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“He insisted on waiting,” Tristan called out to us.
As I got a closer look at the men, I realized the three of them weren’t walking together. One of them, older, was leading the way, while the other two men followed protectively. An important man and his bodyguards.
“Rodrigo,” Pierce said warmly. “I wouldn’t have kept you waiting if I had known you were coming.”
Rodrigo, the older man in the middle, smiled. “We were not waiting long. I would have sent word of my arrival, but I did not wish to be intrusive.”
He extended his hand, but Pierce went in for a full-body hug, clapping the man on the back. That surprised Rodrigo, and confused me—until I remembered where Pierce’s fingers had just been.
Andrew leaned close to me and whispered, “Rodrigo Robles. President of Costa Rica.”
I clapped my palm over my mouth to keep from gasping. Fortunately, nobody was paying any attention to me. The President of Costa Rica is here to see Pierce. And their meeting was almost delayed because we were having sex.
“Sorry for my appearance,” Pierce said. “We just got back from dancing, and I like to keep a low profile. Come! Let’s get drinks on the outdoor terrace. It’s a beautiful night. I’ll meet you there after I freshen up.”
Rodrigo and his bodyguards walked away, guided by Tristan. Andrew remained with us, extending a tray with several steaming towels rolled into tight cylinders. “How do you feel about casual attire? It’s a pleasant evening, but if the wind picks up it could get chilly…”
“Whatever you think is best,” Pierce said, taking one of the towels and wiping his hands with it, then his face. He turned to me. “I had a wonderful evening, Melinda, but unfortunately that man requires my immediate attention. I would tell you to wait up, but unfortunately Rodrigo can be… long-winded.”
“I understand,” I said.
He glanced toward the mansion to ensure the other men were gone, wrapped me in his arms, and kissed me one final time. Strangely, it didn’t bother me that Andrew was standing right there.
“Thanks for understanding,” Pierce said. “I promise to make it up to you.” He gave me a wink, then began walking away.
“Wait!” I said.
He turned around.
“There’s something about your contract I wanted to make you aware of,” I said.
Both men cocked their heads. “Oh?” Pierce asked.
I hesitated, then decided there was no point in holding back. “There’s a loophole in the contract. All of the incentives for getting pregnant and eventually giving birth to a healthy baby… They don’t require a paternity test. They don’t even say you have to be the conceiving father. I would never, of course, but… I wanted to make sure you were aware.”
Pierce, to my immense surprise, looked relieved. “Thanks for letting me know, but it’s not a problem.”
“It’s not?”
His laugh was carefree. “Of course. It’s not a loophole; the contract was written that way by design.”
My billionaire lover and his valet walked into the mansion, leaving me dumbstruck on the helicopter pad.
16
Pierce
Extraordinary.
That was the best word to describe the first time Melinda and I made love. Extraordinary. People often romanticized their first time, making it out to be more perfect than it actually was. In truth, it was usually an awkward, fumbling affair while two people learned how to communicate through the language of sex. Which was fine; communication, in every form, took time to perfect.
But not with Melinda. The two of us had an undeniable chemistry together, intuitively sensing what the other wanted. Just like on the dance floor, we were naturally in sync. That was rare.
It was extraordinary.
“A fine vintage,” Rodrigo said, smacking his lips after tasting the wine. “I am quite fond of reds.”
I gave him a measured smile. “So I remembered. I had a crate of their bottles from 2003 delivered after our last visit.” In truth, it was Andrew who had made note of the preference and taken steps to ensure we always had some here at the island. But Rodrigo didn’t need to know those details. For all intents and purposes, Andrew—and Tristan—were heads of the triumvirate that was the entire Pierce Benning experience.
