only time she’d ever felt truly cherished was with him. It was everything she could do not to rise, go to him, and pull his head down to hers. Try to recapture that feeling once more. She’d had so little of it in her life, and she craved it. Being wanted and adored was the thing she desired most.
She closed her eyes. Swallowed. She willed the memory away—the scents, tastes, and sounds of it. It was too real, too painful.
The door clicked quietly and her eyes shot open. But instead of a saleswoman arriving with dresses, the room was empty and she was alone.
13
What was wrong with him? Why had he fled the suite like a bull shadowed his heels, running him to ground? He’d stayed in the suite dozens of times since she’d left. Hundreds of times. He’d even taken other women to bed there in an effort to erase her from his memory. He’d been positive he’d done it too—until he turned around and saw her on the couch.
He should have left her in the villa and ignored the dark demon urging him to bring her along tonight. It would have been easier. And made more sense. Dios!
Alejandro stalked into the hotel offices and went over some paperwork the manager had been asking him to approve. But he kept seeing Rebecca, her arms crossed beneath her breasts, her legs so long and bare in her little skirt. Superimposed over the picture of her sitting there tonight was a picture of her on the same couch, beneath him, naked and writhing and begging.
Madre de Dios, how much could a man take?
“Alejandro, please, I love you. Please, before I die. Please, please, please, I need you…”
He’d obliged her, of course, but not before making them both crazy with need. What would have happened had he done what he wanted tonight? Had he walked over there and stripped her naked? Would he be lost in her right now?
Sí, without a doubt.
He shouldn’t have taken her up there. It wasn’t his plan. Until the flashbulbs went off and he registered the alarm on Rebecca’s face. He didn’t know why he’d felt compelled to order the driver to the back of the hotel, but he’d done it before thinking about it. He should have let her face the cameras in her causal clothes, let her feel the embarrassment. Except it was his doing she was there tonight, and he’d felt obligated to protect her.
He grabbed a pen and signed off on the paperwork. After he left the office, it took him nearly three quarters of an hour to get to the ballroom because he kept running into people who needed his time or attention. A cabinet minister, a senior ranking diplomat, a wealthy diamond merchant, an actress he’d once bedded—the last was particularly difficult to extract himself from. She was beautiful, sleek and expensive in a sheer designer gown that left no doubt about the assets underneath the material. Yet she left him completely cold.
He needed to find Rebecca. He was starting to feel a little bit guilty he’d stayed away so long. She would have had to enter the packed room alone, not knowing anyone and not speaking the language. Nearly everyone also spoke English these days, so she would not find it difficult to converse. But he should have been with her nevertheless. Easing her into this situation didn’t mean he was going soft, or that he was giving up his plans for her. On the contrary, the more relaxed he made her, the more devastating it would be when he threw her out with nothing.
He accepted a glass of champagne from a tray and idly surveyed the crowd. His mother stood near the bar, surrounded by women. He went over to give her a kiss.
“Alejandro, my love! I feared you would not make it back in time.”
“I would never miss your party, Madre.”
Carmen Ramirez pursed her lips. “Unlike Valencia. She canceled yet again. Can you believe it?”
“Where is Father?” Alejandro asked, unwilling to indulge a mini tantrum against his sister for even a second. He understood why Valencia canceled each year. His presence would have to be enough for them both. Thankfully, Valencia had finally given up apologizing to him for making him bear the burden alone.
Carmen waved a bejeweled hand as she took a sip of champagne. “He has found a woman to dance with, I believe.”
At that moment the crowd parted, clearing a path to the floor. Juan