a salad of roast peppers, then turbot fillets poached in wine, followed by slices of guinea fowl on a bed of tomatoes and onions, and ended with a pudding that had practically made her swoon!
And as for dressing down instead of up, as would seem usual—well, she was already wearing her best: a plain blue cotton shift. Now she did feel nervous—even more so when Cayo remarked, apparently idly, as he toyed with the stem of his wine glass, ‘As you might remember, Tio, at the end of this month I host the annual ball for my tenant farmers and estate workers, my business associates and their wives.’
‘Indeed.’ Miguel pushed his do-it-yourself repaired spectacles back up his nose. ‘Am I expected to—as Izzy would doubtless say—strut my stuff?’ He beamed at her and she gave back a hesitant smile, dreading the thought that she would be expected to put in an appearance at what would be a glittering event, and wondering if his High and Mighty Cayoness was busily chalking up another black mark against her for teaching his scholarly relative low-grade slang.
But, far from giving her that look of cold displeasure, he was actually smiling at her—just as he’d done before he’d left her room earlier. Maybe, she thought with a swoop of optimism, he had really thought about what she’d said and did believe her side of the story!
Her optimism increased by leaps and bounds when Cayo informed Miguel gently, ‘It would be nice if you showed your face in the afternoon, when the locals are being entertained—you are often in their thoughts, and seeing you in your home setting at long last would give them pleasure. But if the evening events are too much for you to endure you may retire with my blessing.’ His smile widened as his stunning eyes sought hers and held. ‘No, I was thinking more about Izzy when I mentioned the coming celebrations. With the ball coming up in a fortnight she’ll want to choose something glamorous to wear, and I need to be in Madrid tomorrow. I suggest she comes with me to find something suitable—that’s if you can spare your companion for a couple of days?’
‘Of course—an excellent suggestion! I shall be unpacking my papers and shall neither need nor want any help.’
So he was expecting Cinderella to go to the ball! Her heart headed for the soles of her feet, and with difficulty Izzy broke eye contact, biting down on her full lower lip. She could drown in those eyes, and was ashamed of the way he could make something pulse wickedly in the most secret part of her anatomy—especially when he was being nice to her, she thought in consternation as she felt her generous breasts tingle and push against the cotton barrier of her dress.
Aware that she was expected to say something, she wriggled uncomfortably in her chair and mumbled in agitation, ‘Nice thought. But I’ll pass. Thanks all the same.’
Refusing to be trapped by those dark Spanish eyes again, she gave her attention to Miguel as he asked, with his usual gentle humour, ‘And why is that, cara? Do you carry a choice of sumptuous ballgowns in your rucksack?’
Mortified, Izzy’s face blazed with embarrassed colour. ‘You know I don’t! I can’t afford glamorous gear. But as I’ll give the fancy ball a miss, there’s no problem.’
Cayo’s eyes swept her pink and mutinous face. Still playing games. Waiting for Miguel. He hadn’t missed that telltale endearment; it had made his hackles rise. Well, he would give her what she was obviously waiting for. And then some.
He drained the last of his wine and set the glass back on the table, drawling, ‘I don’t live in the Dark Ages, expecting a relative’s companion to be kept firmly out of sight on such an occasion! And as for your lack of funds—’ A lean, tanned hand swept dismissively. ‘Forget it. All that is necessary will be provided.’ He sent her a look of sparkling challenge. ‘It will be my pleasure.’
Izzy’s tummy looped the loop, her face flushing. By the sound of it he had thought it over and decided to believe her side of the story! The hot surge of relief left her feeling weak. Although, she admitted, she shouldn’t really care what he thought of her. They were nothing to each other. But at least it meant that he’d forgotten his hateful threat to make her regret the day she’d been born. He wouldn’t be offering to take her to Madrid with him and buy her something suitable to wear if that was still on his agenda, would he?
Even so … ‘I don’t accept charity, señor.’ Pride brought her chin up, leading to a collision course with those brilliant dark eyes. She compressed her soft, wide mouth as a throb of sexual awareness pulsed deep within her. She hated the physical effect he was having on her, but knew she could do nothing about it.
Her silly crush on Marcus had never left her feeling so helpless and out of control. Marcus had made her feel soft and gooey—motherly, even—worrying over whether he was feeding himself properly and wrapping up warmly when the north wind blew. She only had to look into Cayo’s magnificent eyes to turn into a molten wreck!
‘Charity doesn’t come into it,’ Miguel injected swiftly. ‘You have been kind beyond words to a foolish old man. I am in your debt. And as I am still your employer I insist that you accompany my nephew.’ He laid a gentle hand over hers in an affectionate gesture not unnoticed by Cayo’s darkly glittering eyes. ‘When you stepped in as my housekeeper I did you a grave disservice, as Cayo rightly pointed out. I was thoughtless and selfish. You will go to Madrid and allow Cayo to make amends on my behalf—to please me.’
Touched by that entreaty, Izzy felt her spine sag. She had grown very fond of the elderly man, and he was obviously beating himself up over his earlier absent-mindedness. The way she’d had to struggle to keep his household going on a pittance would have made a cat laugh. It had been a situation born not out of necessity or meanness, but out of his lack of interest in or knowledge of the world as it was today.
‘Okay,’ she agreed grudgingly. ‘If it pleases you.’ She flushed with discomfiture as Miguel gave her hand a final squeeze and laid aside his linen napkin.
‘Excellent! That’s settled, then!’
But Izzy felt far from settled. Nerves were tingling all over her body. The prospect of spending time in Cayo’s sole company made her feel dreadfully uneasy. And not because he harboured an ill will towards her, as had been the case until they’d had that talk earlier, but because for the first time in her life she was consumed by a deplorable lust for a man who was as far out of her league as the moon!
CHAPTER SIX
LUST could be conquered. Couldn’t it?
Of course it could, Izzy reassured herself wildly as Cayo entered the sumptuous suite she’d been given through an interconnecting door that led, presumably, to his rooms. It was an intimacy she wasn’t in the least ready for.
No need to get all hot and bothered, she assured herself shakily, trying her best not to look as agitated as she felt. He was now wearing a pale grey silk-sheened suit that screamed top designer and enhanced his wide shoulders, narrow waist, snaky hips and long, powerful legs with classy and understated elegance.
He took her breath away.
Tearing her eyes from him with difficulty, she stared down at her toes. When he’d piloted the helicopter from Las Palomas to a private airstrip on the outskirts of Madrid he’d been wearing cargo pants and a torso-hugging sweatshirt, and she’d thought that she’d never seen a man who exuded such raw sexuality. She had spent most of the flight listening to his occasional comments through the headphones and telling herself to start thinking like a sensible adult. Admiring such a fine specimen of manhood was perfectly natural. But wanting—literally aching—to get up close and personal was right out of order.
Now,
