The Argentinian's Solace

by Susan Stephens

‘Then go with it. How do you propose to sell the items? An auction?’

  ‘A Dutch auction,’ Maxie explained, growing in enthusiasm. ‘I’ve run one before and it was a huge success. The donated goods are displayed and people put sealed bids on anything that takes their fancy. I think we could raise a lot of money—’

  ‘You’re full of good ideas,’ Diego interrupted, ‘but when are you going to fit this one in?’

  ‘I’ll get everything sorted out before we leave for the estancia. That’s what phones are for—and the internet,’ she mocked as she glanced at his desk.

  Having made a point of telling her she could work from anywhere, he could hardly disagree. ‘Good to know you won’t be slacking while you’re here.’

  ‘Oh, don’t worry. I won’t be.’

  ‘I was joking, Maxie. There’s only one other person I know who’s as dedicated to their work as you.’ It was his turn to glance at the desk, where six monitor screens were winking.

  ‘We make a good pair—I mean …’

  ‘I know what you mean,’ he assured her as her cheeks fired up. ‘Well,’ he said, standing up and stretching, ‘I’m going to get ready.’

  ‘You haven’t said where we’re going yet.’

  ‘Just wear that dress from the market—it’s the prettiest, isn’t it?’

  ‘I’m surprised you noticed.’

  ‘I notice everything.’

  Was he joking now? she wondered as Diego’s smile made more than her cheeks heat up.

  She waited for him in the kitchen. This was just another research opportunity, right? Perhaps if she told herself that enough she would believe it …

  Nope. That didn’t work. Her heart didn’t believe it and neither did her body. And when Diego walked into the kitchen her bedazzled eyes didn’t believe it either. Just for a change he looked amazing. Close-fitting jeans and a tight-fitting top with desert boots was all it took to do that. It was the way the clothes clung to Diego’s powerful frame, Maxie decided, that made him so sexy.

  ‘Are you ready?’ he prompted, dipping his head to stare into her eyes.

  ‘Absolutely,’ she confirmed, hoping she sounded more businesslike than she felt.

  And then her phone rang.

  ‘England?’ Diego murmured as she covered the mouthpiece.

  ‘Work,’ she said. Of course it wasn’t work. She hated lying to Diego as much as she hated staring into her father’s heart-wrenchingly blank eyes, but no one was going to find Peter Parrish through her.

  Her father was ranting again. Moving out of earshot, she tried to soothe him. ‘I’m sure it will be all right. Have you taken your medicine today?’ She was whispering and trying to act as if this was a business call. ‘I see,’ she said, practically swooning with relief when a nurse rescued the phone and was able to assure her that everything was in hand.

  ‘Are you ready to go now?’ Diego asked as she ended the call.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Come on, then.’

  She glanced up to find Diego smiling faintly, but his eyes betrayed the calculation behind them. That shadow crossed her path again, and she had to reassure herself quickly that this evening was just research for work—and, anyway, what could she possibly do to upset Diego?

  She heard the music first—or rather the drum beat. Rhythmical and deep, it was unashamedly primal and had drawn people from all quarters of the city. There was no point taking the car, Diego had explained, as most of the roads were blocked off for the carnival procession. Maxie didn’t mind at all. It was fun walking with the high-spirited portenos, as the city-dwellers were known, pretending she was one of them. Take that fantasy to the next level and she could imagine they were a couple—or she might have done had there not been a yawning gap of a couple of yards between herself and Diego.

  ‘Hey,’ he said, pulling her close when they were briefly separated by a group of people.

  The fantasy was back on track, but it would have been better if Diego’s sexy vibes were heading her way, instead of him just having to grab hold of her to stop her getting lost in the crowd.

  He enjoyed holding Maxie’s hand. But he wanted more than that. He wanted to make love to her. He wanted to find out if those calm grey eyes would fire with passion as they had when she’d kissed him …

  ‘Carnival?’ she said, distracting him. ‘That’s the theme you want for the charity event?’

  ‘Hardly original,’ Diego agreed. ‘But there’s something for everyone and it works every time.’ He should be glad Maxie had pulled him back to business, but after that phone call—after all those mysterious phone calls—he wanted to drill everything out of her. Although if he pushed too hard he knew she would retreat back into her shell.

  They were entering a large square where competing groups of musicians were trying to make as much noise as they could.

  ‘Carnival can be dangerously overheated,’ he yelled in her ear, ‘so stay close to me.’

  Oh, no. She should be concentrating on how to adapt this city-sized carnival to something on a suitable scale for the Acosta event—not thinking about Diego’s minty breath on her ear.

  ‘What do you think so far, Maxie?’ he shouted above the noise.

  ‘Like I’ve only ever worked in monochrome before,’ she admitted, making a grateful return to business mode. ‘If I can capture all this—’ She gestured around.

  ‘You will,’ Diego yelled confidently, locking his strong arm even more tightly around her shoulders as they got jostled. ‘But no more business tonight—tonight is fiesta. Once a year we can forget about everything and just let go.’

  That was what she was afraid of. There was danger behind Diego’s laughing eyes, and she had too many secrets to let herself go, as he suggested. In fact it was time to move away from the danger zone. The crowd was so dense now they were locked together like lovers. Diego glanced down. Their stares met and held and it was the most natural thing on earth when he kissed her.

  There was nothing natural about it. Diego was her employer and she was here on business. Purely business, she told herself, slowly melting.

  ‘Have you seen enough?’ he murmured, nuzzling his mouth against her lips. ‘Is there some more research you feel you should do?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Do you think we’ll make it back to the apartment?’ he murmured, smiling against her mouth. ‘We can only try.’

  Locking his arm around her shoulders, Diego led her swiftly away.

  CHAPTER TEN

  THEY ran laughing into the apartment. Slamming the door behind them, Diego leaned back against it and dragged her into his arms. ‘I’ve wanted this since the first moment we met …’

  ‘Liar.’ Locking her hands behind Diego’s neck, she threw up a challenging stare. ‘I haven’t forgotten your face when you stood on the dock watching me berth that boat.’

  ‘Will I ever forget?’

  ‘Brute!’

  ‘Sloppy sailor.’

  ‘Savage.’

  Diego stopped her talking with a kiss. ‘I should have done that a long time ago,’ he said, swinging her into his arms.

  Carrying her into the bedroom, he kicked the door shut behind them and lowered her to the ground in front of him. She held her breath as he slowly slid the shoestring straps of her dress from her shoulders, never once taking his eyes from her. The sliver of silk fell to the floor, revealing the racy lingerie Diego had chosen for her in all its insubstantial glory.

  ‘Very nice,’ he murmured approvingly.

  ‘I’m glad you like it,’ she said, realising that Diego gave her confidence as he dropped kisses on her shoulders and on her neck, and made her shiver with desire when he whispered outrageous things in her ear. He made her laugh until she cried and begged him for more. ‘You’d better not stop this time,’ she warned, teasing his bottom lip with her teeth.

  ‘You’re very forward, Señorita Parrish …’

  Yes, she was—incredibly. Maybe because something deep deep down told her thi
s was going to be different. Because Diego was different. She had waited a long time for this and she wasn’t about to play the shrinking violet.

  ‘You’re overdressed,’ she said, shivering with nerves and anticipation.

  Diego had no inhibitions, and tugged off his top without a word.

  ‘Shameless,’ she whispered, filling her eyes with his incredible form as she trembled with sexual excitement. He was so big. And those sexy tattoos … ‘Your belt?’ she prompted.

  ‘Whatever you say …’ Releasing it, he let it hang. Undoing his jeans, he dropped them and kicked them away. ‘Boots?’ he suggested.

  ‘Not a bad idea,’ she agreed, loving the fact they shared the same humour.

  ‘We made it to the apartment,’ he commented. ‘What are our chances of making it to the bed?’

  That was clearly not a serious question as Diego didn’t wait for her to answer. Swinging her into his arms, he carried her over to the bed and set her down gently on top of it. Stretching out beside her, he made her pulse rage out of control. His earring flashed in a beam of light stolen from the hallway, and as she stared into his sleepy black tiger eyes he seemed more a creature of the night than ever. The width of his shoulders was deliciously intimidating. The power and promise in his muscular, deeply tanned body stormed her brain with erotic thoughts. By the time he took hold of her in a grip so light she could have broken free at any time she was on fire for him, but Diego made no move to drag her close. He was waiting for her to come to him, she realised when she read his eyes. That was the deal. That was Diego’s deal.

  He had never wanted a woman more, and had to smile when Maxie, in her typical up-front way, felt she had to explain to him that her experience in the bedroom was below average, but not non-existent.

  ‘Thank you for being so frank with me,’ he said, adopting the same serious tone, though he couldn’t quite keep the smile from tugging at his lips.

  ‘Are you disappointed with me?’ she said, moving restlessly in his arms.

  ‘Disappointed about what?’ he asked, brushing his lips across her mouth when he wasn’t teasing her lips with his tongue.

  ‘That I’m not a virgin and I’m not an expert either?’

  ‘Let me think,’ he replied. ‘Hmm. No. I just want to kiss you again.’

  ‘This isn’t fair,’ she complained when he released her. ‘I know nothing about your experience. Okay,’ she said quickly, ‘I don’t want to know.’

  He kissed her again. Over and over. He was hungry, but he held back, knowing Maxie had been disappointed in the past and probably expected the worst now. Everything was by the book for Maxie, and she had been reading too conservatively. It made him more determined than ever that she was going to remember tonight for all the right reasons.

  She had never imagined Diego could be so gentle, so caring, or so controlled, or that his murmured promises could both reassure and excite her. They had run into the apartment like two storm fronts meeting, but this was better, she realised as he slowly undressed her.

  ‘Patience,’ he murmured, working some magic with his hands when she angled her body to show how much she wanted him.

  ‘Don’t make me wait too long,’ she warned shakily as Diego kissed a leisurely path across her neck and on over her chest. His hands knew just where to touch, and promised more pleasure than she had ever known. Closing her eyes, she indulged herself by exploring Diego’s extraordinary physique, but when she felt the size of his erection pressing against her she sucked in a nervous breath.

  ‘Relax’ he murmured, adding some more suggestions to excite her.

  ‘Is that even possible?’

  ‘Why don’t we find out?’ he said with a kiss.

  She parted her lips under the pressure of his tongue, and as Diego’s kisses grew more heated so her own hungry demands grew. He suckled her nipples through the cobweb-fine lace of her bra then, opening the catch, he pulled it off and tossed it aside. Breath shivered out of her as he made a light pass with his stubble-blackened chin across the sensitive peaks, and he drew another soft moan of need when he moved his attentions to her belly. She was trembling uncontrollably now, but Diego continued teasing and stroking as she writhed helplessly beneath him.

  It wasn’t until his fingers found the most needy part of her that she went still. She wasn’t going to move a muscle to distract her mind from the most amazing sensation she had ever known, and as if knowing this Diego held her firmly in place, forcing her to enjoy everything he wanted to do to her. It was a relief when he stripped her flimsy thong away, and when he pressed her thighs wide she doubted she would survive the pleasure. But she was going to have the best time ever struggling for survival, she realised when Diego buried his face deep.

  She hadn’t expected such a big man to be capable of such finesse, or to be so intuitive, Maxie realised. Had she really thought Diego would be too strong for her—too big, too quick, too passionate, too frighteningly intense? He was the most skilful lover. He didn’t make her feel as if she was in a race, but gave her all the time in the world to lie back and drown in pleasure. He was wholly … rhythmically … dependably … focussed on satisfying her most outrageous desires.

  Too much so, she realised suddenly with alarm, realising she couldn’t hold on.

  When Maxie fell she fell big, Diego realised as her hips worked furiously beneath his hands. He made sure she enjoyed every moment, and when she quietened he held her in his arms until she was calm again, kissing and stroking her as he soothed her. When she could focus on his face she laughed—softly, sexily. It was the most intimate moment he could remember sharing with anyone, and he couldn’t have anticipated the rush of emotion he felt when he gathered her in his arms. Just for once he was going to let the name Parrish mean something good to him. How could he not, when Maxie had done so much for him? This woman hadn’t just healed his leg she had given him his life back. He laughed softly when she wanted more, and whispered some more suggestions to make her gasp.

  ‘Please,’ she whispered urgently.

  He had never experienced this level of feeling before, he realised as he protected them both. Maxie was swollen and moist and ready for him, but still he took her gently, testing and teasing by withdrawing completely after giving her just the tip. Predictably, she told him off for that. She couldn’t know it was taking all he’d got to hold back. And she wouldn’t know, he determined as he pressed her knees back. Sinking into her silky, welcoming warmth, he knew he was stretching her, and so he caressed her delicately and rhythmically, both to reassure and to please her all the more. ‘Yes?’ he murmured.

  ‘Yes,’ she groaned, pressing her thighs open for him.

  The only reward he wanted was to see pleasure in her eyes. She didn’t disappoint. He kept her suspended on a plateau with only one way down, and a single word was all it took. ‘Now,’ he murmured against her mouth. Exclaiming with relief, she stabbed her fingers into his buttocks and drove him on, until violent spasms claimed her and left her gasping in their wake.

  She slept in his arms, and when she stirred he couldn’t have been more surprised as she reached for him. ‘You’ve been having things far too much your own way,’ she complained groggily, with barely enough strength to open her eyes.

  ‘Explain,’ he whispered, dropping kisses on her face as he stroked her hair.

  ‘I think you need putting in your place, señor.’

  ‘Please,’ he said wryly, resting back when she moved over him. And now it was his turn to suck in a ragged breath as Maxie began to kiss her way down his chest and on across the banded muscles of his belly. It wasn’t often his muscles trembled like this, but when her sharp teeth nipped at him and her hot tongue worked with such purpose he realised Maxie had taken to lovemaking with the same enthusiasm she showed in every other area of her life.

  ‘Why are you laughing?’ she demanded, lifting her head.

  ‘I’m enjoying myself.’

  ‘The feeling’s mutual,’ she assured him. �
�What?’ she said when his expression changed.

  ‘You,’ he admitted. Reaching up, he swung her beneath him. ‘I like being with you.’

  ‘I like being with you too.’

  He laughed. They were both so guarded they deserved each other. He kissed her again, and that kiss deepened into something that bound them. Moving over her, he took her slowly and with more care than ever. He was so much bigger than she was, brutish after years of training, while Maxie was small, and for all her bravado vulnerable, and the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt or frighten her in any way.

  She felt so safe with Diego, even when their hunger for each other burned white-hot. It pleased her to pleasure him, and when he groaned and threw his head back she teased him with feather touches that made him exclaim with pleasure. When she mounted him and eased herself steadily down it was the most natural thing in the world to move her hips languorously back and forth.

  You don’t need lessons for this, she thought wryly when Diego suggested, ‘More?’

  ‘Oh, yes, I think so,’ she agreed, as his strong hands took control of her buttocks.

  Neither of them could hold on, and the ending left them both exclaiming with surprise.

  When she was calm again Diego drew her into his arms. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her in a way that made her eyes sting. The passion between them couldn’t have been hotter, or his kisses more cherishing as she fell asleep.

  He watched over her as she slept. Her dark hair was spread like a smoky cloud across his pillows, while her eyelashes created crescent shadows on the flawless bloom of her cheeks. He wanted to kiss her slightly parted lips, but he didn’t want to wake her. She was breathing steadily and sighing from time to time, as if she had never been more content. He could stare at her all night. It was hard to believe he could fall so completely for a woman about whom he knew practically nothing!

  What if …?

  He moved his head from side to side on the pillow, as if that could dislodge the doubts. Maxie couldn’t be part of that terrible time. It was unthinkable that he could be lying here with the daughter of the man who had caused the death of his closest friend …