The Montoros Dynasty. Katherine Garbera

bed. Poor man never even moved. He had expended an impressive amount of energy in the past twelve hours.

      Maria’s insides clenched in helpless longing as she remembered the crazed fervor of his lovemaking. He’d been like a man possessed, as if trying to make up for lost time. Or maybe, deep down, he knew as she did that their time together was limited.

      In the bathroom with the door closed, she showered, dried her hair and secured it at the back of her neck. The comfy clothes she’d grabbed while in her room last night would be perfect for an informal workday.

      She’d expected to find Alex awake by the time she finished. Opening the door to the bedroom stealthily, she saw that he still slept. Only now, he was facedown on his stomach. His broad, muscular shoulders and smoothly tanned back narrowed to a taut waist and buttocks that were...well...it was a good thing the sheet hadn’t slid any lower.

      She jumped when low, amused words startled her. “Are you going to stand there staring or are you going to come back to bed?” He reared up on one elbow and turned to look at her. His voice sounded as if he had swallowed sand.

      “It’s nine o’clock. We need to order breakfast and get to work on the proposal.”

      He sat up and scrubbed his hands through his hair, yawning. “Are you always so perky at this hour?”

      “If you’re trying to make me mad, it won’t work. Tell me what you want to eat and I’ll have it waiting when you get out of the shower.”

      When he swung his legs over the side of the bed, she held up a hand. “Wrap the sheet around you, for heaven’s sake.”

      He stretched, the muscles in his broad chest doing some kind of mesmerizing flex and ripple. “Are we shy this morning?”

      “Not at all,” she said primly. “But we don’t need to get sidetracked. There’s work to do.”

      He stood up, sans sheet, and crossed the room in three long strides. Putting a finger beneath her chin, he tilted her face up to his, searching her eyes. “You okay, sweet thing? We got a little crazy last night.”

      She couldn’t do a thing about her blush, aggravating as it was. “I’m fine. Better than fine. But seriously, Alex. It’s late. One of us has to remember why we’re here.”

      He kissed her long and slow, telling her in no uncertain terms what he thought of her work ethic. Her arms went around his neck and clung. Every inch of his big, honed body pressed against hers, stealing the oxygen from her lungs.

      When he finally released her, she had to grab hold of him for a few seconds until her world settled back on its axis. “Stop that,” she whispered, going up on tiptoe to kiss him again.

      His low, triumphant laugh was masculine arrogance personified, but she couldn’t fault his confidence since she was clearly besotted. Did anyone even use that word anymore? If not, they should. It was a perfect description of her current state. Intoxicated. Infatuated. As if all her good sense had flown out the window, and she didn’t even care.

      But she could pretend. Releasing him reluctantly, she took a deep breath. “More kissing later. Go, Alex. Now.”

      He bowed, managing despite his nudity to look perfectly relaxed. “Far be it from me to argue with a lady.”

      When he disappeared into the bathroom, she exhaled, not realizing she had been holding her breath. Dealing with Alex in his current mood was like trying to tame a big, determined tiger.

      While he was gone, she escaped to the living room. After a moment’s consideration, she moved the vase of fresh flowers from the cherry writing desk. Opening the drapes that framed a stunning view of the Atlantic, she dragged the ornate table in front of the window. Next, she located both laptops, plugged them in behind the new workspace, booted her computer and opened up the rough draft of the Alma proposal to the Montoros.

      Once that was done, she called in two orders of scrambled eggs, bacon and black coffee. Room service at this hotel was extremely efficient. She didn’t want the food to get cold.

      She would have liked to sit down and start working to show Alex that she was taking their new relationship in stride, but it was impossible. She paced the room. Today was a watershed moment for her and Alex. She recognized the importance of what would happen in the next few hours. So she felt a certain amount of pressure to guard her emotions.

      Alex was a guy. He was going to have one thing on his mind. Despite his position as deputy prime minister of commerce, he would be able to compartmentalize. Sex wouldn’t interfere with his position or his responsibilities.

      But for Maria, life wasn’t so clear-cut and simple. Could she have an intimate physical relationship with him and still be able to carry on with business as usual when they were with other members of the delegation?

      She was so deep in thought that she never heard his footsteps on the plush carpet. When his hand landed on her shoulder, she spun around. “You scared me,” she said, not quite able to meet his gaze.

      “Who were you expecting, Maria?”

      A knock at the door saved her from answering. “I’m going in the bedroom,” she whispered. “I don’t want anyone to know I’m here.”

      Alex shook his head with a wry smile but let her go.

      When he gave her the all clear, she returned to a beautifully laid out breakfast. Linen napkins, real silver utensils, crystal stemware and delicate china. “That smells wonderful,” she said as her stomach growled audibly.

      He held out her chair, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Looks pretty damn good, too.”

      Fortunately for her peace of mind, Alex was content to eat in silence. They were both starving. He caught her eye at one point and grinned, as if to say he knew exactly what she was thinking. She hid behind a cup of hot tea and wondered how long it would be before they ended up back in bed. Bad Maria, her conscience chastised.

      But apparently, she had convinced Alex of her dedication to the project at hand. Once they were done with their meal, he carried his coffee to the desk where she had placed two chairs side by side.

      “How do you think we should approach this?” he asked, waking his own laptop and clicking on a file.

      His matter-of-fact attitude took her aback. She’d been prepared to convince him, to deflect amorous advances. Was he genuinely so cavalier about working with her?

      When he burst out laughing, she stiffened. “What’s so funny?” she demanded, finishing her tea and standing up. She couldn’t quite make her feet move in his direction.

      “You,” he said, his smile gentle. “You told me we had to be all business this morning. But when I took you at your word, you were disappointed.”

      “No, I wasn’t,” she said. The rebuttal wasn’t convincing, even to her.

      “Well, I am,” he said firmly. “We’re going to get this done as quickly as possible so I can get you back in bed.”

      Her spirits lightened. “You must think me awfully naive, Alex. I’m not accustomed to combining business with pleasure. This is new territory to me.”

      He frowned, leaning a hip against the desk. “What do you think it is to me? I don’t make a habit of sleeping with coworkers. In fact, you’re the first.”

      “Why me?”

      “I could ask you the same thing,” he said, watching her with a hooded gaze. “If you want explanations, I’m fresh out.”

      “So where and how do we go from here?”

      “Does everything in life have to be explained? Let’s file this thing between us under the same category as raindrops trapped in cobwebs or the color of the sky at dawn.”

      Her eyes widened. “Why, Alex, I never knew you were a poet.”

      His expression was impassive, not a trace