‘Trust me, it’s built primarily for security. It’s really very comfortable.’
Trust him? She wasn’t sure she was quite ready for that. Momentarily paralyzed, she stood helplessly gazing down at the machine.
Ruy sighed and rolled his eyes upwards. ‘Come on, Luna, we can’t stand here all night. Do you really want to spend it in a gypsy camp?’
When she didn’t move, and without giving her time to protest, he suddenly lifted her up and sat her on the back seat of the motorcycle. Then he straddled it himself.
‘Hold me tightly around the waist,’ he commanded. ‘The tighter you hold, the less chance you have of falling off.’ He had put on his doctor’s tone and sounded brisk and authoritative. She had heard him speak like that whenever a junior argued with him. At this point, she knew better than to cross swords and meekly fell into line.
Her pulse seemed to race out of control when she put her arms around him, her heart pounding as she pressed herself against his muscled back. Her hands rested at the base of his stomach, heralding the first swirling of physical arousal that could be heading in only one direction. She dared not move her fingers in case they slipped unintentionally over that part of him that had intrigued and fascinated her ever since the day on the beach when she had seen it outlined against his tight compression shorts, which, incidentally, had not compressed anything – the reverse if anything: the imprint had been quite flagrant. He was a potent, virile man, whom she was sure had found no difficulty in satisfying the hunger of the army of starving women that had graced his bed.
Her body was getting tenser by the minute. The cool night air caressed her burning skin, creeping under her cotton top and caressing her bare thighs. A shiver of excitement slid through her.
With only the moon to guide them, the motorbike roared through the darkness. The jealous moon, Luna thought, recalling the gypsy’s words. At one point the bike bounced over a bump in the road, jerking her forward against him and making her linked hands slide down, almost skimming the top of his crotch. The powerful shudder that ran through him sent a current up her body; he stiffened as the tips of her fingers brushed his throbbing bulk, and through his jeans she could feel him hard with desire. The awareness of his need sent her senses wild, stimulating her imagination and provoking the inevitable.
She closed her eyes. The seat she was straddling was hard; it rubbed against her, the vibrations of the engine shooting through her middle, stimulating the core of her desire. Despite herself, she tightened her embrace and pressed herself against him. Luna could feel his longing for her growing, pushing hard against his denims. She envisaged herself unzipping his jeans to relieve his agony, holding his hot virility and placing it just there …
The machine ground to a halt, jerking her back down to earth, and she opened her eyes, smothering a throaty sob as she realized once more she had been the victim of her fantasy. She was trembling; the coil deep in her loins was painful, her thoughts were jumbled.
Ruy turned a fraction. ‘Where are you parked? he asked, without taking off his helmet.
‘In a little side street, off Calle Ancha in the old town,’ she whispered, almost inaudibly. Had he been aware of what had happened to her? She knew he wanted her just as much; that, at least, had not been an illusion: bodies didn’t lie. Maybe he had been dreaming too of … The need for him was still pulsing dangerously under her skin; she swallowed back her agony. She could see her car; they had arrived.
‘We’re here,’ she said, trying to sound normal, but wishing they still had a long way to go.
He parked the motorcycle on the side of the deserted narrow street. Not a soul in sight. Shutters were closed. The moon threw silvery beams on to the whitewashed walls of the buildings, creating an eerie atmosphere of light and shadow.
The engine stopped and Ruy got down from the motorcycle before helping Luna off. He removed his helmet. ‘Was it so bad?’ he asked, searching her face, his gaze running over it, judging her mood.
She shook her head, unfastened her helmet and gave it to him, evading his brooding stare.
He clenched his hands into fists against his sides as though to stop himself from reaching out and pulling her against him.
Their gazes clashed. Her eyes were bright and provocative as she felt a faint shiver run through her, completely intoxicated by his closeness. He looked at her with such passion that her own desire leapt up to meet his. They moved closer as if in a dream. Something tripped inside her; more confusion flooded her mind. She faltered and he was quick, so quick he did not give her a chance to rebuff him.
He drew her against him, squeezing her so close it left her breathless. Then he tilted his head towards her, running his thumb over her sensitive lips and, as he felt them quiver under his touch, he very gently took her mouth with his.
‘You taste so sweet, so good,’ he whispered as he moved to her eyelids, down to her cheekbones and to her throat. Her curves, soft and yielding, were moulding into his hardness.
They were swept along by a force stronger than themselves and could not help it. Stirred by the hunger that had consumed them for days, a hunger increased by delay and the romance of the moon in the velvety sky, passion was finding a way out. They became a part of the beautiful silver night – aware only of themselves, loving and kissing, wrapped in each other’s arms in a world of their own.
He slipped his hands under her blouse. The searing heat of his palms when they found her breasts made her cry out his name, begging for release. ‘Make love to me, Ruy,’ she pleaded, blood burning like fire in her veins.
Her words made him groan low in his throat. His head dipped further down, and using his hands, his lips and his tongue he massaged and licked and nibbled at the pink aureoles around her nipples, until the twin peaks were hard as little rocks and she was moaning her pleasure aloud, urging him on, yearning for the fulfilment he could bring her.
Then he hesitated. Looking swiftly around him, making sure there was no one about, he dropped to his knees, pulled up her skirt, and in one swift gesture peeled off her panties.
Luna knew she should pull away, stop him in his tracks, but longing, passion and need alienated her will and all rationality was thrown to the wind. She leaned fractionally against the motorcycle and spontaneously parted her legs a little to allow him in. Her eyes closed and she gasped as his fingers went in search of her desire. They were cool against the burning brand of her soft, moist inner flesh.
He dropped his head and she felt him press his face against the quivering triangle of hair between her thighs, delighting in the warmth of his skin against her own most sensitive part. Showering feverish kisses first on her lower belly and then moving down between her legs, his marauding mouth and fingers roamed mercilessly, making every nerve in her body throb, creating a rapturous feeling that made her moan softly.
‘You make me lose my mind …’ he whispered, his voice ragged with the thick ache of his desire. ‘Luna, my beautiful Queen of the Night … you taste so sweet, you’re so soft, so wet and inviting … I want to kiss you, stroke you … love you until you forget your own name.’
He delved deeper, fuelling the flames within her and, finding her throbbing impatient core, he brushed his lips gently against it, drawing from her a sob of rapture as he taunted her need, his tongue trailing teasingly around her swollen lips.
She was only vaguely conscious of what he was doing to her and too absorbed in the erotic molten pleasure that was flooding her to be embarrassed.
‘Faster, yes, Ruy, don’t stop,’ she moaned deliriously while she buried her hand in his black mane, curling her fingers around the silky strands, tugging at them mercilessly in rhythm with every probe of his tongue. The more she cried out her pleasure the quicker he stroked, fondled and licked. It was not long before she shuddered and convulsed as the explosion of her climax ripped a cry from the depths of her that resounded through the silent night. Cupping the soft round cheeks of her bottom, he gathered her closer to him, supporting he
r trembling frame while the powerful spasms raked through her body.
Chapter 11
For a long while Ruy held her tenderly in his embrace, encircling her hips and bottom with his powerful arms and caressing her back, whispering loving words against the soft curve of her belly. Breathless, Luna trembled from head to toe, her knees barely supporting her as the waves of bliss pulsating through her body faded. Her fingers were still twisted in his hair and now she let her hand drop to her side.
In the aftermath of their intimacy, once he released her, neither spoke; they just studied each other solemnly for a few seconds in the moonlight: Luna ill at ease and Ruy a little subdued. He walked her silently to her car and followed on his motorcycle until he saw she was safely home.
They were both too overwhelmed to say much but, as they stood at the door to La Gaviota, Ruy lifted her chin with a single finger, his eyes shining in the silvery shadows of the night. ‘One day soon, Luna,’ was all he said.
‘Ruy, I …’ How could she put into words the melange of sweetness and shame that suffused her, making what had felt fluent and natural – loving even – suddenly seem awkward?
He silenced her gently by a sweep of his thumb against her bottom lip. ‘Let’s talk again when you’ve slept.’
After he’d gone, Luna shut the door and leaned back against it.
She was dazed, embarrassed and amazed at herself. He had taken her by storm and she had enjoyed every moment of it. There had been no fear, no revulsion; no panic attack. She flushed bright red as she admitted to herself not only had she enjoyed it, she had bared herself to him wantonly. He had given lavishly and selflessly and she had taken with avidity, totally abandoning herself to the sensuous magic of his hands. Not just his hands – that beautiful mouth had done wicked things to her lustful body too.
Exhilaration mixed with guilt and confusion. There was no going back now. How could she ever reject him after what she’d just allowed to happen? Then again how could she not, without becoming just another number in the legions of women he’d conquered?
Most of all, how could she ever look at him in the eye again? No man had done that to her before; she had neither indulged in heavy petting with her boyfriends, nor had she ever touched herself intimately. The thought of it always filled her with shame and guilt.
She was acting like a bitch in heat. Luna flinched; the comparison struck her like a slap in the face. Though what else would you call someone who had behaved the way she had? Barely able to believe what she had let Ruy do to her, she recoiled with revulsion at her conduct. In hindsight, there was something degrading about the whole scene as it came back to her in all its vividness. Yet, at the time, all she had felt was unbelievable pleasure and nothing but wild desire for the man who had made her sob with ecstasy.
Luna closed her eyes and breathed deeply. This was a first for her, and would be the last – at least with him.
After he found out she had lied to him, Ruy would never want to see her again. Whatever the outcome of her article, whatever their family backgrounds, that much was true. The tangled web was growing tighter around her.
None of this was supposed to happen.
In the meantime, she would have to face him at work. Surely she was compromising her undercover role now? Maybe she could ask to be assigned to a different researcher; somehow find her way out of this job. Perhaps she could pack it all in and go back to the States and live quietly for a while; but that meant running away, not completing the job, and letting Ted down. Luna had always been a finisher – she had been brought up to see things through. Until she had completed the assignment, her future was not her own. Once she had delivered the article, she could go somewhere else and start a new life for herself. The irony was, she had finished the piece – she just couldn’t yet bring herself to email it to Ted; perhaps because then her cover would be blown – there would be no going back. Her laptop was still open on the table where she had left it that afternoon, a reminder that her task was not yet completed. Luna pushed away from the door and moved across the room. She dropped her bag on the table and closed the lid of her computer thoughtfully.
Deep down she knew that after tonight, Ruy had only to snap his fingers for her to yield to him. She would be his until he chose to release her.
Luna stared out to sea, watching the dark waves hurl themselves on to the rocks edging the bay. Above the vast ocean, the full moon shone luminous and bewitching, primitive in its magic, as if reminding her of its power to bring out passion, savagery and love in all those who fell under its spell.
Her heart gave a lurch.
Was it love?
How could it be? She hardly knew the man. No, she argued, it wasn’t love, simply hormones. Her senses were enslaved even though part of her had fought it ever since they’d met.
Like all the women who came into contact with him, she was intoxicated by the magnetism of his charming smile and the intensity of his vivid blue eyes. Yet, she admitted ruefully, something deeper drew her to Ruy. There was an aura about him, a certain way he had, that instilled admiration in Luna, despite herself; coupled with a faint vulnerability she could detect every now and again that touched her deeply, stirring a tender, wholesome feeling towards him, perhaps akin to love. Maybe that was it. It was as though love was constantly waiting around the corner, but something always stood in the way.
How would she have responded to Ruy’s advances if the dark shadow of her past hadn’t dogged her heels all these years, shaping her caution until it shut down a part of her? Like an insect caught up in a spider’s web, struggling to survive, she was trapped in her own confused emotions – where lust and love, disgust and fear fought for supremacy. And if she gave in to this unprecedented feeling of desire, lost control of her heart, and risked loving and being loved …?
The price seemed too high.
She winced inwardly. What chance did she have? The more involved they became, the more he would hate her eventually when her time at the Institute was over. Ever since she had landed in Spain, she’d had the weird feeling of being in a dream. If only she could break through these romantic illusions and see clearly.
Luna’s thoughts wandered back to the gypsies and to Morena’s words. She remembered the stone the gitana had given her.
Going back into the house, she emptied her bag on the table. The amulet drew her eyes hypnotically. Strangely shaped, it was a golden-yellow rock crystal of sorts with a hole pierced through the middle. It was so bright and clear that it could almost be mistaken for a cognac diamond. The static charge Luna felt as she took it in her hand made her jump. She examined it under the light; it seemed to have a life of its own, as if some sort of energy was pulsing through it. The fragmented shades of colour seemed to shift as she stared into its depths, changing shape before her eyes. Was it her imagination or was that Ruy’s face reflected there?
She shuddered. On impulse, she was tempted to throw the charm away, but something stopped her. Was she seriously entertaining the thought that it might bring her bad luck? Superstition is contagious, she mused, as she carefully tidied it away in her bag. Then, on second thoughts, and remembering the words of the gitana, she took it out of her bag again and hung it on the delicate gold chain that she had always worn around her neck since her sister Juliet had bought it for her in Italy many years ago.
For a moment she stared at it, remembering her half-sister with a sudden lurch of feeling. They had never been close as children, but a part of Luna wondered what kind of relationship they might have salvaged as adults. She had to acknowledge that Juliet had often been kind to her in her own capricious, sporadic way. It hadn’t been her fault that their mother had chosen her over Luna. Didn’t the fact that Luna had kept the gold chain close to her all these years mean something too? She held the chain with the pendant in her palm and closed her fingers over it.
Maybe Juliet’s chain, together with the talisman, would help change her luck. Anything was possible.
A foolish thou
ght perhaps, but Luna was past caring about what made logical sense. Ruy had upended her fragile existence – one she had always thought so steady, well ordered and invincible. Now look at her. Adrift, lost to the madness of love, or whatever this insane feeling was that had her in its grip.
Luna went to the bathroom, tore off her clothes and stepped into the shower. She let the warm water flow over her body, hoping against hope that it would lend her some clarity of thought. A clear conscience was another matter entirely.
* * *
Ruy drove back to the gypsy camp filled with turmoil at what had just happened. His head was full of Luna – her scent, her mouth, her breasts under his hands, the taste of her …
Once again, he’d completely lost control. No woman had done that to him before, though at least he had exercised some restraint. He could happily have gone a step further in the worked-up, carnal state he’d been in. It would have been so easy to take her home and make love to her; he doubted she would have resisted, given how overcome by passion she too had been. He could feel the pent-up craving within them both. It was as much as he could do not to take her there and then, up against his motorcycle.
But he had no doubt she was a virgin and he needed to talk to her, tell her everything, before he snatched her innocence. Perhaps it was the craziness of the full moon that carried them away, but he didn’t want her to regret her impulsiveness in the morning. What was it about this woman that aroused in him these chivalrous feelings?
Ruy remembered his hesitation in that alleyway, asking himself if what he had in mind was too risky. Yet at that moment, with Luna hot and needy against him, he’d been compelled to have more of her. He hadn’t cared about his own pleasure; instead, he wanted to make her climax, to feel her lose control again – the way she was making him take leave of his senses every time he touched her.
This was a first for him. Even as a randy adolescent he hadn’t indulged in such out-in-the-open games – there had always been somewhere private to go. Still, it had been so easy; her skirt was short. Just the thought of what he could do to her had caused him momentarily to lose a sense of reality while he went down on his knees before her in the street, his own aching arousal pushing mercilessly against his clothing.
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