Plundering her mouth, he lifted her. Holding her close against him, he slowly lowered her so she knew how aroused he was. She was too...more than she could bear. Whatever passed between them, laughter, anger, disagreements, misunderstandings, Alejandro could always set her senses on fire.
He removed her thong at the same time as her comfortable chef’s trousers. Freeing himself, he took her firmly in one deep thrust. She bathed in sensation as he supported her buttocks in his big, roughened hands and encouraged her to wrap her legs around his waist. Moans of need poured from her throat, as she worked with him until release came in a series of powerful spasms. Her screams of pleasure bounced over the tiled walls and by the time the echo had started to fade she was whimpering again as Alejandro kept on moving. He maintained a steady and dependable rhythm that made it easy for Sadie to claim her reward.
‘Once more, I think,’ he murmured when she was finally capable of hearing him, ‘and then we must have that talk you asked for, before I return to my guests.’
Something in his eyes made her uneasy, but only for as long as it took Alejandro to carry her across to one of the sunbeds, where he sat down with his legs spread wide over the edges. Arranging her on top of him, he helped her to very slowly sink down. The angle of pleasure was the best it had ever been. Resting her head against the hard muscles of his chest, she moved her hips with his until he upped the speed and she couldn’t hold on and fell gratefully and noisily into a starburst of sensation beyond which nothing else could exist.
‘Better now?’ he asked with amusement when she was quiet again. But he was still moving, still gently buffeting her all too eager body until she had no alternative but to feed it again.
‘I don’t think either of us is ever completely satisfied,’ he growled softly with approval when at last she collapsed against him, panting with contentment. But when he went to pull away, she took over, and, tightening her inner muscles around him, she made Alejandro groan.
‘You wanted to talk to me,’ he reminded her when they were showering down in adjoining cubicles, ‘and I haven’t forgotten, but I’ve been away from my guests long enough, so it will have to wait until first thing tomorrow morning.’
Sadie tensed at the thought of another delay and all of her own making. ‘I’d rather it was tonight.’
‘It must be something important,’ Alejandro commented.
They both turned off their showers in the same moment. ‘It is,’ she admitted, lifting her chin to face him as they stepped out of the stalls. Reaching for a towel, Alejandro slung it around her shoulders, before grabbing another to wrap around his waist. His silence unnerved her. Could he have guessed that she was expecting his child?
‘I’m pregnant,’ she said, before Alejandro had chance to seize the initiative.
‘I should have guessed,’ he said in a tone she couldn’t read. ‘What else could be so urgent?’
‘I only just found out.’
‘Even so...’ he frowned deeply ‘...if I’d known, we wouldn’t have made love so vigorously.’
As Alejandro’s fierce love of family blazed from his eyes Sadie’s insecurities rushed to the fore. Impending motherhood made it imperative that she fight off her doubts. A drive to protect and love was all part of expecting a baby. ‘I have done my research,’ she admitted, ‘and regular sex poses no danger to the unborn child.’
‘You checked?’ Alejandro repeated incredulously. ‘How long have you known?’
‘Literally hours,’ she said, ‘and the instant I found out I researched everything on the Internet. I can’t ask my mother, and none of my friends have had babies, but I’m not entirely helpless. I’m quite capable of reading up on things and asking questions. I do know something about caring for another human being, and nothing would induce me to take a chance with my baby’s life.’
‘You make this sound as if you plan to go it alone.’
‘Why shouldn’t I?’ Sadie asked, frowning.
Alejandro’s grim expression gradually softened. ‘Why can’t you trust me?’ he asked, his hands gentle on her shoulders. ‘I’ll admit, I’m busy, and, not being used to accounting for my travels, I don’t always quote chapter and verse where my itinerary is concerned, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care.’
‘What do you expect from me, Alejandro?’
He shrugged and looked at her with compassion. ‘That you break out of this cycle of self-loathing. You don’t have to be alone. Reach out, seek help...from me.’
‘But I’m fine on my own. I always have been,’ she insisted.
Thinking how vulnerable she must look, barefoot and wrapped in a towel, and that this must have prompted Alejandro’s concern, Sadie grabbed her clothes and held them in front of her.
‘Asking for help doesn’t make you weak,’ Alejandro insisted. ‘You’re stronger than you think—No—don’t turn away from me,’ he said as she tried to slip past him. ‘Match me—fight me—demand that I listen to you and understand how you feel. Don’t hide away and refuse to take my calls. If you have big news, I’ll drop everything. Feel free to air even the smallest concern. All I ask is that you’re open with me, and trust me, and that you listen to someone else’s point of view before you decide anything. We’ve had a misunderstanding, but how can that be considered relevant by either of us, in light of this incredible news?’
As he spoke, Alejandro brought her back to face him. ‘I want you to accept how much you have to offer me, and then put the past behind you once and for all.’
‘So, you’re not angry about the baby?’
‘Angry?’ Closing his eyes as if he needed to take a moment, Alejandro appeared bemused when he opened them again. ‘Far from it. I couldn’t be more thrilled. My only concern is that you will have to make some serious adjustments.’
‘As will you,’ Sadie countered.
‘Welcome changes,’ Alejandro stated firmly. ‘I intend to take a full part in my child’s life.’
‘Our child,’ she said, feeling a flutter of alarm as they maintained eye contact.
As Alejandro gave a brisk nod of agreement, she accepted that pregnancy had heightened her emotions, and that perhaps she should take a step back. Passions rose quickly between them, even more so now, making it easy to jump to the wrong conclusion.
‘Are you reassured?’ Alejandro probed with a frown.
‘Yes,’ she admitted cautiously. ‘I’m just getting used to the fact that you’re as thrilled with the news as I am.’
‘I’m not sure you’ll be able to dance in those clogs,’ he observed wryly as she dipped down to slip them back on.
‘I wish I could spare the time to dance, but I’ve got too much left to do.’
‘And a kitchen full of helpers,’ he reminded her, ‘all of whom you have trained in excellence to the nth degree. I don’t know anyone more organised than you, which on this occasion plays to my advantage,’ he added dryly, ‘so we dance, to celebrate the news of a new life. That’s what my people do. That’s what flamenco is. The music speaks for us, expressing our emotions.’
Expressing emotions for him, she thought, which was probably another reason why Alejandro found it so hard, if not impossible to verbalise his feelings. Cut him some slack, she thought as she closed her eyes to take stock for a moment. They’d just shared some of the most life-changing news possible, and he’d taken it far better than she could ever have imagined. Was she really going to challenge him now?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘WHY DON’T YOU return to your room first?’ Alejandro suggested. ‘Dancing in chef’s whites with clogs on your feet might prove a bit restricting.’
‘To put it mildly,’ Sadie agreed, feeling a smile growing as the tension between them evaporated.
‘Don’t rush,’ Alejandro encouraged. ‘I’ll be with my guests, and I’ll wait for you.’
‘Thanks.’ Ideally, she
would have liked to talk first and dance later, but Alejandro had been away from his guests long enough.
Opening the door to her suite, Sadie gasped with surprise. Only one person could have arranged this, but how had Alejandro found the time? The answer sat on a gilded console table, where a note on stiff card was attached to the most fabulous floral display of white roses and fragrant orange blossom she’d ever seen.
Welcome back. As soon as I learned your plans I had florists and designers on standby, waiting for my call. I hope you’re pleased with the result.
Beneath his signature, he’d added,
I can’t thank you enough for making everything easier for my staff. Maria, for one, says you’ve revolutionised her working life.
Pleased? That didn’t come close to how she felt, knowing she’d been in Alejandro’s thoughts all along. Hugging the note close, emotion sweeping over her, she thought what Castillo Fuego had come to mean, along with everyone who worked there, and, yes, the owner too. She loved everything about Alejandro’s magnificent mountain home, and at times like these even felt that she belonged here, but this wasn’t her home. The magnificent dwelling wasn’t anyone’s home. It was just another of Alejandro’s impressive possessions. Was she to become one more? Was their child—?
Stop that now! If she carried those thoughts any further the past really would mess up her life. She was her own person, and always would be. The fact that she was falling in love with Alejandro de Alegon was up to Sadie to control, but he made it hard with touching gifts like this, when she hadn’t wanted or expected anything, and was only doing her job.
But the next thing she spotted was a rail of gowns fit for a princess. With an excited exclamation of surprise, she hurried across the room to run her fingertips along the range of rainbow-hued dresses. Silks, chiffon, crepe, satin and lace hung in tempting profusion. How had he managed to organise all of this in one day? Proof positive that no one ever said no to a request from Alejandro! People had clearly gone to a lot of trouble on her behalf so, surely, it wouldn’t hurt to try them on...?
So, she was going to dance with Alejandro?
Of course! Or have him think she was chickening out. And she would be wearing one of these fabulous gowns. He’d been extremely thoughtful, and it would be churlish not to.
Is he wooing you with all the special things you could have if you agree to come under his wing?
No. He’s being thoughtful.
Sadie argued firmly with her inner doubt demon. She wouldn’t be able to wear any of these in a few months’ time, and it would take far more courage to give birth and raise a child than it would to put on one of these pretty dresses and return to the party.
* * *
Sadie was a gutsy woman, and he would have put money on her wearing one of the fabulous gowns he’d ordered from Paris when she came back to the party. What he couldn’t have anticipated was quite how amazing she looked. Familiar with every contour of her body, he wondered how many of his guests had recognised the woman at the top of the steps as the earnest chef who’d prepared such a superb feast for them this evening. The über-professional was nowhere to be seen, and in her place was a flame-haired beauty.
She was wearing the minimum of make-up. The light in her face was all the enhancement needed. Vibrant auburn locks cascaded to her waist, and she had chosen to wear the gown he’d hoped she would. Nude-coloured lace with a pale peach silk lining, it was the most provocative on the rail, and clung to her form with such loving attention to detail she might as well have been naked. Like everyone else present he was transfixed by her charm, her poise and Sadie’s remarkable colouring. No duchess could outshine her and, driven by the need to let every other man present know that he was staking his claim, he strode up the steps to greet her, and offered to escort her down. ‘You look fabulous,’ he murmured as he linked their arms.
‘I can walk down a few steps on my own,’ she told him wryly.
‘In those heels?’
Slipping them off, she linked her arm through his again.
‘You annoying, extraordinary woman,’ he ground out beneath his breath.
‘Annoying?’ she queried. ‘Were the gowns left to tease me? Was I supposed to stay in my room?’
‘Like Cinderella?’ he suggested. ‘Now there’s a role that definitely doesn’t suit you.’
She shrugged. ‘But thank you for making me feel so good tonight. I love the dresses...every one of them, and, whether you like it or not,’ she added with a breathtaking smile, ‘you have made me feel like Cinderella.’
Was that good or bad? he wondered as he brought Sadie into his arms. He could never be quite sure with Sadie. Keeping him on his toes was a big part of her allure.
One sizzling dance later, during which he attempted to keep a dignified distance while Sadie’s delectable body brushed mercilessly against his, they parted by mutual agreement to circulate amongst his guests.
‘What a charming woman—How lovely she is—What a beauty—’ came from all quarters as he moved around. It took his sister to inject some harsh reality into his thinking.
‘Will you hang onto her this time?’ Annalisa demanded. ‘Or will you screw it up again?’
‘I’ll send you to bed without your supper, if you’re not careful.’
‘I’d like to see you try. But still,’ Annalisa observed, cocking her head to weigh him up with narrowed eyes, ‘hearing you make a joke is certainly an improvement. Sadie obviously has a good effect on you.’
Removing his sister’s restraining hand from his arm, he managed to waylay a boisterous group of young men heading in Sadie’s direction with the promise of a jeroboam of vintage champagne. He had never felt such a proprietary interest in a woman before, he realised as Annalisa shook her head in despair and walked away.
Sadie was expecting his child.
Yes, but this was something more than that. Was it possible he was falling in love with her?
* * *
Sadie really enjoyed talking to Alejandro’s guests. They were an interesting group of people. Of course, there were snobs at the party, but they were in the minority, and even the stuffiest managed to unbend when she treated them like all the rest. When the dancing started up again, she and Alejandro seemed drawn to each other like pieces in a puzzle that fitted each other exactly.
‘Happy?’ he asked as they moved instinctively in time to the sultry rhythms of Spain.
‘Very.’ But when this was over, she wanted to hear him say that he would agree to be part of their baby’s future without taking over every aspect of their child’s upbringing.
She must learn the art of compromise too, Sadie conceded as the band segued into a slow tune and Alejandro drew her closer still. Since childhood, everything had seemed black and white. Black for loss of control, and white when she took it back again. Somehow, she had to learn to accept that there were infinite shades of grey.
* * *
He was a natural-born protector in danger of losing his job, Alejandro reflected dryly as Sadie insisted on leaving the dance floor to check on her colleagues in the kitchen. It was time to take action, but before he could sweep her up and carry her away to the mountain encampment they both loved, he had some business to attend to, which would eat up around a month of his time. He hadn’t told Sadie yet, because it was a very recent addition to his diary, and, because their reunion was so tender and new, he wanted to break it to her gently. Learning he was to become a father had made him want to do everything he could to reassure Sadie and to make her feel secure. As soon as they were reunited in the more relaxed setting of the flamenco camp, he was confident he could persuade her to accept that life under his protection would be easier, and not at all confining—either for Sadie or their child.
He was accustomed to taking charge of everything, and as he mingled amongst his guests he found himself glancing constantly in the direction of
the kitchen. How long was she going to be away from the party? Passionate, vulnerable and yet so strong, Sadie was a captivating mix of contradictions that he found utterly compelling. The changes in a woman during pregnancy couldn’t be denied, and Sadie appeared more entrenched than ever in the belief that only she could steer a safe passage through life. If only he could convince her that there was another way.
Remembering how his mother had rejoiced when she was carrying Annalisa, he wanted the same happiness for Sadie. But his mother had enjoyed all the things Sadie lacked, like the support of her family in the mountains, and his father fussing over her every minute of the day. She had been free to enjoy the excitement of impending motherhood, as Sadie should, but Sadie didn’t want or need him to steer her course. The part of him that was pure, primitive male demanded she must—or at least make him the first call if she needed help—but nothing was ever that simple with Sadie.
* * *
Sadie smiled with relief, knowing her first professional party was a huge success. As she had predicted, it went on long into the night. By the time the last guest had departed, and she had made sure each member of staff was safely on their way home, she finally admitted she was exhausted and more than ready for bed.
Alejandro waylaid her at the front door and, kissing her on both cheeks, thanked her for a wonderful night. Professional, or personal, she wondered as he cupped her face as if she were a precious china doll who might break if he kissed her too hard.
‘I’m pregnant, not sick,’ she teased as she smiled up into his blisteringly handsome face.
‘Allow me to be tender sometimes,’ he said. ‘I’m still getting used to our news. And now you need some rest,’ he insisted, stepping back. ‘You’ve worked so hard tonight. If I’d known what you were planning, I would have stopped you.’
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Alejandro, I won’t break. Women work right up to the birth, as I shall.’
A Scandalous Midnight in Madrid Page 12
