Authors: Tina Donahue
Nuncio.
Beatriz pulled the basket from Tomás with surprisingly strength, though she did totter from the weight.
“Careful.” He reached for her before she fell into the wall.
She twisted away seconds before he could touch her sleeve or any other part of her.
Nuncio cleared his throat once more.
Tomás frowned at the man. “Did you inform the guests of my delay?”
“Several times. They still await your presence. Every one of them in the same room.”
Surely without knives if Nuncio had anything to say. Tomás turned to her. “If your mamá should fall ill again, please tell me. I can help.”
Her attention remained on Nuncio.
Wanting to speak softly to her, Tomás leaned closer and caught her scent…the fragrance of freshly washed clothes and clean skin. His head swam, unbridled desire coursing through him again. For a moment, he found speech difficult. “If Nuncio rails at you for keeping me here, let me know. I shall thrash him soundly.”
Laughter bubbled from her, which she quelled without pause.
Her joy, no matter how brief, was a balm for everything wrong with today. How marvelous if they, at least, became friends, speaking freely, laughing, enjoying themselves. An odd notion for any man when faced with such a delectable woman. However, he didn’t see many other options at this point.
Holding back a sigh, he left her side and strode to Nuncio. “Shall we go?” Halfway down the hall, Tomás spoke first. “Make certain the ladies’ carriages, drivers, and footmen are ready to depart. I trust no one will be staying long once I give them my speech.”
“As you wish. Whatever you wish. Whenever you wish.”
Tomás rolled his eyes. If wishes were his for the asking, he’d still be speaking to Beatriz, inviting her to ride the grounds with him, having a late supper with her on the hillside overlooking his estate, finally carrying her into his chamber for some much-needed passion with both of them discovering wondrous things about the other.
He surely wouldn’t be facing a group of women who might want to harm him once they knew he had no intention of wedding anyone.
Tina Donahue is an Amazon and international bestselling romance author in historical, contemporary, paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi. She's received numerous industry writing awards and is featured in the Novel and Short Story Writer's Market. She lives in California.