who has the debt to settle, Lydia. You are not in a position to make demands or question my decisions and we will act as if we are in a relationship, as if we both accept the terms of the contract your father signed with mine.’
Before she could hurl any retort at him, he got out of the car and seconds later her door was opened by his driver, making exactly what she wanted to say difficult, if not impossible. She had made the original bargain, striking a deal that would help her, and he had turned it around to suit his needs.
He spoke in a flourish of Spanish to the driver; the sexy undertones of his voice in a language she loved knocked her thoughts off balance. But that little nugget of information was one she’d keep to herself—for now. As the satisfaction of that thought settled over her, he turned to her and spoke softly in English, putting his hand gently in the small of her back. ‘This way, querida.’
The sensation of his hand, barely touching her, stifled any kind of reaction and like a meek lamb she did his bidding, glancing up quickly at the old but ornate building they were entering. The sound of the almost constant flow of traffic was snuffed out as the doors closed behind them.
‘I’m still not sure it is right that I stay with you. I could easily find a hotel near here and still be able to do the research.’ She tried one last time to avert the course of action he seemed set on.
‘You could, but you won’t.’ His hand moved away from her as he pressed the call button for the elevator, the firmness in his voice echoing around the large marble lobby. The elevator doors opened and he stepped inside, his handsome face set in stern lines as he looked at her. ‘We do have a deal, Miss Carter-Wilson, do we not?’
Damn him, he knew she was going to say yes—had to say yes. The amusement lurking behind the darkness of his eyes showed her that. She had no other way out of the mess her father had made.
‘Very well.’ She joined him in the elevator, alarmed at how small it became as the doors closed and they ascended. ‘But it is a deal for business, nothing else.’
‘Do you think I might seduce you?’ The amusement in his eyes increased and that sexy devil-may-care hint of a smile lingered at the edges of his mouth.
‘Isn’t that what you are renowned for, Mr Valdez?’ The flirty edge to her voice was unintended and inwardly she cringed. What was it about this man that made her say and do things she never normally would? ‘The waitress yesterday is testimony to that.’
He looked at her, a slight frown furrowing his brow, and she lifted her chin and glared at him. The elevator doors opened but he didn’t move and she couldn’t, pinned to the spot by his piercing, dark eyes.
‘Is that a hint of jealousy?’
She gasped in outrage. How dared he think she was jealous, that she craved his attention? ‘Absolutely not.’
Without a backward glance she flounced out of the elevator as his deep, sexy laughter chased after her. Moments later she was in a vast apartment. His apartment. His life.
* * *
Raul watched Lydia waltz into his apartment, enjoying the sway of her hips, outlined perfectly in a black skirt that hugged her body more than he suspected she’d want it to. The long black boots only emphasised her sexiness and the openness of his apartment seemed suddenly to close in on him. He’d watched many women wander around his apartment but never had he experienced the pull at emotions he kept locked away. He never let a woman close, never let her see just who he really was.
Yet somehow, Lydia had unlocked that door. He’d already told her far more about himself than he had anyone else. Was it because she was the first woman to be here for a reason other than merely sleeping in his bed? The idea of her in his bed sparked a shot of lust through him, making him want to forget the real reason she was here.
‘I trust it meets with your approval,’ he teased her and was rewarded with that glare of fiery passion as she turned to look at him. Would she be as inviting if his lips claimed hers in a kiss? Would she respond and match the fire of desire beginning to burn within him? He was being drawn to her by an attraction so strong even he doubted he had the power to resist its allure. But he had to—for now at least.
‘Tell me, Mr Valdez, why exactly do you require my father’s debt settled in such an extraordinary way when it is obvious that you have more wealth here alone than in a couple of holiday villas my father used as security?’
Was she trying to annoy him?
He moved quickly across the marble floor, his shoes tapping out an insistent rhythm as the implications of her words hit home, turning the unwanted desire into much-needed anger. ‘A couple of holiday villas? Is that what you think this is about? Do you really think I am mercenary enough to call in a debt for that?’
Raul began to seriously doubt she had really grasped just how much debt her father had got himself into. It might have been to purchase holiday villas, but it was far more than a couple. He would take her straight to his office to see for herself just what her father had done and sign the contract agreed between them. The sooner he’d tied her into a contract, the better.
‘That is exactly what I think. You’ve turned everything around and now are practically blackmailing me. I either find your brother or marry you.’
‘And which would you prefer to do, querida?’
‘Don’t call me that.’ The spark of fury was palpable as she stood her ground and he recalled her atrocious attempt at Spanish the night they’d first met. Then, just as now, her green eyes blazed like priceless emeralds, calling to the lustful desire within him, and he was just as adamant as ever that he would ignore it.
‘We will go to my office right now and you can see for yourself exactly what your father owes, Miss Carter-Wilson.’ Irritation surged through him. How dared she accuse him of underhanded dealings? He would hang on to that irritation. Use it to wipe out the idea of things he really didn’t need to feel right now. Hell, why did he have to find this woman so sexy?
‘That sounds the most sensible option,’ she tossed haughtily at him, her eyes sparking defiance and her lips pressed together in a firm angry line, just begging to be kissed into submission. ‘And on the way back I will check into a hotel.’
He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. ‘You don’t give up, do you?’
‘No, so I suggest you show me exactly what my father owes your company and I’m sure it will prove that a few days of tracing your brother will more than cover it—and release us both from the bizarre marriage deal your father must have tricked mine into agreeing to.’
‘In that case, querida...’ he took pleasure in using the endearment again, relishing the fury that shone in her eyes as much as the opportunity to remain in control of this ridiculous situation ‘...we shall leave immediately and sort this out.’
Her boot heels tapped on the marble floor as she walked towards him, that superior you don’t worry me look on her face again. ‘That is the most sensible thing you have said since we met in London.’
‘It is a short walk to my office.’ He glanced down at the sexy high-heeled boots, trying to ignore the idea of her shapely ankles encased in them and keep his thoughts firmly on the task at hand.
‘A short walk will be perfect,’ she said as a hint of challenge rose in those expressive green eyes.
Determined
