to myself. You're really too young for me,
mi amada
,
but when I touch you, I can't seem to remember that. And when you
mentioned going back to school in the States, I knew I couldn't let you
leave. I took you to meet Manuel and Pilar so you'd see that even an
arranged marriage can be happy. And we'll be happy, Juliet. You'd
better believe that because I'll never let you go now. Where you're
concerned, I'm irrationally possessive."

Tears of sheer joy shimmered in her eyes. "Oh, Raul, why
didn't you put me out of my misery and tell me all this last night?"

"Because you never would have left my room if I'd told you
then," he murmured wickedly. "I didn't dare let myself tell you or
touch you. If I had, I would have kept you with me all night."

Bending her head slightly, she glanced up rather shyly at
him through the thick fringe of her lashes. "Would it have been so bad
if I had stayed with you?"

"It would have been fantastic," he whispered, then added
teasingly, "but very improper."

"And you believe in always doing what's proper?" she had
to challenge. "Isn't that why you married me?"

"Don't kid yourself,
pequeña
," he
retorted wryly. "Propriety had nothing to do with it. I wanted to marry
you or I would have gotten out of your bed that day at Will's when you
warned me Rosita was coming. But I wanted her to find us. Then I knew I
could probably make you marry me."

"As if you had to make me. All you needed to do was ask,"
she whispered, undoing the buttons of his pleated-front shirt. Her
hands slipped inside, gliding tentatively over his firmly contoured,
muscular chest and as he crushed her to him and found her mouth with
hard seeking lips, she shivered with delight in her ability to arouse
him. As he trailed kisses along the slender column of her neck, she
added breathlessly, "I was in love with you last year too. If only
you
,
instead of Pablo, had asked me to marry you then…"

"All these wasted months," he said unevenly, tracing the
outline of her softly shaped mouth. "I think it's time we begin making
up for what we've missed. Don't you, Juliet?"

"Oh, yes, it's past time," she breathed. And touching the
fascinating indentations carved in his lean cheeks, she gasped softly
as he caught one fingertip gently between his teeth. His narrowed gaze
captured and held hers even as she lifted her face to receive a
tenderly brushing kiss, then searing passion blazed between them. His
fingers slipped through her hair; his hand cupping her cheek held her
fast as the kiss deepened in awesome swift intensity that made her
cling to him. His lips were irresistibly warm and hard; his breath
filled her throat as his tongue tasted the sweetness within her mouth.
He stroked her back, strong long fingers feathering along her spine
down to the tantalizing arch between slim waist and the irresistible
outward curving of firmly rounded hips. His hand gently squeezed. Then,
with an exclamation muffled in the scented thickness of her hair, he
pushed the satin peignoir from her shoulders, then lowered the narrow
corded straps. His lips traced the path of his caressing fingers down
over the curve of one breast to linger with moist pulling warmth on the
throbbing tumescent peak.