Anna picked up the length of fabric Miranda had dropped to give herself a moment. Eduardo hadn’t moved when everyone else left. A few of the candles had gutted out during her performance, and she snuffed out a couple on the way over to him.
“Well?” she asked when he finally met her gaze.
“You can never stop singing,” he said, his voice husky. “The world needs Angel.”
Not what she’d wanted to hear. “What do you need?” She cupped his cheek with one hand while the other rested over his heart. It beat strong and steady beneath her fingers.
Her own pulse raced, partly due to the adrenaline that always carried her through a set.
But mostly because the moment was upon them.
He’d promised her heaven.
And she was here to collect.
Eduardo pulled in a deep breath. “I need you.”
Right answer.
“Shall we take this upstairs?” she asked.
“Anna, are you sure this is what you want? We may have feelings for each other and an attraction that’s never died. But we’re different people now. We can’t go back and undo what was done.”
“It’s not the past I want to undo.”
“We don’t have a future either. You can’t stay. I see the energy, the joy you get from performing. It’s not just Angel—it’s who you really are. Who you’ve always been. Angel is just packaging. Anna is the real star. If you try to give that up, you’ll miss it like my mother regretted giving up her glamorous modeling life. But I can’t follow you, either. I’ve made promises to Tiago and Raul. I’ve made promises to myself. I’ve made plans for my future. As much as I still care for you, I have to be true to who I am as a man.”
She stepped back to look him in the eyes without straining her neck.
“After my first two weeks in LA, I wanted to come back to you. Everyone—my mother, my agent, my voice coach, my stylist—told me that our love wouldn’t last. Everyone said we were too young, that we’d change, grow apart, fall out of love. Everyone said if I didn’t take the opportunity before me, if I didn’t do what they—the experts—said, I’d live to regret it. Know what? I regret listening to everyone. Dios, Eduardo, each day I regret not waking up next to you. Please, I’m just asking for one day without regret. I know we can’t go back. But can’t we at least end it differently this time?”
Her eyes searched his, unable to read the conflicting emotions displayed there.
Without a word, he swept her up in his arms and stopped only when they reached his bedroom door. “Promise me one thing?” he said as he set her on her feet in the hallway.
“What’s that?”
“Promise that if it’s not good the first time, because you overwhelm my senses, you won’t sing about it to the world?”
“I promise.” She turned the handle and, with a tug on his tie, pulled him into the room with her.
Now that she was here, she wasn’t quite sure what to do. Yes, she’d seen movies, read books, overheard play-by-play recaps by some of her dancers who were lovers. But she’d never actually worked out the logistics of this seduction in her mind. She’d always assumed that Eduardo would take the lead and she’d ride the bliss train to orgasmville.
He stood there, his arms at his sides, a sultry smile on his lips. Damn the man. This was his way of making sure he didn’t manipulate her into anything she didn’t want. Well, news flash: she wanted him. Where were her performance lessons when she really needed them? Should she take off her dress? Wait for him to remove it? Should she start on his clothes? Because she was damn sure all the awkwardness would disappear if he were naked.
A kiss. That seemed the easiest approach. She slid her hands up his rock-hard chest, divesting him of his dinner jacket, then pulled his head down to meet her upturned lips.
She traced his mouth with her tongue, playfully nibbled on his full lower lip. He responded, but not with the passion she knew he was capable of. Was she doing it wrong? Could sex be done wrong?
Unbuttoning his shirt seemed to be the next step after she loosened his tie, so she worked on that while she trailed kisses along his jaw to his ear. He hauled in a deep breath as she sucked his earlobe into her mouth. His hands tightened on her hips, but still he didn’t move.
“A little help here? I’m doing all the work,” she said as she slipped his shirt off his shoulders. It caught at his wrists because she’d neglected to unbutton the cuffs.
“I’m trying to marshal my self-control,” he said, his voice gruff. “I don’t want to go all caveman on you. But right this second, all I can think to do is rip that glorious dress from your body and devour every inch of you.”
Her skin heated. “A little caveman would be okay. I’ll let you know if it gets too rough.”
But rather than rip the dress off her, he slid the zipper down inch by exasperating inch, his finger tracing its progress all the way. When it pooled at her feet, he stepped back to admire his handiwork.
“Bra. Off.”
She complied without thinking. She went to slip off her silver-heeled sandals, but he stopped her with a shake of his head.
“Leave the shoes on.”
“And the panties?” She pulled the lacy fabric away from her hip and his eyes blazed.
“They can stay as well. For now.”
Her nipples pebbled under his gaze as he undid his cuffs and tossed his shirt and tie on top of her abandoned dress. Finally, finally, he reached out and caressed her skin. One finger traced the line of her collarbone then dipped between her breasts to tour her navel before making a return journey up.
His other hand joined the party, and both thumbs and forefingers tugged on her taut nipples. A low moan escaped her lips.
“That’s it, querida. Tell me what you like, what you want.”
“More. Your mouth.”
“Here?” he asked as he kissed her shoulder. He lifted her hand to his lips. “Maybe here, on your wrist?”
“Yes, my wrist. That’s where I’ve always wanted to be kissed by you.” Dios. The man was maddening.
He circled his tongue around the prominent bone on her wrist, and her knees weakened. Was that one of those unknown erogenous zones, or was he just that good? While his mouth was busy there, however, his other hand went exploring.
“Move your legs apart,” he whispered while kissing his way up her arm. His mouth was level with her breast; she twisted to connect it with his cheek. A soft chuckle whooshed air over her sensitive skin. But he took the hint and pulled her breast into his mouth with a deep suck while his tongue flicked her nipple.
At the same time, his fingers traced the line of her underwear between her legs. She should have taken them off when she had the chance. Because all her hands were good for was clutching his shoulders to keep upright.
He edged her backward until her spine came up against the post of his bed. “Hold on,” he said, guiding her hands to the carved wood above her head. She dug her nails into the timber as he lapped first at one breast then the other. One finger continued to torture her between her legs while he molded and plucked with the other hand at the breast that wasn’t currently being flicked into a frenzy of sensation by his tongue and lips.
Liquid fire flowed through her veins, threatening to melt her knees and bring her to the ground.
“How come you still have most of your clothes on?” she asked when she could draw enough breath into her lungs to talk.
“Because this time it’s all about you.”
Whatever reply she thought to make evaporated from her brain as his finger slipped beneath the fabric and found her nub of pleasure. She clutched the post as wave after wave of ecstasy buffeted her body. When her legs gave way, he wrapped an arm around her waist and held her against him, which really did nothing to help her come down from the sexual high.
“Good?” he asked with a laugh, his lips against her ear.
She forced playfulness into her tone. “Ya know, it was okay. But I’m still missing something.” She tried to wedge a hand between them to grasp his manhood, but he caught her questing hand and held it behind her back. “I ache, Eduardo. I want you inside me. What are you going to do about it?”
“Give you a shower.” He tossed her over his shoulder, pulling her shoes and panties off as he strode into the adjoining bathroom. “Is this caveman enough for you?”
“There is a perfectly good bed in the other room.”
“Ah, but I want to see you wet and soapy. I’ve had fantasies for days, Anna. All featuring you naked.”
He set her on her feet, and she put her hair up with the few pins in it. He flicked on the water and she walked into the glass-walled shower, standing back until the water warmed a bit. The hot water felt good, but not as good as Eduardo’s hands.
“Aren’t you joining me?” He leaned against the sink, still wearing his pants. Hell, even his buckle was done up.
“Not yet. Leave the door open. Wash yourself.”
“It would be more pleasurable if you washed me.”
“I’ll dry you off.” With that promise, she put on a show of lathering herself with body wash then rinsing it off. She had to admit, being watched was a definite titillation. The sharp, citrusy scent of the soap was in stark contrast to the languid heat that flowed through her veins.
She stepped from the shower to his arms spread wide with a waiting towel. Although it was soft, he dragged the towel over her skin in brisk, efficient movements, so she was pink from head to toe when he was done. Every nerve ending wanted to riot, or at least issue its own complaint, over the indelicate handling.
She glanced at his face. The steely features were impossible to read. She’d expected to see this side of his personality in the courtroom, not the bed or bathroom.
“Go lie down. I’ll be with you shortly,” he said.
“No.”
He tossed the towel on the rack and turned back to her. “Have you had enough? Changed your mind?”
“No. I still want to make love with you. But I want to do it with you. I don’t want to be treated like a paid companion or someone you picked up in a bar.”
His eyes closed for a second and when he opened them again, she saw stark pain. “I didn’t know it would be this hard.”
Her blood drained to her feet, and the heat she’d felt earlier was replaced with icy tendrils of insecurity. She grabbed another towel and wrapped it around herself. “It’s so hard making love to me?”
“It’s so hard pretending this is just sex. I can’t distance myself from my emotions unless I become domineering.”
“Would it be so bad to let your emotions show?”
He raked an unsteady hand through his hair. “You have your songs. You can let your feelings pour out in music and lyrics and the incredible way your voice touches other people’s hearts. If I tell you what I feel, it will be a burden to you.”
“Why?”
“Because right now I want to imprint your touch, your taste, your very essence into my memory bank and feast on it forever. I want to throw away everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve just to be with you. And that terrifies me.”
The lump in her throat reduced her voice to a whisper. “Why is loving me so scary?”
At last he touched her, this thumb rubbing a gentle caress across her lower lip. “You don’t need me, Anna. You have Angel and millions of adoring fans.”
“You’re wrong.” So, so very wrong.
He shook his head, a sad smile creasing his lips. “I’m not.”
Words weren’t going to be enough to convince him. “Where do we go from here?” She was still standing practically naked in his bathroom, aching with a desire only he could fill. “How about, just like I release my feelings in my songs, you do the same with your touch? Show me what you feel, Eduardo. Make me believe the passion.”
“And tomorrow or the day after?”
“They don’t exist. We have now. Make it last forever.”
His lips replaced his thumb on her mouth, and he kissed her like he’d never stop. Her breath, her heart, her soul deserted her and became one with this man.
The towel fell to the floor and his fingers skimmed over areas they’d touched before. But it was different this time. This time, it meant something.
Just when she thought her legs wouldn’t hold her any longer, he lifted her reverently and placed her on the bed as though she were a priceless artwork. He shed his pants and shoes and socks. His boxer briefs were distorted in the front.
As he’d promised days before, he had her writhing beneath him. Her body responded to his every touch. He whispered words of devotion as he kissed every inch of her skin. Her spirit soared within while her heart memorized every minute. This had to last her a lifetime.
Because it was patently obvious. There was no other man for her.
She was floating back down following her second climax when Eduardo suddenly got off the bed.
“Where are you going?” She managed to push herself into a sitting position, but there was no way her legs would carry her across the room to follow him. If he meant to leave her now…
“To get condoms. I forgot to put them in the bedside drawer.” He’d shucked his boxers on the way, and for the first time she saw him completely naked. Her body tapped into an energy store she hadn’t even known she had.
This had to be special for him as well. “We don’t need them.”
That halted his progress towards the bathroom. “What do you mean?”
“I’m on the pill. And I’ve had no other lovers.”
He paused. “I’ve never had sex without protection.”
As she’d suspected. “Then it will be a first time for both of us.” She rolled onto her knees and held her arms out wide.
“Dios, Anna.” He moved back to the side of the bed but didn’t climb on. “Are you sure about this?”
“If you ask me that one more time, I’m going to gag you and tie you to the bed.”
His deep, sexy chuckle tickled her skin. “Now I don’t know whether to ask again or not.”
“Get on the bed, Eduardo. Can you lie on your back, or is it too painful?” It was her time to explore.
“It’s fine.”
“Then it’s my turn to taste you.”
He piled the pillows against the headboard and relaxed against them. “I want to watch,” he said.
She straddled his thighs, and he immediately reached for her breasts again, but she pushed his questing hands back. “Hands behind your head. Like I said, this is my turn.”
A frown marred his forehead, but he did as she asked. “I don’t want to complain before you’ve started, but make it quick. I’m so ready for you, I don’t think I can last long.”
Her body was stirring again as well. And more than anything, she wanted him inside her. But he deserved some payback for earlier. Taking her breasts in each hand, she touched her nipples to his, circling and teasing until that wasn’t enough. She lowered her head and flicked his hardened peaks with her tongue as he’d done to her, eliciting a similar response.
She trailed kisses down his stomach while her hands explored. His hip bones were ticklish to her touch, but when she licked them, he moaned. She wanted to spend days touching him, discovering what he liked, what drove him wild. She wanted to claim his body so completely he’d never even look at another woman.
“Two minutes, Anna. You have two more minutes before I take over.”
It wasn’t going to happen, but spurred on by the warning, she took him in her mouth. Thirty seconds in, he abandoned his laidback posture and sat upright, clutching the sheets with one hand. The other found her clit and worked that into a frenzy. She had to release him from her mouth, because breathing was all she could manage.
He made a move to roll her beneath him, but she resisted. When his eyes met hers, she straddled him once more, positioning them both. As she slid down an inch, a loud moan escaped his lips.
She took him a bit deeper and hit her barrier as he took her mouth in a blistering kiss, one full of passion and promise and … love? His hands tightened on her hips, but she ignored the silent command and plunged down his full length.
Her gasp was caught in his kiss.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice tight.
“Amazing,” was all she managed to say. There was a sting deep inside, but even that small discomfort faded when she kissed him. He filled her, stretched her, completed her.
His cock twitched within her, and she could tell from his rigid muscles what it took to hold steady while she adjusted.
“Dios, Anna. This is so good,” he said. His thumb traced her bottom lip before he lowered his hand to caress her breast.
An urge to move invaded her muscles, and she ground her hips against his before lifting slightly to plunge back down again. He sucked her other nipple into his mouth, and she moved more urgently. Pressure built once more inside, different from when he’d stimulated her with his hands and lips. This was more relentless, demanding movement, demanding fulfillment.
She tossed her head back, put her hand on his shoulders, and rode him like a novice on a runaway horse. She was glad this wasn’t being filmed, because there was no finesse to her movements, only need.
“So close,” she huffed. Her hair had fallen from her hasty updo and swirled around her, in her face, her mouth.
He flipped her over without withdrawing and drove home their pleasure. She came, screaming his name and inflicting new injuries on his shoulders.
With one final thrust, he went rock hard within her, triggering another wave of molten sensation through her core. He collapsed on top of her, anchoring her to the bed. Didn’t matter. She never wanted to move again.
“Edio, te amo.” The “I love you” slipped from her lips without conscious thought.
He stiffened above her before rolling off.
***
Damn. It sucked to have a pinnacle experience at only thirty years old. The rest of his life loomed long and empty before him. That had been the ultimate sexual encounter. Hell, the ultimate personal one. Being with Anna, making love to her—with her—had been even better than he’d imagined.
She was so responsive; his every touch had resulted in a moan of pleasure from her lips. And that was nothing compared to the way she made him feel: like he was her everything. Like he mattered. Only him. She’d chosen him.
It was intoxicating. She undoubtedly felt the same. That’s why the “I love you” had fallen from her lips. It was an involuntary reaction to a new experience.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and moved her so her head lay against his chest. There was no way he could let her go so soon. Returning her to her own room was not an option. Besides, she’d asked for one morning where she woke without regret.
And he wanted one morning where he woke with her in his arms.
“Sleep now. I’ll undoubtedly wake you in a few hours to do that all again. If you’re not too sore, that is.” He’d never had a virgin in his bed before.
“I’ve heard that men don’t want to talk afterward,” she mumbled against his chest. Her hot breath blew across his nipples, stirring to life the cock he’d thought satiated.
“I have no words, Anna.” None that he could burden her with. “You told me to express my feelings in my touch. I did that.”
“Yes, you did.” Another yawn.
He knew the moment she relinquished reality and drifted off to sleep. Her head got heavy over his heart and her hand, which had been gripping his ribcage like she was afraid he’d disappear, loosened its hold.
Carefully, he slid from the bed, tucking the blankets around Anna to keep her warm.
There was no trace of Angel in her appearance. Her hair was a complete mess and would probably take hours to untangle tomorrow. Her lips were swollen from his kisses. There were likely a few red marks on her breasts where his stubble had rubbed against the sensitive skin, not that she’d complained. She looked thoroughly ravished. He rubbed a clenched fist over his clavicle to ease the sudden ache there.
He forced his feet to move towards the bathroom and the beckoning shower. Dios, when Anna had washed herself, he’d nearly come in his pants like a horny teenager. Even now the vision danced before his eyes, making him hard.
He nearly jumped from his skin when a hand connected with his cock and began stroking.
“One thing that has changed in the past ten years,” Anna said, “is that I now demand equal opportunity. No one gets to make decisions for me. Such as leaving me to sleep when there are better things to do. And what makes you think you get to shower without an audience?”
“This is more than just watching,” he ground out, his teeth clenched as she continued to pump him with her hand. Mierda, he was so close to coming again.
“I’ve always preferred an active role in a performance,” she said.
“Anna…”
He tried to formulate words. It was too soon; she’d be too sore. But all he could think was how much he wanted to sink into her hot, wet, tight channel—oh Dios, so tight—and lose the rest of his mind.
“Shh.” She put a finger on his lips, and her tongue flicked his nipple for added emphasis. “This night is all about me. And I want this.”
She dropped to her knees and once more took him in her mouth while her other hand played with his balls. He locked his legs and leaned against the cool tiles for support. Hot water bounced off his chest and streamed down her face. Her wet hair was plastered to her body. He couldn’t take his eyes from the vision of her lips caressing his manhood while her tongue drove him wild. Her gaze caught his and he saw triumph, desire, and mischief in her blue eyes.
He was seconds from coming, so he pulled her to her feet and swiveled her around so fast her hands automatically braced against the tile wall. Before she could even draw a breath, he slid into her from behind.
She shrieked and he froze, his skin chilling despite the hot water that flowed over him. “Mierda. Anna, I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“No! Don’t stop! That feels so amazing.” She reached around and grabbed his ass to prevent him from pulling back. She even wriggled her hips to take him deeper.
He groaned. “Prepare for spectacular.” He adjusted his angle, making sure to hit her G-spot with each thrust. One hand he slid down her front to toy with her clit while the other reached up and tugged on her nipples. She climaxed again, screaming his nickname. As her inner muscles clenched around him, they wrenched his own orgasm from the depths of his soul.
Anna Marquez owned him. Lock, stock, and two hard-as-rocks balls.