A Price Worth Paying(33)

He looked back at her and smiled, squeezing her hands to tug her a little closer as he dipped his head towards hers. She held her breath as his mouth came closer; held her breath as she wondered whether he would kiss her—and whether she should let him—it wouldn’t mean anything after all, just a token gesture and probably meant for Felipe’s benefit in case he was watching and so why should she stop him?

And then he kissed her forehead and breath rushed out of her on a whoosh.

From relief, she told herself. Not disappointment, despite that sudden inexplicable pang in her chest.

Except he didn’t let her go. His lips lingered on her forehead, she felt his breath fan against her skin and he let one hand go, only to take her chin in his fingers as slowly he pulled away, tilting up her head at the same time.

Her eyes met his and held. ‘I have to kiss you,’ he said, ‘but properly this time and, I warn you, it may take some time.’

‘For Felipe’s benefit?’ she managed to say. ‘In case he is watching.’

He growled, the corners of his mouth turning up the tiniest fraction. ‘For my benefit.’

If such a confession wasn’t enough to make her senses sing, the sensation of his lips meshing with hers was. Her breath hitched again at their impact, before she was assailed by the feel of his mouth against hers and the sheer complexity of it all—the unexpected contrast of lips that felt so warm and yielding and yet came from a face that could have been sculpted from stone. And the way he tasted … a heated blend of the wine they’d shared at lunch with coffee and all overlaid on the flavour of his own hot mouth.

He was addictive.

He was incendiary.

Her heart rate kicked up as she felt his hand draw her closer and she let herself be drawn as his tongue searched out hers and invited it into a dance—a dance that soon turned into a heated frenzy that had her temperature soaring and her heart beating even faster and her flesh throbbing in secret places situated a long way geographically from her mouth.

If the man knew nothing else, he sure knew how to kiss. Every place they touched seemed hyper-aware—her breasts jammed close to his chest, her hips hard against his thighs, her legs interwoven with his.

It was far more than any kiss she’d ever experienced.

And it was the last thing she’d wanted, but right now it made it too damned good to leave.

Instead it was Alesander who pulled away suddenly, putting her at arm’s length, leaving her mouth hungry and desperately seeking his. Desperately seeking more. He was breathing hard, but she was breathing harder, and struggling hard to show she was not as affected as she was.

Failing miserably.

‘We need to plan,’ he said, his breathing choppy and desperate against her face. ‘Are you taking precautions?’

For a kiss? Now she had to struggle with the meaning behind his words. She wasn’t sure she’d heard right. ‘Excuse me?’

‘Are you on the Pill? Do you call it that where you come from—the contraceptive pill?’

She eased away. Even managed to laugh a little, while she put distance between them, though nowhere near enough to let him go completely. She wasn’t ready for that yet and, besides, he was showing no intention of letting her go any time soon. ‘What business is that of yours?’

‘Because we will need precautions.’

‘Against—what exactly? We’ve agreed we’re not having sex. Why would we need precautions?’

‘Because I’ve changed my mind. I’m not marrying you and not having sex with you.’

This time she found the strength to shove him away. ‘No! You signed a contract! We both signed a contract. We agreed there would be no sex.’

‘And I’m renegotiating the terms.’

‘You can’t do that. It’s too late.’

‘Of course I can. I don’t like the terms and I’m changing them.’

‘And I refuse to agree to your changed terms. There will be no sex in our marriage.’

‘And I say there will.’

‘What? And you think you can make me? I don’t think so. I’m not changing anything. I don’t want it.’

‘Are you sure of that? I just got the impression you would quite happily have had me, right here, right up against the car next to the vines if I hadn’t stopped, and you would have let me.’

Shock forced her jaw wide open. ‘You imagine this because I let you kiss me just now?’