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‘Water, please. You’re usually so stiff and proper in the city,’ she went on as he handed over a crystal glass of sparkling water.
He drew his head back. ‘Is that how you see me? Am I really so pompous?’
‘Not pompous,’ she argued, frowning. ‘More distant and aloof.’
‘Preoccupied,’ he allowed, ‘but this time, I’ve put a hold on my diary. As you pointed out, Annalisa needs a chance to sort out her life without my interference. I can see now that solutions that might work for me wouldn’t work for my sister.’
‘Like punching the Prince’s lights out?’ Sadie suggested with her tongue firmly planted in her cheek.
He laughed. ‘Don’t tempt me,’ he said as he opened the French doors onto the gardens.
‘This is beautiful,’ she said as she walked outside.
‘But it all lacks a magic touch,’ he said, coming up behind her. ‘And that’s where you come in.’
‘Do I have a free hand?’
‘I don’t know,’ he murmured, his gaze dropping to her lips. ‘Do you?’
She proved it, and within a few moments they were tangling on the sofa.
‘Oh, yes! Please,’ she begged as he stripped and arranged Sadie as he wanted her, on the very edge of the firm cushions. Kneeling between her legs, he spread her wide and took her deep. The first stroke was enough to take her over the edge, and he maintained a steady rhythm until she was ready to start again.
‘Don’t wait this time,’ she whispered. ‘Come with me.’
With her powerful inner muscles clenched around him, he had no option, and with a roar of satisfaction, he staked his claim to the only woman he had ever wanted with such a fierce and overwhelming love. When at last she was quiet, he kissed her deeply and tenderly, firm in the belief that the family he had always longed to recreate was at last within his grasp.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
IF MADRID WAS exciting at night, it was a goddess by day. Discovering the back streets, and understanding the majestic buildings with Alejandro as tour guide, was something else. Having promised to make good on his declaration of love by wooing her properly, his method of choice, to Sadie’s delight and surprise, was an open-top bus, and a sweet, crispy cone, dripping with a double scoop of chocolate ice cream. Making love came naturally, he had explained, it was just the rest of the process he was battling to get his head around.
‘Process?’ Sadie had demanded with a frown.
‘My romancing technique needs brushing up,’ Alejandro had admitted, ‘so I’m trying to make amends.’
While she was still trying to get over the fact he’d said he loved her. Her biggest fear was that Alejandro loved sex and the banter between them and had mistaken that for love. Well, today, her concern would be proved or disproved, and at least there were no billionaire trappings in sight to suggest he was trying to overwhelm her with material incentives.
‘Marks out of ten for this first idea?’ he enquired as the engine beneath her seat began to rumble.
‘Ten for the surprise factor,’ she exclaimed, licking the cone furiously as her ice cream began to melt. ‘Are you going to help me with this?’
Alejandro’s answer was to kiss the ice cream from her lips while the cone continued to drip. ‘Two for practical skills,’ she scolded as he grinned and kissed her again. ‘Though there are certain areas where I would award you several gold stars for your practical skills.’
If this was a lesson in ramping up sexual tension she should award him a gold star right now. ‘You score a one as a tour guide,’ she said as the bus stopped again. ‘This is the third stop, and I’m still waiting for your commentary.’
‘You taste great,’ he said, ‘but I prefer vanilla.’
‘Since when?’ she teased. Big mistake. The sexual heat that had been snapping between them now threatened to turn into an inferno.
‘Are you hungry?’ he asked.
‘A little,’ she murmured, her gaze drawn to the sharp black stubble already shading his face. And his lips...
‘Only a little?’ he queried, distracting her.
‘Where can we...?’
‘Be alone?’ Alejandro slanted a sideways smile as he anticipated her question. ‘Next stop.’
‘A walk through the park?’ Sadie queried, as they climbed down the stairs when the bus swayed to a juddering halt.
Her heart thumped with an irregular beat as Alejandro pushed his sunglasses back on his mop of black hair, revealing his thoughts quite clearly. There would be no informative commentaries on the city’s history, and this would be no ordinary walk in the park. Her pulse throbbed with anticipation as they set off, side by side, hands relaxed, but not touching. Their fingers were so tantalisingly close that it ramped up the sexual tension even more, and that expression on Alejandro’s face was decidedly sensual.
‘The sunsets here are legendary,’ he explained as they entered the park.
‘What a pity that we won’t be here to see it.’
When Alejandro said nothing, she prompted him. ‘Surely we won’t be staying in the park until sunset?’
‘Who knows? There’s an ancient temple, said to have a special energy. We should try it out.’
‘On our first date?’ she said, pretending to be scandalised.
‘Then, there’s no option but to go back to the house,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry. Our tour is merely postponed, not cancelled.’
* * *
He needed this time with Sadie, Alejandro mused as they returned to a building he had always thought impressive before, but which now seemed more like a museum than a comfortable home. They were learning so much about each other, and she was right in saying he was more relaxed than he had ever been in the city. Spending time with Sadie had given him the chance to look at things clearly, and to realise just how much was missing from his gilded life. His high-end property in a part of the city that housed some of the most expensive real estate in the world was a palace, not a home, and the old building was in desperate need of a beating heart. Sadie could provide that. He loved the fast-growing warmth and understanding between them. The question was, could he build on that?
‘There’s a swimming pool on the roof overlooking the city,’ he said, longing suddenly for shade and cooling water.
‘You’ve got everything here,’ she commented with amazement.
And nothing, he thought. Even in the short time she’d been in residence, Sadie had transferred some of her lustre to the building. Seeing it through her eyes only proved it needed more softening touches. Leaving everything to designers had left him with an impressive, though impersonal dwelling, when what he longed for more than anything else was a home.
‘No one could accuse you of doing anything by halves,’ she said, smiling as she turned to face him.
‘I try not to,’ he agreed, wondering how a long drawn-out wooing process suited anyone. It didn’t suit him. ‘I’ll show you around properly later,’ he said—much, much later.
‘Alejandro!’ Sadie gasped as he caught her around the waist when they were only halfway up the stairs.
‘Alejandro, what?’ he demanded as he carefully pressed her down.
She was laughing as she asked him, ‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m a patient man, but I’m not a saint, and I’ve given the staff the day off.’
Deftly stripping her, he nudged his thigh between her legs.
Sadie’s thoughts were lost in a noisy gasp of shock and pleasure. ‘You are impossible.’
‘But not unachievable.’
She laughed as she pulled him close. ‘Don’t ever stop being you,’ she said.
He did his best to fulfil this request, and they didn’t get dressed for a week.
* * *
Cooking for lovers would be her first cookbook, Sadie told him as they feasted on strawberries and p
izza in bed. ‘So, you’ll give up your work at El Gato Feroz?’ he queried.
‘No,’ she said in a tone of bemusement. ‘Of course not. It’s what I do.’
‘What about the baby?’
Tension reared its ugly head. Grabbing a robe, Sadie told him in no uncertain manner, ‘Like every other working mother, I’ll sort it out.’
‘But I can provide for you. You don’t have to work another day in your life, if you don’t want to.’
‘I could just ask you for money? Is that supposed to reassure me, entice me?’ Shaking her head, she sounded disappointed when she told him softly, ‘You don’t know me yet.’
