THE VALQUEZ SEDUCTION Read online

  The shock of seeing that torn scrap of lace had reminded him of what he’d been about to do. Deflowering virgins, even ones with attitude, was not on his agenda. Especially ones with fathers with agendas of their own. He had to do the right thing by her and not just because of her old man. She was a nice kid. A bit ditzy and naïve, but in a way that was what was so darned refreshing about her. She didn’t treat him as if he was a demigod. She hadn’t even known who he was when she’d first met him. It was only his protection of her that had changed her mind about him.

  Now she had her mind set on him being her first lover…apart from her mechanical boyfriend, that was. He might be a thoroughly modern guy and chilled about all things sexual, but there was no way he was going to stand outside the door and let some battery-operated device do what he ached and throbbed to do. If he had to be celibate for the next couple of weeks, then Daisy could damn well join him.

  He slipped in before the elevator doors closed and faced her squarely. ‘You can’t go haring off by yourself. We’re supposed to be a couple. Couples do everything together.’ Or so I’m told.

  Her bright blue eyes with their dark fan of lashes looked up at him guilelessly. ‘But the press have gone now.’

  ‘That’s not the point.’ He reached over to stab at the ground floor button as if it had personally insulted him. ‘There are people with camera phones everywhere. One shot of one of us without the other and the gossip will start. There’ll be speculation that we’re over. I can’t afford to let that happen until the paperwork is secure on my sponsorship.’

  ‘Fine, I’ll stick to you like glue.’ She closed the distance between them and looped an arm through his. ‘I’ll be your little shadow.’

  Little tormentor, more like, Luiz thought, as the soft skin of her arm brushed against the hairs on his. He looked at her mouth, that delicious curve that was always on the verge of smiling, the cute little dimples that appeared when she did.

  How had she lasted this long without someone snapping her up? She was gorgeous and super sexy and she kissed with such passion his body was still thrumming with the aftershocks.

  How was he going to keep his hands off her for the duration of their ‘relationship’? The sensation of her soft creamy breasts against his mouth, the way her tender skin caught against his stubble, the feel of her tightly budded nipples against his tongue and the soft little gasp she gave with each of his caresses made his body writhe with sexual hunger.

  He would have to fly in icy water from Antarctica to douse the heat she had stirred in his blood.

  ‘Stop looking at me like that,’ he growled.

  ‘How am I looking at you?’

  He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her so she was facing the mirrored panel on the elevator. ‘Like that.’

  She leaned back against him, the sexy cheeks of her bottom brushing against his still swollen erection. There was a secret smile playing about her mouth and her sparkling eyes were full of mischief. ‘Like this?’

  Luiz’s hands slipped down to hold her hips. His rational brain said, No! Don’t do it! But his body was acting of its own volition. His blood ran hot and urgent with the need to press against her. Her light and delicate fragrance wafted past his nostrils—cottage flowers this time, with the alluring and exotic grace notes of sun-warmed honeysuckle. Her lips were without lipgloss or lipstick but they were as red as spring’s first rose. Her complexion had not a single blemish. Not even a freckle. He had never seen skin so pure and untainted. The comparison with his was stark. His was olive-toned and tanned from a lifetime of playing polo and other outdoor sports.

  His hand moved up to sit just below her right breast. He could feel the slight weight of it resting against the line of his thumb. She brought one of her hands over his, her small, slim fingers looking as small and dainty as a child’s compared to his. She danced her fingers over the back of his hand, and then started toying with the coarse masculine hair that fanned from his hand and down each of his fingers.

  ‘You have nice hands,’ she said.

  Luiz couldn’t help himself. His hand came up and settled over her breast, her tight little nipple pressing against his palm. He heard her draw in a breath, saw the flash of pleasure on her face. Felt the thunderous roar of his lust charging through his body like a wild bull on a stampede.

  He spun her around and brought his mouth down to hers in a crushing kiss, heat exploding like a volcano as his tongue found hers. The hot, sweet wetness of her mouth made his longing for her body all the more intense. He could feel his erection straining against the zip on his trousers. He pulled her as close to him as it was possible to be while still clothed. Her breasts were jammed against his chest, her hips flush with his, her thighs tangling with his in a desperate attempt to get even closer. She made soft little mewling sounds of approval in her throat, her arms snaking up around his neck, her clever little fingers spreading through his hair, tugging and pulling and caressing.

  He could feel the scrape of his stubble along her skin as he shifted position, reminding him again of her softness against his hardness. His tongue found hers again, coiled around it, danced with it, taunted and teased it until it finally gave in to his command.

  He sucked on her lower lip, and then he used his teeth to nip and tug at the tender flesh, following it up with a sweep of his tongue and then repeating the process.

  Her tongue flicked against his, a sexy little payback that heated his blood to sizzling. Her teeth got into the action, biting him like a tigress did an aggressive mate, showing him she was not going to submit without a fight.

  Luiz had never experienced a more enthralling kiss. His whole body was feeling the supercharge of it. Nerve endings were firing in his lips, sensations were racing up and down his spine, and his thighs were trembling with the pressure of holding himself in. He knew if she so much as put her hand on him he would blow.

  The doors of the elevator sprang open and he had a deer-in-the-headlights moment as a camera flashed in his face. He smothered a rough curse and dropped his hands from Daisy’s hips.

  ‘Get a room!’ someone jeered.

  Luiz grabbed Daisy’s hand and pulled her behind him. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

  * * *

  Daisy was bundled into a limousine within seconds of leaving Luiz’s hotel. He was still holding her hand, his long calloused fingers wrapped around hers in a bruising grip. High on his aristocratic cheekbones two flags of dull colour were showing beneath his tan. His coal-black eyes were fixed straight ahead but she had a feeling he wasn’t registering any of the lurid colour and excitement and craziness of the strip as they traversed the length of it.

  ‘Are you angry with me?’ she asked.

  He glanced at her as if he had forgotten she was there. ‘No. Why do you ask that?’

  She indicated her hand trapped within his. ‘You’re cutting off my circulation.’

  He immediately relaxed his hold but he didn’t release her hand. Rather he began to caress it in slow, soothing strokes. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realise.’

  Daisy looked at his brooding expression. ‘Do the press follow you everywhere?’

  ‘Just about.’

  ‘Don’t you find it…annoying?’

  ‘Sometimes.’

  She moved her fingers over the length of his index finger, circling each of his knuckles and then the neat square of his fingernail. ‘Why don’t you do something about it?’

  He glanced down at her. ‘Like what?’

  ‘You could wear a disguise.’

  He gave a short laugh. ‘As if that would work.’

  ‘A lot of celebrities do it. You’d be surprised how effective it is. A wig or a hat or a different style of clothes can make all the difference. When my kindy kids get in the dress-up box it’s impossible to tell who is who. Sometimes even their paren
ts don’t recognise them.’

  He looked back at their joined hands, his thumb moving over the back of hers in a rhythmic fashion. ‘It bothers my brother more than it does me. I guess I’m like my mother in that regard. I’ve never shied away from the limelight.’

  ‘What’s your brother like?’

  His thumb found the heel of her hand and began to massage it. ‘He’s strong. Determined. Focused.’

  ‘Like you, then.’

  He smiled a half-smile. ‘I’m not sure he would agree with you on that.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘He doesn’t say it upfront, but he thinks I’m chasing a dream that will only disappoint in the end.’

  ‘The Championship?’

  He met her gaze again. ‘Winning is everything to me. It’s always been my main motivation. Being the best.’

  ‘I guess what your brother’s saying is one day someone will come along who’s better than you,’ Daisy said. ‘You can’t win for ever.’

  His gaze went to her mouth. ‘No, but I like to think I’ll know when it’s time to hang up my hat.’

  ‘You mean go out on a high?’

  His eyes searched hers for a long moment. ‘Did you always want to be a teacher?’

  Daisy grinned. ‘Always. I used to line up my dolls when I was about three or so and play schools with them for hours.’

  There was a serious light in his gaze. ‘Did you have a happy childhood?’

  Her smile faded as she thought about her mother’s restlessness and her father’s controlling ways. ‘In the early days, but then my mum’s accident changed everything. She died when I was ten. A car ran into her as she was coming home from bridge club. My father was always a bit of a control freak but after that he was unbelievable. I couldn’t go anywhere without a nanny or babysitter. I had heaps of them over the years. Dad would always upset them over something and they’d storm out in tears. Fear does terrible things to people, doesn’t it?’

  He gave her hand an absent squeeze. ‘Yes, indeed it does.’

  Daisy glanced out of the window as her hotel came into view. ‘Oh, look. The girls are waiting for me outside. I texted them while I was waiting for the elevator.’

  ‘What did you tell them?’

  She gave them a mad wave. ‘The truth.’

  ‘Which version?’ His tone was dry. ‘I’m having a little trouble keeping up.’

  Daisy looked at him again. ‘Oh, they know I’m not really in love with you. That would be taking things to ridiculous extremes.’

  His expression was deadpan. ‘Quite.’

  ‘But they’re the ones—Belinda in particular—who encouraged me to put myself out there and find myself a holiday romance.’ She grinned at him. ‘How lucky am I? I asked for four days and you’re giving me four weeks. Cool, huh?’

  His smile looked a little tight. ‘Way cool.’

  * * *

  Luiz stood back as Daisy was reunited with her friends. There was a group hug and lots of excited chatter and a few sideways glances in his direction and some nudging and winking. He took it in good spirit because he wasn’t going to risk his sponsorship deal before it even got off the ground. Once it was done and dusted he could distance himself from the engaging Miss Daisy before she drove him crazy. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her. Now he had four weeks with her. Four weeks! He had trouble being celibate for four hours, let alone four weeks. Once they parted in Vegas he would keep things to a minimum. He could take her out to dinner in London but he wouldn’t stay with her or have her stay with him. That would be testing his resolve a little too far. If he kept their dates public he would be home free.

  While Daisy was collecting her things, Luiz organised a helicopter for the Grand Canyon. He figured a day outside in the fresh air was another good way to distract himself from the temptation of taking her to bed.

  Once they were on their way in the limousine he told her what he had planned. ‘We’ll fly over Hoover Dam first and then on to the Grand Canyon. You’ll get a good view of both.’

  ‘Oh, lovely,’ she said. ‘But you shouldn’t have gone to any trouble.’

  ‘It’s no trouble.’

  ‘But what did you have planned for today?’

  Luiz wasn’t used to his dates being concerned about him, only what he could do for them. Daisy’s concern was not only refreshing but it was surprisingly genuine. Her blue eyes had a worried light in them as she waited for his reply.

  ‘Nothing much,’ he said. ‘A bit of time in the gym, a few games of poker. Chilling out.’

  ‘So is that why you’re here in Vegas now? Just for a holiday?’

  Why did he go anywhere when he wasn’t competing? To distract himself from moping around his huge empty villa in Argentina. If he didn’t fill his spare time with parties and people he got restless and bored. His older brother enjoyed solitude. Luiz didn’t. Time alone reminded him too much of how he had felt as a child.

  Abandoned.

  ‘I come over a couple of times a year. It’s a great place to blend into the crowd.’ He realised too late the irony of what he’d just said and sent her a wry smile. ‘Well, maybe not always.’

  She gave him a sympathetic look. ‘I’d hate to be famous. It must be awful to have cameras thrust in your face all the time. Never being able to go anywhere without someone tailing you.’

  ‘Having a bodyguard must be similar.’

  She rolled her eyes. ‘Tell me about it.’

  Luiz glanced out of the back window of the limousine. ‘Is he still following you?’

  ‘No. I called my father when I was packing my things and made him promise. I think he finally accepts I’m safe with you.’

  You’re not safe, he thought. But then, I’m not safe either. Damn it.

  The helicopter was waiting for them when they arrived. Luiz handed Daisy the headset and went through the safety features.

  ‘But what about the pilot?’ she asked.

  He adjusted her earphones so they sat correctly. ‘I’m your pilot.’

  Her eyes rounded. ‘You’re a pilot?’

  He couldn’t help touching her chin where the red mark from his stubble was still faintly apparent. ‘Got my licence years ago.’

  Her eyes began to sparkle. ‘Do you have any other secret talents I should know about?’

  ‘None that I can show you right now.’ Do not flirt with her. Do. Not. Flirt. With. Her.

  Her smile had a touch of naughty girl about it. ‘I bet you have lots of tricks up your sleeve.’

  Right now my biggest trick is not up my sleeve, Luiz thought as he helped her into the passenger seat. His hand inadvertently brushed against her breast as he pulled the seat belt into place.

  Her eyes met his in a little lock that made his blood hurtle through his veins. Her eyes had tiny flecks of slate in amongst the intense blue, reminding him of an ocean with hidden depths. Her lashes were spider leg long and spiky with a coat of mascara. The point of her tongue darted out to sweep over her lips, making it impossible for him not to stare at the soft shiny lushness of her mouth.

  He brought his mouth closer, pausing within a whisker of her slightly parted lips. Her sweet cinnamon and honey breath danced over the surface of his lips, her signature fragrance of old-fashioned cottage flowers teasing his senses into an intoxicated stupor.

  ‘Is someone watching?’ she said.

  ‘Not that I know of.’ He nudged his nose against hers. ‘Why?’

  ‘You’re about to kiss me.’

  ‘So?’

  ‘So I thought someone must be watching.’

  He couldn’t pull himself away from the lure of her soft mouth that tantalisingly brushed against his lower lip every time she spoke. ‘Can’t I kiss you when no one’s watching?’
/>   ‘Sure. But I thought—’

  ‘Stop thinking.’ Luiz wasn’t sure if he was saying it to her or himself. ‘Just feel.’

  He closed the distance between their mouths with a soft press against hers but as soon as her mouth flowered open he was gone. He drove his tongue into her mouth to meet hers; tangling with it in a passionate duel that made the base of his spine shudder and his groin fill with pulsating blood.

  Her hands came up to cradle his face, a tender gesture that was at odds with the heated fervour of her kiss. But that was the complexity of her—the beguiling mix of passion and innocence that so knocked him off kilter.

  He encircled her wrists with his hands, reluctantly pulling away before things got too out of hand. He needed to stay in control. It was what he did best. He pushed the boundaries as far as he could but no further. He knew his limits and Daisy Wyndham was testing every damn one of them.

  She looked at him with a quizzical expression, her mouth all soft and glistening from his moistness and hers. ‘Is something wrong?’

  Before he could stop himself, he gently brushed her cheek with his index finger. ‘We should get going. I’ve only booked this helicopter for a couple of hours.’

  ‘Oh…right, of course.’ She settled back in her seat, wriggling her shoulders and testing the strength of the seat belt, a little frown pulling at her smooth brow.

  Luiz brought her chin around so her gaze met his. ‘You’re safe with me, querida.’

  Her blue eyes were as clear and pure as a mountain stream. ‘But what if I don’t want to be?’

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  IT WAS A breathtaking experience, winging over the engineering marvel of Hoover Dam, but it was nothing to the vista of the magnificent Grand Canyon a short while later. The majestic height of the layers of richly coloured sandstone, the seemingly endless sinuous curve of the Colorado River so far below and the wheeling of a lonely bird of prey and the whistling silence was such a stunning contrast to the madcap noise and frenetic activity of Las Vegas.

  Luiz pointed out various landmarks to Daisy, such as Eagle Point, the Grand Canyon Skywalk and Guano Point, telling her some of the history of the first people, the Hualapai tribe. But, rather than land amongst all the tourist buses and cars, he flew her to a quiet gorge where he’d organised special permission to land.