“No, I am not sleeping with Ashley,” Leo said tersely.
Teddy remained silent. With all her heart, she wanted to believe him.
He raked a hand through his hair. “Teddy, listen. I’m not interested in Ashley. What gave you that idea?” His tone was clipped, though he didn’t look annoyed, just frustrated.
“I saw her text just now.” She watched him vigilantly. “She needs you. Like she probably told you last night.”
“Nothing happened last night. I sent her home when she came to my suite. Her text was about tomorrow’s spa event. I put her in charge of it so my time can be free for troubleshooting.”
Teddy hated that Leo thought so highly of Ashley that he had put her in charge of something that important, but it made sense since she was his personal assistant.
Leo’s jaw clamped down. “We already had a walk-thru earlier, so meeting with her won’t be necessary. She was lobbying to meet tonight. To go over a few things,” he said to assuage Teddy’s skeptical look.
“Yeah, I’ll bet,” Teddy mumbled.
“I’m not going to meet with her tonight, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Oh?” She tried to act nonchalant and not as relieved as she felt. “And why’s that?”
“Because…” One corner of his mouth curved upward, instantly charming her. “I have a dinner date with a certain princesa tonight if she’s up for it.”
Teddy’s eyes widened with delight. “She certainly is. Well…that is, if you’re referring to me.”
Leo smiled. “Who else would I be referring to? As far as I know you’re the only princesa in my life.”
Thrilled with his answer, she returned his smile. “Where are we going?”
“Wherever you like.”
“Actually, before you …er…intercepted me, I was planning on getting some comfort food and then turning in early. I feel like an old lady admitting this on a Saturday night,” she said with a grin and a shake of her head, “but I’d rather go someplace super casual tonight, than go nightclubbing. It’s been quite a day.”
“We can do casual if you like,” Leo said, not taking his eyes off her. “What type of comfort food are you craving?”
Other than you? she wondered with a hidden smile. “I would love some Cuban food.” She slid her arms through the armholes of her dress, shimmied into the bodice and smoothed the fabric over her torso. “Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten since breakfast and I’m starving.” She laughed. “I’m dreaming of slow cooked black beans, fluffy white rice and fried sweet plantains. Nothing else will do to satisfy me.”
Leo arched a sardonic brow. “Didn’t I satisfy you just now?” he inquired with sexy male arrogance.
She met his gaze boldly. “Yes. More than you can imagine.”
He beamed at her, inordinately pleased. “You won’t go hungry with me, Princesa. The night is young.”
Leo’s smoky eyes glowed with the promise of more thrilling pleasure to come, making Teddy’s toes curl in anticipation. If the ecstasy he’d created in the confines of his office was any indication, she was in for an amazing night. He helped her off the desk, turned her around and zipped up her dress. Lifting her hair, he kissed her nape. She closed her eyes and sighed when his hands caressed her arms down to her fingertips.
Lacing his fingers through hers, he squeezed gently. “Ready to go?” he asked, his voice husky.
“Yes, but…um…can I have my panties back?” she murmured.
“No. I’m holding them hostage.” His warm breath tickled her ear.
“Leo! I can’t leave here panty-less,” she said, shocked he wouldn’t give them back to her. She spun around at the sound of his wicked chuckle. “Hand them over,” she ordered, her hand outstretched.
“Not on your life. I’m keeping them as a memento of the day we met.” She gasped and his grin widened. White teeth gleamed against his dark tan. “The vision of your cheeky exit will always be imprinted in my memory.”
“Great.” Teddy blushed to the roots of her hair. “Why can’t you just erase that memory? It wasn’t one of my finest moments.”
He chuckled. “I disagree, and I would live to regret it if I did.”
The last rays of sunlight cast a soft glow over South Beach as Leo and Teddy strolled hand in hand down the sidewalk along Collins Avenue. Raul’s Cafe was only a few blocks from the Riviera Hotel and Leo was glad they could take a breather from work before the insanity began anew tomorrow.
When he’d asked Teddy where she wanted to go she had chosen Raul’s Cafe, essentially a no-frills Cuban diner and a bit of a dive for an heiress. There were many layers to Teddy’s personality and each one intrigued him. Tonight he was pleased to find that La Princesa was refreshingly down-to-earth and craved comfort food.
“So why did you choose Raul’s Cafe?” he asked, eyeing her curiously. “I would have thought you’d prefer a trendy Cuban restaurant in Miami’s Upper East Side.”
“Nah,” Teddy said waving her hand. “Why would I want trendy when I can have home-style comfort food made just how I like it?”
Leo agreed. He glanced at Teddy’s profile in the dusk, captivated by her delicate brow and wide honey-colored eyes, her straight little nose and velvety lips—plush lips adept at giving sweet, drugging kisses. She had changed into a soft, floral sundress that nipped in at her narrow waist and flared from her hips to just below mid-thigh, baring the rest of her fine-shaped, long legs.
Damn, he thought, his fingers itching to caress her legs, he couldn’t get enough of this golden girl. They had just made love and he was already hot for her again. He smiled, remembering how she’d insisted that they had to stop in her room so she could don a pair of panties before leaving for dinner. She had looked so damn adorable blushing before him, he’d wanted to pull her into his arms and devour her.
“During my visits home, Daddy and I used to sneak away to eat Cuban sandwiches at the counter so we wouldn’t have to wait in line,” she said, interrupting his private fantasy. “I loved watching them slather the roll with sweet butter and then stuff it with pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and mustard, and then flatten it in the Cuban sandwich press.”
Leo nodded. “You forgot the most important touch—the dill pickle slices. I like a good Cuban sandwich too,” he said, thinking about how many things he had in common with Randolph Behr and his daughter. “There’s just so much upscale hotel food I can take.”
Teddy smiled at him. “Ha, just listen to us. Such reverse snobs. Anyone would die to have an unlimited supply of the Riviera’s delicious cuisine, but many times I’d rather eat homemade food, preferably something I’ve whipped up.”
So she liked to cook. That pleased him too. “Oh? Like what?”
“A tortilla Española.” Mischief lurked in her eyes as she watched for his reaction.
Leo clutched his heart. “Great choice, querida, you just won me over.” His brows lifted. “Will you make one for me?”
Teddy’s topaz eyes sparkled like dewdrops. “Hmmm…perhaps,” she said mulling it over with a taunting smile. “It all depends on how nice you are to me, Señor Guerra…”
Leo’s hand connected with Teddy’s backside in a playful smack.
“Hey!” She yelped in surprise. “If that’s your idea of nice, I’m not sure if I’ll be staying for dessert,” she said, laughing. The sparkle in her expressive eyes lit her from within and spread over him like warm honey.
Their lively banter segued into more personal conversation, making the hour pass as mere seconds and before Leo knew it, Teddy was ordering flan for them to share.
As they lingered over dessert, her spoon fenced with his for the last morsel of the creamy flan.
“Go ahead.” He put his spoon down and slid the plate in front of Teddy. “You have the last bite.” He had no interest in eating; he’d rather watch Teddy’s natural, unaffected enjoyment, which drew him more than he cared to admit.
“Aw, that’s sweet of you.” She swirled the morsel in the caramel sauce, popped it in her mouth and shamelessly licked her lips. “Mmmm.” After a moment, her smile faded and she pushed the plate away. “Gosh, I feel bad for Daddy.”
“What made you think of your father?” Leo said, puzzled. It wasn’t exactly what he was expecting after they’d enjoyed a cozy meal getting to know each other. They’d spent the last hour reminiscing about foodie adventures during their travels and they discovered a mutual love for spicy food, artisan breads and exotic fruits and vegetables. Surprisingly, they both picked blood orange chocolate chip as their favorite gelato from a mutual haunt in Venice—Gelateria Nico.
Teddy lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “I thought of Daddy just now because he loves the flan here. It makes me sad to think he’ll never be able to enjoy it with his new diet restrictions. Must be hard for him to change at this point in his life.”
“It is a challenge, especially when you’ve lived your life without limitations. The hardest part for me would be to eliminate stress. I have a feeling your father feeds off of it like I do. Don’t worry about him having to make the changes, Teddy, he can handle it.” Leo smiled. “I’m sure he can indulge in flan once in a while.”
“I guess,” she said uncertainly.
“I saw him today and he looked pretty good. He said he has a stress test coming up on Monday.”
“I know. I hope it goes well. I’m worried about him.” Teddy fiddled with her napkin. A tiny frown tugged at her brows as she stared out pensively. “Martha shared some disturbing news with me today…and she and I don’t know how to handle it.”
“What was it?”
“It’s confidential.” Teddy paused. “And pretty bad,” she said, shaking her head.
“You can trust me if you want to talk about it,” Leo said with an encouraging smile.
“Thanks. I could use advice from a man.” Teddy drew in a deep breath and told him what Martha had told her. When she was finished, her eyes blazed angrily and Leo felt equally incensed.
“Treacherous witch,” Leo muttered. He knew Lola was capable of having affairs, she’d come onto him herself, but to cheat on Randolph with a competitor was unthinkable. “She doesn’t deserve your father.”
Teddy grimaced. “I agree, but Daddy has never seen the real Lola. He’s always treated her like a porcelain doll, when in reality she’s a gloppy amoeba.”
Leo gave a short bark of laughter.
“Martha and I are worried about how to tell Daddy about Lola’s affair with Brent. Confidentially, Martha hired the investigator, not me.”
Leo nodded. “Smart move.”
“At first I thought she should tell Daddy…but now I’m not sure.” Teddy pursed her lips thoughtfully. “It might make him feel worse if he gets the news from someone as special to him as Martha. It’s not my place to tell him, and if I did he might think I was still trying to split him and Lola up.”
Leo made a steeple with his fingers as he considered what would be best for Randolph’s dignity. “He might feel emasculated if Martha told him about Lola’s affair. And you’re his daughter, which puts you in an awkward position. Let me tell him, Teddy. I’ve gotten close to your father this past year, and I respect him very much.”
“Thanks. He thinks the world of you too,” Teddy said. “After hearing so many accolades about you all year, I didn’t know what to expect. Little did I know I’d dislike you on sight,” she admitted with a rueful grin.
He arched a brow. “Did you?”
“I did. Who in their right mind would like a Spanish dictator?” She raised a brow at his mocking snort.
“It was necessary for me to take charge. You were out of control, Princesa.”
She flinched and looked down, but when she lifted her gaze to his, her eyes shined with purpose. Clearly, she didn’t want to lose ground, and he didn’t want her to either.
“Hardly,” she said, resuming her composure, “but let’s not ruin this moment by rehashing past unfortunate events.” The corners of her solemn mouth lifted in a guileless smile. “I appreciate your offer to talk to Daddy. Coming from you, he may handle it better…you know, man-to-man. Let me check with Martha first and then I’ll let you know. The complete report isn’t ready yet.”
Leo motioned to the waitress for the bill. “When will it be ready?”
“I’m not sure, but Martha said she is expecting it soon.”
Leo paid the bill and led Teddy out of the restaurant with a hand on the small of her back. She looked up at him and her face lit up with the kind of expectant smile that made him want to kiss her on the spot.
All evening he’d been craving another taste of her. He had mistakenly thought he would satisfy his raging hunger for her if he had her just one time, but he’d been dead wrong. He wanted her again…and again…but the next time it would be on a more comfortable surface than his hard wooden desk, which she hadn’t complained about.
He wanted her on the big, comfortable bed in the Presidential Suite. He shook his head. La Princesa would likely be disgruntled, remembering that it used to be hers when she was in Miami, but he’d make her forget her pique quickly enough. He was planning an intimate night for them and he wouldn’t allow anyone—or anything—ruin it.
“Where are we going now?” He saw the glimmer of vulnerability in Teddy’s eyes as she gazed at him. Things had taken a turn after she confided in him about Lola’s cheating. They had bonded with the first stirrings of trust, and Leo was well aware of the fragility of trust, especially between a man and a woman. It was one thing to slake their lust, but quite another to build trust.
“We’re going back to my place for a champagne toast.”
“Your place?” Her slyly raised brow told him the Presidential Suite was her place too. “What are we celebrating?”
“A truce,” he said with a meaningful kiss.