Pregnant at Acosta's Demand

by Maya Blake

  Because, Madre de Dios, she was.

  Blood and lust thrumming wildly through his veins, he slowly moved towards her, watched her fingers twist in a death grip on the knot of the towel.

  Her gaze flitted from his to the French doors before rushing back to his, as if, like him, she couldn’t look away for long enough. ‘Did you just break into my bedroom?’

  He gave a low laugh. ‘I was checking to make sure you hadn’t decided to make a run for it.’

  He stopped before her, breathing in the intoxicating scent of woman.

  His woman.

  ‘And if I had?’

  ‘I would’ve chased you down,’ he vowed.

  A shiver trembled through her. He wanted to trace his fingers over her satin-smooth skin, elicit another delicious shiver. But if he touched her that way, here in this room, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

  Closing the gap between them, he caught her around the waist. Lifting her high, he banded one arm around her and started to walk.

  One hand landed on his shoulder to steady herself as her eyes widened. ‘Where...where are we going?’

  He passed through the open door and took a right towards the end of the corridor. ‘I’ve had you in my car and in your bed. This time I’m taking you in my bed.’

  Her breath hitched in a sexy little rush that went straight to his groin. Striding through his private living room into his bedroom, he kicked the door shut with his foot and set her down.

  ‘Let go of the towel,’ he rasped in a voice he barely recognised as his own.

  She blinked, then looked around wildly before her gaze returned to his. Whatever she saw in his face made her draw her lower lip between her teeth and worry it mercilessly.

  Ramon barely managed to stop the torturous groan that rumbled up from his chest.

  ‘Drop the towel, Suki. Or I’ll do it for you,’ he growled.

  Despite the alarming widening of her eyes, she shook her head. ‘You take something off first.’

  He sighed. ‘Are we going to argue about every single thing?’

  The hand gripping the towel tightened defiantly. ‘Equality is a very big thing for women these days.’

  His mouth attempted to lift without his permission but the severity of his need killed his mirth. His jacket came off and hit the floor, followed by his tie and shirt.

  When his hand went to his belt, she froze, her gaze following the movement. He slowed the slide of the belt through the loops. Something about having her eyes on him turned him on even harder.

  He hadn’t forgotten his paramount objective but, Dios, he was also going to take a little bit of pleasure in his task.

  ‘Do it, Suki. I won’t tell you again.’

  Slowly, she let go of the towel.

  Everything locked inside him, save for the electric zap of lust that powered his every cell. Maybe he was going to take more than a little pleasure in bringing his child into the world.

  Discarding the belt, he pulled her into his arms, fisted one hand in her thick hair, angled her face up to his. The wave of anxiety that crossed her face pulled him short for a moment.

  ‘This can be the clinical exercise you accused it of being. Or we can attempt to enjoy it. Which would you prefer?’

  Her mouth fell open in shock, then she blushed fiercely. ‘I...how can I answer that without...without...?’

  He glided his thumb over her lips. ‘It’s fine, you don’t need to incriminate yourself. I would prefer the latter. And I will proceed accordingly unless you indicate otherwise.’

  ‘Or we can stop dissecting it and just get on with it?’ she muttered, her colour heightening as her gaze dropped from his.

  Ramon wanted to bring it back to his. But he couldn’t resist the prompt to just get on with it. Not when his hands were gliding over her glorious skin and her breathing was altering in that heady way again. Not when the sight of the tip of her tongue caressing her inner lip was threatening to drive him insane.

  The distance to his bed was mercifully short. Laying her down, he quickly disposed of his remaining clothes. When her wide-eyed gaze took in his erection, he swallowed a groan and brought himself under fierce control.

  Stretching out next to her, he pressed her body to his, caressed his hand down the delicate line of her spine.

  She arched against him, bringing the tips of her sweet breasts against his chest. When the sensitised tips brushed him, she whimpered. The sound, like every single one she made, drove blood straight between his legs.

  Unable to resist, he bent his head and took one pink peak into his mouth. Her whimper turned into a cry as her fingers spiked through his hair.

  Sí, there was absolutely no reason why they couldn’t enjoy making this baby that would ensure the continuation of his family’s legacy.

  In pathetically few minutes, the insane hunger threatened to annihilate him.

  Pressing her onto her back, he braced himself over her.

  * * *

  Suki didn’t think she had any more air in her lungs to exhale with as Ramon parted her thighs. But apparently the sight of him, crouched so masterfully over her, could elicit another giddy rush of air.

  She couldn’t...shouldn’t be enjoying this. Every particle in her body shouldn’t be craving what was coming so much. And yet wild, dizzy anticipation continued to ripple through her as his fingers slid between their bodies, located that needy place between her thighs and delivered wicked caresses.

  Her head was rolling restlessly on his pillow as he started kissing his way down her body. Open-mouthed kisses that branded her skin and left a trail of fire she was sure would never be extinguished. She wasn’t aware her nails were digging into his shoulders until he hissed encouragement.

  Dragging her head off the pillow, she looked down to find his ferocious gaze pinned on her, tracking her every response.

  He got to her belly and he paused, his lips hovering over her womb. An enigmatic expression washed over his face. Then his head dropped one last fraction, anointing her belly with a kiss. Something heavy and indefinable moved through her, wrapped around her heart.

  Suki shied away from it, her intuition pushing her towards emotional self-preservation. His mouth brushed lower and she stopped thinking altogether.

  She resurfaced from her first climax long enough to feel him tug her resolutely beneath him.

  ‘Open your eyes, Suki,’ he rasped above her.

  She dragged heavy lids open, her chest rising and falling rapidly. His eyes were a dark, primitive green. The turbulence surging through her was reflected perfectly in his gaze.

  His hand barely slid beneath her to hold her steady before he thrust inside her. ‘Oh!’

  His harsh exhalation reverberated in the room. Burying himself to the hilt, he held himself still, fine tremors shaking through his body as his teeth clenched. The sight of him fighting for control thrilled a shamelessly feminine part of her.

  Enough for her to raise her hand and slide her fingers over his rigid stubbled jaw, through his hair, drag her nails along his scalp, sink them into his nape.

  A guttural groan ripped free from his throat as he began to move. Powerfully. Relentlessly. His possession was masterful and thorough, commanding every single cell in her body by the time the glorious pressure threatened to stop her breathing.

  Frantic for an anchor, her hands found his waist, dug in and stayed as he hurled her relentlessly to the edge.

  ‘Ramon...’

  ‘Sí, guapa. Give in,’ he encouraged throatily.

  She didn’t need a second bidding. Shameless cries ripped from her own throat as bliss burst wild and free from deep within her.

  Seconds later, Ramon gave an animalistic growl above her before he rammed deep...deeper than he’d ever been inside her. The sensation of hi
s seed filling her, flooding her, shook new, alien feeling inside her long after their breaths had returned to normal. Long after he’d rolled to the side and tucked her against him.

  That band around her heart, the one that held apprehension and a whole lot more sensation than she could fathom right now, tightened even further. She tried to will it away. But it loomed larger until she couldn’t stem the feeling morphing into naked fear in her chest.

  When she pulled free, he let her go.

  Her duty was done. At least for tonight. She moved to the edge of the bed, swung her legs down.

  Before she could stand, a thick arm snagged her waist, dragged her back against the sheets.

  ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ he demanded. His sculpted cheekbones were still flushed and his hair was in total disarray. But he remained sinfully, impossibly gorgeous, his face threatening her equilibrium all over again. She fought it with every spare ounce of control she could summon.

  ‘I’m returning to my room.’

  ‘No, you’re not. Until we get a positive result you’re sleeping in this bed every night. I will have your things moved here tomorrow.’

  She was shaking her head before he’d finished. ‘I... I would rather not.’

  His face closed, his displeasure evident. ‘If you think I’m hunting you down every night, think again.’

  ‘Hunting me down? I’m right next door.’

  ‘Then save us both the trouble of maintaining separate rooms.’

  She shook her head again, her instincts screaming that this was a terrible idea.

  He exhaled impatiently. ‘If you insist on your feminine independence, you can shower and dress in your own suite. But when I’m in this room so will you. Agreed?’

  This was his idea of a compromise. She could waste her breath arguing. Or she could take the offer. She took the offer. ‘Agreed.’

  His expression changed into one of hard satisfaction. Leaning down, he delivered a firm, swift kiss on her lips before he raised his head a fraction. ‘One more thing.’

  ‘Yes?’ she replied shakily.

  ‘You attempting to leave my bed so soon leads me to think you believe I’ll be taking you just once a night.’ His lips brushed hers as he spoke, trailing little bursts of fire on her tingling mouth. ‘Am I right, cara?’ he enquired huskily.

  Her face flamed. ‘I wasn’t... I didn’t give it that much thought.’

  His tight-lipped smile mocked her. ‘Well, in case it crossed your mind, revise that impression, guapa. And also revise the notion that I will be restricting myself to only nights from now on.’

  She was flailing under the torrent of his words when his hand slid down to boldly cup her hip. Before she could so much as take a breath, he had once again taken control of her body.

  CHAPTER NINE

  RAMON ACOSTA WAS a man on a mission. That became very clear, very quickly. If she slept for more than two or three hours at a stretch during the night, she called that a victory. And he didn’t restrict himself to just the bedroom. Discovering her enjoying a mid-morning decaf coffee on his private terrace after lingering in bed for the morning, he’d calmly reefed off his T-shirt and paint-splattered sweat pants, stretched out beside her and pulled her negligee off her body. Afterwards, he’d carried her back to bed and started all over again.

  The shower in her own suite had been another scene of his mastery. He’d tracked her there under some now forgotten pretext, invited himself into the steamy cubicle and proceeded to make her shower an unforgettable one.

  That had been a week ago. A week when, in between bouts of intense lovemaking, he either spent equally intense hours ruling his kingdom from his study or disappearing into his studio on the boundary of his villa.

  He’d given Suki the grand tour of all twenty-eight rooms of his villa the morning after they returned from Miami. Room after room had produced gasps of awe, as priceless antiques vied for attention beneath even more exquisitely carved stone and wood and beautifully cut glass, but, although he’d told her what the glass-roofed structure was, he hadn’t invited her inside his studio. What he had revealed was that his parents had also lived in this villa with him. The west wing where they’d had their rooms was slowly being cleared by Teresa and Mario, and Suki had chosen to stay out of their way.

  It was also during that tour that she’d discovered there were two further rooms—a smaller dining room and a drawing room—that needed to be restored. Although her heart mourned the atrocity done to the rooms, she welcomed the opportunity to dwell on something else other than whether she was even now carrying Ramon’s child.

  But by mutual tacit agreement, neither of them had brought up the subject of pregnancy tests. Suki shied away from the wicked voice that suggested that she didn’t want to know just yet so she didn’t have to give up her presence in Ramon’s bed. They would know soon enough when her cycle rolled around next week.

  Until then, she busied herself by compiling a list of Cuban architects and restorers, conducting videoconference interviews to see who would be a good fit. And when her mother arrived in Miami, she made the trip, spending all day with Moira and Mrs Baron. Suki had been shocked to find her retired neighbour at her mother’s bedside in Miami, but the older woman had been full of praise for a ‘considerate’ Ramon, who hadn’t thought twice about making arrangements for her to accompany her friend. Suki’s expressed gratitude when she’d met Ramon at the hotel afterwards had been shrugged off and quickly dismissed before he’d whisked her into the bedroom.

  Her own mother had, predictably, reserved judgement, more concerned with why Suki was still in Cuba. The half-lie that she was working on a commission for Ramon hadn’t sat well with her. But the bald truth would’ve distressed her mother even more.

  So instead she’d discussed antique wallpapers and colour swatches and rhapsodised about the beauty of Luis’s childhood home.

  The call to her boss to request an extended leave of absence had gone more smoothly than she’d hoped. Whether or not it was aided by the tabloid pictures of her and Ramon, first at the memorial and then coming out of the boutique in Miami that had the paparazzi speculating about their relationship, she didn’t know.

  Charlotte Chapman, the tough but fair boss who’d hired her straight after her internship, had all but offered to keep her job open for as long as Suki needed. Unsure what the future held for her, she’d expressed her gratitude to Charlotte and promised that, yes, she would update her on a regular basis.

  She was still bemused by the call when Ramon found her in the living room shortly after. A raised-brow query had prompted a retelling of the phone call. He’d given a very Latin shrug and deftly changed the subject.

  That had been the first inkling that there were some subjects Ramon would pursue to the ends of the earth and others he wouldn’t waste a single breath on. One such subject was the amount of clothes that had arrived two days after their visit to Miami. Even the clothes he’d initially disapproved of were included in the dozens of boxes that arrived by helicopter.

  And tonight, he’d specifically picked the metallic gold dress he’d all but sneered at in the boutique.

  They were supposed to be dining by candlelight on his private terrace, yet half an hour after Teresa had set out their meal he hadn’t turned up.

  Walking to the edge of the terrace, she glanced over to his studio. Lights blazed through the glass. She debated for a second, then went back into the bedroom. Throwing a light shawl over her dress, she left the suite.

  Her flats were almost noiseless on the stone path as she approached the studio doors. The hand she raised to knock froze at the steady stream of Spanish curses that ripped through the air, followed by the sound of wood breaking. Then another.

  Biting her lip, she remained caught between the urge to find out if Ramon was all right and the urge to flee
.

  That was how he found her minutes later when he almost ripped the door off his hinges in restless fury.

  Green eyes latched on to her. ‘Por el amor de—what are you doing here?’ he growled, low and dangerous.

  She glanced behind him, caught a glimpse of the carnage on the studio floor. ‘I...we were supposed to have dinner forty minutes ago. I came to see if you...are you okay?’

  He continued to stare at her as if she were an alien. Stepping out, he pulled the door shut behind him. ‘I’m fine. My apologies for keeping you waiting,’ he said stiffly, clawing a hand through his hair. ‘Give me five minutes and I’ll be with you.’

  Questions tripped on the tip of her tongue, but the dismissal was clear. She returned to the villa, and, true to his word, he joined her five minutes later.

  She turned from the terrace wall, and for a moment she thought he’d been struck dumb when he saw her.

  The risqué cut of the dress negated the use of a bra, but, of course, what had looked a little daring but ultimately controllable in front of her mirror soon became a clingy, body-exposing and heat-inducing scrap of torture the moment Ramon laid his sizzling eyes on her.

  Calmly he strode forward, pulled out her chair and saw her seated. But despite his attempt at easy conversation, tension poured off him. Whether it was from what she’d witnessed outside his studio or what she was wearing, she didn’t dare ask, seeing as she was fighting her ultra-sensitive body’s reaction to his every look.

  When she attempted to surreptitiously hide the fact that her nipples had peaked to blatant points beneath the sheer silk, he set his wine glass down and decisively drew away the arm she was attempting to use to hide her body’s reaction.

  ‘We’re alone, Suki. Stop hiding yourself from me.’

  Her lips twisted in a tight grimace. ‘This dress was a bad idea.’

  ‘Only as a test of fortitude and patience, belleza. But we will persevere,’ he replied drolly, although she noted the tightness of his jaw and the way he shifted in his seat every few minutes when his gaze dropped to her chest.