~ Yesterday's Promise ~

by

Eden Robins

Christine walked out of the bathroom and stopped short at the sight that greeted her. That man needed to get off her bed and stay off of it! Seeing him lying on his side, facing her with his head propped up on one elbow was lethal to her state of mind. Too many unbidden images arose at the picture he presented. The sight of his pants and boots on the floor beside the bed caused her pulse to speed out of control. If that wasn’t disconcerting enough, all he had on were droplets of water running down his chest and a towel wrapped loosely around his waist.

Alejandro seemed oblivious to her scrutiny as he sat up and crossed his arms over his chest. He held himself up stiffly and looked at her with coldness in his eyes.

"It’s good that you came out so quickly Christina," the warning in his voice was clear. If she hadn’t come out, he really would have come in to get her.

"Sit down so that we can talk," he commanded with such authority that Christine did so immediately without thinking.

She was letting him intimidate her again! Even after the pep talk she had just given herself. She quickly stood up, marched up to Alejandro and glared down at him with her hands on her hips.

"I don’t know who you think you are, but I want some answers right now."

Alejandro stared at her with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Well?" Christine asked impatiently.

"Well what Christina?" he asked.

"Answers?" she reminded him.

"How can I give you answers if I don’t know the questions?" he asked innocently.

Christine felt like pulling her hair out. The man was being purposely obtuse just to irritate her! She could tell by the smug smile he now had stretched across his sensual mouth.

She hadn’t changed one bit. One of the things Alejandro had enjoyed about Christina had been her feistiness. When she became agitated like she was right now, her eyes shimmered with emotion. Her chest rose and fell with deep breaths as she was trying to calm herself down. Her mouth was pursed in such a way that he wanted to kiss her until her lips became soft and pliant beneath his. She was no wilting flower, and he loved her for it. Used to love her, that is, until she betrayed him. The thought of what she had done to him turned his amusement to bitterness. It was time to stop playing word games with her. She would help him and that would be the end of it.

"Listen, Alejandro, enough is enough. I want to know why you are in my room and what you want from me," Christine demanded, folding her arms across her chest, and frowning down at him.

"You’re right Christina. It’s time for some answers," he said, putting his hands around her waist, and pulling her down onto his lap. "I am trying to be patient, but you are making it very difficult--"

"I’m making it difficult. You--"

"Enough Christina!" Alejandro roared. Then muttered, "I don’t remember you being so talkative before".

"Before? What do you mean before?" Christine asked in confusion, as she struggled to get up. Though Alejandro wasn’t hurting her, his arms remained locked around her waist, despite her efforts to be released. The man felt like a solid wall against her struggles. Well, almost, she realized, as she continued to squirm. There was something definitely un-wall like pressing against her and, as the reality of what that was struck her, she stopped moving and sat very still.

"Wise choice mi amor," Alejandro said quietly. He was looking at her with such intensity in his gaze that Christine lost her breath.

A very intimidating, powerful male was holding her against him, yet she was feeling none of the fear that usually overcame her when she had close physical contact with someone. His raised voice didn’t particularly worry her either. Somehow, she knew this man would not hurt her. Instead of panic, she felt safe with Alejandro. Who was this man? Why did it feel so right to be in his arms? She looked up into his eyes with dazed confusion.

The vulnerability in Christina’s eyes as she looked up at him was too much for Alejandro.

"Querida," he whispered as his head lowered towards hers.

Their lips met, and she melted against him. Her mouth clung to his as if she had been dying of thirst and he was her water. He felt her softly curved body press against his, and groaned in pleasure. Her answering moan was nearly his undoing. Gritting his teeth, he turned around, laid her on the bed and stood up. The sight of her lying there with heavy eyelids, her lips parted and swollen from his kisses was almost too much for him. He walked jerkily over to a chair facing the bed and sat down in it. He clutched the seat’s arms as if they were the only things keeping him from rising.

Christine had never experienced anything like this. The feel of his mouth moving so masterfully over hers left an ache deep inside, which quickly spread up through her stomach, to her breasts. His kisses had her floating in such a sea of pleasure that it took a moment for her to realize he had stopped. Once she did, her eyes fluttered open.

Stunned by her complete surrender to this man, she bolted upright and found Alejandro sitting in a chair across from her. The look in his eyes froze her. He was staring at her with such despair that Christine struggled to control the urge to cross the distance between them and comfort him.

"Stay over there," he said hoarsely, as if reading her thoughts. "We must talk, and when you are too close to me, it becomes difficult," he admitted.

Christina felt a small thrill course through her at his admission. He was as affected by her as she was by him. That should have scared her, yet, instead, it brought her comfort.

"Don’t look at me like that Christina."

"Like what?"

"Now who is the one being purposely obtuse?" he asked with a knowing smile.

Christine gasped. It was as if the man were reading her mind! Now that did scare her. She didn’t want this man in her brain, especially with the way her thoughts had been running wild about him lately.

"Why are you here Alejandro?" she asked folding her arms across her chest, as if that would protect her from his thoughts.

Alejandro gave her a sardonic grin as he stared for a moment at her folded arms, then met her gaze. Christine felt the heat creep up her neck to redden her face.

"Stop doing that!" she snapped, frustrated by his ability to keep her off balance. "Just tell me what you want Alejandro."

"Want Christina? Nothing too demanding; just that you pay for your betrayal by righting the wrong you committed against my family and I." He snarled as his eyes darkened with anger. He got to his feet and began pacing the floor between them. Christine couldn’t help but notice that the towel he had wrapped so loosely around himself had slipped down somewhat, and now rode low on his hips. She tried to swallow, but the sight of that towel, so close to revealing all of him, left her throat as dry as the Arizona desert.

"Restoring my honor and that of my family is not too much to ask, is it Christina?" he asked in a deceptively quiet voice. Forgetting the towel, her eyes snapped up to meet his. Christine could practically see the fury radiating off of him, but chose to ignore it as anger bubbled up inside of her when his false accusations finally registered in her mind.

"My name is Christine, not Christina!" she shouted, jumping to her feet. "I think you have me mixed up with someone else buster. I don’t know you, and I have never met you until today. So there is no way that I could have ruined you or your family’s honor. Got it?"

"Are you sure you don’t know me Christina?" he asked grimly as he stopped his pacing, and stood in front of her. He reached over and gently tilted her chin up with his fingers. "Look up at me--that’s it. Now stare deeply into my eyes. Are you sure you don’t know who I am?"

Christina became mesmerized by his words. Their gazes locked, and suddenly the world around her started to shift. Helplessly lost in his voice and eyes, she felt herself falling, and falling, and falling…