Читать книгу Hot Nights with a Spaniard: Bedded for the Spaniard's Pleasure / Spanish Aristocrat, Forced Bride / Spanish Magnate, Red-Hot Revenge - Кэрол Мортимер, India Grey - Страница 11

‘YOU have to believe me, Cairo, when I tell you I had no idea Bond had been invited this evening!’

Cairo knew by the grimness of Rafe’s expression as he looked down at her so intently that he was telling the truth.

Not that she had ever thought otherwise; the two of them might have had their differences in the past, Rafe uncaring of her feelings for him, but she had never found him to be a vindictive man.

Believing what he did, to have deliberately brought her to this party in Cannes knowing Lionel was going to be here, too, would definitely have been vindictive on Rafe’s part!

Until now it had been a surprisingly pleasant evening. Cairo had met up and chatted with several old acquaintances as she sipped the freely flowing champagne, and Daisy was absolutely enthralled with the whole thing as she pointed out people she recognized from films and television.

There had been the usual barrage of photographers outside, of course, an experience Cairo had also found less of an ordeal than she had expected. Rafe had kept a firm hold of her arm and smilingly fended off most of the more personal questions while at the same time keeping an eye out for the man who had followed them earlier today. He wasn’t there, Rafe had informed her as they went into the huge white marquee on Cannes beach where the party was being held.

No doubt the man believed he had enough of an exclusive for one day!

Which he probably did….

Cairo had decided to put him firmly from her mind—along with that earlier, erotic, conversation with Rafe!—once she realized she was actually enjoying herself, having reacquainted herself with several friends that she hadn’t seen since her move to London.

Until she chanced to glance across at the entrance of the marquee and see Lionel making a belated appearance!

‘Maybe he wasn’t invited.’ She sighed, knowing that Lionel was quite capable of inviting himself if he had learnt that Cairo was here, seeing as she had so far evaded all of his previous efforts to see or speak to her.

‘Do you want to leave?’ Rafe asked.

Did she?

Admittedly, seeing Lionel again like this so unexpectedly had been a shock, but if she left now, it would look as if she was running away from an awkward situation. Worse, she would feel as if she was running away!

‘No, I don’t want to leave,’ she answered Rafe firmly. ‘Let’s just continue to circulate, hmm?’ she suggested tautly as she slid her hand into the crook of his arm.

‘Fine with me.’ Rafe nodded as he looked down at her with approval.

Despite her claim that she had nothing suitable to wear, Cairo looked stunningly beautiful this evening, the simple black sheath of a dress she wore giving her a classically elegant appearance when compared to all the glittering gowns being worn by the other women present. Her red hair was loose and silky about her shoulders, her eyes dark and luminous in her lightly tanned face, her lips glossed a challenging red.

Warpaint she might need before this evening was over, Rafe acknowledged heavily as he saw Lionel Bond making his way determinedly towards them.

Her ex-husband came to a halt in front of Cairo, his smile smooth and self-assured. ‘I had no idea you were going to be here this evening, Cairo,’ he greeted lightly. ‘I seem to recall your telling me you hated this sort of thing?’ he added quizzically.

Cairo returned that smile even as her grip tightened on Rafe’s arm and her nails dug into the sleeve of his dinner jacket. ‘I’ve made tonight an exception,’ she replied coolly.

Rafe’s gaze narrowed as he saw the way Bond was looking at Cairo with such warmth. Not entirely surprisingly, he found his own feelings towards her ex were far from friendly.

He could see why she’d been attracted to the man, of course. For not only was Lionel Bond incredibly rich and powerful, he was also six feet tall, still athletically fit in his late forties, with a boyishly handsome face and blond hair tinged a distinguishing grey at the temples.

Yes, Rafe could see the reason Cairo had once been attracted to this man. That she might still be attracted to him, in spite of their recent divorce …?

Cairo was sure that her knees were shaking so much they were actually knocking together! It hadn’t even occurred to her that Lionel might be here this evening. She definitely wouldn’t have come if it had.

And yet …

This first meeting since their divorce, a meeting she had steadfastly avoided in spite of Lionel’s repeated efforts for it to be otherwise, had to have happened at some time, so why not get it over and done with?

The guilt she had carried with her for so long where Lionel was concerned, unable to love him and yet unable to leave him, either, because of that guilt, along with the fear that she might be the reason for his gambling addiction, no longer seemed like quite such a heavy weight as she looked at him now. Lionel looked surprisingly fit and well, and was obviously surviving quite well without her.

Perhaps he really had finally been able to stop the addiction that had for so long threatened to ruin him….

‘I wonder why you’ve made tonight an exception?’ Lionel turned to look at Rafe, his pale grey gaze wide with speculation.

Cairo turned to include Rafe in their conversation. ‘You know Rafe of course …?’

‘Of course.’ Lionel nodded briefly in the younger man’s direction, neither one making any attempt to shake hands.

Cairo couldn’t help but appreciate the differences she could see in the two men as they stood so close together, Rafe so dark and compellingly attractive, Lionel a golden blond and all that was suave and handsomely self-assured.

But the expression of dislike on both men’s faces was identical as hard blue eyes clashed with steely grey!

‘I must say that I would have expected you to be a little more—original, shall we say—in your choice of lover, Cairo,’ Lionel challenged as he looked at Rafe. ‘I had rather hoped I’d taught you to be a little more discerning in your tastes over the years.’

Cairo’s breath caught in her throat at the deliberate insult, and she could feel Rafe’s tension in his arm beneath her hand as he also recognized the directness of Lionel’s attack.

Lionel had never been happy about her previous involvement with Rafe eight years ago, had considered Rafe one of the ‘wild’ set that had dominated Hollywood at the time. But Rafe had matured into a formidable and dangerous opponent in the intervening years, and he looked every bit as suave as Lionel this evening in the tailored black evening suit, snowy white shirt and red bow tie.

She gave her ex-husband a confident smile. ‘There has never been anything wrong with my taste.’

‘Really?’ The intensity of Lionel’s gaze seemed to look for some inclusion of himself in that statement.

‘Yes—really,’ Cairo echoed softly. ‘Now if you’ll excuse us—’

‘You’re looking rather beautiful this evening, Cairo,’ Lionel told her warmly.

‘I— Thank you.’ She gave him a censorious frown.

‘I’m sure Montero agrees with me, don’t you, Montero?’ he added with a mocking glance.

Rafe had never felt so much like hitting another man as he did at that moment. Not that he was going to. For one thing, it would achieve nothing except to relieve his own anger towards this man for even looking at Cairo so warmly. For another, he wouldn’t give Bond the satisfaction of knowing how much it bothered him.

Rafe also doubted that Cairo would appreciate it if he laid her ex-husband out cold at her feet!

He released his arm from Cairo’s hand to curve it about her waist, effectively pulling her to his side. ‘In my experience, Cairo looks beautiful whatever the—occasion,’ he drawled provocatively.

This conversation was spiralling out of control, Cairo decided impatiently. Ridiculously so, seeing as she and Lionel were already divorced, and she didn’t have any relationship at all with Rafe!

‘Enjoyable as this conversation is—’ her tone implied the opposite ‘—I think I would like to go outside for some air, Rafe.’ She looked at him compellingly.

Rafe gave a terse inclination of his head. ‘Of course—’

‘Uncle Lionel?’

Cairo had completely forgotten—not surprisingly!—Daisy’s presence until that moment, her young niece rejoining them now that she had finished speaking to the young actor they had introduced her to after she had asked to meet him so she could tell the other girls about it when she returned to school next week!

‘Daisy?’ Lionel raised surprised brows as he turned to look at his former niece.

Daisy grinned up at him unabashedly, looking absolutely adorable in a lemon sundress and white sandals. ‘Aunty Cairo didn’t say you were going to be here, too!’

‘No, I don’t suppose she did,’ Lionel said with a rueful glance in Cairo’s direction. ‘I had no idea this was a family gathering. Can I expect to see Margo and Jeff this evening, too?’

Cairo gave him a quelling glance, Margo and Jeff never having made any secret of the fact that they didn’t particularly like or approve of Lionel. ‘No, there’s just the three of us,’ she answered pointedly.

‘Hmm,’ he murmured enigmatically. ‘It’s really is good to see you again, Cairo,’ he added huskily. ‘The two of us need to talk—’

‘I don’t think so, Lionel,’ she cut in firmly; she and Lionel had absolutely nothing left to say to each other. They had spent months, years, trying to sort out the problems between them, all to no avail.

He reached out and grasped her arm. ‘Tell me where you’re staying, Cairo, and I’ll—’

‘Take your hand off her, Bond!’ Rafe snarled between clenched teeth.

Lionel shot him a look of pure dislike. ‘Butt out, Montero—’

‘I’ll give you until the count of three—’

‘And then what?’ Lionel challenged. ‘This is absolutely none of your business—’

‘I’m making it my business,’ Rafe said in a lethal tone.

‘Please don’t, Rafe.’ Cairo put her hand on his arm, her look one of pleading before she turned back to her ex-husband. ‘We both know we have nothing left to say to each other, Lionel, and I certainly don’t appreciate the way you’re drawing attention to all of us,’ she added as she became aware of the many curious gazes turned in their direction. ‘I believe it’s time that we left, Rafe.’

‘I’ll call you,’ Lionel called after her.

Rafe turned to give the other man an icy glare, his hands clenching at his sides as he saw the almost desperate look on Bond’s handsome face as he gazed after Cairo.

‘Do we really have to go?’ Daisy frowned her disappointment. ‘I’m not in the least tired,’ she assured them, widening her eyes as if to prove the point, and looking absolutely adorable as she did so.

Rafe chuckled softly as he released his hold on Cairo’s waist to swing Daisy up into his arms. ‘Aunty Cairo needs her beauty sleep,’ he told her teasingly.

Daisy turned to look at her aunt. ‘Aunty Cairo can’t be any more beautiful than she already is,’ she informed him proudly.

No, she couldn’t, Rafe acknowledged heavily. She was absolutely gorgeous. Assured. Desirable.

‘Then maybe it’s me who needs my beauty sleep,’ he said ruefully.

‘You’re much better looking than Uncle Lionel,’ Daisy confided with innocent candour.

Rafe looked at Cairo over Daisy’s head, wondering how she was taking the comparison, but unable to read anything from her composed expression as she coolly met his gaze.

‘I like you better than Uncle Lionel, too,’ Daisy continued with that same innocence. ‘He never played with me like you do.’

Cairo thought this conversation had gone far enough. Even if she did completely agree with everything Daisy had just said!

Rafe’s rugged handsomeness was much more appealing than Lionel’s suave urbanity. And, despite their differences, like Daisy, Cairo liked Rafe much better than she did Lionel, too….

‘All the flattery in the world isn’t going to stop us from leaving, young lady,’ she teased her niece, although it was still several minutes before they got outside as people engaged them in conversation as they made their way towards the exit.

Daisy was fast asleep in the back of the car within minutes of their leaving the bright lights of Cannes. ‘So much for her not being tired,’ Cairo murmured wryly as she turned from making the little girl more comfortable within the confines of her seat belt. ‘Phew.’ She sighed deeply. ‘I can’t say I’m sorry that’s over!’ She leant back wearily against the headrest and closed her eyes.

Rafe gave her a brief glance, a frown creasing his brow when he turned back to the road as he was once again struck by Cairo’s air of fragility. ‘Is that the first time you and Bond have met since the divorce?’ he asked.

‘Yes.’

‘I’m sorry it had to be in such a public way.’ Rafe grimaced.

‘I’m not.’ Cairo turned her head to look at him. ‘Thank you for being so—supportive,’ she told him huskily.

Rafe’s mouth tightened as he once again wondered how she really felt about seeing Bond again….

He shrugged. ‘Bond didn’t really give me any choice in the matter.’

‘No,’ Cairo accepted ruefully. ‘But I thank you, anyway.’

Rafe couldn’t think of a single thing to say in answer to that comment as they made the rest of the drive back to the villa in silence.

A tense, almost expectant silence, as even the air between them seemed to crackle with a taut, nerve-tingling tension that was electric in its intensity.

‘I’ll carry her inside,’ Rafe offered as he parked the car in the driveway of the villa to get out and lift Daisy from the back seat.

‘Thank you,’ Cairo murmured, barely able to look at the broadness of Rafe’s back as she followed him through the villa to Daisy’s bedroom.

What had happened between them in the car just now?

Because something had. Something so tangible Cairo felt she could almost reach out and touch it. Could reach out and touch Rafe.

As she knew he wanted to touch her….

‘I’ll be waiting outside on the terrace when you’ve finished putting Daisy to bed,’ he breathed softly as he straightened after laying Daisy down on the cool sheets.

Cairo looked at him wordlessly, her gaze searching the hard, unreadable arrogance of his face. ‘Rafe—’ She broke off, her eyes wide, as Rafe moved to stand so close to her their bodies almost touched, that crackling tension she had been so aware of in the car intensifying as their gazes met and held.

Cairo could barely breathe. Rafe made no effort now to hide the desire burning in the luminous depths of those deep blue eyes, the same desire that had been there earlier this afternoon when he’d told her of all the things he would like to do to her.

He lifted his hand, his palm cupping her chin as the pad of his thumb moved gently across her bottom lip. Cairo instinctively parted her lips at the softness of that caress even as she felt her nipples harden and swell beneath her dress.

Time seemed to stand still.

Not a sound, not a movement of air disturbed them.

All there was at that moment was Rafe and this wild, singing awareness that heated the blood in Cairo’s veins and made her skin burn with the need for the caress of his hands upon it, stroking, cupping, arousing.

She didn’t move—couldn’t move as Rafe began to lower his head towards hers, her breath catching in her throat as his lips moved softly, enticingly, against hers. He was no longer touching her in any other way but held her captive there with just those arousing lips as he slowly sipped and tasted her.

How long that kiss lasted Cairo had no idea. Nor did she care as she responded with everything that was in her.

Cairo tasted wonderful, Rafe acknowledged achingly. Warm. Silky. Intoxicating.

He felt the hardening of his thighs even as he became drunk on the heady pleasure of kissing her. Nothing else. Just the softness of her lips against his as they drank their fill of each other.

Eventually it wasn’t enough, of course. Rafe wanted more. So much more.

Rafe lifted his head to look down at Cairo, knowing from her flushed cheeks and the glow in the deep, dark brown of her eyes that she was as aroused as he was. ‘I want you so much, Cairo,’ he groaned throatily. ‘Don’t keep me waiting outside too long, hmm?’

Don’t keep him—!

Rafe thought that the two of them—? That they were going to—?

Rafe believed her response to his kiss was an invitation for the two of them to go outside together and make love in the way he had described earlier? Then what? A few more days of the same, before he returned to his world and she returned to hers?

Reality washed over Cairo like the shock of a blast of cold air, and she could only stare up at him as something withered and died deep down inside her. Some hope … Some remembered dream of long ago …

But this was Rafe Montero, she reminded herself. The same man who had claimed her heart eight years ago and then cast it aside when he became bored and moved on to another conquest. As he would become bored with her again once he had made love with her!

Not again, Cairo told herself firmly. Never again would she allow her heart to rule her head.

‘I’ll be outside,’ Rafe whispered, running a slow, caressing finger down the hollow of her cheek before turning and quietly leaving the room.

Cairo stood as still as a statue.

She felt like one, too, at that moment.

A figure of cold marble in which no emotion, no sensation existed.

Not even pain….