Untamed Fire Read Online Free Page B

obey. He had
learned that upon meeting her. It mattered not though, she would
learn her place, of that he was certain.
    He stepped closer to her. “Listen carefully
and learn. Women nurture and obey, men protect—that is the way of
God’s law.”
    Gaby opened her mouth prepared to continue
the debate, but Rafael’s hand shot up in front of her face and
pressed a finger against her lips. “I gave you no permission to
speak.”
    She glared at him with wide angry eyes. He
was testing his authority, and she had no choice but to obey. She
fought the words that threatened to run from her lips. His look
made it worse. It was one of superiority. His blue eyes shined with
it, as did his stance — his head held stiff and proud, his chin
jutting up, and his chest wide. It was just too much for her to
keep silent.
    “Men protect... only because women allow
them to.”
    Her whispery breath tickled Rafael’s finger
and her words fueled his temper. “You have much to learn, Gaby, and
the first lesson is that you will obey my orders... whatever they
are.”
    She opened her mouth, intending to tell him
she understood, since his expression was one of controlled rage.
But he wouldn’t allow her to speak. He pressed his finger firmly
against her lips, forcing silence.
    “I will not tolerate disobedience. You will
learn your place and learn to keep your ridiculous opinions to
yourself. Understood?”
    Gaby nodded her head in confirmation, her
eyes fixed on his.
    “Lupe, bring my mother to the study,” he
ordered, never taking his eyes off Gaby or removing his fingers
from her lips.
    “Si, Don Rafael,” Lupe said and hurried
away.
    Rafael remained unmoving.
    Gaby, not certain of what he expected from
her, remained the same.
    His finger moved slightly, gliding along her
soft lips. He noticed her bottom lip was plump and tender where the
top one lacked the ripeness of its partner. The difference
intrigued him and he gave thought to tasting the tempting plump
one.
    Gaby shivered from the way his finger played
along her lips; exploring, teasing and tempting. She didn’t move;
she couldn’t. The sensation was too exquisite to interrupt.
    Rafael watched her body stiffen, her eyes
glaze over. Her lips weren’t the only parts of her that were fresh
with ripeness. He smiled, took her chin and whispered. “You will
learn to obey me.”
    Gaby didn’t respond. She knew he didn’t
expect her to. His hand dropped away. “Follow me.”
    She placed her bundle and the flowers on a
nearby chair and trailed after him. She took several short, quick
steps next to his long powerful ones. He was well-built, his
muscles taut, his stomach firm and not an ounce of fat as indicated
by the superb fit of his garments. She could easily understand why
the women found him physically attractive. Other men paled in
comparison to Rafael Cabrillo, yet mentally he held the same
attitude as most men. Women were chattel to them, possessions they
could do with as they pleased.
    Someday she would find someone different;
someone who thought of her as a person and not a possession.
    “Gaby, do you often daydream and not pay
attention to what goes on around you?”
    Gaby stopped abruptly and realized that not
only had they entered the study but that she would have collided
with him if he hadn’t spoken. Her face lit with a devilish grin. “I
fear I often get lost in thought when I should be paying
attention.”
    Rafael was fascinated by the way her
personality could change from argumentative to joyful. She reminded
him of the chameleon who changed colors to suit his surroundings.
She appeared to change personalities to suit her opinions and
situations.
    He assumed what he was about to say would
annoy her, probably spark her anger. But why should it matter to
him? “It isn’t necessary for women to think or consider on things.
Men do it for them... with much more success.”
    Gaby’s grin remained devilish and her eyes
danced with merriment. “If you say so, senor