that they were proud of her for making something of her life.
It was why she couldn’t understand why they wanted her to give it up to marry Vidal.
What sort of a marriage would it be when he still treated her as Reina’s baby sister? He would never accept that she had grown up, or that she was a successful businesswoman in her own right. She couldn’t imagine anything worse than being married to him. He might have grown more handsome, staggeringly so. And he most definitely looked the part of one of the richest men in Spain. But as for anything else…
Chapter Two
‘I FEAR I’m wasting your time—as well as my own.’ Elena’s chin was high, her eyes fiercely defiant. Vidal had telephoned almost before she had got out of bed this morning and said that they needed to talk—so here they were in a tiny restaurant tucked away in the back streets of Seville having breakfast, and she had scared herself to death by feeling an unexpected and extremely scary response to him.
He wore a different cologne from last night, something light and musky and intensely sexy. And he looked as fresh as if he had had eight hours’ sleep. Yet she knew he couldn’t have had more than four. The dinner had gone on and on, with music to dance to if people wanted, although most had ignored it, preferring to catch up with each other instead.
Vidal had been one of the last to leave. As had she. There had been so many people she hadn’t seen for years who had kept her talking.
And he had kept his eyes on her.
She had given no hint that she was aware of it, ignoring him completely, even slipping away before he could stop her to say goodnight.
For some insane reason this morning, though, from the instant she’d set eyes on him a fire had ignited inside her, flaring swiftly, burning fiercely, filling her with irrational feelings that set off a mild panic.
She told herself that it was angry resentment she felt, not a response to a magnificent body, and that she ought never to have accepted his invitation. What was the point when she had no intention of agreeing to the plan?
Actually she had no idea what Vidal’s feelings were on the matter, so in one way it would be interesting to hear what he had to say. If he had an ounce of compassion in him surely he would go ahead with the so-called merger without marriage. They could then sort out the whole sorry affair and that would be an end to it.
‘What makes you think that you are wasting my time?’
His voice was a rough, low growl, and the intent look in his eyes made her feel as though he were trying to hypnotise her. He had gorgeous eyes, sometimes grey, sometimes silver, depending on the light—or the mood he was in—with savagely thick lashes that could hide his feelings in a second.
‘I cannot think of a nicer way to start the day,’ he continued. ‘As I said last night, Elena, you’ve grown up remarkably. You are now a confident, extremely beautiful, extremely elegant young lady.’
‘Whom you almost didn’t recognise,’ she countered coolly. ‘Whereas I had no trouble identifying you.’
‘I am flattered,’ he said, but although his voice sounded sincere she caught a flare of something else in his eyes. A look that said he was furious that she should have recognised him when he hadn’t realised who she was.
‘Don’t think it’s flattery,’ she retorted. ‘I would have had to be blind not to notice you watching me the entire evening. I’m curious, though, as to what was in your mind. Were you weighing me up, wondering whether I’d be a better proposition than my sister? Don’t worry,’ she added quickly when his dark brows rose questioningly. ‘My parents have told me what the position is. I imagine this is the reason I’m here now?’
Vidal held out his hands in open submission. ‘Guilty as accused.’
‘And do you really think I’ll say yes?’ He was out of his mind if he thought that. Entirely deranged. Not in a million years would she marry this man. She had no intention of getting married, not to anyone, not for a very long time. She’d gone out with guys in Los Angeles, but never seriously. She didn’t have time, for one thing, it had been hard work building up her agency and now that she had made it she had no intention of letting anything—or anyone—get in the way.
‘No, I don’t,’ he surprised her by saying. ‘I can think of no woman who would agree to such a thing.’
Relief flooded through her, filling her body with a warm feeling of liberation, and she took a sip of her coffee. Vidal understood! She had done him an injustice! She smiled, and was just about to tell him how happy she was that he felt the same when his next words had her gasping in horror.
‘Unless, of course, she thought that there was something in it for herself?’ His voice had gone an octave lower and he looked at her from beneath half-closed lashes.
Immediately Elena flashed her magnificent eyes. ‘How dare you suggest such a thing? I need nothing from you—or indeed any man. I’m quite capable of supporting myself, thank you very much.’ It hurt that he thought she was so mercenary and she would have liked nothing better than to slap his face hard.
‘But you are going to be a dutiful daughter and help out your parents?’
‘By marrying you?’ she countered fiercely, jabbing a piece of toast with her knife. ‘You’re out of your mind if that’s what you’re thinking.’
‘But you will!’ he insisted.
His arrogant confidence angered Elena even further. ‘I’m worried about my parents’ future, naturally, but there has to be another way out of the situation. If you were half a man you would let the business deal go through without all this nonsense of uniting the banks by marriage. I was appalled when my mother told me that Reina’s was an arranged marriage. I thought she loved you. I was happy for her. But I can honestly say that I don’t blame her for leaving you. The marriage would never have worked, not without love. And neither would marriage to me work. At least you knew Reina. You and I are strangers.’
She felt like getting up and storming out, or at the very least throwing something at him. How could he accuse her of being mercenary? The man was seriously insane. But at least she now knew how much he wanted their bank. If he was prepared to marry her, a woman he’d never liked, never had time for, then he had to be desperate.
‘We could have fun getting to know each other.’ The words were dropped quietly into the air between them. There was even a tiny smile curving the corners of his mouth.
‘Fun?’ Elena wanted to scream the word at him; it was hard keeping her voice level. ‘How can you say that? How can you describe marriage between two people who dislike each other’s guts fun?’
His smile widened. ‘Perhaps we’re each interpreting it differently?’
‘Precisely,’ she snapped. ‘Mine is that it would be hell.’ She deliberately put emphasis on the word and saw the sudden change in his eyes, quickly disguised. ‘If you want to know what I think, Señor Marquez, I believe that you’re prepared to do whatever it takes to get your hands on my parents’ bank. Even if it means marriage to someone you—you despise.’ Her breathing had deepened by the time she had finished and it was all she could do to sit still.
Vidal’s face really did harden now. His eyes
