Latin Heat by Denise L. Wyant Page B

one would take a little more finesse. He could feel that her anger stemmed from something deeper. He would have to be on his game to soothe this beautiful creature. Roberto welcomed the challenge.
    “Enrique received an emergency call from his younger sister. An ambulance rushed their mother to the hospital after she suffered a stroke.”
    She didn’t speak, just raised an eyebrow. Roberto started, “Ms. Blackburn, Enrique’s father passed away in a tragic car accident not long ago. His mother’s health has been failing ever since.”
    Roberto could feel the señora stiffen beside him. A moment or two later she spoke. “Things do happen out of our control, but I’d really like to get to my bungalow.”
    Interesting. Her comment was rather cold. Does this woman not have family? He found that hard to believe. Such a beautiful creature was sure to have someone who cared for her. Has travel made her disposition foul or is there something more? He decided he didn’t want to anger her further. “My apologies. I’m sure you want to get settled.”
    Roberto typically didn’t pay much attention to the guests who passed through his resort.  When his father offered him sole ownership of La Isla Bonita, he told himself he wouldn’t let   anything distract him from making this small piece of the island a huge success.
    However, there was something different about Señora Simone Blackburn—something that made him want to pry deeper, to learn what made this woman tick, and if need be, crack her impenetrable shell.  
    ****
    Simone breathed a sigh of relief when Roberto slid the new card through the reader, and it worked. He held the door for her and motioned for her to precede him into the bungalow. She smiled her first genuine smile of the trip as her eyes settled on the fabulous suite. A large ceiling fan turned lazily in the main room, spreading a light breeze. She opened the French doors to allow the scent of the beach to permeate the bungalow. The walls were painted a soothing mint green and wicker accents softened the dark wood furniture. Coral-colored pillows in floral designs added a pop of color while not disturbing the serenity in the room.
    Simone walked past the king-sized bed and ran her hand over the sumptuous light-weight silk comforter. Then she walked into the bathroom and turned on the light. She gasped. Incredible didn’t begin to describe the space. The jetted tub would easily fit four NFL football players. The stand-up shower had more showerheads than she could count on one hand. Expensive bath products—anything and everything a woman could want to pamper herself – flanked the double sink.
    “I trust everything is to your liking?” Roberto’s tenor voice sounded from behind her. She hadn’t heard him approach, but she felt his warm breath tickle her neck.
    Simone turned abruptly, losing her balance when she ran into Roberto’s muscular chest. His warm hands grasped her arms, steadying her. She nearly lashed out at him for startling her but felt mesmerized by the varied shades of his brown eyes and the tenderness they projected. Her ex hadn’t looked at her like that since their wedding day. Was my marriage really that cold, my ex-husband really that uncaring? Tears threatened; however, she refused to cry over that cheating bastard. Nor would she show weakness in front of this sexy Latin lover. Lowering her eyes, she pulled from his grasp and stepped around him. “Everything is beautiful. I especially love the fresh flowers and the view.”
    This time she heard Roberto’s footsteps on the marble tile. She tensed, waiting to see what he would do. In a moment, she felt the heat from his body against her back. He swept her hair away from her ear and whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
    What was with this man? All touchy-feely . Simone started to step forward when his hands landed on her shoulders, holding her in place. She cleared her throat. “You didn’t upset me.