Valaquez Bride (28 page)

A hot longing ache quickened deep within Juliet until she
was alive with sensation and the feel of smooth warm skin, roughened
only by fine dark hair, beneath her fingers urged her to tentatively
explore his body too. Her trembling hand slipped around to brush down
his lean hard sides, then moved around to his back. And almost of their
own volition, her fingertips slid beneath the waistband of his trousers.

He groaned softly. Firm lips, no longer capable of
gentleness, plundered the parted softness of hers. Yet the hand that
alternately played over first one swollen breast, then the other,
conveyed incredible tenderness. A shuddering sigh escaped her. Her head
fell back against the muscular arm that supported her shoulders and as
Raul nibbled the silken skin of her creamy neck, he removed both
peignoir and gown completely. The cool air of the room bathed her bare
skin and she shook violently, though not from cold, as Raul lifted his
head to gaze down at the slight, curvaceous body he would soon possess
completely. His eyes devoured her, sweeping hungrily over skin so
smooth it shimmered opalescently like fine satin in the soft glow of
lamplight. His hand trailed over the rounded swell of breasts to the
incurve of waist, then spread possessively across her abdomen and
despite her sharply drawn breath, his fingers traced downward to close
around one upper thigh, the heel of his hand brushing lightly against
an exquisite inviting warmth.

"Beautiful," he whispered hoarsely, his gaze seeking her
face, the undeniable intent in his eyes impaling the softly shy
luminosity of hers. "Juliet,
amada
, I can't wait
any longer."

With breathtaking ease, he stood with her in his arms,
strode the few feet to the wide bed, and put her down gently on the
cool satin sheet. As a very natural fear of the unknown was reborn in
her, she pulled the covers up and held them tightly beneath her chin.
Recalling the glimpses of nearly uncontrollable passion she had seen in
him other times, she felt her heart begin to thud so violently she was
sure he must hear it. But if he did, it didn't deter him and as he
undressed quickly, she was unable to look away from him. His own skin
gleamed like bronze in the soft light and despite the slight
apprehension she felt, she longed to touch him.

Yet, an agonizing shyness swept over her as he started to
pull back the sheet that covered her. "The lamp," she whispered
tremulously. "Y-you left it on."

He simply smiled. Reaching down, he gently pried open the
small fingers that gripped the sheet, drew it back, and came down onto
the bed beside her. Turning onto his side, he drew her to him, close
against his naked strength and as she compulsively burrowed her hot
face into the hollow of his shoulder and her lips grazed his skin, his
hands on her hips arched her against him. The evidence of his
intolerable desire for her surged rigidly against the sensitized skin
of her abdomen, both fascinating her and frightening her. She made a
soft sound that was almost a whimper.

"Please don't hurt me," she said almost inaudibly against
his throat. "I… You're wrong about Benny and me. We
never—I've never…"

"God, don't you think I know that by now?" he muttered
roughly, holding her slightly away from him to gaze lovingly into her
eyes. "Juliet, I was stupid for a while but I'm not completely
insensitive. I realized what an innocent you are that day in your room
at Will's house." He shook his head admonishingly. "I'll never
deliberately hurt you; you must know that. I love you. Let me show you
how much."

"I want you to," she confessed, a smile trembling on her
lips. "I'm sorry I'm so silly."

"
Inocente niña
," he whispered
huskily. Pressing the side of his thumb against her chin, he tugged her
mouth open slightly and lowered his dark head. His tongue probed the
tender veined flesh of her inner lower lip, then his mouth covered
hers, insistently but with a gentleness that stilled all her remaining
fears. Bestowing intimate caresses on her bare body, he swept her up in
a world of sensual delight that she had never known existed and she
became pliant and utterly yielding as the masculine heaviness of his
long body impelled her down against the softness of the mattress.

"You're exquisite," he said softly, holding her bemused
gaze as his hard knee parted her legs. "Don't go all tense on me," he
instructed coaxingly. "Try to stay relaxed." And as his hands slid
beneath her hips to arch her against him, his mouth covered hers,
capturing her first soft surprised gasp as their bodies merged. He took
her slowly, tenderly, until at last when she was his completely, he was
still, raising his head to smile down at her. "Finally, you're really
mine; you belong to me."

"I always did," she uttered weakly, her entire being
throbbing with quickening desire at his filling invasion of her
innocence. Her parted lips sought his eagerly as he wound her hair
around one hand. She abandoned herself to the ever-increasing pleasure
he created inside her with each slow rousing stroke of his hard body.

He was infinitely patient, holding tight rein on his own
desires in his quest to heighten hers to feverish intensity. He
conquered all her inhibitions and swept her along in a tide of delight
so devastating that she cried out softly as piercing ecstasy rippled in
hot waves inside her. "Raul, oh, I love you," she gasped, her fingers
pressing into the muscular contours of his broad back as she strained
against him. The rippling waves receded, weakening and warming her with
a fulfillment that far surpassed any of the virginal expectations she
had ever had about lovemaking. The emotional rapture of finally being
his equaled the keen physical satisfaction he had given her. She
pressed her lips against his brown neck, inhaling fresh lime scent of
him as he sought his own satisfaction with a compelling urgency that
made her arch against him and find even more joy in the giving.

Much later, Juliet smiled up at Raul with drowsy,
contented eyes as he sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. Her
hand stroked over the terry fabric of the sleeve of his navy robe, then
she sat up against the pillow, the rumpled sheet draped across her bare
breasts. As Raul took a sip of champagne from the glass they were
sharing, his eyes glimmered teasingly at her over the rim. "Just as I
suspected," he murmured lovingly. "There's a passion in you that
matches that fiery hair and those beautiful tigress eyes."

"A passion for you," she whispered, playing with the lean
brown fingers spread possessively across her flat abdomen. "Only for
you, Raul."

Nodding, he leaned down to press a lingering kiss against
soft slightly parted lips then sat up straight again to smile at her.
"You have an ally. Did you know? Tonight, Abuela very discreetly
reminded me that you were a very sensitive inexperienced girl and that
I should take great care not to frighten you tonight." His gaze
narrowed, roaming over her intently. "I didn't frighten you, did I,
Juliet? Being a Valaquez bride isn't quite as bad as you thought it
would be, is it?"

"It's fantastic," she confessed, blushing only slightly
when he laughed. "Of course I don't think I would have enjoyed it at
all if I had become Pablo's bride, which is what I thought you wanted
me to be last year. If I'd known you felt anything for me, I never
would have left with Benny."

"Benny," Raul muttered, shaking his head and smiling
rather sheepishly. "If he knew how I longed to murder him when I
thought the two of you… Well, suffice it to say I can be a
very jealous man. As far as I'm concerned, Pablo had better not even
talk to you ever again if I'm not with you."

"You don't really mean that?" Juliet exclaimed softly. "Do
you?"

"No, not really," Raul conceded. "But maybe I can say that
because Pablo only had eyes for Margarita at the wedding supper this
evening. Hopefully, he realizes you belong to me now and that I'll be a
very possessive husband."

"Good. I like your possessiveness," she answered huskily,
leaning forward to drape her slender arms around his shoulders. "Just
don't lose interest in me. That I couldn't stand."

"You have nothing to worry about." As the sheet that had
covered her fell down around her waist, baring her breasts, his eyes
darkened. He put the champagne glass on the bedside table and,
whispering her name, reached out to trace small circles around the
tender roseate peaks. As she lifted her face, inviting his kiss, he
gathered her to him and lowered her to the bed again. "
Te
quiero
, Juliet," he said softly, teasing her lips.

"And I love you, Raul; I always will," she whispered back.
And she surrendered with a contented murmur of pleasure as he proceeded
to demonstrate once again exactly what being a Valaquez bride meant.