Alejandro's Prey Page 3

  Separate rooms.

  Though he hadn’t said a word when he’d opened the separating door and ushered her through the suite, she’d known as clear as if she could read his thoughts. He wouldn’t make love to her until she was his wife. The thought was both exhilarating and frightening. Alejandro was a conqueror. Reyes had seen it the first moment he set eyes on the man, which was why he’d hired him at any cost to stand at his side while he captured Bolivia and the surrounding borders.

  Gina was about to become his next conquest. She could see it in the flash of his dark eyes, the set of his jaw and the promise of his every command as it led them to this moment.

  A knock on the outside door of her suite startled her and broke their silent communication. Gina turned and took a step toward it, but stopped when Alejandro commanded sharply, “Stop, don’t move.”

  Gina halted immediately, knowing better than to question his edicts. He moved swiftly toward her, pulling a gun from the holster under his arm. She was so used to seeing him and all the men around her armed that the movement didn’t phase her at all. She knew it was protocol and the likelihood of anyone unexpected knocking at her door was slim to none. They had men in the hallway acting as their protection.

  Alejandro reached for her, wrapping his long fingers around her upper arm and pulling her behind him. He gave her a look that clearly said “stay” without actual words and went to answer the door. He placed her so she was standing completely out of the line of fire if anyone hostile was to enter the room.

  “Si? Identify yourself,” he demanded at the door.

  Gina didn’t hear the answer, but it must have been okay because he opened the door and indicated the person should come in. She watched curiously as a man and a woman entered the suite. The woman came in first holding two cases stacked on top of each other. Both were silver with gold trimming. She set them down on top of the courtesy desk, glanced at Gina and looked lingeringly at Alejandro. Gina hid a smile. She didn’t blame the lovely Latina woman for looking her fill. Alejandro was definitely something else. He was indeed beautiful to look at, and he was taller and broader than most of the men around them. Even more than that though, he carried himself with an enigmatic intensity that drew people to him almost as much as it repelled them when they realized that intensity was steeped in blood and death.

  But for Gina, a woman born to the mob, everything about Alejandro drew her with a magnetic attraction that she was helpless to resist. And now, she knew, he was just as powerless as she. Which shifted the balance of power from the lion to the mouse.

  She snapped her fingers against her skirt, making a slight but noticeable noise. Both Alejandro and the woman looked toward her. Gina gave the woman a stormy narrow-eyed look that told her everything. She could appreciate her fascination with the mob enforcer, but she was not to touch. Without another glance Gina turned her gaze toward the man who was holding several garment bags. He made his way toward the walk-in closet and began hanging them one at a time. Gina automatically tried to follow him in, knowing the items in the bags were meant for her.

  Alejandro caught her arm and held her back. “Wait for him to finish, cariña.”

  “But I want to see,” she murmured, tugging on her arm and craning her head to see around the edge of the closet door.

  Alejandro pulled her back and gave her a look. “Gina,” he said in a low voice.

  She looked up at him and decided her best bet was to wait until the wardrobe guy was finished. She knew Alejandro wouldn’t hurt her. But she also knew if she pushed her luck and got too close to the other man Alejandro wouldn’t hesitate to take him out. As she looked up at him, their gazes tangled, her breath caught in her throat. Elation flooded her body. Alejandro had finally declared his intentions; he’d drawn his line in the sand.

  And she’d stepped up to that line, then redrawn one of her own.

  Neither of them acknowledged the hotel staff as they finished, murmured their goodbyes and left. Instead, they stood locked in the moment, staring at each other as though it were the first time.

  Alejandro brought a hand up and traced two long fingers across her jawline. She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. He touched her mouth. “I’ve wanted to bite these lips from the first moment I saw them.” Not kiss, but something more brutal, barbaric. Like him. Her heart leapt in victory.

  “Then bite them,” she whispered against his fingers.

  He growled low in his throat and reached out to wrap his other arm around her waist and jerk her forward, slamming her hard against his body. She brought her hands up between them, not for space, but to brace herself against the sheer aggression pouring off of him. His fingers dug into the softness just below her ribcage.

  “If I kiss you I won’t stop,” he rumbled dropping his head until his forehead touched hers. “I’ll bite, kiss, touch and fuck every part of you. I won’t be denied any longer, Gina.”

  Her chest ached from the need to suck air into her starved lungs. He was killing her with his words, both spoken and unspoken. A year! An entire year of dancing around each other had finally led to this. And god, it was almost bittersweet. She loved this moment, she didn’t want it to end. She wanted to beg him to fuck her but knew she couldn’t. Shouldn’t. They would wait for their wedding.

  “You will stop,” she whispered back, her breath feathering across his throat. She saw the shiver of tiny goosebumps where the air touched him. She felt the stiffness of his frame where he held the savage back from tearing her apart. She knew. Because she knew her Alejandro. She’d spent a year learning everything she could about him.

  “I will?” he asked, a dangerous edge to his tone.

  “You will,” she said with confidence and tilted her head to look up at him, searching the darkness of his features for the truth in her words. “You’ll kiss me with the feelings I know you have for me and then you’ll let me go and tell me what you have planned for tonight.”

  His eyes narrowed. She waited, her heart pounding. She’d never given him an order before. He was used to his sweet little mouse simply nodding her head in agreement, smiling pretty and maintaining her silence. They would have to find new footing if he wanted her to become his bride. She just hoped she survived the experience.

  He didn’t wait for another invitation. He swooped, his lips covering hers in a kiss that could only be called devastating. It was indeed a bite. Not a nip or a pinch but the soul-searing, devouring seizing of her mouth. He swept in, his lips warm, his tongue scorching and he took over, stealing every bit of her breath and sanity on a single kiss that lasted mere seconds but punched a hole in her sanity. He finished by biting all along her bottom lip until she was moaning in his arms and tilting her head back so he could kiss a path along her cheek to her ear.

  “If I put you on that bed right now and fucked you, you wouldn’t stop me,” he growled against her throat.

  She blinked, annoyance flashing through her grey eyes. She shoved a hand between them and stiffened her legs, which had gone weak under the intensity of his kisses. “Maybe,” she agreed huskily. “But my answer to your proposal, if you get around to asking, would be a lot less positive than it was a few minutes ago.”

  She found herself set quickly back on her feet, his hands falling away from her as he put distance between them. Rather than relief she felt disappointment when cool air touched her skin. She told herself it was because it had been years since she’d felt the touch of a man. It was no wonder her body craved such hedonism. Yet, she knew better. Alejandro was not just a man. He was the man for her.

  “Tread carefully, mi amor,” he said and though his voice was light, his eyes spoke volumes of the dark, delicious torments he would like to enact once he got his hands on her. “This reprieve is self-imposed and will not last. As you know, I am not a moralistic man. Waiting until after we are married… it is a gift for you alone, cariña. Out of respect.”

  Sudden tears filled her eyes and she turned away so he wouldn’t see them. She didn�
��t need him to know that she was vulnerable. But it touched her that he would care enough about her feelings to give her time, even just a day or two, to adjust to the idea of marriage to him. She tilted her head down, her blond hair falling in a sheet around her face.

  “Gracias, Alejandro,” she thanked him softly.

  At first, he said nothing. She could feel his eyes on her. Then, “You are very welcome, Gina.” His deep voice took on an edge of command as he strode to the closet and turned on a light in the rapidly fading daylight. “There are several dresses in here. You will choose one to wear this evening. There should be shoes and purses to match in the boxes. I will collect you in an hour.”

  He turned and strode to their connecting doors without another word, closing it firmly behind him.

  As soon as he was gone, Gina reached for the bed, her knees folding and her body collapsing weakly beneath her. She fell back on the fluffy blanket with a sigh, her hair flaring out and her arms falling to her sides. She closed her eyes. “Dear god…” she whispered and traced shaking fingers over slightly swollen lips. “That was… incredible.”

  She couldn’t help the grin that slowly lit up her face. She rolled onto her side and hugged herself tightly for a moment before reaching for the phone. As soon as her fingers landed, she hesitated and chewed on her bottom lip. It was an easy bet that Alejandro would know if she made a call as soon as she dialed out. And moments later he would know exactly who she was calling. She could use her cell phone. Thanks to a permanent satellite, their valley home was able to send and receive calls any time.

  But did she really want Alejandro to know that she was discussing their business? He was smart enough to guess that she would call her cousin for a good gossip session. They told each other everything, whether the men liked it or not. Reyes had learned to live with it, would Alejandro? Or would he create yet another stupid rule and forbid her from talking to her cousin. At least until the dust had settled on their new marriage. It seemed like something the controlling enforcer might do, especially if Casey decided to get overly involved.

  Gina dropped her hand and sat up on the side of the bed straightening her shoulders. No, now wasn’t the time. She and Alejandro had some things to sort through and Casey had a tendency to voice her opinions quite stridently when family or friends were involved. They would talk when Gina got back to the compound… when she was safely married to Alejandro.

  Chapter Six

  In the hour since he’d left Gina to prepare for their evening out darkness had fallen and the city of La Paz was beginning to come alive. Alejandro stood on the balcony of his hotel suite leaning against the railing and watching the street five stories below as lamps twinkled to life and people waved down their rides to wherever they were going; restaurants perhaps, clubs, bars, wherever the evening took them.

  He squinted against the pungent smoke of his cigar, inhaled and then tapped it against the railing, watching disinterestedly as the ash drifted lazily. He wondered if this particular habit bothered Gina. He’d tried quitting many times. It never worked for long and his men always bore the brunt of his bad temper with each attempt. He shook his head and smiled sardonically. If the lovely blond asked, he’d quit in a heartbeat and he had no doubt he’d be successful this time. He took another quick puff before knocking the cherry off on the iron railing and tossing what was left of the cigar in a nearby ashtray. He’d finish later, a last smoke before bed.

  He heard the moment she turned the knob on the door between their adjoining rooms, the soft sounds of her heels against the carpet as she slipped through and then closed the door behind her. He waited, tension running up and down his back, the predator in him screaming to turn around and pounce. He didn’t. It wasn’t easy to keep his back on a room with another human being in it. It went against every instinct, every training he had. But this woman would become his wife; his everything. She would have his trust.

  He felt her approach his back and stop within inches of him. So close he could almost feel her soft breath against his neck. Once more he was surprised by her. In a year of knowing Gina she hadn’t often surprised him. Yet over and over she’d managed to unbalance him since he’d declared his intentions. He’d expected emotions ranging from resistance to tears, begging, pleading, fear. Perhaps even quiet acquiescence as the best-case scenario; after all, Gina was his sweet little mouse. He had not expected assertive, demanding, annoyed and angry. All emotions she’d thrown at him from the moment he’d forced her back on the helicopter.

  Alejandro didn’t like surprises. He killed surprises and then sorted them out later. Yet, there was something about these new facets of Gina that he was enjoying. Which is why he hadn’t shut her down with a few decisive words and actions. He didn’t want to start off his marriage with a wife who was terrified of him. So, he would practice patience and see where Gina was leading him.

  “I love the way you smell,” she said, her voice just above a husky whisper but still low enough that he could barely hear her over the noise from the street below.

  He lifted an amused brow, straightened to his full height and turned to look at her. She backed up quickly, covering her mouth in embarrassment, her face flushing a beautiful shade of pink. He slashed a quick grin and reached for her before she could get away from him. He swung her into his arms and dipped his face into the curve of her neck where the graceful column met her shoulder. Inhaling deeply, he murmured, “You smell like heaven yourself, mi amor.” He sniffed again and then licked her skin enjoying the shiver that swept her body and made her legs quiver. “Like an angel, you smell like baby powder and flowers.”

  He lifted his head in time to catch the soft, pleased smile that lit her face. It made his chest ache. He pushed her away a little, knowing if he continued to touch her, kiss her, he would end up throwing her on the bed and fucking her instead of wooing her the way he’d planned, the way she deserved.

  “Come Gina, we have reservations at Gustu.”

  “Really? We get to eat at Gustu?” she asked, excitedly matching his strides as he took her hand and pulled her along beside him.

  “Si,” he smiled indulgently and lifted her hand to his lips. “We have reservations.”

  He guided her into the hall after checking for clearance and led her toward the bank of elevators, his men falling into step around them. Now that they were in the brightly lit hall and Gina was at his side instead of wrapped tight in his arms, Alejandro allowed his gaze to caress her figure, running his eyes over each sleek curve as she moved.

  He stopped abruptly, pulling her to a halt beside him. “What the fuck are you wearing?” he growled.

  She glanced down at herself. “You don’t like it?” she asked, confusion in her voice. “I thought you picked the dresses.”

  “Gina, you look stunning, motherfucking caliente,” he snarled, startling her and earning a sharp look from Fredo, one of the more senior men. He tried to soften his voice. “But I can assure you, cariña, I would not pick a dress like this for you to wear in public.” He swept her with another look and lifted a hand to encompass the length of her body, which was draped in a shimmering black and silver halter dress that clung provocatively to every generous curve of her body. The plunging halter showed exactly how gifted she was in the cleavage department and the high split in the side of the bias-cut skirt revealed her thigh nearly to her hip. “Is there nothing more conservative you can change into?” he asked as gently as he could.

  He knew he missed the mark when tears filled her cloudy grey eyes and she crossed her arms protectively across her chest. “Yes,” she snapped and then gulped back a tiny catch in her voice. “I can change back into the dress I wore here. It was plenty conservative. Those other dresses are even worse than this one.” She turned her face away and looked as though she wanted to bolt back to the room.

  He’d fucked up.

  He turned his head and barked at Fredo, “Take the stairs.”

  “But…” Fredo replied, his brows lowering. Rey
es would have Fredo’s head if he allowed Alejandro and Gina out of his sight while the couple were in public. But an order from Alejandro was as good as an order from the boss.

  “Now,” Alejandro snarled.

  “Right,” Fredo agreed and jerked his head toward the stairs, telling his men wordlessly to follow.

  Alejandro took Gina’s arm and punched the button for the elevator. They stood in tense silent until it arrived. As soon as the doors opened, he swept her inside, hit the button for the lobby and pulled Gina into his arms. He wrapped one arm around her neck, pushing his chest against hers and tilting her head back so he could access her lips as they parted in surprise. He groaned at the feel of her silky soft curls that spilled over his wrist and hand.

  “You are so fucking gorgeous, Gina. You’re always beautiful, but tonight you are more than I could have hoped for. You are my bride,” he told her. “I’m sorry for hurting you. I just can’t abide the touch of another man’s eyes on your skin. It belongs to me, all of it, every single inch. Mine.”

  He lowered his head to hers and kissed her, soft at first but then with growing urgency as her lips parted eagerly beneath his and her arms circled his waist. He pushed her back against the wall and slid his hand into her hair, tangling his fingers against her scalp and tilting her head so he could access her mouth more deeply. He thrust his tongue deep, swallowing her gasp and then taking each moan and shiver she quickly offered. He growled and pressed hard against her, stealing her breath, her space, everything she had when she tugged him closer and offered herself with abandon.

  He forced himself to release her lips, trailing kisses along her cheek and hairline before straightening. He pulled her up against his side and watched with satisfaction as she ran shaking hands down her skirt and up her halter to ensure everything was in place. She shook her hair back from her face and smoothed a hand over her thick riotous curls.