The Spaniard's Woman - Contemporary Romance (10 page)

‘Ah no,
mi
Rhianna,’ he rasped. ‘That is entirely for you!’ And Gabriel pressed himself against her, moving her backwards until she was pressed hard against the tiled wall of the shower. Slipping his hands beneath her buttocks, he lifted her effortlessly upwards and Rhianna’s arms encircled his neck, her mouth finding his in a long, hard kiss that melded them together. When he entered her it with a single, smooth thrust and she bit his bottom lip and dug her nails into his back, urging him on, needing more of him,
all
of him, filling her up and taking her on to new heights. Gabriel shuddered and for a long moment there was nothing but mindless joy, seizing them both so that they clung to each other, riding out the storm together. Rhianna buried her face her face in his shoulder as small aftershocks continued to shake her, the shuddering echoes of her climax continuing on. they seemed to take forever for them to die away and Gabriel continued to hold her close, murmuring softly in Spanish that Rhianna was too dazed to bring herself to understand. After what seemed to Rhianna to be a very long time, she finally unlocked her legs from around him and slid to the ground. Her body felt sated and warm and complete.

It took a long time for the world to swing back into focus. Gabriel tilted her face up with one finger beneath her chin. ‘Soon I will teach you that there is no need to be shy with me,’ he said quietly. ‘Everything will be like it once was between us. We can be together again, just as we once were...’

Chapter Eight

‘We can be together again, just as we once were..
.’

His words were like ice water, drowning the delicious aftermath of their lovemaking in a torrent of unpleasant realism.
Just as they once were?
Rhianna thought hopelessly, stricken. But things could never be the way it had been between them. Once she had been a naive idiot who’d believed that Gabriel loved her just as much as she loved him. In her heart of hearts she
knew
that he was the man for her and she had given herself to the relationship completely, burying herself in their time together, living from day to day as she waited for him to come and make her world complete again. It had been like a fairy tale. In retrospect Rhianna realized it had been
exactly
like a fairytale and she had been like a enchanted princess, dreaming high in a tower, believing in her prince.

Gabriel had destroyed all that in the space of an afternoon. Be like it once was? There could be no going back. Sensing her withdrawal, he frowned down at her. ‘Rhianna, what is it?’

‘I want to get out of the shower now,’ she told him, unable to stop the tremor in her voice.

Gabriel shook his head, frustrated. ‘Why do you continually run from me? Is it so hard for you to accept that your life now is with me?’

‘What I can’t accept is that I didn’t have any choice in the matter. I have no say in where I am going to live, what I am supposed to do.’ Rhianna informed him tightly. ‘You forced me into coming to Spain, just as you forced yourself back into my life again. And now you want to force me into bed with you when you know damn well that’s not what I wanted.’

Suddenly, it was as if a mask had fallen over Gabriel’s face, making it appear shuttered and remote. ‘What you say you want seems to have little to do with what happens, when I touch you, Rhianna. Under the circumstances I have every reason to expect to become a part of your life once more. I have a son that you have kept from me.’ he reminded her coldly, ‘A son who I did not know about for over
three
years. You expect me to just accept that? Did you think I would simply return home and continue on with my life Rhianna?’

Rhianna bit her lip, knowing that there was no argument she could offer. Everything he said was true, in its own way. But that didn’t alter the fact that she was now in the untenable position of him expecting her to resume her position of his lover without having any say in the matter whatsoever. ‘Please, Gabriel. I want to get out now.’

Gabriel shut off the shower and Rhianna opened the door, seizing a towel which she wrapped around her hastily. Once again, she was self conscious even though they’d been naked in each others arms sharing the most intimate act two people could share only a few moments before. Now, all she wanted was to cover herself, to hide away from his all too penetrating eyes.

‘Come here!’ he commanded her coolly. Rhianna stood still, staring at him. He shifted impatiently. ‘
Mi dios
, you look like a frightened child! Stop it Rhianna. I have no idea what game you think you are playing, but it is beginning to aggravate me.’

She flushed at the caustic note in his voice. Obviously he found her switches from sexually aroused hellcat to an uncertain woman in retreat to be almost as bewildering as she did but there was no way that Rhianna could explain how she felt. Why should Gabriel care if she confessed to him that she felt helpless and alone? He’d shown her once just how much disregard he had for her feelings; she could hardly expect him to show any consideration now.

‘Everything has to go your way, doesn’t it Gabriel,’ she said bitterly. ‘Just for once, why can’t you leave me alone?’

‘Because when I leave you alone you retreat from me,’ Gabriel snapped. Moving forward, he went to reach for the towel but Rhianna backed away from him, holding up a hand.

‘No! Just let me be.’

Gabriel paused, frowning at her. ‘A little late for that, wouldn’t you say? Come, Rhianna. I have no idea what kind of game you think you are playing but I assure you, it will not work. We are here, and we will be lovers.’

‘And if I don’t
want
us to be lovers?’ Rhianna demanded sharply, ‘I’m not playing any sort of game, Gabriel. You’ve come back into my life and turned it upside down. I no longer have a job -’

‘A job?’ he cut in, lip curling. ‘Is that what you called it?’

‘It’s what it was. I came here so you could get to know your son. I don’t think I’m unreasonable, wanting to organize a place for us to stay. Honestly Gabriel, I just want some time to work out what’s going on in my life and you’re not giving me the space to do so.’

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, mouth tightening. ‘And did your lovers back in Australia give you this ‘space’? Did O’Farrell allow you to dictate your terms or did he insist that you... how would you very modern Australian girls put it?... fulfill the terms of your employment?’ His tone was brutal, low and savage.

Rhianna stared at him, aghast. ‘That’s a
disgusting
thing to say. My relationship with Grady wasn’t based on... on...’

Gabriel’s lip curled in disbelief. ‘On sex? Oh please. You are living in a man’s house with your son. You are sharing the same roof with him and yet you expect me to believe that you are merely his employee? You change your story every second day, telling me whatever you think will benefit you the most. You have the face of an angel, Rhianna, and the body that would tempt any man to sin. You look at some poor fool with those clear green eyes and they believe every word you say. But I know better. I know what most women are like. They will say anything to appease and then they will betray you without a seconds hesitation.’

‘Is that your experience?’ Rhianna demanded breathlessly. ‘That women can’t be trusted? Rather a sweeping statement isn’t it?’

‘Based on my experience, yes,’ he agreed heavily.

Every word was like a splinter of ice. She hadn’t realized it back in Sydney, but Gabriel really
did
believe that she used men, despite the fact that he knew nothing of her life over the past few years. Had he always had a low opinion of women or had Ana tainted his view of the opposite sex? He shook his head and gave her a humorless smile. ‘You do not like that I speak so plainly. You would prefer to pretend that your motives are innocent, yes? But it would be easier if we can be honest with each other. I can give you a good life, a luxurious life. With me, you will want for nothing and I can give our son his heritage. There is no point in pretending that you do not want me, Rhianna. I have just proved - again - how much you do. It would be better for both of us if we made arrangements now.’

Rhianna moistened her lips. She felt sick, her head reeling from the unexpected revelation that Gabriel considered their relationship to be nothing more than some kind of business arrangement. If she did what he asked, if she cooperated, then he was prepared to be generous with her. And if she didn’t, what would he do then? Take her son from her? She spoke through lips that felt stiff. ‘I’ll get dressed in the bedroom.’

Gabriel held out a hand to stop her. ‘Stop running from me. We need to discuss this.’

‘No,’ she said sharply, holding onto the towel as if it were the one thing that stood between her and the abyss. ‘Just… leave me alone.’

Gabriel stared at her for a long moment. He was naked and wet and intensely male and she was desperate to get away from him. Her heart felt like it was breaking all over again. She needed time to pull herself together and think but his presence sent her thoughts into scattered, painful confusion. The longer he stood there the more chance there seemed that she would simply give into him, give up on her independence and her individuality and let herself surrender to whatever place in his life that he chose for her.

An unexpected reprieve came with the sound of Dylan’s voice on the other side of the bathroom door. ‘Mommy? Are you there?’

Gabriel blew out a long breath and turned to pull one of the thick white robes that the hotel provided off the back of the bathroom door. ‘I will see to him,’ he told her abruptly. ‘Get dressed Rhianna. We will discuss this later.’

It was a conversation Rhianna never wanted to have. She hastily slipped into her robe and pushed back her damp hair. She felt disoriented, almost dizzy and she sat down on the tiled step that led up to the spa and focused on her breathing, waiting for her heartbeat to slow to something like normal.

Gabriel obviously believed that she’d understood his motives for bringing her to Spain. Had she missed something along the way? Rhianna looked around her blankly, wondering why she hadn’t seen this coming. How could she have been so stupid not to have realized what he’d in mind?

Because you’re still in love with him
, Rhianna thought dully,
and there’s a part of you that still believes he’s the only man in the world...

The question was; what did she do now? Could she really spend time with a man who thought that she was only with him for his money and position, that her demands for some independence was merely a ruse to maximize what she could get out of him?

And she still had to meet his mother, a woman, Rhianna realized bitterly, who would undoubtedly share her sons views on the reasons behind Rhianna’s visit to Spain.

It took her fifteen minutes to get ready. When she emerged from the bedroom she found Gabriel was already dressed, looking devastatingly handsome in casual navy chinos and a white polo shirt. He and Dylan were sitting on the couch together, watching cartoons. The sight of those two dark heads, so close together caused a fresh jolt of pain to slice through her. As if sensing her presence, Gabriel looked around, his eyes sweeping over her, taking in the pretty cream sundress she had chosen. Obviously he approved because there was no mistaking the sudden heat in his eyes.

‘Look Dylan,’ he murmured, ‘does not your Mama look beautiful today?’

Dylan looked around, his face lighting up at the sight of his mother. Gabriel had obviously taken on the task of dressing him because Dylan was all ready to go in shorts and a t-shirt. He bounced off the couch and ran over to wrap his arms around her legs. ‘Mommy! Papa said I had to let you get dressed but you took a
long
time.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Rhianna knelt down and hugged her son. ‘Are you starving? Do you want some breakfast?’

‘I’m very hungry,’ Dylan agreed with emphasis.

Rhianna took a deep breath and looked at Gabriel. Whatever her chaotic feelings for this man, she knew she had to preserve a calm front for Dylan. ‘Would you like to eat up here or shall we go down to the restaurant?’ she asked him quietly.

‘Downstairs. Dylan might like to see a little bit of Barcelona before we leave. We’ll find a cafe on the beach front.’

They took the elevator downstairs. Dylan was in high spirits, eyes everywhere, a dozen questions tumbling out of his mouth that were barely answered before they were followed by even more. Finally Gabriel laughed and reached down to swing his son up high so that he could set him on his shoulders. ‘Do you ever stop,
pequeno hombre
? Chatter, chatter all the time.’

Dylan giggled, delighted with his position on his father’s broad shoulders. ‘Look at me Mommy.’

‘Hold on tight, little worm,’ she told him, forcing lightness into her tone. ‘Or a big bird might come and get you.’

They found a lovely cafe directly in front of the white sand of the beach and while Gabriel ordered breakfast, Rhianna helped her son take his sandals off so that he could paddle for a few moments. This early in the morning the water was still very cold and it didn’t take long before Dylan decided to give up on that pursuit and tell Rhianna that he was ready for breakfast.

When they came to sit down at the table, Gabriel leaned across to ruffle his son’s dark curls. ‘We have a little drive ahead of us but then you will see your new home. Are you looking forward to that,
mi hijo
?’

Dylan nodded. He’d picked up a slice of warm bread and was licking the butter off his fingers. ‘Will I have brothers and sisters there?’

Rhianna looked up from her coffee cup in quick surprise. Dylan still hadn’t worked out the way that babies arrived. He assumed they just appeared, in some magical way and had been pestering Rhianna for a baby brother to play with for several months now, ever since one of the children at his pre-school group had brought his baby brother in to show his playmates. A couple of weeks ago she’d thought it was cute. Now it jarred on her painfully. Dylan would undoubtedly have brothers and sisters one day, but she wouldn’t be the one to give them to him. That would be the hardest part of this whole, miserable affair. The knowledge that she was Gabriel’s ‘other’ life, the one that lived in the shadows.

Gabriel was looking at her, she realized, expression enigmatic. ‘There is no brother or sister yet,’ he told Dylan softly, ‘but who knows what the future might hold?’

Rhianna looked away, struggling with the pain that tore at her. Was he being deliberately provocative, taunting her with a future she could never have? Perhaps he truly had no idea how much it hurt her, knowing that she would never be part of the illustrious Ortega family.