Prelude to
Taming the Tango Champion
I
Ava Whittaker landed on the
soft turf, an involuntary ‘whoosh’ escaping her lungs as her bum made contact
with the ground. A cloud of dust rose, and she coughed, flapping a hand in
front of her face. Red Sox, the mare she had been trying without success to
ride, lowered her head and puffed a hot, smelly breath of air into
Ava’s face. Pushing her away, Ava grinned at her.
“Okay
okay I’m good…”
Red
Sox ambled to the trough in the corner, her demeanor good-natured as
she left Ava awash in the sunlight streaming through the open barn
door. She blew a stray blond hair back from her face. A friend she had met
travelling told her if she ever got as far as Argentina, she must check
out the de Romero ranch and ride one of their horses. So here she was. She had
never ridden much beyond the odd hack, but she could do this. Hopefully.
Was
she mad to want to finish off her twelve-month travelling stint by riding a
horse through the Andes?
She
dusted off her hands preparing to stand as an outline against the sun rang
alarm bells. An exasperated breath at her ineptitude being witnessed escaped
before she looked at the dusty brown cowboy boots blocking her line of vision.
Her gaze followed denim-clad calves along muscle bound thighs clearly defined
beneath the soft work-faded fabric. Stuck in her position of being half way off
the ground, she had no choice but to let her gaze skitter further, over the
taut stomach – clung to with much love by his tee-shirt – and up to impossibly
broad shoulders. Maybe it was the angle, and being backlit by the sun, but this
man looked like a Greek god.
That would make her his worshipper.
He
put a hand out.
For her to kiss.
Smiling inside, she stretched up and couldn’t help flinching as
his hand encircled her wrist and lifted her off the ground. His touch rendered
her graceful as a dancer. Myriad feelings blazed a trail through her, and she
shivered as his strong grasp brought her up close to his wide chest. The
tallest girl in her class growing up, it had become rare for her to have to
look up to anyone, but here she only reached his broad shoulder span. A scent
of amber and spices filled her head, an intoxicating blend that spiraled into
her to twist her lower stomach.
“Why are you on your own?” A deep voice rumbled in his chest,
perfect English with a sexy soft Argentine accent.
Her throat suddenly dry, Ava stepped away, ignoring the sharp pain
in her left side and left him in the sun.
“Pardon?” She shaded her eyes to look at him, welcoming mild
annoyance that rose as a cool escape from the hot feelings flustering through
her body. A cloudy haze descended on her mind, and her limbs sat heavy within
her.
The brim of his cowboy hat hid his eyes. But his chiseled jaw,
lightly covered in dark brown stubble, combined with high cheekbones made him
look as though he had just walked off a movie set.
He
tipped his hat back in an almost mocking gesture, and dark green eyes looked
into hers, gold flecks beckoning her to gaze deeper.
“I
asked you what you were doing in here on your own.” He folded an arm across the
wide girth of his chest, long slender fingers tapping his chin.
“And it’s your business, because?” Ava could match mocking for
mocking any day, yet her voice sounded only faintly like hers.
“Matthias
de Romero, at your service.” He doffed his hat and gave a slight bow.
De
Romero, where had she heard that name before? She almost groaned aloud as the realization
came to her.
“De
Romero? This is your ranch?”
“It
is. Now, do I have to ask you a third time?” The low timbre of his voice had
her watching his mouth as he spoke, a sensuous bottom lip hiding straight white
teeth.
“Ava Whittaker.” Ava breathed her name. Great, now she sounded
like a silly teenager. “I mean, that’s my name.”
She cleared her throat, determined to find some gravitas. Pulling
her bottom lip between her teeth, she glanced up through a dim haze to see him
raising an eyebrow. Perhaps it was the heat of the Argentine sun, or her empty
tummy which helpfully growled now, but she couldn’t seem to focus. Her hip
ached from where she landed, and attempting to put weight on it nearly caused
her knee to buckle.
Great first impressions.
She
stifled a yelp only to let it lose when he slid a strong arm around her to
support her. Of its own accord, her body tucked itself under his shoulder,
blood fizzing crazily in the feel of the long, lean torso pressed warm against
her. Her head seemed to have floated from her body, giving it carte blanche to
behave in the most outrageous of manners. She suspected she was
cultivating Dengue Fever, despite the fact a mosquito hadn’t been near her in
days.
“Let’s
take you up to the ranch house, get you a nice cool drink.” Smooth and deep,
his voice caressed her, all signs of impatience buried.
Not
waiting for her reply, he steered her out of the barn to emerge blinking in the
broad sunlight.
“Alessandro?”
his voice cut like a bullet through the air to a ranch hand leading two horses
into the busy stables. “Red Sox needs looking after.”
I
do too…
She
banished the thought as soon as it raised a seductive head. Taking a sabbatical
from her job as breakfast news presenter to travel the world on her own had
been wonderful. But it had meant being on her guard at all times. A lone girl
of twenty-eight travelling had to keep her senses sharp and her passport close.
Two weeks short of her flight home, she wanted to relax and a rising desire
whispered to lean on this capable man for a short while.
“Nearly
there…”
His encouraging tone washed over her. The long low red ranch
shimmered ahead in the hot midday sun, and she closed her eyes against the
sudden nausea. The porch, when she reached it, provided a very welcome shelter
from the blazing sun.
Matthias
swung the kitchen door open with a flourish and gestured for her to come
in.
“Gracias, Senor de Romero.” She spoke with a quiet tone.
“Please, call me Matthias.” The deep tone and seriously sexy way
his name rolled off his tongue with the accent on the ‘th’ sent shivers down
her spine. Ava nodded slowly and closed her eyes in gratitude for the cool air
conditioning.
Matthias took his hat off and called in “Maman, are you
here?”
Inviting
in a way that reminded her of her mum’s kitchen back home in England, the
marble cream flagstones shot through with black veins matched the black granite
work-tops. White painted wooden blinds guarded against the sunlight and helped
keep the temperature at a more bearable level.
“Si,
Matthias.” A round woman, dark eyes like currants in a bun, bustled into the
kitchen, her kind face changing to concern as she saw Ava’s flushed face.
“You
poor girl. Quick, Matthias, get some water from the fridge. Sit, sit!”
With soft hands, she grasped Ava’s arm and guided her to a chair.
“Silly girl, you’ve been out in the heat for too long. Your skin is too fair to
cope.” Underlying her gentle admonishing tone was worry and Ava subsided,
grateful to sit down. Matthias placed a glass of water at her elbow and she
gave a weak smile, wondering why she felt like such a ditz. The pain in her
side sharpened and she picked up the glass, appreciating the sound of ice
clinking against the sides. She took a sip, then held it to her forehead.
Senora
de Romero turned to Matthias and a rapid fire Spanish conversation took place,
with Matthias shrugging expressively at the accusatory tone of his mother. Ava
caught words such as Red Sox and Alessandro, and then gave up. It was clear
they were talking about her, she could only guess at what they said.
The
water seemed to be helping and, when Senora de Romero turned from her son, Ava
joined the conversation. “Sorry to cause all this fuss. I guess I’m just
tired.”
Matthias
leaned against the counter, threw off his hat and braced his hands behind him.
With delightful results as thick dark disheveled hair and waves of curls made
Ava want to reach out and run her fingers through it.
“Eat,
eat!” His mum put a plate in front of her, piled with Empanadas - the small pastries of
meat, cheese, vegetables that were popular and tasty, in Argentina. Normally
Ava devoured them, but her appetite had deserted her the moment she landed on
her bum. She stared at them, watching in amazement as they circled the plate
all on their own. Very carefully, she placed her glass on the table.
“Gracias,
Senora, but I must go.” She stood up, nodded to her hosts, and made her way out
the door.
At
least in her dreams she did.
In
reality, she moved to stand and winced as the pain renewed in her side, a low
persistent throb. The table supported her as she lowered herself back into her
chair, listening in horror as Matthias came towards her, barking
commands.
“Let
me see.” He gestured to her to pull up her top, and too dazed to care, Ava did
so. Warm fingers gently probed her side and then he supported her to stand, as
he pulled her hiking trousers aside to see her hip. Dazed she may be, but the
pressure of his fingers and heck, even his gaze, turned her blood molten. Her
knees quaked and his strong hands reached behind her to support her into a
seated position.
“Just
a lot of bruising, nothing more serious.”
“Great.”
Ava cradled her head in her hands. “I’ll get on back to the dorm then.” She
wanted to go but her legs seemed to have ideas of their own.
A clucking senora appeared by her side.
“Brusing and some heat exhaustion. You can’t
go to the dorm, chica.” A resolute tone took over as she turned to
Matthias. “Take her to the Aconcagua room, she’ll be more comfortable there and
I can keep an eye on her.”
“Not
at all, thank you very much.” All Ava wanted was to be left alone, to figure
out what was real and what not. If she stayed here, she doubted she’d ever
figure it out.
“Good
idea.” His deep voice caressed her skin like silk and she shivered at the
touch. “Have something more to drink, Ava and I’ll take you up.” Bringing a jug
of lemonade from the fridge, he filled a glass for her. She took it,
grateful to have something to do. His fingers brushed hers - by accident? Sparks crackled up her right arm. She wouldn’t have been
surprised had her hair stood on end. A pastry was treated to the shredding
action of her nimble fingers.
“I
have to go.” Senora de Romero rose up on her tiptoes to reach his cheek just as
he leaned down to accept his Mum’s kiss. “I need to go into Mendoza for some
things. You look after her!”
A
small spark of panic threatened to close her throat against the water she
drank. What? She was going to be alone with Matthias again? The man was far too
dangerous, made even more so by her desire to let him look after her. She had
managed fifty weeks of her year without getting romantically involved with any
of the men she had met; she didn’t want to fall at the last hurdle. It would be heartbreaking to allow an intense attraction—like one
she’d never experience before—to weigh her down when she had to leave for
home.
Maybe
she should go right now with his mother to Mendoza instead,
find a bus to take her back over the Andes to Santiago in Chile, get to the
airport, get a flight, get home and be able to…breathe.
An
inner voice scoffed at her not to be silly. Who was to say this devastatingly
handsome man would want a girl like her?
“Come
and I’ll show you to your room. I think you need to rest a while.” At his
words, Ava started, suddenly conscious she had been staring. She filled her
lungs with a deep breath.. Maybe they were right, she should stay here. The
desire for clean white cotton sheets on a bed, in her own space almost
overwhelmed her. She hadn’t had her own bedroom since working as a chalet girl
in Australia.
Matthias
came to her side and offered an arm to lean on. She took it with gratitude and
he directed her to the doorway next to the larder, a flight of wide wooden
steps snaking up to the next floor. Once there, Ava lost count of the numbers
of turns and corridors they walked down only to arrive at a door with Aconcagua
written above it.
No comments:
Post a Comment