Chapter Ten

The time of her life was an understatement. The moment they stepped outside, Kate and Donovan were swept up into the electric atmosphere surrounding the city. Rio de Janeiro was unlike any place she'd ever visited before and it pulsated with life. From its famous beaches and lush landscapes to its rich cultural scene, Kate loved everything about it. No matter where they ventured, they were surrounded by vibrant music, dance and art. Plus, the warm air was fragrant with the amazing smell of so many different foods and she was dying to try as many as her stomach would allow.

Copacabana's fine white sands were stunning, and she and Donovan splashed around in the South Atlantic Ocean for almost an hour. The refreshing water and his playful company kept her laughing. This, she realized as he lifted her up into his arms and kissed her amidst the waves, is what I've been missing. New adventures and a good man to share them with me.

After their swim, Kate pulled her coverup on and Donovan stepped into a pair of shorts. They bought coconut water from a vendor and began to wander around. There was so much to do and see. On top of the normal tourists, the streets overflowed with locals celebrating and wearing brightly-colored clothing. Parades were everywhere and decorated floats rolled through nearby neighborhoods accompanied by dancers, performers and samba bands. The atmosphere vibrated with an incredible energy and made Kate feel utterly free and uninhibited. Nothing like her usual, carefully-guarded self and quiet nature.

Cautious Kate has left the building.

They ended up eating too many p?o de queijo, Brazilian cheese rolls, and drank one too many caipirinha cocktails garnished with blackberries. Excitement thrummed through the air as the sun began to set and the city truly came alive. Rio Carnaval was a beautiful celebration, truly the Greatest Show on Earth, and Kate was at its epicenter.

"This is wild!" Kate exclaimed over the cacophony of sounds, slowly turning and soaking up the scene. "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

When she turned to look up at Donovan, he had a strange look on his face. "No. Never," he murmured softly, staring intently at her.

The beat of the samba had Kate swinging her hips, and she let herself be seduced by the music and magic of it all. She soaked in the electric and vibrant energy all around her. And when Donovan grabbed her hand and started dancing with her in the middle of the street, she threw her head back and laughed. Lost in the moment, she held onto him as their bodies moved together, finding the beat and each other's rhythm.

His touch and the party around them invigorated her, enchanting her into a state of absolute freedom, allowing her to be totally carefree as all traces of Cautious Kate fell away. They stopped dancing, their mouths collided and they kissed for a long time as the world continued around them. Everything else fell away and Kate slid her hands through Donovan's sleek hair, opening her heart to him, ready to offer him everything.

The moment and the man completely bewitched her.

Maybe she was foolish to get too involved, but, right then, she didn't care. She only wanted Donovan.

Pushing up onto her toes, she brushed her lips along the shell of his ear and whispered, "Take me back to the hotel."

Donovan didn't hesitate. He grabbed her hand and spun around so fast, Kate burst out laughing. They practically jogged the whole way back and Kate could only throw her head back and laugh. God, she felt alive. More so than ever in her life and all she wanted to do was be as close to Donovan as possible.

Once they reached their room, he slammed the door shut and locked it. Then he turned to her with a very hungry, almost feral look. Kate tossed the beach bag, her coverup and kicked her sandals off. Her pulse hammered as she watched Donovan start undressing, too. His body was ridiculous, all ripped and toned, and she couldn't wait to explore it thoroughly. This time there would be no interruptions.

Kate was still sliding her bathing suit off when a very naked Donovan stalked forward and swept her right off her feet.

"I can't wait a minute longer," he growled and began kissing her neck. His lips tickled and Kate giggled—giggled—and then he tossed her onto the bed. Another tittering sound sprang from her throat and she realized she probably hadn't giggled like that since she'd been a little girl. Maybe not even then. But Donovan brought out a side of her that she didn't even know existed. Brett had dubbed her an ice queen and, in all fairness, maybe she had been aloof and emotionally distant with him. But right now, any of her lingering former arctic frost melted away.

Kate was on fire, burning up with a fierce desire that only Donovan could quench.

Goosebumps pricked her skin, but it wasn't because of the air conditioning unit. It was sheer anticipation. As Donovan slowly moved up her body, dropping kisses along her sensitive skin, she shivered and writhed.

He paused after licking around her belly button. "Cold?"

Kate clutched the bedspread in her hands and twisted. "No…burning up…"

"You're about to get hotter," he promised then grasped her hips, pinning her to the mattress and nudging her legs further apart.

The moment his warm breath blew on her most intimate area, Kate whimpered. He was killing her and she needed his mouth on her—

"Ohhh," she moaned. His hot mouth made contact and if a pussy could cry, hers would be a weeping, bawling, blubbering mess. That wicked tongue of his licked and teased, unfolding her and exposing her to him. A gasp tore from her as he sucked her clit into his mouth and tongued it, nipping slightly and causing her world to spin off its axis.

Sliding her hands through his silky hair, she bucked against his mouth and her inner muscles vibrated, contracted and shook as though a mini earthquake rocked her damn uterus. She'd only had oral sex once before and it had felt nothing like this. Not to mention Brett had bitched about it the entire time.

"You taste so fucking good," Donovan rasped. "I could drink from you all night."

All night? She wasn't sure she could handle another ten seconds. And exactly five seconds later, she cried out as a powerful release rumbled through her and pleasure blasted through every single nerve ending.

"Shit!" Throwing her head back, she gave in to the strong waves rolling through her entire body. Breathing hard, trying to catch her breath, she closed her eyes and sighed dreamily as Donovan made his way up and kissed her deeply. When he finally broke away, she grinned up at him, feeling a little lightheaded. "You're really good at that."

He smirked. "I've always been a perfectionist. And my job isn't done until you're screaming my name."

Kate swallowed hard and it occurred to her that this always seemed to be the moment they were interrupted by bad guys. But not this time.

"I need you inside me," she murmured.

He reached for the packet on the bedside table and tore it open. "I don't care if an army of tangoes starts pounding on that door," he said, rolling the protection down his thick length. "I'm not stopping this time for anything."

Kate wrapped her legs around him, encouraging him. "Third time's the charm, right?"

With an answered growl, he began to push inside her and Kate's eyes rolled back in her head. It was all too much. The way he stretched and filled her was nothing short of euphoric. Their connection lit her up from the inside and the moment he began to move, she clutched his biceps and matched his demanding rhythm, stroke for stroke.

Their whimpers and grunts filled the air, along with the sounds of the party on the street below, and she couldn't get enough of him. Her inner walls tightened, milking him hard.

"Fuck, Kate!" His hips moved faster and she rolled hers against his, shifting so his cock hit her sweet spot. Again and again. Until she thought she'd die from sheer pleasure.

Has anyone ever died from an orgasm? she wondered.

The moment his fingers circled her clit, it was game over. She shouted his name, body arching, pussy clenching. A moment later, Donovan growled a curse through his release and shuddered hard. Then he dropped down beside her, panting as though he'd just run a marathon.

Kate turned on her side and their gazes locked. For a long moment, neither said a word. The magic of Rio had them wrapped in a bubble of awe and sensuality.

And neither wanted to think about what would happen when their weekend together was up and reality came crashing back.

◆◆◆

When it came to Kate, Donovan was insatiable. He spent all night between her legs, exploring her body and whispering dirty words in her ear as he made her come. Over and over. It felt like this was their only chance, their special weekend, and once it was over, the spell would break and everything would go back to normal.

Donovan would return to his life in New York and Kate would go back to hers in Tennessee. The thought depressed him and he pushed it out of his mind, focusing instead on Kate and their mind-blowing night together.

Inevitably, morning came, and after making leisurely love to her, he took her again in the shower against the cool tiles. He couldn't linger long afterwards or he'd risk being late for his meeting. In the past, he never would've stayed up all night before such a significant, possibly life-altering meeting. But Donovan didn't regret one moment spent with Kate. In fact, he was reluctant to leave her.

"You have to go or you'll be late," she chastised, trying to push him away as he nuzzled her neck, nibbling lightly.

As crazy as it sounded, Donovan was tempted to reschedule the meeting again and drag Kate back into bed. But, he couldn't. He was lucky Kent Warren had agreed to see him today and Donovan wasn't the kind of person to fuck around with someone else's precious time. Especially a billionaire like Warren who was gracious enough to see him.

"I'm going." He kissed her hard on the lips and pulled back.

"Good luck. I know you'll do amazing."

"Thanks. We can celebrate when I get back."

"Sounds like a plan. Knock ‘em dead."

Donovan gave her another quick kiss then forced himself to walk away, gritting his teeth and ignoring the heaviness in his pants. He walked over to where Kate's beach bag was still laying on the floor where she'd dropped it last night. Reaching in, he pawed around for his wallet, pulled it out and opened it up. His heart sank. The flash drive was gone.

"Fuck!"

"What's wrong?" Kate moved up beside him.

"Someone stole the flash drive."

Her mouth dropped. "What?"

"It must've happened at some point yesterday when we were out."

With a defeated sigh, Donovan dropped his head back. Everything he needed for his presentation was on that flash drive—his notes, presentation, specs, endless ideas that he'd spent the last year designing. And now some asshole had stolen it all and could be heading anywhere to pitch his brilliant idea to someone else. Anger poured through him.

"You don't need it," Kate said softly. "I know you know that presentation like the back of your hand. Now go and blow that billionaire's mind with your genius."

Donovan frowned. Was she right? Could he do this without it?

"Don't doubt yourself, Donovan. You've got this."

He knew Kate was right. He could do it, with or without his notes, because he'd been preparing for this moment for a long time. Even if someone had his flash drive, Donovan was Spectre's creator and no one understood his invention and its potential like he did.

Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you, Kate. For believing in me."

"Always," she murmured.

He ran a hand through her hair, tucked a loose strand behind her ear then walked out. Giving himself a pep talk as he took the elevator down to the lobby, he mentally began to go over his presentation. After exiting the hotel, he made his way down to the street and grabbed a ride to Warren's office.

The city was already alive and partying again. It's like no one even went to sleep. Rio exuded an energy that was both infectious and enchanting.

Damn, Donovan was really starting to love this city.

Kent Warren had an office in Rio de Janeiro's Centro, the normally bustling financial district, where towering skyscrapers blended with the region's stunning natural landscapes. With Carnival in full swing, though, no one was working. Offices and buildings were empty and, as Donovan stepped out of the cab, something made the back of his neck prickle. Pushing it aside, he attributed it to the stolen flash drive. Donovan hated feeling unprepared and, even more, that he'd been duped. Looking back, there had been plenty of opportunity for someone to swoop in and grab his wallet from the beach bag. While he and Kate had been swimming, dancing, eating or walking through the endless crowds, completely focused on each other, the thief could've palmed it. Hell, the bag hadn't even zipped. It was just a cheap plastic straw bag meant for beach accessories.

But, the truth was he'd memorized his presentation months ago, and he knew he had the full confidence and knowledge to deliver it. He was going to go in there and wow Kent Warren. Nothing short of a natural disaster could stop him right now, and that investment money was as good as in his bank account.

Donovan stepped into the building and the sheer emptiness was a little eerie. Especially after all the excitement and endless crowds he just left behind. Ignoring it, he walked over to the elevator and hit the twenty-fifth floor. The only thing he needed to be thinking about right now was securing that funding.

It only took a few moments to zoom upward. Donovan stepped off the elevator, walked through a pair of glass doors and was greeted by an assistant. The elegant woman left her desk only to return a moment later. "Please, follow me," she said in flawless English.

Time to dazzle, Donovan thought. The moment he stepped into the office and Warren swiveled around, Donovan knew something wasn't right.

"You made it," Warren murmured, not looking at all happy. Almost surprised. Or, maybe that was disappointment Donovan heard.

His lack of a greeting threw Donovan. "Of course. We, ah, rescheduled for today at ten."

"Right. Guess I'd forgotten," Warren said lamely. "I'm actually very busy today and don't have time to take this meeting."

Really? Because the office was empty. The place couldn't be any more dead. Despite being suspicious, Donovan's heart sank and, for a moment, he didn't know how to respond. Get it together, D. He's a busy guy. "How about tomorrow?"

Warren waved his hand through the air. "The truth is I don't think I'm interested anymore. After some research, I've realized drones are a dime a dozen."

"Not my drone," Donovan insisted, voice firm, hands curling into fists. He didn't come all this way to get tossed out of there before having a chance to convince Warren how special his drone actually was and how it would change the world. "All I'm asking for is five minutes of your time, Mr. Warren. I came all the way to Rio—"

"I'm sorry. That isn't possible. And, like I said, I've changed my mind."

A muscle flexed in Donovan's jaw and disappointment flooded through him. He'd spent so much time, research and effort perfecting his drone's specs and now this asshole couldn't even give him five minutes. His attention dropped to the large, heavy-looking statue of a masked figure on the desk representing Carnival. Yesterday with Kate, enjoying the city's celebrations, had been the best day of his life.

He wasn't ready to give up yet. Not on pitching his drone or making more time with Kate, he realized.

"What I've created is going to change the face of warfare. The U.S. government will pay a fortune for what we'd be able to offer them. But I need to create, test and tweak a prototype first. Surely a smart businessman like you can see how your investment would pay off."

Warren's dark eyes narrowed. "I'm not interested and I'm asking you to leave. Don't make me call security."

Confused, Donovan threw his hands up. "Yeah, sure. Whatever." As he turned toward the door, wondering what the hell just happened, he caught a glimpse of a flash drive sticking out of the side of Warren's computer.

His flash drive with the small blue skull and crossbones sticker on it. The same exact one that had been stolen.

Hooyah.