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‘Lucas hasn’t left your life. He never will.’
‘I believe you—unfortunately.’ Karina laughed. ‘So, what are you cooking up for me on the man front?’ she demanded with a suspicious look.
‘Nothing,’ Emma protested, not very convincingly. ‘Luc’s bringing some friends over for supper, that’s all. Why don’t you stay? You don’t have to dash back to the guest cottage right away, do you?’
Karina raised a brow. ‘Stay and play dangerous games with bad boys? No, thank you. You’re already drowning in hormones so the testosterone overload will barely touch you, but I’m vulnerable to attack.’
Emma laughed. ‘I don’t think any man could get the better of you, Karina Marcelos. What?’ she pressed when Karina fell silent.
‘It has been known,’ Karina admitted. ‘When I was young and foolish.’
‘You fell for someone?’ Emma pressed.
‘Just no polo players, okay?’
Knowing when to leave things alone, Emma changed the subject. Putting the twins down in their respective cots, she went to join Karina at the window and they chatted until the door swung open and a group of men arrived in arrow formation, headed up by Luc. He walked straight to Emma and, oblivious to the fact that there were other people in the room, he drew her into his arms and kissed her as if they were alone. ‘I love you,’ he whispered. ‘I’ve been away for far too long.’
‘You’ve been away on this ranch within half a mile of here for half a day’s polo training,’ Emma pointed out as Luc nuzzled his stubble against her neck, making her shiver with desire for him.
‘Half a day is too long,’ Luc growled ominously. ‘I brought the team home to see the twins. I hope you don’t mind.’
‘No, of course not.’ Emma turned to Karina, only to confront her ashen-faced and on the point of leaving. ‘Is something wrong? Won’t you stay?’ she said discreetly.
‘No, thank you.’ Karina gave her a warm hug. ‘I haven’t changed my mind. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Why are you in such a rush? Just give them a chance,’ Emma said, glancing at the group of good-looking polo players—big, tough men, currently cooing over the next generation of the Marcelos dynasty.
‘Because I already gave them a chance,’ Karina said in a forced whisper.
‘All of them?’ Emma queried, opening her eyes.
‘One of them,’ Karina said with a meaningful look. ‘And I don’t need another rampaging barbarian in my life. I’m going to leave you to it—okay?’
Karina had almost made it out of the door when Luc put out a hand, stopping her. ‘You know Dante Baracca, don’t you, Karina? And this is my wife, Emma. May I present the latest recruit to Team Thunderbolt?’
Something told Emma that Dante Baracca was no stranger to Karina. He certainly wasn’t interested in anyone else in the room, though Karina seemed tense and angry as she nodded her head in acknowledgement that she already knew the dark stranger. It couldn’t be just the look of him, Emma reasoned. With a brother like hers, Karina had grown up with men like Dante. The entire Thunderbolt team conformed to the same dark and swarthy, hard-muscled type. Extending her hand in greeting, she weighed up the new arrival. ‘Pleased to meet you, Senhor Baracca.’
‘And you, senhora.’ Dante Baracca bowed over her hand, but his heat was reserved for Karina. There wasn’t so much a crackle of electricity between them as a lightning strike, Emma thought, looking on with interest as they eyed each other up like a matador with a bull. What was the matter with them both? Why had this suddenly become a scowling contest? ‘Do you two know each other?’ she asked Karina, tongue in cheek as they walked together to the door.
‘You could say that,’ Karina admitted reluctantly.
‘So you know Dante from some time back?’ Emma pressed gently, concerned for her sister-in-law. ‘He didn’t do anything he shouldn’t, did he?’
‘I try to avoid him,’ was as much as Karina was prepared to say as she directed a stinging look at the man in question.
‘Surely, he’s not all bad?’
Karina narrowed her eyes, and before Emma had chance to ask her friend any more questions Luc had returned to claim her.
‘I’m shooing them away now,’ he said, bringing his face close to growl this against her neck. ‘If you think I’m going to wait any longer to hold you in my arms, you’re seriously mistaken. The babies are asleep and I want you now.’
