Page 44 of Raul
Heat ripped through her so fast that she nearly dropped the tray.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we’ll skip dessert again,” she said.
“Youaredessert.” He ran his tongue over his lips, sending another flare of heat through her. “But let’s enjoy Marta’s delicacies first. After all, anticipation is a powerful aphrodisiac.”
As if she needed an aphrodisiac with Raul’s body on display. She placed the tray on the bed with care. He took the champagne bottle and removed the metal cage before twisting the cork out with a low pop. Not a drop spilled as he poured the golden liquid into the glasses.
“You’ve done that a few times before,” Erica said, easing onto the bed with one knee bent under her as he handed her a flute.
“I learned it in prince school. Opening champagne bottles without spillage is a key lesson.” He touched his glass to hers. “To the sexiest, most fascinating woman I’ve ever met.”
He said it with such conviction that she almost believed him, but that way lay danger. She couldn’t let him seduce more than her body. She was treading too close to the line already.
“To the only prince I’ve ever met.” She felt guilty about her defensive flippancy when his smile dimmed. “And the most surprising one.”
“Surprising? How?”
“You gave me the best orgasm of my life. I figured you might just rely on your princely title when it came to sex.” She kept her gaze on him as she took a sip of champagne.
“I’m not sure whether to be flattered or offended,” he said, but the smile was back in full force.
“I’m being honest.”
He cupped her face with his free hand. “Never stop.” The stroke of his thumb across her cheekbone made her heart give that sharp little twist again.
“You’d have to tape my mouth shut to keep me from saying what I think.” She huffed out a laugh. “It’s not always a positive.”
“It is for me.” He raised his glass to her before taking a sip. “There’s something I want to take a closer look at.” He foundthe hem of the shirt she wore and lifted the cotton to expose her hip. He leaned closer. “Aha, I thought I saw a tattoo. It’s an airplane…tracing an infinity symbol?” He lifted his gaze to hers in a question.
“I got it when I was admitted to flight school,” she said, remembering her jubilation. “I was trying to express the way I feel when I’m flying. As though I could keep going forever without anything to stop me. Except running out of fuel, of course.” She grounded her flight of fancy.
“No limits.” He put down his glass so he could trace the dotted blue line of the infinity symbol.
His fingertip was cold from contact with the champagne bottle, and she gave a little shiver, even as she savored his touch.
“Sorry.” He leaned in to press his warm lips against the tattoo, making her shiver for a different reason, before he dropped the shirt again. He handed her a fork and grinned lasciviously. “Eat. I need you to keep up your strength for later.”
A ripple of heat ran through her as she plunged her fork into the chocolate confection on her plate and took a bite. The brownie was richly chocolate with a chewy texture. The chiffon was silky and light as air. The whipped cream had some unidentifiable flavor that lifted the whole dessert entirely out of the ordinary. “Oh. My. God. If I hadn’t just had two incredible orgasms, I would say this is better than sex.”
Raul laughed. “Thank you for having mercy on my ego.” He took a bite and made a show of evaluating the brownie. “Delicioso, but not even close to tasting you.”
Gratification glowed through her even though she knew he was a charmer.
“If this question is too personal, don’t answer it, but your tattoo made me wonder,” Raul said as he cut another piece of dessert. “Your father loved the water. How did he feel that you chose the air?”
Her father had been appalled, mostly because she had chosen the wrong element for her career. Somehow, he believed she would overcome her fear of the sea.
“He wasn’t happy about it. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps,” she said before she threw caution to the wind and confessed her humiliating secret. “The truth is that I am terrified of the ocean. It drove him crazy.” The shame seared through her again. She hated being afraid of anything.
“Your fear seems understandable to me.”
“Really?” She looked up from her plate to find his attention on her face.
“The sea had the potential to kill him every time he went to work, so no wonder it scared you.”
“When you put it that way, it seems so logical.” She shook her head, amazed at this new perspective Raul had offered her. Maybe her terror wasn’t so irrational after all. Maybe she could stop feeling like a weakling. “But he loved the water, so he couldn’t comprehend my fear.” She took in a deep breath and blew it out again as she remembered the day his beloved ocean claimed her father’s life. Her grief had been filled with fury at what felt like his abandonment.
“I’m sorry,” Raul said. “I’ve stirred up bad memories.”
