Claimed on the River Read online

  I didn’t know whether to pout or be thrilled, but Antonio stepped back, putting distance between us. It was like a cup of cold water over my head, sobering and disappointing in equal measures, and no more pleasant for him if the look that flickered across his face was any indication. He drew my hand up to his arm, tucking it against his elbow like I was some grand lady at an old time ball, but I caught the furtive motion he had to spare to adjust himself in his pants and the way he quickly re-buttoned his jacket to cover his front. It cheered me up to know I’d had just as much effect on him as he had on me, and I didn’t protest when he lead me from the dance floor.

  We talked a little on the way back up to my room. He told me that his family - “my parents, my siblings, all the aunts and uncles” - lived in or near Belém, along the river, and were involved with shipping. In return I found myself telling him about the impulsive decision that had lead me to the cruise ship, desperate to escape the winter cold and to do something truly memorable for once.

  Outside my door we paused again, and this time he didn’t ask, just pulled me into his arms and kissed me. There was no one else anywhere in the hall and I gave in to the need to press closer, the fire reigniting through me in a rush. I couldn’t help the small moan that escaped my throat when he pulled away. “Anto-”

  “Shh, my Sophie.” His tongue caressed my lower lip, licking back inside my mouth for another searing kiss. His hand slid up my side and I gasped into his mouth when his fingers grazed the side of my breast. “You are here for three days, yes? Take tonight to rest. Do all the things the tourists do tomorrow. And if you still want,” his voice dropped lower, dark and rough with just as much need as was throbbing through me, “then meet me at the lounge for dinner tomorrow, and I will gladly monopolize you for the rest of your time here.”

  I nodded frantically. We agreed on a time and I bid him a breathless goodnight; he bowed over my hand, smooth and graceful, and this time his kiss lingered on my skin in a way that sent goosebumps all the way up my arm. His parting smile was enough to make my panties melt, dark with promise and desire, and I fell back against the door of my room when it closed behind me, my head spinning and my body one giant pulse of need.

  I doubted Antonio even made it to the elevator before I had pulled my skirt up, my hand plunging into my soaked panties to slide two fingers into my aching pussy. I was so worked up it didn’t take much; a few thrusts, rocking the heel of my hand against my clit, my free hand squeezing my breast and tugging at the hard nub of my nipple through my dress. The pleasure shot through me, circling from breast to pussy and all down my spine, pooling hot in my belly; I bit my lip, tasting his kiss, and imagined it was Antonio’s fingers on my nipple, his muscular thigh and the hard length of his cock that I was grinding against the way I had down on the dance floor. Just like that the need in me surged, rising up like a tsunami until it reached the breaking point and crashed back down to wash through me and leave me boneless and shaking, my breath coming in gasps from one of the hardest orgasms I’d ever had.

  I staggered to the bed, stripping my clothes off along the way, and flung myself down, running my hands over my own skin with a thrill. Had Antonio gone back to his home? I doubted it, not yet, at least. I wonder if he had hurried to grab a room of his own, or if he had just ducked into the nearest restroom, as desperate as I was to take himself in hand. I spread my legs, pressing three fingers into my already sensitive pussy, gasping as I clenched down around my own touch.

  Would he be that big? Bigger? I didn’t have any way to judge, my experience confined to kisses and a few make-out sessions, but the intensity of the need to know nearly took my breath away. Moaning softly, I fucked myself, my juices spilling over my own hand, wetter than I’d ever been. I closed my eyes, picturing Antonio in a bathroom stall, one of those gorgeously muscled arms braced against the wall as he worked his cock with his fist, my own name bitten back on his lips the way I’d swallowed his as I came leaning up against the door.

  My second orgasm came just as fast as the first but the need was still there, a bright core of it deep inside me as I fantasized about Antonio’s hands, his mouth, and how he would feel between my aching thighs. It was a long time before I slept.

  I woke in the morning from pleasant dreams to a body still tingling, a full heart, and a heavy head. What was I doing?

  Falling so hard and fast for a man I barely knew - that wasn’t me. I flirted, sometimes I made out a little, but I was always too busy to really seriously think about a relationship and just shy enough that I didn’t want to jump in and out of beds without there being something more than just attraction. Maybe it was hopelessly old fashioned, but I wanted my first time to really mean something. I wasn’t holding out for marriage, but a nice bit of romance would do the trick. Guys I met at clubs on my rare nights off who just wanted to shove their tongues down my throat and their hands up my shirt were alright for a few minutes, but nothing I went any further with.

  So what was different about Antonio? Nothing, on the surface, but the way he’d touched me, the way he’d held me, as though I were something precious, had lit a fire in me that had yet to go out. I could have very easily let him into my room last night, given myself up in the heat of the moment, but the fact that he’d pulled back and asked me to dinner instead left a warm glow in my chest that I just wanted to wrap myself around and hug close.

  It might just be a Brazillian thing. Maybe the men in Belém had better manners than the ones in America. Or - and my heart quailed at the thought - maybe he’d just been leading me on and he wouldn’t show up for dinner, leaving me high and dry in some stupid prank. After all, it wasn’t like I pulled men of his quality left and right, or ever.

  I’d talked myself around in circles in my head at least five times before I showered, dressed, and finished a bit of breakfast in the resort dining room. In the end, the only thing I could decide was to seize everything with both hands - this was my once in a lifetime, my chance to just enjoy, and all rules were off. Out with the old Sophie, in with the new; I was going to enjoy my vacation to the fullest and if Antonio showed up that evening then he could be part of it.

  I tried, very hard, not to think about how much I wanted him to show.

  Instead, I threw myself into the day’s activities; there was a tour that morning of the older, more historic portion of the city, and another in the late afternoon of some of the surrounding sights. In between there was lunch and bit of time to explore the market that sprawled just a few blocks from the resort. I ooohed and aaahed along with the other cruise ship tourists, all of us with our phones snapping pics and videos the entire time, and picked up a few keepsakes from the market along with little souvenirs for my friends and family.

  On impulse, I let a shopkeeper talk me into trying on a dress, some fusion of modern and folk fashion obviously aimed at tourists, but the light fabric was a gorgeous ombre of sunset colors and the dress hem was covered in bands of the most intricate floral embroidery I’d ever seen. The top had thin straps and a plunging neckline while the skirt was full and long, coming down to my knees but gathered tight at my waist. When I twirled experimentally it spun out around me nearly up to my hips before swirling back around my legs like a flower petal, soft and fluttery. The image of myself in the shop’s mirror was almost of a stranger, exotic and playful, and the colors brought out auburn highlights in my dark hair and lent a rosy flush to my lightly tanned skin. I didn’t even hesitate to hand over the price the shopkeeper quoted.

  The day was fun, the sun bright and the weather warm, and I managed to mostly not think about Antonio through most of it, except for how my head turned every time I caught a glimpse of a man in a hat or suit. By the time I went back to the resort for another shower and to change for dinner I was forced to admit I had it bad. My mind could justify all it wanted, but my heart and my body knew exactly what they wanted and his name was Antonio.

  I put on my new dress, took time for some lip gloss and eyeliner and a few extr
a minutes styling my hair, and steeled myself to head down to the resort restaurant where we’d agreed to meet. I had more butterflies in my stomach than I’d ever had for any highschool dance, first date, or job interview combined, and I’d nearly convinced myself that it was going to all be for nothing, just a joke, Sophie, be real…

  There was a small cluster of people at the entrance to the restaurant and when I glanced over them I was sure I was right. The disappointment was almost crushing, like I couldn’t breathe and my stomach was clenched in a hard, icy rock… and then one of the black uniformed waiters lea a smiling, middle aged couple off to a table and the vision I’d been longing for stepped into view.

  His suit was dove grey this evening, with a matching hat and a shirt that shimmered like silk in a soft pink that not many men had the complexion or balls to pull off, but Antonio wore it beautifully. His dark eyes were scanning the hallway and when he caught sight of me his whole face lit up, his smile taking my breath away.

  He met me halfway and it wasn’t until his hand closed over mine that I could believe it wasn’t a dream. “Meu coração,” he said, the warm tone of his voice telling me everything I needed to know as he bent over my hand, his lips warm on my skin. It made my whole body tingle clear down to my toes, and when he straightened and produced a single, perfect red rose from behind his back I couldn’t help my gasp.

  “A beautiful rose for a beautiful woman,” Antonio breathed. He was still leaning forward and I dared to close the distance between us and press my lips to his; he caught my waist to steady me, our fingers tangled around the thorn-less stem of the rose as he deepened the kiss into something that left me hot all through and breathless. His laugh was a ghost of a whisper when he drew back. “I wasn’t sure you would come. You look breath taking, minha beleza.”

  “I’ve spent all day waiting to see you,” I blurted out. With any other man it would have been mortifying, but Antonio just smiled, his gaze entirely for me.

  He offered me his arm with another one of those elegant bows. “Shall we? I had them reserve us a table on the balcony, overlooking the river.” I slipped my hand eagerly over his arm and felt more elegant and far luckier than every other woman in the resort as he lead me to our table.

  Dinner was luxurious; Antonio ordered for us from a menu without a lick of English on it and I was treated to new delights like salt grilled fish, an appetizer of tiny bites of octopus, and a spread of seafood and vegetable dishes to share that I couldn’t begin to name but which melted in my mouth and exploded over my taste buds. Antonio coaxed me to try each one, offering me bites from his own fork, and between the food, the wine, and his company I had never been happier.

  The last rays of the sunset were just shimmering over the water of the river and down below the music of the dance floor drifted up to us as the waiters cleared away our empty plates. My hand had found Antonio’s at some point, our fingers intertwined, and his thumb was stroking a slow, sensual path back and forth over my skin. “What shall we do now, meu coração?” he asked. His lips were curved in a soft smile the way they had been for much of the evening, warm and inviting and just begging for kissing.

  I was utterly lost in that look and in his touch, in the dark honey rum of his voice and the way he only had eyes for me. I was floating on the euphoria, body heated all through, the coals laid and just waiting for a spark to go up in a bonfire. I wanted this man, I thought with perfect clarity. Maybe I could only have him for a night, or a few precious days, but I wanted.

  I didn’t know how much of that showed on my face, but Antonio’s smile quirked upwards and he drew my hand across the table, his soft lips tracing the same path as his thumb in a series of slow kisses. My breath caught in my throat, the sensation pooling heat in my belly and making me melt. I wanted to slide out of my chair and into his lap; it was only the awareness of everyone at the tables around us that stopped me when he traced a single finger up my bare arm, the touch sparking shivers on my skin that jolted up to my breasts and made my nipples draw tight.

  “My room,” I breathed, and what would once have felt unbelievably daring instead felt so vital and necessary that I couldn’t let myself imagine anything else. “Please, Antonio. I want-“

  He leaned around the table and silenced me with a kiss, his lips snatching the words right from my mouth. He tasted of the sweet wine we had finished dinner with and something a little spicy, something uniquely Antonio. His hand touched my jaw, tracing a light path down my throat to graze the top of my breast; I was tucked between him and the balcony, where no one could see, and his fingers dipped into the curve of my cleavage and traced the edge of my neckline, trailing over my skin. He sucked my bottom lip gently as he let go, resting his forehead against mine. “Is this what you want, my Sophie?”

  “Yes!” It came out more forcefully than I meant. I bit my lip but Antonio just laughed, the sound warm, and stood to pull my chair out for me, sweeping me to my feet.

  I wasn’t entirely sure I could walk steadily. I wasn’t drunk, not off a few glasses of wine with a sumptuous dinner, but the heat already pulsating through my core flared up at the press of Antonio’s body against mine and made my muscles feel weak, as if my legs had forgotten how to hold me up. Luckily, Antonio steadied me, his arm slipping around my waist and his hand settling with a flare of heat against my hip.

  Once we had left the restaurant, I slipped an arm around his neck, pulling him down to claim a kiss of my own. My heart fluttered at my own boldness, but I was rewarded with the heat of both of his hands curving around my waist. He deepened the kiss, his tongue caressing mine, and his hands slid slowly down to cup my ass, squeezing my cheeks lightly before he let me go. I was giddy with need and triumph as I led him into the elevator and up to my room.

  The door to my balcony stood open again, allowing the cool nighttime breeze to carry in the sounds of the music and dancing outside. Even though we were in private, it gave me a strange sense of exhibitionism, knowing that any sound I made would carry just as clearly. It was a little embarrassing, but also strangely freeing, a sign of just how far away from my normal life I was.

  Antonio kissed me again as soon as we were in the room, and I willingly opened my lips to let him lick deep into my mouth, our tongues fencing in a sensual dance. He pressed against me, his body as solid and strong beneath the neatly tailored suit as I remembered from the dance floor the night before, his big hands roaming up and down my back, cupping my ass and pulling my hips against his.

  Every nerve in my body was singing from the contact by the time we broke the kiss and his hands moved to the straps of my dress, sliding them off my shoulders until only the swell of my breasts held the dress up. The tiniest tug would bare me to him, and even though I wanted it I hesitated, pressing my hand to his chest.

  “I’ve never done this before,” I admitted, my voice small as I gazed up at him.

  He smiled, gently teasing. “A beauty like you has never charmed a man before? I find that hard to believe.”

  I flushed, both at the compliment and at the awkwardness of what I had to admit. “I’ve never done...this. Been with a man.” I took a deep breath and just blurted it out. “I’m a virgin.”

  He blinked, a second of surprise showing on his face. “Surpreendente,” he murmured in Portuguese. His fingers tucked my hair back behind my ear before stroking down my left shoulder to the edge of my sundress. His eyes were steady on me, his brow pulled down just a bit in the center in concentration as he tugged the strap down just enough to reveal my left breast, the tight nipple proclaiming my arousal. Gently, he stroked his thumb over the bud; a jolt of pleasure shot through me, making my breath hitch. “I will have to be very gentle with you then, yes?”

  I made a sound of breathless agreement, though I wasn’t at all sure gentle was what I wanted. Still, I could hardly complain when he pushed the rest of my bodice down; it caught at my waist, leaving my torso bare, both breasts open to his touch. His big hands engulfed them, kneading gently,
his palms warm and smooth against my soft flesh. I had to catch at his shoulders, my knees weak; my breasts tingled, turning heavy and sensitive as he fondled them, the sweep of his thumbs across my tight nipples making pleasure run down my spine to my aching pussy.

  “Do you like that, minha beleza?” Antonio asked, and I heard the roughness of want in his voice.

  “Oh yes,” I gasped, closing my eyes to more fully give in to the sensations his touch awakened. “It feels...I never knew I could feel like this.”

  “Ah, but this is just the beginning,” he promised, the words whispered against my lips.

  His head bowed, and he cupped one hand beneath my breast so he could close his mouth over the taut peak of my nipple. I gasped as the waves of pleasure I’d been feeling suddenly coalesced into a lightning bolt that shot straight down to my core. I could feel my inner walls clenching with need and desire, my panties growing wet with my juices as he suckled, the flick of his tongue making my toes curl. I caught at the brim of his hat, my fingers sinking into the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

  “Please,” I breathed, barely getting the word out past the whimper of need rising in my throat. “Please, I need...more.”

  “As you wish, lovely Sophie.”

  He gave my nipple a final flick of his tongue and sank to his knees, his thumb slipping into the elastic at my waist and expertly slipping the dress over my hips, releasing it to pool at my feet. I knew my panties must be soaked through, giving undeniable evidence of my arousal...even if I’d wanted to deny it, which I definitely didn’t.

  No, stopping now was the very last thing I wanted to do.

  Antonio’s hands were on my hips, steadying me while he kissed and nuzzled his way down my left thigh to my knee, then back up the right. He paused at the apex to nuzzle against my mound, and I felt a rush of embarrassment and excitement when I heard and felt him inhale deeply, savoring the scent of my arousal. The cool rush of air through the damp lace was replaced by warmth as he exhaled, his breath caressing my lower lips with an intimacy I’d never imagined.