He belonged between my legs. I belonged in his bed. I was as certain of this as I was that my heart belonged to him. And always had.
Retrieving a condom from the side table, Diogo kept his gaze on my naked body as he sheathed himself. “You’re still the most beautiful woman in the world to me,” he said as he finished slipping on the condom.
The words were music to my ears. I wanted to be beautiful for him. I wanted to be everything to him, as I’d been once before. “You’re beautiful too.”
Diogo chortled and slid up to kiss me on the mouth, then glided down to take a nipple into his mouth.
I moaned as I clutched his head.
His fingers slipped over my mound, parting my folds to stroke my clit. I moaned louder and longer.
“Mmm, so swollen and ready for me,” he croaked before taking the other nipple, his fingers applying just the right pressure to my clit, quickly arousing me to a maddening frenzy.
“Diogo!”
“I know. I want you too.”
Then he kissed me hard, his words echoing in my head. I had his lust—always had—but today I needed more. I just had to show him how I loved him and hoped to rekindle his past love for me.
Diogo deepened the kiss and groaned. “You’re driving me insane with need, Sarah, and I won’t last if we don’t slow down.”
Dizzy, my pulse hammering in my temple, I could hardly catch my breath as I gripped him tighter, need, hunger and love driving me.
“Take me, Diogo. Take me now!”
He thrust a finger inside me and I jerked up. “Oh, you’re so wet already,” he rasped.
“Yes,” I hissed. “Hurry!”
“Okay.” He pushed my legs apart, bent over me and I pulled him closer for another lingering kiss. As his tongue thrust inside my mouth he placed his cock at the entrance of my wet tunnel and slowly pushed in.
Oh my God! I moaned loudly. “Oh so good!”
Diogo withdrew until just the head of his cock was nestled in my opening, then he thrust deeper, harder than before. I raised my legs and wrapped them around his waist, changing the angle so he could go deeper. I watched his eyes drift shut, his face a picture of bliss as he moved relentlessly in and out of me, groaning as heat rose to his face and dew covered his golden skin. And then I too closed my eyes and let myself go, holding on to his rigid arms, crying out when he hit the spot that brought me to the edge. “Yes, yes, right there. Oooh,” I whimpered.
Diogo obliged as he too got closer and closer, his frantic thrusts and his continuous groans heralding his impending orgasm. Lifting my leg, he put it over his shoulder, again changing the angle of penetration and I cried out loud, the sensation achingly wonderful. Reaching down, Diogo rubbed a thumb over my clit and I went flying over the edge, screaming, taking him along with me, his whole body jerking and quaking as he came.
“Oh damn, Sarah!” His arms buckled and he collapsed on me, panting.
I lay limp against the cushions for a few moments before I opened my eyes and stared at the beautiful open-beam ceiling. With Diogo’s deliciously heavy body covering mine, I listened to the sigh of his breathing as it steadied.
Once he regained some strength, he lifted himself up on one elbow and looked down at me.
“Are you okay?”
More than okay. I smiled and nodded, words failing me.
He lowered his head and gently rubbed his lips over mine. “How about a shower, then?”
I nodded again, the lump in my throat preventing the words from coming out.
“The cat got your tongue?” he teased, nipping my jaw and neck as I squirmed and kissed him back.
“Nice room,” I said at last.
He laughed. “Come on, gorgeous, let me show you my nice shower…and what we can do in it,” he said, looking smug. Rising, he offered me a hand, which I took, and followed him into the bathroom.
Chapter Four
I watched women flocking to Diogo with ready smiles and obvious intentions, and my heart ached with a burst of jealousy. Since arriving at the Flying Horse Country Club for its annual prize-giving dinner I had been surrounded by members of the organizing committee and their spouses, mostly middle-aged men and women. From the corner of my eye I noticed young women—and some not-so-young ones—suck up to Diogo, their returning national hero since winning a very honorable second place in an international competition, putting their town and club firmly on the map.
This was the first time I was meeting him in a week. After spending an entire afternoon and evening having sex, Diogo had announced his immediate and unavoidable trip to Dubai the following day. He had told me he needed to tie up some loose ends and offered no further explanation, and I couldn’t help wondering if the “loose end” was of a romantic nature. Following the most mind-blowing lovemaking of my life, discussing his relationships had not been my first priority, hence my insecurity on the real reason for his journey.
A week on and I still shuddered with the memories of those highly intense, sensual hours. God, who would have known I’d experience again the magic of Diogo’s lovemaking? We’d been so hot and insatiable for each other we’d run out of condoms.
During a lull between highly passionate intimacies, Diogo had explained the whole misunderstanding involving him with the Arabian princess, the daughter of the prince to whom he’d sold a Lusitanian stud. Apparently they had gone on a couple of dates and because of her royal status, a number of photos of them leaving a restaurant had made headlines in some magazines and the announcement of their engagement was expected to follow shortly. That must have been why my grandmother assumed they were engaged. The question of why I hadn’t heard from him in seven years remained unanswered, as he didn’t offer a reason and I didn’t have the guts to ask, though he did say he never loved another woman the way he’d loved me.
“You look lovely tonight.”
I trembled at the sound of his voice, my entire body flushing with warmth, and I hadn’t even turned to look at him. When I did it felt as if I’d been clubbed. Why did he have to be so sexy? Tall, dark and handsome, especially in formal clothes… There was something fierce about his Latin-lover looks that stirred spine-tingling sensations in me, adding to his sexual allure.
“I bet you’ve said that to every woman in the room.”
He smiled, white teeth flashing across his gorgeous face. “But I didn’t mean it.” His beautiful gaze flickered from my face down my body, clad in a draped cowl dress that hugged me like a glove. My breath caught and it took an effort to force out a response. “I’m sure.”
He chuckled. “What are you doing later?” he asked, his expression mirthful as his gaze locked with mine.
Sensations zinged through me, making my tight peaks sting, and I crossed my arms high on my chest. “I’m going on a date with a tall, dark, handsome man who promised me a good time,” I answered playfully.
“And did you believe him?” Diogo rasped in my ear as he pulled me into his arms and led me to the dance floor where other couples already gyrated to the sound of the slow, driving beat of a rumba.
The ballroom-dancing classes I’d taken to please my Colombian-born friend Eliana helped me keep up with the sensual movements of my strong, gorgeous lover. His luscious stares made me feel sexy and appreciated, and I blossomed and gained confidence as the dance progressed, teasing and tantalizing him with my hip movements and sharp eye contact.
“You’re going to pay for this…” he muttered as he drew me in his arms.
I certainly hoped so.
The intensity of my need for him worried me. What if he stopped wanting to be with me? So far his eagerness seemed to match mine, but I hardly knew him anymore. If we continued to see each other I’d have to make sure I kept my guard up to protect my heart. After all, I was returning to the States at the end of the summer, and I knew from experience he wouldn’t follow me there.
Over his shoulder I spotted Eduarda beaming at us. In her I had an ally I could count on, and that was more than D
iogo had ever received from my family.
We finished the dance with the whole room watching, my arousal at a record high.
“We’ll resume this dance later on,” Diogo whispered in my ear as we moved off the dance floor. Images of our naked bodies as we loved each other flooded my mind and my heart skipped a beat. Oh boy.
* * * * *
A couple of hours later we were back in his studio for what I hoped would be a repeat performance of the previous week. Still high on champagne and the hype of a successful evening, I was almost hypnotized by Diogo’s movements as he caressed the sensitive nape of my neck. Slowly, he slid my body-hugging dress from my shoulders, holding me spellbound with anticipation for more exquisite and intimate touches.
“Finally alone,” he murmured, his gaze flickering over the exposed skin of my collarbone and the swell of my breasts clad in ivory lace. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known,” he said with fervent wonder, his eyes dark with passion. “And I’ve missed you something fierce.”
When? Last week or in the past seven years?
He lowered his head to my shoulder and languidly rubbed his lips over my skin. The slow, teasing touch shot heat up my neck and face. My breath hitched in a way that made him halt and look at me.
“You make me feel beautiful,” I admitted sheepishly. “And hot.”
He smiled as he palmed one breast. Ripples of heat raced under my skin and I couldn’t help myself. I took his face and held it at an angle as I kissed his sexy mouth with all the passion he’d unleashed in me.
One hand on my neck, the other low on my back, he pulled me tight against his magnificent strong body and rigid shaft, and I began to come unhinged. He slid his agile fingers into my panties, searching and caressing the drenched folds of my pussy. Finding me moist and ready, he rubbed the nub at the center. I gasped and bucked against his hand. Soothing me with a murmur, Diogo eased me onto the bed, and placing his mouth on my breast, he stroked me, the rhythm of his fingers matching that of his tongue on my nipple. The hungry assault of his lips and fingers on me tore away the last of my qualms over the sanity of letting myself fall in love with him anew.
Too late now. I was already deeply in love with him. Again.
My breath shot in and out and my chest heaved as he touched me with assertive knowledge of my body, sending me into a frenzy. He pulled his hand from under my dress and with a few efficient tugs removed all my clothes and then his. Sprawled naked on his bed, I opened my knees to give him access and he filled me with one long groan. I threw my head back and arched into him with ecstasy, crying aloud. He gripped my hips, undulating into my body with agonizing slowness and shocking depth. I clawed at his back, tightening around him, crying out his name, my nerve endings tingling with awareness of a fulfillment that could only be achieved with him.
With one last lunge into my contracting pussy, he gritted his teeth and let the orgasm take him. While pulsing he emptied himself deep inside me, then collapsed, his face buried in my hair, his body heavy and pressing me into the mattress.
A moment later he muttered something that sounded very much like, “That fucking rumba…”
I snorted a laugh and pressed my cheek to his head and let myself imagine a lifetime of lovemaking with him.
Glorious!
Suddenly he drew himself up on his forearms and stared at me, his expression preoccupied, his brows drawn closed. “I forgot to use a condom.”
I relaxed, as I knew I could easily reassure him on that score, having been on the Pill for some time to ease my painful cramps. “No worries, I’m on the Pill.”
I thought he would be relieved by the news. Instead my announcement brought on the completely opposite reaction. I watched his worried frown turned into a scowl. “Why?”
“Why?”
“Yeah, why are you on the Pill? Are you seeing someone?”
My first thought was to deny any involvement, then hoping his reaction was driven by jealousy, I decided to play the odds and tease him a bit. “I might be.”
He rolled off me and sat on the edge of the bed. “Which one is it? Yes or no?” he demanded, turning to look at me.
I sat up and leaned against the headboard. I calmly brought my knees to my chest and circled them with my arms. “I don’t know.”
That seemed to throw him. His scowl turned into a glare. “Are you mocking me?”
I wondered just how far I could take it before he turned the joke on me. “No, I just don’t know where I stand with you.”
Understanding flashed across his face as the corners of his mouth lifted. “You had me there for a moment,” he admitted, seemingly relieved. His long fingers cupped my face before he rolled his lips over mine. “You mean everything to me, Sarah,” he said.
Sheer happiness engulfed me. The impulse to throw myself in his arms and declare my love for him was huge. There were, however, still issues we hadn’t discussed or resolved, and until I’d heard straight from his mouth why he had so rapidly given up on me, I couldn’t trust him completely. His next words took my breath away.
“I realize I just can’t ask you to leave your life in the States and come live here with me, but perhaps we could try a long-distance relationship and see how it goes.”
I sucked in a breath, shocked by the enormity of what he was offering me, thrilled by the meaning of it. He wanted us to carry on seeing each other. This wasn’t just a summer fling, he wanted to commit. To me. Oh dear God, how many times I’d dreamed of hearing those words, only to wake up to the harsh reality it had only been a dream. It was no longer a fantasy. This was for real, and there was nobody, nothing that would keep us apart this time.
“Yes, you can!”
His eyes widened. “You would give up the States?”
“If you loved me,” I said, my eyes filling with tears.
Diogo opened his arms and I crawled into his lap. “Oh Sarah, don’t you know? I’ve never stopped loving you,” he said, pressing kisses all over my face. “This time I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you, I’ll even fight your family if I have to,” he said, cupping my face, his intense gaze locked with mine. I could only nod before he took my mouth for a deep, languid kiss that pledged all his love to me.
Arousal zipped straight to my core. I was his, all his. For good.
I straddled him as my arms went around his neck. He grabbed my ass, his semi-hard cock pressing my warm, moist flesh.
“Ah Sarah, how I’ve missed having you in my life all these years. So much wasted time…” he said, his beautiful dark eyes nostalgic and a little sad.
Waves of warm pleasure rippled through me and I hugged him tight. “You won’t have to anymore because I love you, so very much, though I’m scared this is another dream like so many I’ve had before…”
Diogo disentangled himself from me and, closing his large hands on my upper arms, faced me straight on. “I’m real. We are real,” he said forcefully. “And I love you!” Then he tipped his head and took my mouth, proving that he really, really did love me.
“Diogo, what did you mean when you said you’d fight my family to keep me?”
We were holding each other in post-coital bliss, my head in the crook of his shoulder, my hand idle on his hairy chest as he slowly stroked my arm. His hand stilled for a moment before resuming its caressing.
“Let bygones be bygones, Sarah, your grandmother is no longer here to defend herself.”
Defend herself? From kicking him out of the house and shipping me back to the States?Surely he understood her reasons for feeling responsible for me. In her mind I felt sure she believed she’d failed me, by unknowingly allowing her innocent granddaughter to be seduced by an older, more experienced man.
I lifted my head to look at him. “Do you still resent her for kicking you out of the house when she found us in bed?” Diogo said nothing, though his silence spoke louder than any words, and right then and there I knew there was more to the story than I had believed, and I had to get to th
e bottom of it.
“What was it?” I asked, sitting up and tugging the sheet around me. This was a serious conversation and I didn’t want my nakedness to distract him from it. “Tell me.”
Diogo sat up beside me, staring at the ceiling as he ran his long fingers through his dark mane. “I wrote you some letters,” he said, turning slowly to me while searching my face for a reaction to the news.
My eyes widened. What? I hadn’t received any letters. I opened my mouth to deny receiving them as Diogo’s next words baffled me even further.
“I’d already suspected you hadn’t received any of my letters when you said to my mother I’d forgotten you the minute you left town, and your reaction just now confirmed I was right… You didn’t, did you?” He took my hand in his, his expression pensive. “We both assumed wrongly we had forgotten each other.”
I couldn’t believe he thought that. I’d been so sure he knew how deeply I felt for him. “How could you?” I breathed, tears swimming in my eyes. “I loved you. So much!” I pulled my hand from his grasp, and when he reached for me I avoided his touch—I was hurt by his lack of faith in me.
“Sarah, your grandmother assured me you had gotten a new boyfriend whom you loved very much. What was I to think?”
I frowned, confused. “When did she say that?”
“At Christmas, after I’d been back to her house to ask one more time how to reach you.”
Diogo had been back to confront my grandmother in the hope of getting my address? More than once? And I’d never heard of it? Hurt by her omission and joyous to learn Diogo had not forgotten me as readily as I’d once believed, I felt confused and betrayed by my own family. How could she? She, who knew how I felt about him… So many times I’d demanded she tell me if Diogo had asked about me and every time she’d said, “No, not a word heard from him.” My lips curled inward, stopping me from bawling all my sorrows in front of him.
“I wrote you five letters.”
LusitanianStud Page 5
