Untamed Fire (9 page)

It had been easy to pay heed to their
warnings, for her eyes had never turned hot for a man, until now.
She was attracted to Don Rafael and the heated look in his eyes
told her that he felt the same.

She didn’t want to be like many of the women
in town, a mistress to a powerful
ranchero
. Of course once
he tired of her, she would be discarded with compensation for her
services, if the
ranchero
was generous.

Gaby wanted no such generosity. She wanted
to fall in love, wed a good man, have lots of babies, grow old
together, and enjoy grandchildren. The circle of life the way it
should be, the way she wanted it.

She stood with a sigh of resignation and
cautioned herself to keep a safe distance from Rafael. She marched
out of the room the warning a clear echo in her head.

~~~

Rafael rode Bella hard. He needed to shed
the passionate torment that surged through him. The land flew by
him, the afternoon heat beat down upon him and he could not rid his
mind of Gaby. What was it about her that attracted?

Everything?

Not the answer he was searching for, but one
that surely gave him pause. She intrigued him and he wanted to know
more about her in so many ways. He called himself a thousand kinds
of fools for telling her he intended to keep her at the hacienda.
He hadn’t considered the idea until she had said she would be gone
before he wed. The thought had infuriated him. He would miss her
playful smile, those toes she so often wiggled and refused to
confine in sandals as she refused to confine her lively nature.

What worried him though was how would he
ever keep her at the hacienda and keep his distance? Eventually
they would become lovers, he was sure of it. What then? How could
he keep a wife and a mistress in the same house?

Rafael eased Bella to a slow gallop. Sweat
ran down his face and his shirt stuck to his perspiring chest. He
hadn’t meant to ride his mare so hard and it hadn’t been Bella he
wanted to ride.

He wanted Gaby. He wanted to feel her moist
flesh against his, feel her buck beneath him and cry out in
pleasure. He wanted to capture her moans in his mouth, fuel their
passion and quench their hunger again and again.

“
Madre Dios
. I’ve never wanted a
woman as much as I want Gaby,” he said raising a fierce fist to the
heavens.

As though in answer, thunder rumbled in the
distance. It warned and reminded. Gaby was an innocent peasant
girl, not his for the taking. Stay away and leave her for one of
her own kind.

He turned Bella and headed back to the
hacienda at a slow, steady gallop. The rumbling thunder grew louder
and the sky darkened, promising an afternoon thunderstorm. To
Rafael it was a stern warning. One he had no doubt would prove
difficult, if not impossible to heed.

Louisa Ortega stood only five feet three
inches. She was petite in form and character. Her small breasts
gave way to a slim waist followed by narrow hips. Her pure dark
complexion was accented by lustrous black hair that was artfully
braided to run up the back of her head and fastened with an ivory
comb. Even the delicate white lace dress echoed her demure
character, but when she spoke her true personality emerged.

Gaby saw her for her true worth, a strong
woman who knew what she wanted and she wanted the Cabrillo money
and power. She had firm hold of Rafael’s arm ever since she and her
father had arrived a half hour earlier.

The woman continued to flatter him with
noxious talk of his superior horsemanship as well as his ability to
protect those around him. She fueled his manly pride until Gaby was
certain his chest would burst with self-importance.

Louisa had also made certain to comment on
Gaby’s inadequacy as a servant, thanks to Rafael. Her taunts had
begun as soon as she had caught Rafael glancing at Gaby with a hint
of hunger that was undeniable. The petite woman no doubt perceived
it as a serious threat.

“How terrible, Rafael, that you are saddled
with inexperienced help,” Louisa said, reaching out to take a
crystal glass of red wine from the silver serving tray Gaby held in
front of her.

Gaby maintained her smile and composure,
though she wished to dump the entire tray of glasses on the
obnoxious woman’s lap.

“Gaby is companion to my mother and does her
job well. She is not part of the regular servant staff,” Rafael
said in her defense.

“How lucky for you,” Louisa responded with a
sympathetic pat to his arm before slipping her hand over his. She
didn’t care for his response. Gaby was obviously under his dictate,
not Dona Maria’s. She wondered with much concern if the young,
well-endowed girl was under Rafael in a more physical way. She
didn’t like the picture her thoughts painted, and she sent Gaby a
scathing look.

Gaby simply grinned, turned with a flourish
and exited the room with her hips swaying to the lively rhythm of
the music.

Rafael saw that Louisa could not conceal her
annoyance while he did his best to conceal a smile, entertained by
Gaby’s spirited nature.

“Do the vineyards look good to you this
year?” Eduardo Ortega asked, taking Dona Maria’s arm and helping
her to the chair beside his daughter.

Rafael stood, freeing Louisa’s hold on him.
The petulant frown she cast his way was lost to him as he focused
his attention on her father. “This will be an excellent year. The
grapes are plump with juice.”

Eduardo smiled broadly, the many lines on
his aging face deepening. “It is a good feeling to see the land
produce such rich pleasures. I look forward to every glass of wine
that my vineyards produce.”

Rafael agreed with him. The man had some of
the richest acreage in Los Angeles, gained by hard work. Rafael
liked the short, robust man. His almost sixty years showed on his
aging face. And his body still retained the thick muscles in his
arms and legs from the endless days of working in the field while
his slightly rounded belly hinted at his love of good food and
wine. Rafael found himself well-satisfied with the man as a future
father-in-law. He only wished he liked Louisa half as much. He was
no fool. He knew what the woman was after, but then, most Spanish
marriages were arranged to benefit the wealth of the family, not
love.

His first marriage had been such. Anna had
been a dutiful wife, obeying his every command, even in bed. There
had been no love between them, but she had gotten pregnant because
it was her duty, and because she knew that as a good husband, he
would not touch her intimately until after the child was born.

Afterwards, she tolerated his touch until he
finally withdrew from her bed entirely until such a time for
another child to be conceived. Would Louisa be the same way? Cold
to his touch?

Gaby wouldn’t be.

The thought didn’t shock him. It had
actually been lingering there tormenting him and there was no point
in denying it.

Gaby was like the earth, her scent rich with
the sweetness when newly tilled and ready for planting. It accepted
the seed with fervent pleasure, taking it deep within and
nourishing it with life. Gaby would accept a man that way. She
would take him willingly inside her, filling her and him with
pleasure, accepting his seed and nourishing it with love.

“Don’t you agree, Rafael?” Dona Maria
asked.

Perspiration licked at Rafael’s brow and
trickled along his chest beneath his white shirt. His thoughts had
heated more than his skin, and he shifted his legs to help ease the
ache. “What was that you asked, Mother?”

“I was saying how nice a trip to Spain would
be for Louisa. She has never seen the mother country or experienced
the thrill of being received at court.”

Louisa’s face brightened. “It sounds so
exciting.”

Eduardo cupped his hands behind his back and
frowned. “The sea voyage could be dangerous.”

“Nonsense, Papa,” Louisa scolded, though
maintained a smile. “I’d love to see Spain.”

“Of course she would, Eduardo,” Dona Maria
insisted. “What woman wouldn’t want to be at the center of such
gala activities and fashion? It would be a wonderful wedding
gift.”

“Perhaps,” Eduardo conceded reluctantly.
“I’ll consider it when she becomes betrothed.”

All eyes turned to Rafael. He glanced from
one to another their smiles filled with expectation. Then his
glance met with Gaby standing in the doorway. She wore no smile,
her brown eyes fixed on him with a sobering ache.

She would never settle for the role of his
mistress and marriage between them was not possible. Louisa was of
his class. She would know her place and see to her duties like them
or not. His own duties reminded him of this and yet he answered, “A
trip to Spain would be nice—one day.”

The three smiles quickly faded. Dona Maria
immediately eased the awkward situation, leaning closer to Louisa
and whispering, “Give him time. He knows you are best for him.”

Louisa smiled and nodded. But her eyes
glanced in Gaby’s direction and she knew without a doubt that time
would be her enemy and she needed Rafael’s proposal soon, very
soon.

The festive air returned during the meal.
Eduardo entertained them with stories of Spain. Lupe’s culinary
talents dazzled all starting with the fresh slices of fruit in wine
sauce, to the fowl smothered with green chilies and corn, to warm
avocados filled with mashed beans and hot burritos stuffed with
Lupe’s secret filling that guaranteed a mouth-watering pleasure.
And though all were full by evening’s end, each found room for the
delicious cake saturated with rum and lemon pie lightly whipped and
folded into a flaky crust that scooped up light and airy.

“What shall you have, my dear?” Rafael
asked, leaning closer toward Louisa.

“Oh, Rafael, I really shouldn’t,” she said
coyly.

“Nonsense, Louisa. Every woman must envy you
your petite form.”

Louisa blushed appropriately. “Thank you,
darling.”

Rafael continued playing the ardent suitor,
for Louisa’s benefit or to agitate Gaby, he wasn’t certain. He
placed his hand over hers and spoke. “Let me choose for you.”

Louisa nodded her consent and smiled up at
Gaby. She returned the woman’s smile while holding the serving
knife high.

“The lemon pie, the rich sweetness suits
you.”

Louisa smiled, pleased.

Gaby kept smiling as she brought the knife
down to slip under the slice of pie. It was a large slice and she
had difficulty balancing it on the serving knife. She handled it
with caution, careful not to drop it.

As she turned to serve it, she caught the
warning glint in Rafael’s eyes. He reminded her to behave and that
annoyed her. She may be a peasant but she had been taught manners
and respect, things that Louisa lacked. She wanted nothing more
than this evening to come to a quick end, her stomach ready to
retch from all the false bantering sweetness.

Gaby felt, too late, the slight shove to her
elbow. It was enough to send the piece of pie tumbling off the
serving knife to splatter all over the front of Louisa’s dress.
Lemon filling stuck like stiff peaks to her small breasts while the
rest of the slice splattered across her midriff.

Louisa didn’t waste a moment. She shrieked
with disdain and shock. “My dress, you stupid fool! Look what you
have done to my dress.”

Rafael turned angry eyes on Gaby and Dona
Maria glared at her appalled. Eduardo Ortega was the only one whose
eyes held any sympathy.

The older man attempted to defuse the
smoldering situation. “I’m sure the girl didn’t mean it.”

Dona Maria appeared relieved and hurriedly
agreed with him. “Oh my yes, it was simply an accident. Gaby has
little experience serving.”

Rafael hadn’t said a word and that worried
Gaby. He was probably trying to keep tight rein on his anger, which
didn’t bode well for her.

“Gaby, leave this room at once,” Rafael
ordered, “and send Lupe to finish serving.”

She knew it was useless to explain that it
hadn’t been her fault, so she did as she was told; she left the
room.

The house was silent. The Ortegas had left
with repeated apologies from Dona Maria for the unfortunate
accident and a promise of sending for material from Spain for a new
dress for Louisa. After bidding them good-night Rafael had abruptly
retired to his study, not wanting a confrontation with his mother,
who he knew was disappointed. She no doubt had expected him to
request permission from Eduardo to call on his daughter or perhaps
to have extended an invitation to Louisa to go riding with him.

He had done neither and his mother was
probably upset with him and no doubt Louisa was as well.

He was the last of the Cabrillo men and was
expected to do his duty, marry and have heirs. His mother knew he
would do what was expected of him. He always did.

Gaby hurried along the red tiles barefoot.
She had finished tending Dona Maria preparing her for bed. Now she
was to tend to Rafael’s quarters. She wanted to hurry and get done
so that she would not be there when he retired.

She had been relieved though surprised that
Dona Maria had not reprimanded her for the accident, but then it
was not her place to do so; it was Rafael’s. She had been amazed
that she had not been summoned to his study when she learned he had
secluded himself there shortly after the Ortega’s departure. She
was almost positive that he had every intention of punishing her
for what he probably assumed was an intentional act.

Of course he would never consider Senorita
Ortega capable of such deception, and she wasn’t in the mood to
argue with him.

She approached the end of the corridor with
caution. Rafael’s quarters were on the opposite side of the
hacienda from his mother’s. It afforded privacy. She placed her
hand on the iron latch and paused a moment. She mumbled a quick
prayer that he was not within and pushed open the door.