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They arrived back in Brazil to a fiesta. It was hard to be anything but excited when the sound of that hot South American beat thrummed through her body like an invitation to sin.
‘Okay?’ Chico said, turning to her.
If only she could stop wanting him for a few minutes. It had been bad enough on the plane when she had thought the flight would never end, but now her body was demanding Chico’s most urgent attention. He had piloted the plane from Buenos Aires in black jeans and a black casual shirt with the sleeves rolled back, looking like the man she could quite happily spend the rest of her life in bed with.
‘I asked you, are you okay?’ he pointed out.
‘Most definitely,’ she said, wondering how long it would be before Chico took her into his arms and kissed her hard.
‘Preparations for the graduation ceremony are well under way,’ he said, bursting her bubble.
Yes, she was a student—Chico’s student—and she had to behave as such, which meant no fraternisation, and absolutely no sex. At least, not all the time.
Danny was waiting by the Jeep, ready to take them to the ranch. They exchanged a warm hug. ‘Welcome home,’ Danny exclaimed, holding Lizzie at arm’s length so she could assess her friend. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Of course I am.’
‘Yes, I can see that,’ Danny commented wryly.
‘How are you?’
‘I’ve been worried about you,’ Danny admitted, ‘with everything going on back in Scotland.’
‘It was a great send-off. I’m only sorry you couldn’t be there.’
‘I’m sure you said goodbye for me too.’
‘I did, and I thought about the times when the three of us—you, me, and Grannie, were together and really happy.’
‘I’ll drive,’ Chico stated flatly, holding out his hand for the keys.
The two girls exchanged a glance, and were forced to wait until Chico had dropped them off outside the grooms’ accommodation before they could discuss him.
‘So you haven’t got him fully trained yet,’ Danny observed dryly.
Lizzie hummed. ‘Don’t worry. I’m working on it.’
As they carried her case upstairs, Lizzie began to tell Danny more about the trip back to Scotland—the ugly and the good.
‘You know what your trouble is?’ Danny remarked as they flopped down on the bed. ‘You and Chico are so stubborn—you both want to be in control.’
‘There is no me and Chico,’ Lizzie insisted.
‘Of course there is,’ Danny argued. ‘You just can’t see it yet—mainly because you’re waiting for something to happen, when you should be out there making it happen. This isn’t like you, Lizzie. Go get your man. Wrestle him to the ground and claim your prize.’
‘I’m sure Chico would be thrilled.’
‘I’m sure he would too. And I’m not being sarcastic. You owe it to Chico.’
‘I owe him what?’
‘What’s the betting that he’s waiting for you right now?’ Danny demanded. ‘He’ll be heartbroken if you don’t do this one small thing for him.’
‘What? Wrestle him to the ground?’ Lizzie laughed. ‘Much as that image tempts me—’
‘If you both go on being too proud to admit how you feel about each other, then you’re letting a good thing go to waste. And that’s all I have to say on the matter.’ Leaping off the bed, Danny turned to look at her. ‘Are you still here?’
‘Not for long,’ Lizzie confirmed, pushing her way through the door.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THERE WAS NO REPLY when Lizzie knocked on the front door of the ranch house. Thinking better of her mission, she turned to go—then stopped. She tried the handle. The door was unlocked. Fate, huh?
Walking in, she called out, ‘Hello...’
The big house echoed back at her. Perhaps Chico was taking a shower...
Well, she knew where his bedroom was. Guessing everyone else was out of the house, helping to prepare for the graduation ceremony, she ran up the stairs and paused on the landing. She could hear water running. Now she was tiptoeing as if she was an intruder. She was an intruder. She was here without invitation. Chico would probably remind her that she was a student here, and throw her out...
The bedroom door was slightly ajar, the shower door too. She slipped inside the room, and stood watching. Lizzie the voyeur? She couldn’t help herself. Chico had his back to her so she could indulge herself all she liked, and she loved his back view, especially with water cascading over his muscles. With his head thrown back as he stood beneath the powerful stream of water, Chico was a glorious, and a tempting sight.
This was insane, Lizzie concluded as she kicked off her shoes. Someone should snap their fingers and wake her up.
What exactly did she have to lose?
She made it halfway across the room when Chico stilled. She should have remembered how keenly tuned his senses were. She stopped dead as he opened the shower door and walked out. Dripping water, he proved conclusively that his front view was even better than the back.
‘Lizzie Fane,’ he said, gripping her shoulders. ‘You pick the strangest times to call a meeting.’
‘Who said anything about a meeting?’
‘I can’t think why else you’d be here.’
‘Can’t you?’ She held his gaze. Chico’s long black eyelashes were spiked and wet, and his eyes were laughing down at her. Water was dripping from his wild, thick hair, and he looked—there were no words, and for a few crucial seconds she was speechless, motionless, and asking to be kissed.
‘I hope you like cold showers.’
She shrieked as he lifted her over his shoulder.
Water was pounding like Niagara in the shower, and he was right: it was freezing.
‘So,’ he said, holding her in front of him. ‘What do you have to say to me?’
Chico kept on laughing as she gasped for breath, and the next thing she knew, he was kissing her. Not just kissing her—he slammed her against the wall of the shower and devoured her. ‘I’ve missed you, Lizzie,’ he husked, his stubble rough against her neck.
‘I want you,’ she gasped out.
Chico was already working on her clothes, and they were both laughing now, because it was proving almost impossible to take them off. They were welded to her body by the water, and she had to help him, wriggling and swearing under her breath, until finally she was down to her bra and pants. ‘This last bit should be easy,’ she declared.
‘So, let me.’ Chico smiled as he slowly peeled off the last of her clothing with a frustrating lack of speed. Then, holding her face between his big, rough hands, he stared into her eyes and he kissed her. ‘I love you, Lizzie Fane,’ he whispered against her mouth. ‘I’ve always loved you.’
‘But?
??’
‘No buts,’ Chico cautioned, placing his forefinger over her lips. ‘We’ll work it out.’
She stared into his eyes and believed him. This was the man she’d waited for, and nothing would ever part them again. Chico loved her. What more did she need to know?
Chico’s kiss was so tender, so deep, so cherishing, but when they pulled apart and she saw the smallest adjustment in his gaze she read the invitation, and in an instant tender turned fierce.
‘I need you too,’ Chico assured her, and, dipping at the knees, he proved just how much.
Breath left her lungs in a rush. She’d forgotten how wild her hunger for him could be. She’d also forgotten how powerful and effective Chico could be. He was an amazing lover. Pinning her hands above her head, he supported her against the wall with one arm as he thrust into her, until the collision of hot and cold, and mind-blowing sensation became too much to bear and tipped her over the edge. She broke into laughter as he soothed her down. ‘That was so good you have to do it again just so I can be sure I’m not dreaming.’
‘That was no dream,’ he assured her as he switched off the shower.
‘But we’d better be sure,’ she said.
‘Okay, but not here,’ he agreed. ‘You’re clean enough for now.’
She still had her legs locked around his waist as Chico grabbed a couple of towels and walked her into the bedroom. He was still hard and deep inside her, and still obviously hungry, and so was she. It was a long time later when he dried her hair, and wrapped her in one of his big, soft towels. ‘You can sleep now,’ he said, dropping kisses on her brow.
‘I hope you’re joking,’ she whispered, reaching for him.
‘Just testing,’ he murmured.
‘Then, get under the covers and test me some more.’
He laughed against her mouth as he stretched out his long, powerful limbs on the bed. ‘I think I might just do that.’
