Page 18 of Their One-Night Rio Reunion
He appeared now, striding across the lawn towards her with a glass of water, looking like a very stern waiter. A very sexy stern waiter.
She hurriedly arranged herself in as languid a fashion as possible, as if this was entirely habitual for her and not a desperate attempt to seduce her ex-husband.
She could sense him standing beside her and after a moment she stirred, as if she’d had her eyes closed, and pushed her sunglasses onto her head. ‘Sorry, I didn’t see you there.’
She reached out for the glass, but Caio held it aloft. His jaw was tight. Ana’s hand dropped.
‘What are you up to, Ana?’
She was determined not to let the fact that she was so obviously acting out of character put her off. She widened her eyes the way she’d seen hundreds of women do when talking to Caio. Her presence had never made any difference.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
He sat down abruptly on the lounger beside hers. She noticed that he kept his gaze up. He put the glass down on the table between them.
He waved a hand towards her. ‘What’s...this?’
A spark of fire lit up Ana’s insides when she thought of her reaction to him on the beach earlier. ‘Swimwear, Caio. I’m sure you’ve seen a vast array on plenty of women in your lifetime. It’s no more or less revealing that what you yourself were wearing earlier, when you took your swim.’
A strangled sound came from Caio’s throat. Then, ‘I’ve seen you wearing swimwear before, and you usually prefer one-pieces.’
Do I, now?thought Ana, as that rebellious spirit filled her. She sensed a desperation in Caio.
She sat up on the lounger and put her hands behind her, so that her chest thrust forward a little. ‘Technically, this is a one-piece...with bits cut out.’
The effort it was taking for Caio not to let his gaze drop to take in the plump swells of Ana’s high, firm breasts, threatening to burst free from the minuscule pieces of material covering them, was making sweat break out on his brow.
He had been around women a long time. With older brothers who’d been a target for status-climbing socialites, he’d seen a lot, and had been initiated himself at a young age. For years now women had ceased to do much more than spark a modicum of interest in him.
That had been another factor in why a marriage of convenience to Ana Diaz had appealed. The thought of not having to play that tiresome game for a while. But right now he realised he’d made a huge error of judgement—because, contrary to his assumption that marriage to her would be a break, his awareness of her had been a constant, growing thing, and right now it was all he could see and feel.
He was consumed.
He’d been an arrogant fool and now he was paying for it.
She asked pertly, ‘How is this different to what you were wearing earlier when you went for a swim?’
Heat was melting Caio’s brain. He shook his head. ‘It’s different.’
She snorted. ‘Typical double standards.’
Caio opened his mouth, but he realised that he didn’t want to speak. He wanted to stop the words coming out of Ana’s mouth by crushing it under his, and then he wanted to pull aside those excuses for pieces of material and feast on her breasts until she was writhing against him with need, and then he wanted to explore between her legs to see how responsive she was—
Suficiente!
Caio stood up abruptly. He felt dizzy with the strength of need coursing through his blood. ‘Of course you can wear what you want.’
He turned and took a couple of steps, but then Ana said from behind him, ‘Wait.’
He didn’t turn around.
‘What I wear shouldn’t bother you... Unless it bothers you because...’ There was silence, and then Ana said in a rush, ‘Because maybe you want me.’
CHAPTER TEN
ANA’SHEARTWASpounding so hard she was sure Caio must be able to hear it. He still had his back to her. She thought he might just ignore her, walk away. The ultimate humiliation. But then he turned around slowly.
Every line of his body was tense. She’d never seen his face so stark. His eyes were dark and unreadable from here.
