But Araminta didn’t. She stumbled past the balcony, the couple on it unseen.
He could stop now, Estelle thought. Except her pyjama top was completely open, her breasts splayed against his naked chest.
We should stop now, she thought as his tongue chased hers.
He made a low moan into her mouth; it was the sexiest thing she had ever heard or felt. He slid one hand over her bottom and his tongue was hot and moist.
Suddenly sending a message to Araminta was the last thing on Raúl’s mind.
Estelle wanted his kiss to end, and yet she yearned for it to go on—like a forbidden path she was running down, wanting to get to the end, to glimpse again the woman he made her. It was a kiss that should not be happening, but it was one she did not want to end.
‘Don’t go back to him…’ Raúl’s mouth barely left hers as he voiced his command.
He had intended to speak with her at a later point, perhaps get her phone number, but having tasted her, having kissed her, he could not stand the thought of her in Gordon’s bed. He would reveal his plan right now.
He peeled his mouth off hers, his breath coming hard on her lips. ‘Come now with me.’
It was then that she fully realised her predicament. Raúl assumed this was the norm for her, that she readily gave her body.
As he moved in to kiss her again she slapped him. It was the only way she knew how to end this.
‘You pay more, do you?’ She was disgusted with his thought processes.
‘I did not mean it like that.’ Raúl felt the sting on his cheek and knew that it was merited—knew how his suggestion must have come across. But business had been the last thing on his mind. He had simply not wanted her going back to another man. ‘I meant—’
‘I know exactly what you meant.’
‘Bastard!’
They both turned at the sight of a tear-streaked Araminta. ‘You said you were tired, that you were in bed.’
‘Can I suggest that you go back to your bed?’ Raúl snapped to Araminta, clearly not welcoming the intrusion.
Estelle saw again just how brutal this man could be when he chose.
‘How much clearer can I make it that I have absolutely no interest in you?’
He turned and came to help a mortified Estelle with her buttons, but her hand slapped him off.
‘Don’t touch me!’
She flew from the balcony and back to her room, stepped quietly in and slipped into bed, listened to the whirring of Gordon’s machine, trying to forget the feel of Raúl’s hands, his mouth.
Trying to deny that she lay there for the first time truly wanting.
‘ESTELLE…’
Gordon was lovely when she told him what had happened. Well, not all of it. She didn’t tell him about her conversation with Raúl, just that he had been trying to avoid a woman and had kissed her…
It was a terribly awkward conversation, but Gordon was writing her a cheque, so as not to embarrass her in front of his driver, and Estelle simply couldn’t accept it and had to tell him why.
‘Frank and I have three free passes.’
Estelle blinked as Gordon smiled and held out the cheque.
‘We have three people each who, should something happen, wouldn’t be construed as cheating with.’ He gave her a smile. ‘It’s just a game, of course, and it’s mainly movie stars, but Raúl could very easily make it to my list. No one can resist him when he sets his sights on them—especially someone as darling and innocent as you.’
‘I feel awful.’
‘Don’t.’ Gordon closed her hand around the cheque. ‘My being in competition with Raúl Sanchez Fuente could only do wonders for my reputation, if word were ever to get out. It might even be the reason for our breaking up and me realising just how much I care for Virginia.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be,’ Gordon said, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ‘Just be careful.’
‘I’ll never see him again,’ Estelle said. ‘He doesn’t know anything about me.’
‘Mere details to a man like Raúl—and he takes care of them easily.’
Estelle felt the hairs on her arms stand up as she remembered that she had given him her name.
‘Just do your hair and put on a ton of make-up and we’ll head down for breakfast,’ Gordon told her. ‘If anyone says anything about last night just laugh and shrug it off.’
It was a relief to hide her blushes behind thick make-up. Estelle put on a skirt that was too short and some high wedges, and tied her hair in a high ponytail and then teased it with a comb and sprayed it.
‘I feel like a clown,’ she said to Gordon as she checked her reflection in the mirror.
‘Well, you make me smile.’
Raúl had gone, and all Estelle had to endure were some daggers being thrown in her direction by Araminta as they ate a full Scottish breakfast. She was relieved not to see him, yet there was a curious disappointment at his absence which Estelle chose not to examine.
Finally they were on their way, but it was late afternoon before Gordon dropped her at her home.
‘Think about what I said,’ Gordon reminded Estelle as she climbed out.
‘I think I’ve had my excitement for the year,’ Estelle admitted as she farewelled him.
She let herself step into familiar surrounds and released a breath before calling out to Ginny that she was home.
‘How are you feeling?’ Estelle asked as she walked into the lounge.
‘Awful!’
Ginny certainly looked it.
‘I’m going to go home for a couple of days. My dad’s coming to pick me up—I need Mum, soup and sympathy.’
‘Sounds good.’
‘How was it?
‘It was fine,’ Estelle said, really not in the mood to tell Ginny all that had happened.
Ginny would no doubt find out from Gordon, given how much the two of them discussed. Estelle was still irritated that Ginny told Gordon about her virginity but, seeing how sick Ginny was, Estelle chose to save that for later.
‘Gordon was lovely.’
‘I told you there was nothing to worry about.’
‘I’m exhausted,’ Estelle admitted. ‘You didn’t tell me about Gordon’s sleep apnoea. I got the fright of my life when I walked in and he was strapped to a machine.’
Ginny laughed. ‘I honestly forgot. Your brother’s been calling you. A few times, actually.’
The phone rang then, and Estelle’s heart lurched in hope when she saw that it was her brother. ‘Maybe he’s got that job.’
He hadn’t.
‘I found out on Friday,’ Andrew said. ‘I just couldn’t face telling you.’
‘Something