by Nancy Gideon
It was surprise more than any discomfort that had her crying out as she stretched to receive him. Zach’s gaze held hers, intent and absorbing. And then she moved and the exquisite friction had her eyes glazing. The ecstasy of sensation only got bigger and bolder as she rose and fell upon him. Pursuing pleasure so raw and sweet it wrung her soul, Toni forgot all that came before and lost herself in the moment. Lost herself to the swirl of sensations that taunted her to the limit before letting go in a series of spirit-cleansing spasms. Shaking her free of the shackling past.
And as those tremors coursed through her, she rode out the sudden harsh surge of Zach’s release. Nothing, nothing ever had satisfied so completely.
In a state of wonderful bonelessness, Toni collapsed upon his chest, nestling beneath his stubbled chin. The thunder of his pulse made her smile through her film of exhaustion. Finally, she’d shaken him from his complacency.
As she burrowed against him, there wasn’t a calm or controlled fiber in Zach’s entire being. Though his body enjoyed a heavy lethargy and his chest plugged solid with tenderness, there was no relief from the sense of contrition gnawing at his mind.
If he’d allowed this to happen ten years ago, he could have spared her a decade of unimaginable pain.
And now that it had happened, how was he going to shift their relationship back into professional mode so he could keep her safe from threats closer to her heart than she realized? Now that passion was no longer the issue, would she demand romance as well? How could he make her understand that he couldn’t afford to drop his guard and indulge their emotions while danger yet courted her?
Her lips moved lazily against the side of his neck and he couldn’t seem to breathe around the sudden fullness in his throat. He gave himself a few precious minutes to absorb the feel of her against him, upon him. He rubbed his palms over the satiny contours from strong shoulders and narrow waist to the ultrafeminine flare of her hips. The wad of emotion intensified. She was perfection. She was all he’d imagined since the moment he first saw her. And so much more. She embodied everything noble and courageous and admirable. And she didn’t deserve less than his best. And that’s what she’d get if his loyalties were divided between heart and mind.
“It’s late.”
He spoke quietly so as not to jar her too rudely from her deliciously languid pose. He felt her go still. He could sense her confusion as she tried to puzzle out his mood. Would she react the way the impetuous teen had done with angry tears and recriminations? With rebellion and recklessness? Had he just complicated the situation beyond repair?
Toni sat back. The sight of her with her tousled hair and kiss-swollen lips staggered his senses. She observed him for a long moment, reading the deliberate and distancing intention in his lack of response. And he realized then that she was no longer that petulant child who thought of nothing beyond her own immediate wants as she dragged up a smile that nailed him squarely in the heart.
“That was truly above and beyond the call, Russell.”
She followed that candid critique with a slow, soul-searing kiss that wrapped around his senses before he had time to guard against it. When she eased back, taking his breath and his self-control with her, she was the one to end all thought of foolish fantasy with her bittersweet smile.
“Thank you, Zach.”
He sat, stunned into immobility, while she pressed a quick conciliatory peck on his cheek and slid off his lap. As she walked to the bathroom, her stride packed with its usual self-assurance, gloriously unashamed of her own gleaming nakedness, Zach was the one left with his soul rawly exposed.
It took every scrap of his will not to pursue her and all the things promised in the sassy sway of her hips.
He hauled up a breath through the knot in his throat.
See what happens when you break the rules?
What the hell was he going to do about Antonia Castillo?
The lights were out in the living area when Toni finished her long steamy shower. The moonlight whispering in through the parted balcony curtains created a soft glow and revealed everything she needed to know.
The couch was pulled out with Zach’s figure mounding the covers in the middle of the mattress. She knew he wasn’t sleeping. She could feel the intensity of his stare as he waited to see what she’d do. Agonizing seconds ticked by while she considered the possibilities the way she’d examine the alternate outcomes of a new merger.
If Zach had wanted the intimacies to continue, he would have been waiting in her bed. But then, after weighing the consideration and tenderness he’d shown earlier not to pressure her, not to rush or crowd or frighten her, perhaps this was his way of leaving things yet again in her court.
Or not.
She switched off the bathroom light and stood in the doorway, at the crossroads of this potential relationship.
If she dropped her towel and crossed to the sofa, would he deny her access to his private space? Probably not. But would she be forcing an issue he wasn’t ready for or interested in dealing with?
The thought of joining him beneath those covers, fitting close to those amazing contours, to sleep in the security of his embrace… It was almost worth the risk.
Almost.
What he’d gifted her with tonight was immeasurable. He’d allowed her to explore and experience and reap the beauty of a physical union. She’d asked and he’d answered beyond her wildest hopes, creating a safe environment in which to realize the freedom of fulfillment. Her body still hummed with the honey-sweet pleasures they’d shared. The desire to feel those luxurious sensations again was already an addictive craving. As was her desire for Zach Russell.
But what was he feeling? What moved behind those penetrating eyes with the precision of a mainframe computer?
She understood business. She understood power and control. But she hadn’t the slightest clue when it came to unlocking the emotions of another, especially when that other was as complex as a time lock at the Federal Reserve.
She’d asked him to release her from her fears and he had. He’d begun the process of her healing. It was up to her now to build upon the confidence he’d bestowed upon her. It wouldn’t be fair to demand more. Especially if he was motivated by guilt. The last thing she wanted was his sacrifice.
She’d demanded it of him once. She’d looked up at him, her savior, her will crushed, her body brutally betrayed, and she’d pleaded for his mercy.
Please don’t let anyone ever know how you found me.
And he hadn’t. Even Veta, who’d come so quickly upon the scene after she’d shot and killed her fleeing attacker, was kept from the truth. After a time, she’d guessed, but that knowledge hadn’t come from Zach Russell, who’d quickly and efficiently covered up the crime done against her. No police were called in. Castillo made sure his agency buried the event so it would never make its way to the press. She’d promised Zach as he left her at her father’s door that she would make sure no lasting damage had been done. He’d kept his promise much better than she had her own. His way of handling his oath was to shoulder the brunt of responsibility without flinching. Hers was to hide the truth and her shame where it continued to fester to this very day.
Though Zach Russell might think he owed her a debt, the reverse was true. Now, more than ever.
Braced by the thought of his remorse and his willingness to assuage it with the remedy she’d offered, Toni turned to her own bed and solitary covers.
If there was something beyond obligation to Zach’s fantastic sexual tutelage, she would find out before pursuing further intimacies. She’d told him she had no pride left. That wasn’t quite true, she discovered as she determinedly closed her eyes and tried to shut out the awareness of her every desire just a room length away.
Chapter 11
One more day until Angel Premiero’s arrival would change Toni from model to CEO and nothing was going right.
A black flag fluttering on the beach signaled water too rough for a majority of what they had
planned. Then it looked as though the poolside shots for the new swimsuit line would be canceled because the male model they’d hired had spent the evening indulging at Señor Frog’s with several underage girls. There was nothing attractive about the bruised ribs from a bar fight and broken blood vessels in his pretty face as a result of praying into the porcelain bowl in his room for the better part of the early-morning hours.
Toni paced the pool area, a massive headache beginning to build from too much coffee and a gnawing tension. She was very aware of Zach off to one side doing his best to look inconspicuous as he read the local morning edition from a chaise lounge. Behind his dark glasses, she was sure his gaze never touched upon any of the column inches. He was scanning the crowd drawn by the cameras and shading screens. He was on duty, one hundred percent, and no casual observer would guess from his aloof appearance that the woman he was guarding had recently become his lover.
Except maybe Mateo.
He prowled the open air restaurant/bar under the pretext of making sure all was in readiness for the conventioneers arriving that evening. His once considered coup in bringing a group of international hotel chain bigwigs to his south-of-the-border resort for their annual conference seemed to have slipped a notch in his priorities as he watched Toni with a stormy glower.
She’d hurt his feelings. Beyond that, Toni feared she may have irreparably damaged their friendship. It had just been a kiss. But unlike any they’d exchanged before during their open and easy familiarity, this one meant something more than a fond gesture. When Mateo had leaned in to claim her lips the night before out on the glassy ocean, in his mind, he’d meant to lay claim to far more. Shocked to view him as a man instead of as her lifelong companion, Toni had overreacted.
His expression as she threw up her hands to shove him away had been one of disbelief, distress and ultimately betrayal.
What had he done to deserve such poor treatment? Suggest a solution to her troubles? Offer her an escape from the pressures that even now threatened to make her head explode? He’d reached out to her in concern and friendship asking her to consider a next step toward a partnership. Something she might have mulled over seriously until his head lowered. His features were obscured by darkness as he moved between her and the last of the setting sun.
She’d panicked. In that single moment, his faceless approach had become the embodiment of all her fears. And she’d reacted the way she always did when reminded of how it felt to be cornered and helpless. With a fierce, mindless resistance.
She knew she should apologize and try to recover what she still could of the feelings they had for one another. Feelings that went far beyond any shadow of intimacy she couldn’t allow. She’d started toward him when his sister stepped in to engage him in somber discussion. Not wanting to interrupt when, as Veta’s gaze cut to her then sharply away, Toni intuited that she was the topic of conversation, she turned back to the chaos Bryce was creating.
“We have to get these shots today, people. The ad firm needs them in New York by Friday. Antonia, dear, we need a miracle right now or this next campaign isn’t going to happen and we’re going to be out lots and lots of time and money.”
He and the crew stood, staring impatiently at her, waiting for her to produce out of the clear Ixtapa sky the expected miracle.
And one was provided.
Zach looked up at her rapid approach, his calm facade tightening into consternation and alarm.
“Bryce needs your abs.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“We need a great body to sex up a few swimsuit shots and yours is at the top of the list.”
“I hardly think—”
“Yours is the only one on the list at the moment.” Her voice lowered to an urgent pleading. “Be a good sport. I know you think my greatest vulnerability is out here in the open. Pose with me for a couple of pictures and I’ll stay inside like a good girl for the rest of the day and won’t give you any grief. Deal?”
“This isn’t exactly the low profile I prefer to maintain when on the job.”
“They’ll think you’re a random face in the crowd. Come on, Russell. Who’s going to recognize you?”
“From the shoulders down only.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Done.” She turned to the increasingly agitated cameraman. “I’ve got your body double. Let’s get to work.”
Bryce pursed his lips. “Toni, I really don’t think he’s going to work.”
Tired of arguing, Toni made her point by unbuttoning Zach’s shirt. Bryce sucked a strangled breath and managed to say, “O—kay. Let’s get this done. I need you and Mr. Atlas on the steps to the pool. Sit right there, Toni. Stud muffin, take off your loafers and wade right in behind her.”
Seeing Zach’s good sportsmanship beginning to wane, Toni caught his still healing hand and tugged gently. “Come on, stud. Get your feet wet.”
Bryce posed them with Toni sitting on the curved steps and Zach standing behind her, his dockers soaked to the knees. With his hands fisted on his hips to hold his shirt open, the fierce disapproval in Zach’s expression undocumented as Bryce took frame after frame.
“Toni, sweetie, I need some shots of how fabulous that suit looks on your tush. Stand up, doll, and get a handful of Mr. Muffin’s yummy tummy.”
Watching Zach’s formidable jawline harden in granite, Toni buffed her palms playfully upon his belly with a charge of, “Lighten up, Russell. Where’s your sense of humor?”
“You do realize,” he began through gritted teeth, “that if he calls me that one more time, you’re going to have to find yourself another cameraman.”
Toni laughed, not at all intimidated by his gruffness. “Bryce talks to everyone like that. Even my father. Try picturing his expression the first time Bryce called him cup-cake.”
He must have been imagining it because his stance suddenly relaxed.
“Great. Marvelous,” Bryce cooed. “Let’s see a little more skin, hon.”
“Which one of us is hon?”
Toni grinned. “I think that’s you.”
A scowl started to form. “If he thinks I’m going to drop my trousers…” He left that unfinished.
“I think he means your shirt.”
And before Zach could stop her, Toni skinned it off, leaving his upper body…and the butt of his revolver exposed.
“Oh, that’s a hot look,” Bryce murmured, “but not quite right for our audience. Toni, be a good girl and cover that up along with any other inappropriate bulges.”
Smirking at her tough bodyguard’s distress, Toni slid in close, placing one hand to shield the pistol grip while the other slipped to the small of his back. Her chin rested just above belt level, her gaze lifted to his. The effect was startlingly sexy and unexpectedly intimate.
“Dynamite, Toni. Keep it coming. These ads are going to catch on fire. There’s some great chemistry going on here. Up a little higher, Toni. That’s it. One would almost think you two were in the middle of some hot, nasty affair. Let’s hope that’s what the consumer sees. Who wouldn’t want to be having some fun in the sun with Mr. Muscles.”
“I think we’re about done here,” Zach said under his breath, “before your voyeuristic friend has us boffing on the diving board for the sake of a few more consumer points.”
Toni took a step back, stung by the harsh tone of his voice. She glanced around but didn’t see Mateo. Wondering unhappily if he’d heard Bryce’s unfortunate insinuation, she waved her hand in dismissal.
“Print them. I want a look before you send them out.”
“Nice work, Toni. I think we’ve got some great stuff. Maybe Times Square quality. Buy your Greek god dinner on me.”
Zach slogged out of the water, shrugging back into his shirt. At the moment, he seemed more Mercury, God of War, than the Adonis Bryce had captured on film.
“At least me mum won’t know it’s me up on some billboard in my skivvies,” he was grumbling.
Picturing Zach Russell’s fla
nks with a pair of damp white briefs hugging them to perfection forced Toni to turn and plunge into the pool. It took a dozen laps for the impression to fade to a manageable level. Zach was waiting with a hotel towel when she finally emerged.
“Remember, you promised not to give me any grief for the rest of the day,” Zach reminded as she wound the towel around her head instead of using it to cover her sleek water-glazed body.
Toni smiled. For the day perhaps. But that left the evening open.
Her unusual compliance should have made him immediately suspicious but Zach seemed too grateful to question her obliging mood.
After indulging in a massage, Toni returned to the room to order a tray of appetizers from room service that she shared with her roommate. While Zach prowled the room restlessly, she was content to go over the paperwork for the Aletta merge, opting graciously for the indoor table rather than the one out on the balcony. At two o’clock when the heat of the day was at its peak, she closed the patio doors, cranked the air conditioning and burrowed under the covers to enjoy a leisurely siesta nap. She slept soundly even as Zach continued to pace and wonder what she was up to.
She was just finishing her shower when Veta arrived with an envelope of photos from the morning’s shoot. As Zach took the opportunity to take a turn in the bathroom, Toni spilled out the photos on the bedspread and plopped down to shuffle through them under Veta’s watchful eye. Her own attention sharpened as she studied the pictures more closely.
She was used to Bryce’s glossy renditions that cast her as some glamorous larger-than-life superwoman. But these pictures captured something different. Uncomfortable and wondering why, Toni went through them a second time.
“As Bryce would say hot, hot, hot.”
Toni glanced up at Veta, a slight frown creasing her brow.
“Oh, come on, Toni, you’ve been infatuated with the man since you were eighteen. Genius that he is, Bryce just happened to catch that with his lens. A woman in lust will sell product. A woman in love confuses the issue.”
