A Virgin for the CEO

26

It wasn't a long ride. He didn't even make the horse run.

Instead, they plodded along as if they were strolling in the countryside, which in retrospect, was exactly what it seemed like if you take away all the mess of the last weeks, especially the one that just happened.

If it was all taken away, then there would be nothing, Arianna was thinking. He wouldn't even know her, would not try to look for her, and she wouldn't be riding with him on this horse.

So what were they doing?

She closed her eyes as she arrived at the most obvious thing.

He still wanted her.

There was no mistaking that after what happened in his house that he wanted for things to continue.

Her cheeks felt like it was getting more and more inflamed as she remembered. There was no question that she had no willpower to fight him off after her reaction to his touch. Even now, as he held her, she still felt her body reacting to him.

She caught herself leaning back towards him a few times then got rigid at what she was doing. She did it a few times for him to notice and she could tell it was annoying him... or maybe 'annoy' was the wrong word. He disliked it, she could tell.

And she couldn't understand why.

Why he was doing this.

Why he was acting possessive.

Why he didn't seem to mind if they were seen by other people.

This part of the hacienda was remote, neighbors far in between, with woody spots separating their houses from sight of each other. But it wasn't like nobody went here. There wasn't a day they didn't see anyone passing on the road in front of their home going to or from where they worked near here.

She cringed at the thought of being seen riding on a horse with him, of all people. She feared what people would say.

That she was the young daughter of a sickly widow, and very poor-ly. He, meanwhile, was the son of their wealthy landowner whose lineage was purportedly traced to the royal blood of Spain in the line of his father, an aristocrat.

She shouldn't even dare dream about him.

She didn't have any right to assume he would even notice her before... nor would he cook for her or feed her... or want her in his bed! If others found out about it, they would automatically assume she was getting something for it. Of course. And she couldn't deny they had slept together, because there was no way a man would hold a woman like he was doing now if nothing was going on.

Okay, so might be she was being paranoid. Maybe she should just stop thinking.

What if he actually liked her?

She instantly kicked this despicable idea out of her head.

The quiet ride continued as her thoughts about her situation got uglier and uglier.

She was afraid to open her mouth and ask questions about his plans or say anything about the situation, worried about what he was going to say or propose.

They finally reached the spot where she'd left the tri-bike, and it wasn't there.

"Where's my bike?"

"It's been taken care of," he said in a lazy voice. "I sent someone to bring the vegetables to the mansion while the bike was returned to your house."

She swallowed a nervous cry. "Why would you do that? My mother will wonder where I am. You... she would worry—"

"She's not there now. Don't worry about it," he replied in a softer voice.