Joaquin guided her along the winding paths surrounded by fragrant flowers and vines. Torches were lit along the walk, since the sun had now set, lending a romantic ambiance to the scenery. They strolled through the grounds and paused where the sand from the beach began, looking out on the waves lapping gently at the shore.
Joaquin pulled her into his side, and she relished his warmth through his soft shirt. She laid a hand on his stomach to explore his hard muscles, his body underneath his clothing that of a man who took very good care of himself.
Before she knew his intentions, he moved to stand in front of her. Cupped her face in both his hands.
Then lowered his delectable mouth to hers.
Beautiful Anna.
She was only supposed to be a pawn in his long-running game with Agent Grayson Sloane.
Joaquin had come to Aruba to seduce and use her. But five minutes in her company and he couldn’t go through with it. It didn’t take him any time at all to learn just how big a blow Gray must have suffered to lose her, and that
he
wouldn’t make the same mistakes if he could help it. He wanted Anna.
And applying for sainthood was never his life goal.
Slipping his tongue into her mouth, he relished her taste, the feel of her curves pressed into his body. She wasn’t a delicate woman, but rather lush in all the right places and only three inches or so shy of his own height. He adored that about her. He’d never been attracted to frail women, and Anna was strong. Inside as well as out.
Pulling back briefly, he broke the kiss and stroked one cheek, pushed a lock of dark hair from her face. Big brown eyes met his, and something stirred in him that he’d believed wasn’t possible. For as long as he could recall, he’d needed no one but his family and close friends. He didn’t
want
to need anyone else—because there was a grain of truth to the saying that once you were in his world, there was no getting out. His enemies had long memories, and some an even longer reach. Letting himself care about someone could be dangerous.
And yet he didn’t want to think about that right now. Didn’t want to let go. So he kissed her again, slow and deep, with all the pent-up passion he’d been saving for months. Years. He’d been lonely forever, it seemed. Oh, he’d indulged in one-night stands here and there, but nothing compared to this—simply kissing Anna under the moonlight with the peaceful sound of the ever-moving ocean providing background music.
His cock plumped in his pants, growing with his desire. Heat was building rapidly between them, and he’d have her in bed in about five seconds if he wasn’t careful. For once, he wanted to take his time—even if his dick wasn’t quite on board with that plan just yet.
“Anna,” he said hoarsely. “God, what you do to me.”
“I’ve been wanting to do that all evening.”
Her confession made him swell inside. “Really? I would never have guessed.”
“I play my cards close to the vest these days.”
“Sometimes it’s worth taking a risk to reap the rewards, though.”
Hand in hand, they continued their stroll through the gardens and along the edge of the beach. The beauty of this night, being next to Anna, made him want to open up. Something he rarely did.
“When I was young, I wanted to be a fighter pilot,” he said quietly. “That was my dream.”
He didn’t look at her, but felt her sudden attention. He’d be willing to bet the almighty Agent Sloane didn’t have that written anywhere in his notes.
Surprise, Joaquin is human. We don’t all get what we want in life, even if we have vaults of money.
She squeezed his hand. “Why didn’t you go after it, if that’s what you really wanted?”
“My father wouldn’t even discuss it.” He couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice. “Delacruz men don’t leave the family business to go out in the world and do their own thing. Especially me, since I’m the oldest.”
“I’ve heard of patriarchs who rule their families like that, but as much as I can empathize, I can’t say I understand what that must’ve been like. Why not just do it anyway? Would he have harmed you?”
“Not physically. No, his threats were designed to hit us where it really counted—with family. I could have survived on my own without a dime to my name, started fresh, but he knew the loss of my inheritance wasn’t a big enough deterrent. He said he’d cut me off from my brothers and sister, and he would’ve done it.”
“But they could have contacted you eventually.”
“And in the interim, he would’ve been hard at work poisoning them against me. That wasn’t a risk I was willing to take.”
“You love your siblings so much, you gave up everything for them,” she said softly. “And you claim you’re not a good man.”
“I’m not. But I do love them, even if my brothers have more of our father in them than could possibly be healthy.”
“You could hand the businesses over to them now,” she pointed out. “Then you’d be free to go anywhere in the world, do anything you wanted to do.”
He smiled sadly. “First, Manny’s going to serve time for the operation at your restaurant. Even when he gets out, if I let them have the reins, he and Rio would be locked in a battle for control that I can guarantee would not end well. Manny has our father’s ruthless ambition, but little of his insight. Rio thinks more like me when it comes to legitimizing our name, but he’s the youngest and would be expected to defer to Manny’s judgment.”
“That’s so archaic!”
“True, but that’s the way it works.”
“Not necessarily, if you decided to change it. If you handed things over to Rio while Manny is in prison, sort of took him under your wing and groomed him …”
Glancing at her, he laughed. “What could Manny do about it, right? Miss Claire, you do have a bit of a sly streak in you. But maybe that’s part of why we get along so well, since I’ve already thought of that.”
“Would Rio go for it?”
“I think he’d jump at the chance, but any plan I come up with will take time. Perhaps it’ll work; who knows?”
“Good. Nobody should feel as though they’re chained to a wall with absolutely no options.”
God, he liked this woman. Stopping, he pulled her close and stole a few more kisses. He couldn’t resist nibbling her jaw, then down to the soft skin at the curve of her neck and shoulder. There was no way she could miss the hard length of him pressed between them, aching to be freed.
“Would you come to my room? It’s close by.”
“Do you promise to behave yourself?” she asked breathlessly.
“Not in the slightest.”
“Then let’s go!”
Grabbing her hand again, he led her to his room, trying not to act like an overeager teenager. That was easier said than done. She was far too tempting, filling his senses as she surprised him by pushing him into the door and devouring his mouth. Her hand slipped into the vee of his shirt and stroked his chest, making him groan in anticipation. A tactile person, he loved to be touched.
Especially by feminine hands, skimming, exploring, as Anna’s were doing now. Working at his buttons, she undid them and pushed the material apart, then continued mapping his skin. Her palms grazed his nipples and he sucked in a sharp breath. One of his many erogenous zones. The pads of her fingers ghosted over the nubs, causing them—and his cock—to harden instantly.
“Damn, that feels good.”
She hummed in appreciation and slipped one hand to the waistband of his pants. “May I?”
“God, you don’t even have to ask.”
In the darkness, the moon’s light coming through the window, he could just see her lips turned up in apparent pleasure. She deftly unbuttoned the fastening and worked his zipper down with ease to expose his boxer briefs. Without a word, she went to work on those as well, inching the material down, over his hips, down his legs.
His cock bobbed between them, eager, hot, and hard. His balls were heavy between his legs, all of him aching. Responding to his unspoken plea, she cupped his sac in her hand, massaging it gently. Moaning, he spread his legs to provide her better access, and she kept kneading him with those small hands, one on his nipple, the other between his legs, driving him out of his mind.
“I think we should move this to my bed,” he said with an effort.
“Not yet.”
Dropping to her knees, she began to pump his shaft, squeezing it with just enough strength to cause that delicious friction. His nerve endings fired, and he couldn’t help but move his hips in time to her ministrations. Then she flicked out her tongue, licked off a drop of pre-cum that had seeped onto the tip. Her lips closed around the spongy head and he was in pure heaven.
She sucked him down. Not all at once, but slowly. As though her goal was to cause him to die of a heart attack out of pure ecstasy. She damn near succeeded when the entire length was stuffed down her sweet throat and she started to suck, moving up and down on him while grabbing a double handful of his ass.
“Shit,” he breathed, tangling his fingers in her hair. “Anna, darling. This is going to be over before it really gets started if you don’t ease up.”
Gently, he extricated himself from her expert touch and helped her to her feet. Playfully, she licked her lips and then pouted.
“Just when I was getting my rhythm down, too.”
“We’ve got all night, beautiful.”
Kicking his pants and underwear aside, he led the way to his bedroom wearing only his shirt. They stopped beside his bed and he studied her.
“Are you sure?”
“Very. I want this. I need you.”
How much of that need was Anna simply being on the rebound, he wasn’t certain. He
was
sure he didn’t want to delve too deeply into that question, or someone was bound to get hurt. He needed this as well, and he was selfish enough to take the chance he’d been granted and run with it.
Reverently, he bent, took the hem of her pretty sundress, and lifted it over her head, then tossed it onto a nearby armchair. She stood smiling at him in her bra and a flimsy scrap of lacy panties, and he quickly helped her off with those as well.
“You’re exquisite.”
She ducked her head. “No one’s ever called me that.”
“Only because there’s not really a word in existence that can do justice to your beauty, Anna. Since I’m only mortal, that’s the best I can do … except for showing you what you do to me.”
“Then show me.”
Discarding his own shirt, he crawled onto the bed and held out a hand. Taking it, she came after him. They met with a clash of hungry lips and questing tongues, the flames between them explosive. Carefully, he pushed her onto her back and hesitated, admiring her toned figure. Full, ripe breasts pushed upward, nipples hardening in the cool air. Her waist was tapered, and then her hips flared a bit to give a gentle, womanly curve, leading the way to long, slender legs.
She was gazing at him with a sexy, sleepy-eyed look, even though slumber was the last thing on their minds. So fucking sexy. All his.
Lowering himself, he cupped a breast and laved a nipple, enjoying how it hardened to a tight little peak. Then he grazed it with his teeth, liking the sound of her pleasure even more. Lavishing attention on them, he sucked and nibbled each one, then kissed a trail down her belly, loving the feeling of her silky skin on his lips.
When he reached the curly thatch at the apex of her thighs, he combed his fingers through it, surprised to find it just as soft. “Spread for me, baby.”
She did, and his pulse quickened. She was such a sensual person. Unreserved, not the least bit shy about exposing herself completely. He admired her confidence to just be and do what she wanted.
Moving his hand lower, he used two fingers to part her folds and rub the moisture all over her slit. He massaged the tender nub of flesh, too, causing her to groan and squirm.
“Joaquin …”
His name on her lips was an aphrodisiac. “Do you need me?”
“Yes, please!”
Reaching for the nightstand, he opened the drawer and fished for supplies. Pulling out a square packet, he ripped it open and quickly gloved up. Then he levered himself over her, positioning himself between her legs, and began to guide his length into her slick heat.
Heaven. He thought he’d surely died and gone straight there as he slid inside. She clung to his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist as he moved, stroking in and out of her channel. Her breathy sounds of gratification ramped up his excitement. Too much, too soon.
He stroked harder, faster, and she met his thrusts with abandon. Drove him higher and higher until his balls drew up and the familiar quickening began at the base of his spine. He had no choice but to let go.
“Shit, yes!”
His release exploded and he pumped his seed into the condom, on and on, relishing her sheath rippling around him, wringing every last drop from him. When he was spent, he moved to the side, not wanting to crush her. But he gathered her into his arms and held on.
“Thank you,” he said, placing a kiss on her head.
“Thank you. That was fantastic.” She smiled against his chest.
“Stay? Please?”
“I wouldn’t dream of moving.”
That sounded awfully good to him. Too damned good, in fact.
Breathing in her scent, he allowed sheer contentment to usher him in to sleep.
***
Anna awoke to sunlight filtering through the gauzy curtains—and someone wrapped around her like a burrito.
Blinking, she tried to clear the cobwebs and recall where she was and why. Then it hit her and she experienced a brief pang of guilt, which she quickly dismissed. She’d broken up with Gray, and he had no say in her life anymore. There wasn’t one good reason why she should be ashamed of sleeping with Joaquin.
Except that he was Gray’s enemy.
But that had nothing to do with her. With her attraction to the casino mogul. He was a magnetic, vibrant man. She wanted to get to know him better and was hard-pressed to come up with a reason she shouldn’t.
Maybe the part about Joaquin being marked for death?
That was more than a little frightening. He was going legit with his businesses, though, and that was very admirable. Now if he could just get everyone else on board with his plans and off his back.