At the Spaniard's Pleasure (15 page)

Nick groaned. ‘The sofa.' He began to straighten.

‘You don't have to,' she murmured, her other hand, palm flat, spreading over his heart, and she felt his chest expand.

‘Do you know what you are saying?' Nick demanded hoarsely, his night-black eyes burning into hers.

‘Yes, I…' and before she could finish his dark head dipped to claim her mouth in a deeply passionate kiss. His long body stretched out beside her, with one strong hand cupping the creamy fullness of her breast as he drew his thumb against her nipple causing her to shudder as it peaked instantly at his touch.

‘You're sure?' Nick demanded when he finally allowed their lips to separate.

‘Oh, yes,' she gasped, and a low moan escaped her as he trailed tiny kisses down her throat and travelled lower to tease her aching breast with his tongue before taking the rigid tip into his mouth. Liza felt as if every cell in her body was super-charged with electric tension and she looped her arms around his shoulders, straining against him.

Finally Nick lifted his head, his breathing harsh. ‘The moment I saw you, Liza, I wanted you against all reason. Believe that if you believe nothing else,' he rasped with feeling.

She looked at him with desire-dazed eyes. ‘I do.' Her gaze dropped to fix hungrily on his hard, sensual mouth as his head lowered and he claimed her lips with his own again.

‘
Dios!
You are all woman, perfection.' Nick swept a lean, strong hand over a distended, rosy nipple, and lower to trace the line of waist and thigh. His dark head lowered, and his tongue circled her navel, sending a spasm of sensation through her, powerful enough to make her back arch from the bed.

He reared up and gave her a triumphant sensual smile full of hungry promise. ‘We have all the time in the world, Liza.'

She wished it was true, and she sighed her pleasure as his powerfully muscle-toned body moved half over her and he was kissing her once more with a new urgency, a flaring hunger that fed the hunger she felt herself. His tongue delved deep into the moist interior of her mouth with a savage, mimicking need for the ultimate possession.

Welcoming the onslaught, she curved her hands instinctively into his shoulders, stroking the smooth bronzed skin, exploring every part of him with a rising excitement she made no attempt to hide. She heard him groan and felt the
tiny tremors running through his powerful frame, and exalted in her power, but not for long.

Nick's black head moved lower against her body, his hands and mouth warm on her naked skin. Long fingers traced over her tense stomach and slid her quivering thighs apart.

A tidal wave of sensations hit her. She was all heat and tension that bordered on torture as he found the most intimate spot, and with hands and mouth tormented her. Shaking with an incredible excitement, she reached for him and begged, ‘Please.' She could wait no longer. He was hard as steel and smooth as velvet, and she wanted him now…

Nick groaned, caught her hand and, muttering words she was too far gone to understand, he reared up and joined them with a thrusting passion, a driving determination to imprint his own indelible brand on her that swept Liza away on wave after wave of surging ecstasy. Out of control, he drove them wildly to a peak of passion that was almost pain before exploding in a mutual climax that left Liza breathless and quivering beneath him.

Nick rolled off her, and then hauled her close again in the curve of his strong arm, and for a long time the only sound was the heavy sound of their breathing. Their lovemaking had been so perfect, for once he was at a loss for the right words.

‘You OK after all the skiing today, not sore?'

His question, coming out of nowhere at such a moment, was so ludicrous. Liza couldn't help it—she giggled… ‘Yes. But why ask that now?' Her eyes sparkled with humour. ‘What did you have in mind, naked down a mountain as an encore?'

Nick's firm lips parted in a broad grin that held a trace of relief. Liza never ceased to amaze him. ‘For once you're ahead of me; the thought had never entered my head.' Lifting a finger, he circled her swollen lips, down her chin to the hollow in her throat. ‘But, now it has, I will never
be able to look at you on a ski run without envisaging you naked.' He dropped a gentle kiss on her nose. ‘That could be very embarrassing for me.'

‘Poor you,' Liza murmured. His strong body was relaxed against her, and she snuggled closer, throwing her arm across his broad chest. ‘But it is your own fault.' She yawned widely. ‘I was on my way back to Lanzarote. Skiing was your idea,' she teased because deep down, even after the most wonderful sex, she still didn't quite trust him.

Nick went very still. ‘Are you disappointed?' he asked softly. ‘Snow instead of sun?' Long fingers swept up to cup her cheek, and very gently his lips brushed against her own.

‘No, no.' Liza sighed deliciously. ‘I think I can stand a lot more of this, and the skiing, naked or otherwise,' she teased.

‘Good, and I think you should pay for my future discomfort on the slopes,' Nick drawled huskily and kissed her. And she did…

 

Dressed in smart wool trousers and a soft pink cashmere sweater, Liza washed the smudge of lipstick off her finger, dried her hands and placed the towel back on the rail. She was ready except for her shoes. She cast one last glance at her reflection in the mirror. She had heard women described as glowing, but had never seen it herself until today. That's what a good man can do for you, gal! she thought, and grinned.

The past five days had been magical. They had skied, made love and simply had fun. Nick had tried to teach her snow-boarding without much success. And for the first time she had seen him with close friends—two of the slalom racers and their wives. Nick was too controlled to reveal much emotion but last night they had all dined together and he had been totally relaxed, laughing and sharing what were obviously in-jokes, and reminiscences forged over a number of years. It was a side of him she had never seen before. She had never felt so close to another human being in her
life. He enthralled and enraged her but she wouldn't have him any other way.

Barefoot, she padded out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. Nick was standing by the window, his back to her, talking on his mobile. She allowed herself a moment to admire his behind in the tight black ski-pants.

‘Really, there is no need for you to come to Spain. I mean it, Carl, no.' Nick switched off the phone.

‘Ah, the mysterious Mr Carl Dalk,' Liza chuckled, walking towards him.

Nick spun around, his dark eyes narrowing intently on her face. ‘How much did you hear?'

Liza stopped, surprised by his quick question, and looked up at him. ‘Nothing much, just that there was no need for him to come here, or something like that.'

‘Good.' Nick squared his broad shoulders but avoided meeting her eyes. He slipped the mobile in his jacket pocket.

‘Why? Don't you want me to meet your friend?' Liza asked lightly. ‘According to your mum, he is very handsome and very wealthy—jealous are you?' she joked.

‘Don't be ridiculous,' Nick snapped back. He should be happy; the news was good. Carl had just informed him that the panic was over. The two men had been picked up at the airport last night trying to board a flight to Malaga, and were safely under lock and key. Daidolas had passed the valuation on to a middleman in Morocco. The top investigator from Nick's agency was keeping tabs on the Moroccan. Carl and the police had the rest covered. Now all they had to do was wait for the approach to the insurers and set up the transfer. With Liza's information that Brown was returning to the island a week today, it was almost certain that would be the day for the hand-over.

Nick no longer had a reason to keep Liza at his side twenty-four hours a day; she was safe for the moment. He could take part in the para-skiing competition, so why wasn't he thrilled?

‘I was only joking,' Liza said placatingly, breaking the rather tense silence and wondering what had happened to change his mood from the eager lover of an hour ago, to the stern-faced man in front of her.

‘It wasn't funny; you don't know Carl,' Nick said bluntly, ‘and if you have any sense you will forget you ever heard his name.' Liza was not out of the woods yet, as far as the criminal investigation went and she might still be questioned, and the less she knew about anything or anyone the better… ‘Understand.'

No, Liza did not understand. But she reached out to him, one small hand catching his arm, the other she placed on his chest and lifted her brilliant eyes to his darkly handsome face. ‘I understand you seem a bit uptight, and you need to relax,' she said softly. But the light in her eyes faded as he flinched and drew back from her.

‘Don't waste your time—we've run out of condoms,' he informed her with a bluntness that shocked Liza to the core. ‘I'll get some at the lodge later.'

Dazedly she looked at him; he was so cool and matter-of-fact she was painfully reminded of exactly what Nick wanted from their affair: sex; he had never pretended otherwise. Of course, he was right to take precautions, she knew, but she bitterly resented the implication that just because she touched him it had to lead to sex.

‘You do surprise me, Nick.' It had taken a few moments but now she was back in control and she was coldly angry. ‘I would have thought a man like you would have an inexhaustible supply,' she said sarcastically, and watched his head jerk back.

‘A man like me?' he said with a raised brow. ‘I believe in protecting my lover and myself, but can your past lovers say the same?'

His insinuation was like a red rag to a bull. He was frightened of catching something off
her
! ‘You've got a nerve. I bet you have a little black book that would rival the Encyclopaedia Britannica,' she shot back.

‘Oh, Liza, come on, you were no virgin and I don't care how many lovers you have had. But if you are on the Pill I am perfectly happy to forget about the condoms.' And he had the audacity to smile, like a man who thought he should be thanked for being so generous.

‘I am not on the Pill, and I have only ever had one other lover.' She was incensed by his callous comment about ‘lovers' in the plural.

‘And who was that?' Nick asked cynically. ‘Henry Brown?'

‘No way—are you crazy? He is my boss and he is married.' She was insulted that he could even think she would sleep with a married man, and she could not understand how a comment about a telephone call had led to a discussion on her sex life or previous lack of one.

‘Then who?' Nick asked, relief flooding through him at her denial; the thought of Liza with Brown had been anathema to him.

‘Not that it is any of your business, but it was my fiancé,' she told him and then wondered, was she really so besotted with Nick she actually saw his interest in her past love life as a sign of real interest in her?

‘You were engaged; for how long?' Nick looked at her in astonishment. He had never heard that bit of information from his mother, he was sure.

‘Three days,' Liza admitted drily. ‘The first time we made love it was a disaster, so we didn't do it again. In fact, I thought I was frigid.' She saw the expression of amazement on his face, and blushed.

‘You are joking!' he exclaimed and laughed out loud.

Of course, to a man with his sexual history she must sound like an idiot, and quite suddenly she was furious. ‘Very funny, ha ha! But no, I am not joking. In fact, I should be thanking you for showing me I am not frigid. At least now when we part I will have no fear of dating dozens of men.' And with that broadside she busied herself clearing the dishes to the sink.

Nick believed her; he had thought the first time they made love she was a little shy, shocked by her own response, and he was secretly delighted that he was the one to teach her the wonder of sex. But she was a fast learner, and he was damned if he wanted her trying out her new-found sexual prowess on anyone but himself. The thought brought him up cold.

‘I have to go. I want to watch the first slalom race,' Nick said brusquely. ‘So if you want a lift to the lodge you'd better hurry up.' He looked at his watch. ‘I'll give you five minutes, but you can stay here for the day if you like, have a rest.'

‘What did you say?' Liza spun around, blue eyes blazing.
Stay here…if she liked…
When had he ever cared what she wanted? Liza thought mutinously. She searched his strikingly handsome features for some reassurance, but his face was expressionless.

Not meeting her eyes, he strode out through the door, shouting over his shoulder, ‘Five minutes.'

 

Swerving to miss a young child, Liza ended the run on her back. That was it, she had had enough and, struggling upright, she headed for the lodge. Nick had parted company with her as soon as they arrived on the slopes, with a brief comment that he wanted to tackle something different. On her own for the first time in a week, she was very quickly bored, going up and down the same route.

She stacked her skis against the wall, and after changing out of her ski suit she headed for the viewing terrace; maybe she could pick out Nick. She was surprised at the amount of people that were around; still, she managed to get one of the telescopes and scanned all the ski runs, but couldn't see Nick.

She heard a commotion behind her and turned around. Funny, all the other telescopes had been turned around, and then she saw what was causing the excitement. ‘Oh, my
God! What are they doing?' she asked, and the man next to her answered.

‘Ah, you mean the crazy para-skiing.' And he swiftly adjusted her telescope for her towards the high mountain range behind the ski runs. ‘Look up there,
señorita.
They leap off the peak and they are lucky not to break their necks.' He shook his head and laughed. ‘Extreme sports.' He shrugged. ‘Plain loco.'