Stand-In Bride's Seduction

She pulled away, placed her foot firmly back on the floor and unhooked her arms from around his neck.

“I…I don’t think I should.”

Rey’s hand lingered on her thigh, slid upward to cup her buttock and pull her against his hips. “Stay.”

His tone this time was more beguiling, pitched deeper, his eyes now burning with the promise of finding a way that would ease the desperate ache that now threatened to consume her.

“I can’t. I shouldn’t have reacted like that…led you on.”

“You didn’t lead me on,” he said softly. “You reacted honestly, as did I.”

If she’d reacted honestly, it was about the only thing she’d done with an element of truth in it since she’d started this whole thing, Rina thought desperately.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize. We are lucky enough to share a special spark of attraction between us. If we cannot be truthful about that, then what can we be truthful about?”

Each word fell like a blow on her heart. If circumstances were different, she’d be free to explore that special spark he spoke of. Even as she thought it, a chilling wave of reality swamped her. If circumstances were different, it would be Sara here in his arms or, more realistically, in his bed.

She curled her fingers over his and removed his hand from her body, every nerve screaming in protest even as she did so. Then, she carefully stepped away from his warmth and lifted her face to look him straight in the eyes.

“Please, I’d like to go now. Thank you so much for tonight. For everything.”

He gave her a small smile tinged with regret and turned away to grab his car keys from the bench top in the kitchen.

“Not quite everything, hmm?”

She smiled back, a reflexive action that completely lacked humor. “No, not quite everything, but that’s my fault, not yours.”

“There is no fault, querida.”

Silence stretched out between them as they left the apartment and traveled down in the lift to the basement car park. Once settled in his car, Rey grabbed her left hand, and held it against his thigh—just where she’d wanted to place her hand when they’d been driving together earlier. Instantly the warmth of his skin and the bunch of his muscles beneath the fine woven fabric of his trousers imprinted against her palm. It felt even better than she’d imagined.

“No one said you could not touch me,” he said, his voice little more than a growl.

Rina tried to pull her hand away. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

His fingers closed over hers, trapping her hand where he wanted it. “Humor me, please. I promise, I will not bite.”

Rina nodded her assent and he lifted his hand from hers and slid the car smoothly into gear.

His offices were on the opposite side of the city from his apartment building. By the time they pulled into the car park, Rina was fighting back yawn after yawn as the strain of keeping her emotions and desires under control took its toll.

“Do you wish to come upstairs with me, or wait in the car while I get you a swipe card for entrance tomorrow?” Rey asked after unclipping his seat belt and turning off the car.

“No, I’m okay, I’ll come with you. It’ll help me to know where to go in the morning.”

They rode the lift to his floor and he unlocked the large wooden double doors. For the second time that night, Rina stared at the del Castillo crest and was reminded of the lie she had perpetuated. And to think she’d had the nerve to challenge him on it over dinner. Where was her normally logical head at?

The answer was simple. Her every thought, her every decision, was clouded by the man standing next to her. Despite everything, all she wanted was to be with him and that fell in total opposition to the love and devotion she owed her twin. A sudden shaft of envy speared her heart. Coveting anything of Sara’s felt wrong—so very wrong. But in this she was struggling to keep her balance.

It didn’t take long for Rey to find her a key card for the parking garage downstairs and to allocate her a parking space.

“This card will also give you access to the floors of the building from the elevator,” Rey instructed.

“Thank you,” Rina said, trying to ignore the tiny zap of electricity that shot through her as their fingers brushed briefly.