Page 23 of Their One-Night Rio Reunion
‘You’re too intelligent for shallow chit-chat and false nails.’
A burst of pleasure caught at Ana’s chest. ‘Well, I don’t know about that...’
‘I do,’ Caio said, pouring himself more wine and topping up her glass. ‘You were always more interested in the conversations that were meant to exclude you and not remotely interested in the conversations that were meant to include you.’
Ana rolled her eyes. ‘It’s all so sexist and boring. Why do the women have to talk about the latest social events and who is marrying who and who’s having a baby and who’s not and who’s getting divorced...?’
‘We got divorced.’
There was an edge to Caio’s voice. Maybe to remind Ana of the status quo and to leave it alone?
She decided to ignore it. ‘Maybe they’re talking about us now.’
‘I’ve no doubt they are.’
‘I mean, it wasn’t exactly a secret that ours wasn’t a love match.’
Caio made a snorting sound. ‘Apart from our island hosts—who, I will agree, seem to have pulled off the urban myth of a happy marriage—none of those marriages are love matches. They’re all business transactions.’
Ana looked at Caio. ‘Did your marriage to me bring you the business dividends you wanted?’
His gaze narrowed on her, as if suspicious of her motives. She felt reckless again.
‘It certainly did. It gave me the sheen of respectability I needed to expand globally and, in turn, I think you’ll agree that it’s given you your freedom. And your brother’s.’
Ana lifted her glass. ‘Yes, it has. But maybe my freedom isn’t all that I want. Maybe I want more.’
Caio tensed. ‘Ana...’ he said warningly.
She neatly deflected whatever he was going to say by standing up and saying, ‘Dessert? Coffee?’
She needed coffee to counteract the way the wine was making her feel languorous. She needed all her wits about her.
‘Sure,’ Caio said, his gaze still narrowed on her.
Ana took their plates into the kitchen and prepared a tray with two small strong coffees and two perfectly preparedbrigadeiros—a traditional chocolate sweet that both she and Caio loved.
She brought the tray out and handed Caio his coffee and one of the sweets.
She sat down and he surprised her by saying, ‘Thank you for dinner. It was a nice idea to celebrate our last evening together. I wish you well, no matter what you decide to do, Ana.’
Now Ana looked at Caio suspiciously. He sounded utterly urbane. Reasonable. Telling her without telling her that he had no intention of muddying the waters of their last night together.
She lifted her coffee towards him in a salute.‘Saúde.’The coffee was tart—the perfect accompaniment to the sweet. She sat back in her chair and looked at Caio. ‘You asked me what my plan is when I get to Europe... Actually, I know the first thing I want to do.’
‘What’s that?’ Caio took a sip of coffee.
‘Lose my virginity.’
Caio choked on his coffee. Ana pretended not to notice. She lifted a shoulder. A bare shoulder. And said, as innocently as she could, ‘Well, if you’re not interested then I need you to tell me all I need to know about finding the right person. I’d prefer to avoid a bad experience, if I can.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
CAIOSTRUGGLEDTOget his breath back after Ana’s bombshell.‘Well, if you’re not interested... I need you to tell me all I need to know...’That was pretty much all he’d heard.
Not interested?Madre de Deus, it was all he could think about. Peeling that dress off Ana’s supple body and feasting on her bare flesh until she was flushed and pliant, begging him to sheath himself inside her...
He shifted in his seat, glad of the table that hid his body’s rampant response since he’d seen her in that dress, clinging to every curve and line of her body.
