His dark eyes studied her intently as she spoke. Then he ignored her question and reached to touch her face. She jerked in her seat, but he just leaned forward, persisting. He brushed the hair off her forehead and tapped two fingers against the edge of her eyebrow. "How'd you get this?" he asked with a slight frown.He dropped his hand to her shoulder, cupping her as though he had every right to touch her so casually. Her heart thumped in both anticipation and trepidation at his touch and she had to take several calming breaths. She wasn't used to being touched so much. If he kept this up she was likely to pass out at his feet from all the gasping and heart stuttering. She had to force her brain to keep up with his words. He wanted to know about her face? Ah… right, the scar."A car accident," she told him. "I have other scars."He reached for her lap, picked up her hand and curved it so they could both clearly see the shiny scarred "H" on the back. She shuddered and shook her head.
"I understand," she whispered. Then she sighed, her breath rushing across his lips in an unconscious invitation. His hands tightened on her arm and chin until she flinched in his hold and he was forced to set her back along the seat in the booth.He nodded slightly and kept his arm around the top, near her head, as though ready to reach for her if she tried to bolt. Which wasn't far from the truth. She was exhausted and ready to go home. The anxiety and intensity of her emotions were becoming overwhelming. She didn't know how much more she could take. She really didn't understand why Ignacio was allowing this to happen to her. He'd never allowed other men this close before. She understood the need to keep Bolivia happy, but when had keeping a business contact happy meant allowing them to take his wife out to a club?"Now tell me about the accident," he demanded.She shrugged and reached for her orange juice, desperately wishing it was something stronger. She wondered what he would d
"Fuck that woman," Reyes growled, downing a generous drink straight from the bottle before slamming it on the table.Casey Hernandez was dangerous. She was testing his calm. She was driving him to drink.He strode to the window and glared into the night. His meeting with her had not gone as he'd planned. Instead of clarifying things, he'd found himself more confused, more entangled. She was an infuriating mixture of world-weary siren and stunted half-child that never grew up. When she'd flat out told him that her husband hadn't touched her in over a year, he'd damn near torn her clothes off and fucked her right there in the booth, despite the few hundred witnesses swarming around them and her bodyguard a few feet away.Then she'd given him the one gift he couldn't refuse, the one thing that was guaranteed to save her life in all this. She'd promised him loyalty. Well, not him. But as good as. She'd given her loyalty to Ignacio Hernandez, a disgusting pig of a man. One of the poorest
Casey woke to the beautiful aroma of subtle, flowery perfume. A smile curved her lips and she sighed, stretching under her blankets, enjoying the smoothness of her sheets against bare legs and arms. She usually wore light cotton sleep shorts and a tank top to bed. Not very sexy, but it didn't matter since she slept alone. She enjoyed the comfort and she liked the feel of her fluffy quilt wrapped around her body.Today was one of those mornings where she preferred to wake up slowly and allow the day to creep in with soothing sluggishness. She wiggled her face against the blanket, enjoying the softness against her cheek. The lovely sweet smell wafted around her, tantalizing her and drifting softly next to her face. Her lashes fluttered open and she forced herself to focus on the thing that had touched her.It was a petal. Like from a flower. She untangled her arms from the blanket and pushed herself up on an elbow, reaching for it. She picked up the silky rose petal and rubbed it betwe
Casey stared at her reflection with a mixture of resigned despair and anger. No amount of makeup could disguise the mark high on her cheek or the swollen bite mark on her lip that were clearly visible through her careful efforts. Absently she wondered if it was part of Ignacio's plan. To present his wife, damaged goods, to another man who clearly wanted her. Only she wasn't sure what the other man ultimately wanted with her. A quick fuck? A way to mess with his business rival? Ignacio had sent an entire outfit for her to wear, including a dress, heels and jewelry. As the day had progressed and she'd prepared for her meeting with Reyes she began to feel more and more like a pawn in some deadly game. She wore a beautiful white dress that clung lovingly to every curve. It was curved along her legs to give the illusion of length along one thigh, but if she moved wrong it would also give a tantalizing glimpse high on her other thigh. It was sleeveless with a neckline that plunged halfway
"What?" Reyes demanded, his too sharp brain catching on to her words. "What would you do to leave him? Apparently, you won't accept offers from other, more powerful men. Tell me, nena, what exactly will you do to escape a lifetime with Ignacio Hernandez?"She tried to turn away from him, dismiss his words in the hope that he would drop it, but he grabbed her arm and swung her around. She moved quickly on her heels, reaching out to catch herself so she wouldn't fall. He steadied her and she looked up at him, full in the face, the light falling across her. His eyes roved over her, lingering on her swollen lip and bruised cheek. "Shit," she gasped turning her head, but it was too late. She could feel the instant stillness in his body as he absorbed the meaning behind her battered face. She felt the incoming storm as emotion swelled and seethed within him."Who hit you?" Reyes demanded, his voice lashing her.Casey shivered but lifted her chin defiantly. "Who do you think?""Don't gi
"I want to speak with Ignacio right now!" Casey argued with Diego as she'd been arguing with him for the past few days without results. Ignacio refused to see her.Diego's dark, sadistic eyes swept over her body, taking in every inch with a look that suggested she shouldn't have bothered with the terry cloth robe over top of her bikini because he was picturing her without it. Probably without the bathing suit too. She crossed her arms over her breasts and gave him the coldest glare she could come up with."You need a reminder what happens when you get demanding of the boss's time, little girl," Diego sneered, his eyes lingering on the top swell of her breasts. "You probably like being smacked around like that though, don't you? Bitches like you'll take whatever attention you can get."Casey flared her nostrils as she tried to bring her temper under control while Diego postured in front of her and did his best to make her feel small and insignificant. He came within a hairsbreadth
"He has a sense of humour," Casey murmured with amusement, eyeing the array of gifts Reyes had sent her.Each one had significance and, if she were being honest, chipped away a little more at the armour around her heart. She hadn't seen him again since their erotic and stormy encounter in his penthouse suite almost a week ago. But each time a new gift arrived, it was a reminder that he hadn't forgotten her. Nor had he forgotten the things that she'd said to him in each of their conversations.None of the gifts were overly expensive, which told her that he'd listened when she told him that the luxuries surrounding her meant little to her. Her fingers drifted over a framed picture of herself. She had no idea when it was taken because it was a close up of her face. In the photo she was leaning forward, her hair covering most of her face, except for a carefree smile curving her lips as she stared off at nothing in particular. The expression on her face surprised her since she so rarely s