Page 31 of Bride of Betrayal
She scowled. He’d always been able to see her brain whirring. She put her tongue out and tasted his finger before putting her mouth around it and biting gently.
His body hardened against her belly and the air between them became thick with desire and urgency. This time, with no restraints and no need to fear that he would stop and reject her, Angelica gave herself over to the lavish attentions of Leo, his hands running all over body as if he needed to relearn every dip and hollow.
When he came over her, she widened her legs and as he entered her she sucked in a breath, her body still a little sensitive after the first time.
He stopped. ‘OK?’
She nodded. ‘Fine, keep going.’ She put her hands on his buttocks and squeezed and Leo pushed all the way in, before moving out again, and taking them on a slow and sensual dance, building to a climax that ripped through their bodies simultaneously, wringing pleasure out of every nerve ending and cell in their bodies, leaving them clinging to one another as if they’d both been buffeted by a massive storm.
The next morning, Leo felt disorientated. It was light outside. He was used to waking at dawn. He was on his own in the bed and the only signs that he hadn’t hallucinated the previous hours were the discarded foil packets of protection they’d used, and the bow tie, lying on the pillow beside him.
His body felt…replete in a way it hadn’t for a long time. Sated. At ease. The constant state of adrenalin that had stayed with him even since his release from prison had also diminished.
He closed his eyes for a moment and his brain was filled with images. Angelica above him, astride him, her sleek body taking him in with such exquisite slowness that he’d almost spilled then and there.
Her perfect breasts, and those pebbled nipples. Dark. Sweet and sharp against his tongue. The silky hot clasp of her body around his. He frowned and opened his eyes. She’d felt…almost like she had the first time he’d slept with her.She’d been a virgin.
But she’d been married since then. With Aldo for three years.No.He didn’t want to go there. Anyway, she’d revealed that Aldo had been unfaithful so maybe she’d shut him out of the bedroom. Maybe that had been the cause of the discontent, but the thought of Angelica being so humiliated and badly treated—possibly emotionally upset because of Aldo’s infidelity—drove Leo up and out of bed and into the shower.
Where was she? Before, when they’d been together, she’d always surprised Leo by not wanting to wake up together. He’d been used to her leaving early or, if they’d been in her small apartment, she’d be up and making breakfast, busy.
It had only been after a couple of weeks that she’d confided that she’d been aware that his relationships never lasted longer than a night or two, so she hadn’t wanted to seem clingy.
It was Leo who had encouraged her to stay in bed…when he’d never done that before, with a woman. While in prison, that had tortured him, the idea that she’d played him so well, but now…
After washing, he pulled on clothes and went out into the main part of the apartment suite. Angelica was having breakfast, dressed, in jeans and a long-sleeved cashmere top. Hair damp and tied up loosely. Face fresh. No make-up. She looked at him and a little flush came into her cheeks. Leo felt slightly off-centre, as if she was ahead of him on something. Knew something he didn’t.
‘Hi, sorry, I forgot that I have to go to Madrid today for work, for a couple of days. I meant to tell you last night but then…’ She trailed off, her cheeks going pinker.
‘You could have told me at the party, or before.’
She looked down at the croissant she was cutting open, and shrugged minutely. ‘To be honest, it went out of my head.’
Leo went over and sat down opposite her and helped himself to some coffee. She was still avoiding his eye. Something about that…some sense that something else was going on here made him say, ‘I’ll come with you.’
Now her head came up and she looked at him, the colour fading from her cheeks. ‘Why would you do that? You have work here.’
She was up to something. He felt exposed. Had last night just been a diversionary tactic? ‘It’s no problem,’ he said easily. ‘I have some contacts in Madrid that I could use meeting again, face to face, to asssure them that all is well. We can use my plane.’
‘My agent has organised transport.’
Leo smiled but he felt grim. ‘I’m sure it can be cancelled.’
Angelica picked up her coffee cup and Leo noticed the slightest tremor in her hand. She said, ‘OK, if you’re sure you don’t mind changing your plans.’
‘Oh, I don’t mind at all,’ he said, calling himself all sorts of a fool for not suspecting that she had been up to something all along.You seduced her,pointed out a little voice. Perhaps, he had to concede, but after living with Aldo for three years maybe she’d become as adept as he had been in the art of making you believe you were the one in control and making decisions. If he’d learned one thing in the last three years it was not to let himself ever be taken for a fool again.
As the plane descended into Madrid, Angelica tried to keep her expression neutral. She couldn’t believe that she’d let Leo distract her so much that she’d almost forgotten that she was coming here. And that she might have a chance to see her mother and brother.
Surely, she could carve out an hour somewhere to meet them, before or after the job she’d agreed to do. If Leo was having meetings it should be easy. And she would finally,finally, see them again and be able to hug them and touch them and tell them everything.
She’d had to be so careful, and she hadn’t been able to go into the full details of her marriage with Leo, saying only that she was OK and that she’d explain when she could.
‘Penny for them?’
Angelica looked at Leo and realised she was smiling to herself. She composed herself and mentally crossed her fingers, saying, ‘The photographer I’m working with, she’s one of my best friends, we started out together in the business, I’m looking forward to seeing her…’ That wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the reason why she’d engineered to come here.
‘What’s her name?’ Leo asked sharply. Angelica’s insides sank. He sensed something was up.
