Amazon Awakening

by Caridad Piñeiro

  “Your grandmother has sensed for some time that her spirit is waning. She has patrolled the space for far more years than any Guardian Priestess before her.”

  “But you told me you could not visit too often or stay too long,” Paola said.

  Rey nodded. “It is only because of the strength in the Lopes blood that Patricia has been able to lead and guard for all these decades. But it is time for another to assume her place as the leader of the Guardians.”

  When he looked at Paola, it all suddenly became clear. The Lopes legacy was not about money or even this plantation. It was about protecting the sacred space. It was about being in charge of the Guardians, whoever they might be.

  “Me?” she croaked and pointed to her chest with her free hand. “What do I know—”

  “What you need to know we can teach you,” he replied evenly as if it was the equivalent of teaching her to ride a bike.

  “But I have a life in New York. I can’t stay here,” she argued, shaking her head to emphasize the point.

  “You must,” her grandmother said softly and closed her eyes, clearly taxed.

  Paola glanced at Rey. “Tell me why I must stay.”

  Rey shrugged those massive shoulders and inclined his head in the direction of the door. “Emilio is waiting outside, eager to hear that you’ve refused.”

  “Why? What does it matter?” Paola pressed.

  “The Guardian spirit is strongest in certain families. The Lopes and Ribiero families possess the most powerful Guardian spirits and because of that, the leaders have been chosen from their lines for generations.”

  “But the Lopes family now holds the reins of power,” Paola said, finally beginning to understand.

  “For centuries the Lopes family has led the Guardians. If you decide to return to New York, Emilio and the Ribiero family will assume leadership.”

  Since not one of her encounters with the man had been pleasant, she couldn’t imagine what would happen to the paradise she had visited if it came under his protection. His anger and jealousy would be like a poison in that pristine place. Like the sin which had destroyed the Garden of Eden.

  “And if I stay?” she asked, the lawyer in her wanting to understand all the terms and conditions so she could make an informed decision.

  “If you stay you will need to choose from one of the Guardian men, marry and have children with them—”

  “But my father didn’t choose a Guardian. He chose my mother.”

  Patricia chimed in at that moment. “I feared for him with that choice. With a Guardian mate he might have been stronger, but he would not listen. He loved your mother beyond all else.”

  As her mother had loved him.

  I’d do it all again.

  Paola thought about that kind of love. What would it be like? She gazed at Rey and imagined that she could experience it with him. He was handsome and an amazing lover, but she needed more than that right now. She needed to know he was trustworthy and honorable.

  “You’re one of the men, aren’t you? You knew the choice I would face, but you didn’t tell me,” she challenged.

  “What happened between us had nothing to do with you becoming our leader or choosing me as a mate.” He clenched his jaw with anger at her accusation.

  “Didn’t it?” she asked again, although she wanted to believe their connection had truly been about their attraction to each other and not some plot to secure a position of power amongst the Guardians.

  “Believe what you will, but the only thing you have to decide now is whether to stay or go.”

  She patted her grandmother’s hand and Patricia roused, giving her a sleepy smile. Paola forced a smile to her own face, not wanting to worry her grandmother. “I need to go think about some things. I’ll be back later.”

  She moved toward the door, expecting Rey to follow, but he remained at her grandmother’s side, holding her hand, the sight of him so large and powerful incongruous against her grandmother’s now diminished presence.

  As Rey had predicted, Emilio was right outside the door, his features filled with what looked like anticipation. “No need to worry. Patricia just tripped over a root and is quite fine. She’s resting now.”

  Emilio’s eyes narrowed and he examined her, but he didn’t question her, instead he rushed off along with the trio of men surrounding him.

  Needing solitude, Paola hurried back to her room, but the sight of the bed brought back too many memories as did the scattered photos of her father, mother, grandmother and even herself as a child. She wouldn’t venture back toward the rain forest alone and so she marched in the opposite direction until she reached the long floating dock stretching out into the river. The pontoon plane was moored just a bit away, and farther upriver were a series of small buoys and flags, probably marking the fish hatcheries Rey had mentioned.

  She walked to the end of the platform and then plopped down cross-legged near the edge. The sun was up, but its heat was not yet enough to be uncomfortable. A slight breeze stirred along the river, keeping away the humidity while the water flowed by, filled with life and a calm that seeped into her in tiny bits.

  She’d always been drawn to the water. Maybe some subliminal memory of this magnificent river was the reason why, she thought. While she sat, she considered all that had happened and what little she had learned in the space of one short day.

  One short day that had forever changed her life—no matter what decision she made.

  If she left, would she always feel guilty that she had ignored her family’s wishes and a duty to a people she didn’t know? Would she regret not exploring what might be possible with Rey?

  As angry as she was at his deception, she couldn’t deny that she was drawn to him. That their lovemaking over the last couple of days had been…spectacular. Just the thought of it sent a shiver of need through her. But was that enough for her to sacrifice everything for which she had worked so hard?

  She had a life back in New York. A successful life. A financially rewarding career. But she had to confess that even being on the cusp of a partnership, something seemed lacking there. Lately, work alone had not been enough to fulfill her.

  As the sun rose higher, she closed her eyes and tilted her face upward, considering all her options until a footfall vibrated from the far end of the floating dock. She didn’t need to turn to know who it was. As each footfall brought him closer, his already familiar scent was carried to her on the breeze. The connection with him created desire and something even more dangerous—a sense of peace and fulfillment difficult to ignore.

  Could it be love already? she wondered.

  Rey stopped before reaching her and said, “I’m sorry. What happened… You have to believe it had nothing to do with the legacy.”

  Paola wanted to believe that. She wanted to think that it had to do with them and only them.

  “I wouldn’t blame you for leaving. You have no connection to this place,” he continued.

  She laughed harshly and without looking back at him said, “How I wish that were true.” It had only been a day, but it had been enough for this place to sink its roots into her. For him to establish himself in her heart. Leaving would not be an easy thing to do.

  The wood creaked as he stood beside her. She glanced up at him and met his gaze, filled with concern and guilt.

  “May I?” he asked, gesturing to a spot on the dock next to where she sat.

  She answered with a shrug, and he plopped down, mimicking her stance. Legs crossed. His powerful arms wrapped around his knees as he rocked back and forth for a moment, staring out at the river. Then he faced her again.

  “You don’t need to worry about your grandmother. I will care for her.”

  As he had been caring for her for so many years, Paola realized. As he had been caring for those in the sacred space and on the plantation. Alone for so long.

  “Why do you stay here?” she asked, wanting to understand him. Needing to know more about him. About what moved him.
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  With a hunch of his shoulders, he said, “Duty. Love. I believe in protecting this majestic place while improving the lives of everyone here.”

  “Is that what Lopes Industries does? What you oversee?” Although she knew something about it from the Internet searches she had done, she suspected now that the real reason behind their environmental concerns was protection of the sacred space.

  He nodded. “We guard the rain forest and the sacred space, but we also use what we can to better the lives of those in the area. New medicines from local plants. Fish farming along the banks of the river.” He motioned upriver to the markers. “Far from the sacred space we grow stands of Ipe wood for lumber to be exported.”

  Pride filled his tone at what they had accomplished—what he had implemented as the head of her family’s business—but she recognized that his work was a burden as well. A burden he had been primarily shouldering for some time.

  She leaned toward him, searching out his features. “What about what you want? What you need for yourself?”

  He dipped his head down, avoiding her gaze, but she insisted, bringing her face close so there was no way that he could avoid her. “What will make you happy, Rey?”

  Slowly, he faced her and said one word.

  “You.”

  She sucked in a breath at his admission and her heart hitched a beat. There was no denying the truth of his statement. But she was still battling her anger at his failure to tell her the truth about what was expected of her.

  “I’m not sure I can trust you,” she admitted.

  “I understand. I should have told you more, but there was so much you needed to know. So much to show you,” Rey said earnestly and swept his arm out to gesture to everything around them. He had helped to build this place, but he realized none of it would matter if she left. He needed her to remain here—and not just because she was the heir to the legacy. He needed her to stay because he might have fallen in love with her.

  “Give me another chance. Give this place a chance,” he urged her, reaching out and cupping her cheek.

  She bit her bottom lip, worrying it with her teeth. Her gaze dipped for a moment, but then she met him head-on.

  “I can’t deny that I’m attracted to you. That I felt a connection to you from the beginning.”

  “As I did to you. I can’t explain it. All I know is that I can’t imagine not feeling that link. Not exploring if this is meant to be.”

  A rueful smile peaked from the corner of her lips. “Neither can I. I want to find out if what we’re feeling is real. If I can trust you.”

  “What can I do to prove that you can?” Rey replied, determined to demonstrate in any way he could that she could rely on him.

  Paola narrowed her eyes, almost unable to believe that he meant what he said. His question got her to wondering just what he would be willing to do. That wondering grew dangerous as she spotted a loop of white rope at the edge of the dock.

  Bending at the waist, she snagged the bundle of rope and held it up for him to see. Momentary confusion filled his gaze until he realized her intent, but then a flush spread across his cheeks and worked its way down his neck.

  “You want me to trust you, but you need to trust me also.” She jiggled the rope up and down.

  In answer, he laced his fingers together and offered up his wrists. “I trust you,” he said.

  His submission created a flood of desire through her body and had her heavy with need at the thought of all that masculine power under her control. Working quickly, she bound his wrists together and then used the remaining few feet of rope as a leash, leading him away from the dock and back to her bedroom.

  Once inside, she faced him. When her gaze met his, the heat in his look nearly devoured her. “On the bed,” she commanded, eager to begin this test of trust.

  He moved assuredly, his long legs eating up the short distance to the bed where he climbed up and laid down in the center. Raising his bound arms above his head, he grabbed hold of a carved rail at the bottom of the ornate Ipe wood headboard.

  Perfect, she thought. She leaned over to tie him to the railing with the excess rope.

  Then she sat back and admired him, so large and imposing. So beautiful, she thought, as he glanced at her, his dark eyes glittering.

  “I am yours now, Paola. What will you do with me?”

  A thousand thoughts raced through her brain, but she started with the most basic. “I’m going to undress you.”

  In a flurry of motion, she was soon straddling his thighs and undoing the button and zipper on his jeans. As she worked, her hands brushed against his erection, teasing him with the barest of touches as she parted the denim, revealing the length of him covered by the thin fabric of his briefs.

  She stroked her hand across that impressive length before grabbing both briefs and jeans and dragging them off.

  Sitting at his feet, she trailed her gaze up the perfection of his body, from his strong calves to his leanly muscled thighs. As her gaze settled on his penis, a flood of heat and wetness dampened her cleft and her nipples tightened into hard points.

  She wanted him. Badly. But first she wanted to explore.

  Ripping off her robe, she kneeled between his legs and urged them apart, her hands stroking his rock hard thighs.

  His balls were tight, and desire colored them with a dull flush. Above them, his erection jutted from a nest of curly black hair. She ran the back of her hand across his balls and Rey jumped from the caress and raised his hips, begging for more of her touch.

  “Do you want me to touch you?” she asked, a soft purr in her voice.

  A strangled “Yes” escaped his lips and he yanked on the rope, trying to touch her as well, but the rope held fast. The action made the muscles in his arms more pronounced as he strained against his bonds.

  Leaning forward, she allowed the hard points of her breasts to skim along his body, regretting the T-shirt that kept flesh from flesh as she ran her hands along the undersides of his arms.

  “Relax, Rey. I will do what you ask,” she teased and kissed his jaw, avoiding his mouth as he sought to kiss her.

  “Will you?” he challenged, his eyes fixed on her face until she sat on his midsection and reached up to cup her breasts.

  “I will,” she said as she played with them, enjoying the way he gulped in a breath as his gaze settled on her breasts.

  “Then let me taste,” he said with a low growl. The animal spirit within her responded, making her insides vibrate.

  She bent and offered him her breasts, allowing him a lick and a taste. She sighed as he grasped one tip between his perfect white teeth and nipped gently. Against her midsection came the press of his erection, unforgettable and insistent.

  Rubbing against his body, she trapped him beneath her as he continued to suckle her. Need arose so powerfully within her, she was shaking. For a moment, she was tempted to release his hands so he could pleasure her, but first she wanted something else. Especially as the first hint of moisture escaped his erection and wet the skin inches below her breasts.

  “My turn,” she said and sat back, earning another protest from him. He pulled on the headboard so strongly that the wood creaked as if it might splinter.

  The only thing she wanted to shatter was his control, she thought, as she reached for the hem of his T-shirt.

  Digging her nails into the thin fabric, she yanked with all her might and the cloth shredded, exposing his sculpted abs. Before he could recover from his surprise, she bent and bit each of his tight, coppery nipples then licked her way down his center until the head of his dick rested between her two breasts.

  Holding her breasts tight along his length, she licked the tip of him, enjoying the salty taste of that first hint of release. She rubbed her breasts up and down the smoothness of him, the friction of skin against skin yanking a loud moan from him. She tenderly teethed the ridge of his penis before sucking him deep into her throat.

  He surged upward, deepening the penetration
and sliding his cock along the sensitive flesh of her breasts cradling him.

  Over and over he pushed upward, and she made love to him with her lips, tongue and breasts until she was so wet and aching that she could no longer hold back.

  She raised her hips and guided him to her center, her gaze locked on his face. His pupils were wide, his breath choppy as he waited for her to take him in.

  Dropping down one little inch, she paused, allowing her body to acclimate to the width of him. Then she sank a bit more, pausing at each inch, sighing when she finally took in the last bit of him long moments later. The fullness within her was enough to have her on the edge.

  Almost. She ground down on him and rotated her hips. With that motion, he grabbed hold of the ropes and used them for leverage. With a powerful roll of his body, he drove in and out of her and that wave pulled her climax from her.

  Arching her back and shifting her hips, she rode that crest until his hoarse shout of her name confirmed his release. The eruption of his pleasure and the swell of his erection within her pulled her to another shattering release.

  She stilled above him, resting her hands on his chest. Sucking in breath after breath until some semblance of calm had been restored. Only then did she lean forward and undo the bindings keeping him her prisoner.

  A bit of guilt settled in as she noticed the reddish rope burns along his wrists, but he cradled her cheek and said, “It was worth it.”

  It certainly had been, she thought, unable to voice all that she felt at the moment.

  Content, she shifted to lie along his body, his cock still buried deep within her even as he slowly softened. One hand at her waist kept her close while the other stroked her hair, his motions gentle and caring.

  Long moments passed in that peaceful aftermath, but soon thoughts intruded about the decision she would have to make. Only this time there was no doubt.

  “Do you suppose you might need someone to help you out with running the business? A legal eagle type to review contracts and things like that,” she said, her head tucked beneath his chin and resting against his chest.