‘You must excuse me.’ He pushed away from the counter. ‘I’m heading off to bed. I suggest you do the same. As you mentioned before, we have training tomorrow.’
She stared at the door long after Cesar had closed it behind him. Explaining her actions wouldn’t be easy. Cesar wasn’t easy. But what in life was? She would just have to find another way.
He couldn’t forgive her, and had only firmed his resolve. Everything about Sofia fired him up—to anger, to passion, to disgust. She might be the first member of the team to arrive each morning for training, and the last to dismount when each day’s demanding session was over, but she hadn’t needed to write that article, and had clearly given no thought to the harm it would do.
It was still possible to enjoy her. They enjoyed each other. That was something separate. It was a simple arrangement between them, with no demands beyond those of mutual pleasure on either side.
The next day’s training went well, though he’d had a sleepless night. Judging by the dark circles around her eyes, Sofia hadn’t slept well either. Each time their stares clashed, electricity fired between them. It was only a matter of time before he had her again. Primal hunger needed an outlet. She knew that as well as he. As dutiful about training as Sofia undoubtedly was, she was also a hot-blooded woman and the thought of sinking deep into her exquisite warmth provided him with the most delicious torture throughout a satisfyingly testing day.
He was alone in the stables when she found him after training. The topic she chose to open with was not what he had expected. ‘You want to talk about the article?’ he queried, pulling his head back with surprise.
‘And this time have you listen,’ she insisted.
He raised a brow.
‘Sorry. That sounded harsh.’
Sofia taking an unusual tack shouldn’t surprise him, but the fact that her heated glances had either meant nothing or he’d imagined them, which was unlikely, irritated him. Continuing to check his pony’s legs, he waited to hear what she had to say.
She joined him in the stall, where there was no sound apart from his mount contentedly munching. Their teammates were already refuelling in the ranch house, so they were alone.
‘I want to explain. I have to,’ she insisted. ‘I can’t stand this tension between us. And what’s the point of waiting for the right time when the right time never comes?’ She caught hold of his elbow when he stood up to go. ‘Cesar—’
He pinned her with a cold glance. ‘Well? What do you want to say to me?’
As they stared at each other something changed in her eyes. Her body softened, and the words she had been about to say froze on her lips. ‘No,’ she whispered huskily, keeping eye contact.
‘Yes,’ he argued softly. He’d never had a problem in recognising or responding to the needs of his body.
‘We must talk,’ she insisted in a breathy whisper.
Her eyes were black, her lips were swollen, and her breathing was growing increasingly rapid. ‘All you need to say is yes,’ he insisted in the same low tone.
She was instantly in the moment when he found her with his hand. Her heat reached him through her breeches. ‘This is what you need,’ he explained as his fingers went to work. But she hadn’t finished with surprises yet.
‘This is what we both need,’ she insisted, eyes blazing a challenge into his.
When she was done, she sank against him, spent. She’d used him. That was okay with him. Kissing her, he undressed her. She saw to the button at the top of his jeans. Wrapping her hands around him, she smiled and voiced her pleasure, as if he had provided her with all the delights of the world in one jutting member.
Having protected them both, he thrust forward. They exclaimed with relief. After a moment or two of basking in sensation, he lifted her, so she could lock her legs around his waist while he pounded into her. From there it was a crazy, furious ride towards the goal they were both seeking, and when they reached it, it was stunning in its ferocity for both of them.
‘Again?’ he suggested as Sofia groaned and writhed in his arms, biting her fingers into his muscles.
Her answer was to work her hips greedily against his, but to his surprise this felt like more than sex, more than even he had anticipated. It was a glorious coupling, both unsettling and complicated. This was life as he wanted it.
CHAPTER NINE
FEELING LIKE THIS about Cesar resulted in clear thinking, forward planning, even sensible behaviour flying out of the window. The power of her feelings for him allowed for no modification or delay but, as always, once they reached the summit there was only one way down. Uncertainty beckoned.
They dressed quickly. She covered the evidence of outrageously good sex with a fast smoothing of her hair and a few deep, steadying breaths. Cesar made no adjustments. His hair remained as wild as ever, while his breathing had remained steady throughout. For him, sex was an exercise, probably not entirely dissimilar in his mind from the body-stretching workout they undertook on horseback in the ring. And now exercise time was over, and he was ready to move on.
That was how much it had meant to him.
Her mind was made up. There could be no more self-indulgence. Incredible sex with someone who was starting to mean far too much to her was a luxury she couldn’t afford. She had to find a way to curb want and replace it with enough confidence to make Cesar hear the truth.
She left first, striding ahead of him to the ranch house. She cared about the people there, and those currently staying in her retreat must be kept safe. Her feelings had to be put aside.
Loading her tray at the counter, she joined her brothers and Jess at a long table in the centre of the comfortably furnished wood-panelled room. There was a moment of readjustment by those of her brothers who weren’t remotely on Sofia’s side. Raffa and Xander exchanged glances before carrying on with their meal, heads down. They’d always been so easy together, and now she felt like an unwelcome stranger. Yes, they’d always teased her. That’s what brothers did. But deep down they were there for her. Not any more, thanks to her supposed betrayal of them, and Cesar. She had to mend that rift before it became too wide to bridge.
