Next to her plate, Maggie’s fingers pressed into the table. She relaxed them when Ricardo tucked his fingers underneath and lifted her hand toward him. He put his other hand on top of hers and shifted his body so he was facing her.
He looked into her eyes. “My brother will do whatever it takes to get what he wants.” He paused. His eyes bore into hers like laser beams, but they were kind. It was almost as if he was warning her. “Do you understand what I mean?”
“Was he responsible for the shooting the night of the party?”
Ricardo sighed. “He has angered the wrong people more than once. It’s not how I want to do business.” He dropped Maggie’s hand and rubbed his forehead. “He thinks the FARC can protect us.” He looked out over the balcony, a pained expression on his face.
Maggie’s chest tightened as a twinge of guilt hit her. She placed her hand on Ricardo’s thigh and he turned his attention back to her.
“You disagree?”
“This is not the life I saw myself living. The violence and the killing, it’s not my way.” He averted his gaze, and Maggie’s heart ached for him. She’d tortured the poor man long enough.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Will you show me the rest of the house?”
“Of course. Let me tell Consuella we’d like dessert in my room, and we can end the tour there.” His demeanour instantly improved, and he kissed Maggie on the cheek before leaving to talk to Consuella. How could she let this poor man think she was someone else? Especially if he was falling for her the way she found herself falling for him.
Chapter 19
Ricardo had mentioned the cartel’s involvement with the FARC, but if they were simply protecting the cartel like they had the night of the party, that wasn’t enough to make an arrest. She needed proof the Ceibas were influencing the FARC’s actions. Correction, she needed evidence that Carlos was influencing the FARC. Ricardo clearly didn’t approve, but if Carlos was using cartel money to exert his influence that would be bad for Ricardo since they appeared to operate the cartel as partners.
As they started their tour of the mansion, they said goodnight to Consuella. Maggie thanked her for the wonderful dinner. She was sure it was all in her head, because Val had told her Consuella would keep her secret, but something about the way Consuella looked at her made her uneasy. She was relieved Consuella was heading back to the cottage for the night.
The piano music still played from the great room and Maggie wondered if the CD had been on repeat this whole time. They saw Consuella out then Ricardo locked the door behind her.
“Alone, at last.” He pulled her close and passionately kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed as she pressed against his body.
He suddenly pulled away from her and grabbed her hand. “I know where to start our tour.” He led her to the stereo where he turned up the music on the way by, then they were out the glass doors and onto the stone patio.
In front of them was the lush jungle, where the shooting had come from the night of the party, but Ricardo led her to the right. A six-foot wooden gate blocked their path. Ricardo pushed it open with such gusto Maggie thought it might come right off the hinges.
“Care for a swim?”
He left the gate open as he stepped closer to the pool. It was a simple lap pool—no diving board—but the turquoise water took Maggie’s breath away. Sand-colored paving stones edged up to the pool and the relaxing sounds of a water feature along the far wall threatened to overtake the piano music coming from inside.
The sun had already set by the time Maggie had arrived for dinner, but the lights around the pool were all they needed. Of course, she wasn’t planning on swimming any laps.
Ricardo unbuttoned his short-sleeved shirt, took it off, and placed it on a lounge chair nearby. Two towels were neatly folded on the chair as if he’d planned this the whole time.
She bit her lip as he pulled her close. Her whole body tingled when he kissed her neck and slowly worked his way to her lips. She closed her eyes and savored every moment. When he pulled her top over her head, she thanked God she hadn’t worn a wire. Did the bug on the balcony have enough range that the team in the apartment would hear them? She pushed the thought out of her head. At this point, she didn’t care.
Ricardo lightly caressed her shoulder and she dragged her fingers down his jaw line, his dark five o’clock shadow rough to her touch.
As he tugged off his pants, she reached behind her back and undid her bra, shaking it off and letting it fall to the ground at the same time as Ricardo’s pants. To her surprise, he wasn’t wearing underwear.
“Ay,” said Ricardo, running a hand along her hip. She placed his hand on her breast, letting him know she wanted him to touch all of her. He trailed a finger along the side of her nipple, causing it to double in size.
She let her head fall back and stretched her arms out, and he pulled her close. The hard bulge of his erection pressed into her hip as they kissed again. Her groin throbbed, and she paused to take off her skirt. Ricardo strolled to the pool then sat on the stonework, dangling his legs in the water.
He cringed. “Wow. That’s a little cold.”
Maggie laughed. Instead of joining him at the edge of the pool, she slipped her naked body into the waist-high water and stood in front of him. She took a deep breath as her body adjusted to the cool temperature of the water, then placed her hands on his thighs. He tilted her chin upward with his fingertip and bent his head to press his lips to hers. They were full and soft, and Maggie forgot all about the cold water.
He slid into the water between her and the pool’s edge, and she pressed into him, yearning for his hard body.
“Come on,” he said, suddenly breaking their kiss. He pushed off the wall and glided through the water, raising his eyebrows, urging her to follow. She couldn’t very well tell him she’d never really liked swimming. That was Maggie, not Magda. Reluctantly, she pushed off the pool wall with both feet and sailed toward the center of the pool, arms outstretched and head above the water.
Ricardo paused in the center of the pool, waiting for her to catch up to him. The water almost covered his shoulders. Maggie tried to touch the bottom, but her mouth dipped under, and Ricardo pulled her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he cupped her ass with one hand and slid an arm up her back.
Her breath caught as she looked into his eyes. They were so warm and kind. Was it all an illusion? He didn’t seem like a deadly drug lord.
“Magda? Everything okay?” He touched his nose gently to hers.
“It’s better than okay.”
“Would you like that tour now?”
“There’s really only one room I’d like to see.” She squeezed her legs tightly around him, her arms around his neck as she leaned in for another kiss and his shaft pressed firmly against her.
Chapter 20
Maggie lay on Ricardo’s bed—wrapped in a towel Ricardo had given her when they’d gotten out of the pool—as she watched him light candles around the room. The piano music still played on the stereo downstairs, barely audible. Two glass bowls that appeared to be some sort of pudding, sat on Ricardo’s dresser. That wasn’t the kind of dessert she was interested in right now.
An abrupt realization threatened to ruin the mood—this was the room where she’d planted the bug.
She sat up and faked a cough then cleared her throat.
“Are you all right?”
She shook her head. “I think something’s stuck in my throat.”
“Let me get you some water.” He dropped the match he’d used to light the last candle in the wastebasket in the ensuite, and for a second, she feared he had a glass in the bathroom. “I’ll be right back,” he said, leaving the bedroom.
She scrambled to her feet, clutching the towel around her. The listening device was easy enough to remove from the palm plant where she’d left it, and she tossed it out the window, hoping it landed far enough away that Williams and Garcia would have nothing but d
ead air to listen to for the rest of the night.
She glanced at the top of the windows, hoping for a mechanism to draw the blinds. Some sort of aluminum roll-down shutters were mounted above the windows, but she couldn’t tell how to use them, and she didn’t want to risk being near the window when Ricardo returned.
Just as she’d made herself comfortable on the bed, Ricardo strolled in carrying a glass of ice water in each hand. He handed one to her and took a sip of the other then set it down.
“Thank you.” She took a small mouthful then placed the glass on the nightstand next to Ricardo’s.
Ricardo sat next to her on the bed. He stroked her shoulder then lightly kissed her neck. “Are you sure about this?”
Her muscles twitched in response. “Yes, I’m sure.”
A wide smile spread across his face and he leaned in but stopped suddenly. He put his hand on her thigh then stood abruptly. He held up a finger as if to say, “One minute” then went into the ensuite.
Maggie removed her towel and tossed it on the floor. When he returned, he held up a condom then placed it on the nightstand. For a moment, he just stood, staring at Maggie and the glow from the candlelight reflected off his bronze skin. When he removed his towel, it was obvious he was just as turned on as Maggie, and she slipped under the covers, then held them up, inviting Ricardo to join her under them.
Her body immediately heated under Ricardo’s touch as they lay on their sides, facing each other.
They explored each other’s mouths for a few minutes then Maggie pulled away, no longer able to resist his perfect body. She broke the kiss then glanced at the condom. “You should probably put that on now.” She was already wet and ready for him.
He rolled over and quickly opened and applied the condom then turned over to face her again. She shifted as close as she could get and draped an arm over his side, pressing a hand against his back. He kissed her deeply, exploring her mouth with his tongue, and she pressed her crotch against his hard cock.
“Mmm.” She let out a slow breath. Slow down, Maggie. Ricardo pressed his hips into her. “Ah.” It had been way too long. He massaged her breast then smoothed his hand down her hip and onto her thigh. When he reached her knee, he used his hand to place her leg over his, creating an opening for him to slide into.
Maggie pressed down on his length, enjoying the heat where it filled her. She pressed on his back with her hand as she used her leg to gain leverage and pump her hips as Ricardo thrust deeper into her.
“Ay, Maggie,” he whispered breathlessly into their kiss. She paused briefly then realized she must have been hearing things. There’s no way he could know her real name. Was there? Unless Consuella had betrayed her. No . . . she wouldn’t. It was probably just another one of his nicknames for her.
She used her body weight to push Ricardo onto his back while they remained locked at the hips. Once on top, she arched her back, wanting to feel him as deeply as possible.
“Ricardo.” He opened his eyes and looked into hers as they continued to thrust deeply together. She trailed both hands down his chest, then they locked hands, and she placed them on the bed, above Ricardo’s head as she lowered her face to his, sealing their lips again. They moved perfectly in sync. As she thrust harder, so did Ricardo. She was ready to let go.
“Oh, God,” she whispered as she broke the kiss. There were so many things she wanted to do to him, but she could feel her release rising to the surface.
“You’re so beautiful.” He ran his hand through her hair then thrust harder and faster into her, and she matched his pace and power thrust for thrust.
She couldn’t contain herself any longer. Her entire body exploded in a wave of warm ecstasy. “Ricardo. Oh, God.” She pushed harder against him, wanting him to feel the same release she had. He moaned, as if he was close to coming. “Yes,” she whispered. “Let go.”
He thrust into her then squeezed her tight, moaning her name again. This time it was clear . . . he’d said her real name.
Chapter 21
Garcia lifted the binoculars to his eyes, not believing what he’d seen through the telescope. He trained them on Ricardo’s room and watched as Ricardo gently kissed the woman in his bed, then strolled naked out of the room, sipping water from a glass as he went.
The woman rolled over, so she was facing Garcia. What the? Her eyes flicked open as if she’d suddenly realized he and Williams would be watching her. She rolled back the other way, wrapping herself in the sheet then disappeared behind the edge of the bed.
“Christ, Mags. What the hell are you doing?” A sour taste rose in the back of his throat.
“What’s going on, Garcia?” Williams asked, as he wandered onto the balcony and eased up to the telescope.
“Maggie’s gone too far. She’s going to get herself killed.”
“Relax. She’s a big girl. Didn’t she tell us as much?” Williams still had his face to the telescope.
Garcia nodded and put the binoculars down. Maggie was clearly hiding from him now, anyway.
“Is it time the driver arrived to take Miss Sanchez back to the airport?” Williams plunked his black cowboy hat on his head.
“Sounds about right.”
Williams chuckled. “You jealous?”
Garcia gave him the evil eye. “Just worried.”
The apartment door slammed as Williams walked back inside.
“What’s going on?” Morales asked, heading to the balcony. Williams stepped in his path, blocking his way.
“I wouldn’t if I were you. I’m going to get her now.” He held up the keys to the SUV.
Morales pushed past him, apparently determined to find out what was going on. Williams whipped around and glared at his backside. Morales gripped the telescope and placed his face in front of the eyepiece.
Although Garcia hadn’t spotted Maggie again since she’d ducked down behind the bed, Morales must have seen something else he didn’t like. He stormed back into the apartment and put on the headphones attached to the listening device. For a moment, he seemed to be concentrating, then he ripped off the headphones.
“What the hell does she think she’s doing?” He must not have heard anything otherwise he would know what she was doing.
Williams held up his hands as if to say, “Don’t look at me,” and Garcia stepped inside from the balcony.
“She told you yesterday. She was going to get some action on this deal.”
Williams snickered. “She got some action all right.”
“You know what I mean,” continued Garcia, rolling his eyes. “McKay’s expecting a progress report. She was planning to use her womanly charms to get Ricardo to admit the FARC is on the cartel's payroll.”
Morales’s lips tightened and he looked as though steam would come out his ears any minute. “She’s going to get us all killed,” he said. “Give me the keys. If you two won’t talk some sense into her, I will.”
Garcia’s hands clenched into fists. He didn’t like Morales’s tone. Was Maggie right about him wanting the DEA guys to credit for busting the cartel? Couldn’t they find an amicable way to work together?
Maggie and Ricardo stood in the entryway of the Ceiba mansion with their arms wrapped around each other, kissing passionately. She’d hoped to be gone before Ricardo woke, but she hadn’t slept so well in months.
Ricardo pulled away from Maggie. “I wish you could stay longer.”
“I know.” She broke their connection and looked over Ricardo’s shoulder as guilt tightened her stomach. “We’ll be together again soon. Talk to your brother and I’ll talk to mine. We’re ready to move forward with the deal.”
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Soon, Maggie. I’ll see you again soon.” He dipped his head and the way he looked at her told her he had used Maggie instead of Magda on purpose. But why? Did he know her true identity? Something wasn't right. She dropped his hand and rushed to the black SUV that waited on the road at the end of the walkway, leaving Ricardo
staring after her.
Last night meant more to her than getting information from him. Her attraction to Ricardo was strong, but she was also developing real feelings for him. Had he been playing her just as hard as she’d been playing him?
She yanked on the door handle, hopping into the back seat as usual.
“Did you have a nice night?” The voice dripped with sarcasm.
She was about to tell Williams to go screw himself, but it wasn't Williams. It was Morales.
“What are you doing here?”
Morales stomped on the gas, and the SUV jerked away from the mansion, squealing its tires, and causing Maggie to lurch backward against the seat.
“Is there a fire somewhere I don’t know about?” she snapped. “Jesus.”
Morales revved the engine again, and the SUV sped away in the opposite direction of the apartment.
“I told you I was handling this, and you have to go off and have an affair with this . . .” He wiped the sweat off his forehead and let out a huff. “This criminal,” he continued. “What is wrong with you?”
“I’m just doing my job,” she bit back. But it was more than that. She’d gone way beyond doing a job, and she knew it. “McKay said he wanted us to get things moving, so that’s what I did.”
“I don’t think he had something quite so literal in mind.”
Maggie crossed her arms in the back seat and glared into the rearview. It was none of his business how she got the job done. The point was, she was getting it done. Unlike him and his DEA agents. “Whatever. We can call McKay with an update when we get back to the apartment.”
Morales turned on the radio and salsa sounds filled the SUV. As Maggie glanced out the window, the road narrowed, and the greenery from the ditch encroached the dirt where they drove. These outskirts of the city weren’t familiar to her.
“Where are we going, anyway?”
Morales cranked the volume, ignoring her question.
“Fine. I don’t want to talk to you either, but McKay will be hearing about this.”
Maggie's Mark (Ceiba Cartel Book 1) Page 8
