Modern Romance Collection: November 2017 Books 5 - 8. Annie West
spoke again, her excitement clear. ‘I’m looking forward to your wedding, to seeing two people so right for each other joined in marriage.’
Two people so right for each other? Was that really how they looked? How could that be when there were so many secrets between them? So much anger?
* * *
Raul was furious. Lydia spoke Spanish—fluently? She’d been living with him for over two weeks and had not uttered a word in his language. What else was she hiding? Her ability to act a part was as good as her ability to conceal the truth.
For the last hour Raul had enjoyed having Lydia close at his side as she portrayed a woman happily engaged to him, leaving nobody in any doubt that, whilst their marriage was one that began in the boardroom of Banco de Torrez, it would definitely be continued in the bedroom.
It went against everything he believed in to admit it, but it had also stirred something within him, something deeper than merely lust or desire for a beautiful woman. It was as if they were drawn together by a connection as yet undiscovered—or was he being irrational, wanting things his childhood had shown to be impossible?
He watched her laugh with other guests, standing back to admire the sexy dress that clung like a sparkling waterfall to her body, making him want to stand beneath the cool water until he drowned. She looked amazing and there wasn’t a man in the room who hadn’t drunk in her beauty tonight. Her back was slightly turned to him and the daring backless dress gave him a view of soft creamy skin that he wanted to kiss and taste. Hell, he wanted a lot more than just to kiss her.
‘When were you going to tell me you spoke Spanish?’ he demanded as she turned to him, his annoyance at what she did to him increasing.
‘You didn’t ask,’ she replied, reverting to English with a smile.
‘Come.’ The word snapped from him as he avoided being drawn in by her and dragged his thoughts back on track and away from what he would do to her if they were alone. From the way her eyes widened in surprise he had startled her with the ferocity of that one word. ‘We will dance, show the cream of Madrid’s society that we are uniting in marriage for more than financial gain.’
‘Lie to them, you mean.’ Her words were soft, her delicate accent sweet and her smile seductive, but the spark of anger in her eyes belied all she was trying to portray.
‘I want to show them that we are attracted to one another. I do not think that is a lie, querida.’ He couldn’t resist taunting her with that word.
As Raul put his arms around Lydia, pulling her close against his body, a jolt of sizzling awareness sparked through him. Just what was it about this woman that made him react so acutely to her?
Her perfume invaded his senses, the sweet floral fragrance a stark contrast to the untouchable image she created in her clinging silk gown.
‘What was it you wanted to tell me earlier? What other secrets have you kept from me?’ He recalled her insistence at telling him something and now he was so pleased he’d waited. Whatever it was it would give him something to think of instead of focusing on the way the curves of her body moved against his as they danced. It was exquisite and torturous at the same time. Every move she made increased his awareness of her. Soon he wouldn’t be able to ignore it, wouldn’t be able to use conversation to hide what he truly wanted—Lydia.
‘I don’t think now is the time—or place.’ Her eyes, so very green, met his, but he could clearly see her anxiety within them. What was she keeping from him? A trickle of icy unease slipped down his spine.
‘I disagree, querida.’
She moved against him, chasing away that unease, and if his voice held a note of wavering control, it was much more to do with the woman in his arms than the words she spoke.
She tensed, her gaze firmly fixed on his, the spark of defiance stirring within those green depths. ‘Not here, not like this.’
‘Like what? Like lovers?’ He knew without a doubt that she was fighting the same attraction that was hurtling through him, roughly snuffing out the unease that had dared to surface. Right at this moment, as they stood there among the party guests, the outcome of the evening was almost inevitable, but he couldn’t let desire cloud his mind, distract him from what he must do.
‘I need to talk to you.’
‘Only talk?’ he teased, enjoying the blush that swept over her face and the way she continued to dance, as if to mask the growing and very insistent attraction. ‘Are you sure about that?’
She frowned, with confusion or annoyance, he wasn’t sure. ‘I need to talk to you about your brother.’
His brother? Now she had his attention. ‘Then talk.’
‘As you wish.’ She’d adopted that sexy, haughty voice that seemed to beg him to take her in his arms and kiss her, but her chosen topic halted such thoughts—for now.
‘Tell me.’
‘When we saw your mother, she gave me an envelope as we left.’
Finally, she was going to tell him what that exchange with his mother had been all about. He’d known something had been said, known she was keeping something from him, but he’d blanked it all out, unwilling to deal with the truth, not because he wanted to go ahead with the marriage, but because he wasn’t ready to look the past in the eye. Now he couldn’t put it off any longer.
‘And?’
‘And it contained the information I needed to find your brother. Reports from a private investigator she’d hired.’
‘She knew all along?’ Raul couldn’t hold back the shock from his voice.
‘Yes, which means your worry of hurting her is unfounded. She was trying to protect you.’
‘And have you found him?’
This was what he’d hoped for ever since he’d embarked on the bizarre deal with the delectable Miss Carter-Wilson. It also meant that contract would very soon be ended—as would the need to keep her close. But the past was bearing down on him.
Lydia looked at him and he sensed she was holding something back. Eventually she spoke. ‘I have, yes.’
‘And he is here in Madrid?’
‘I believe he is living in London at the moment.’
‘Then we shall go to London.’
‘No. You will go to London. There is no need for me to be part of this any more.’ She looked at him, her green eyes wide and round with shock.
‘Sí, querida. Our deal will not be complete until I have met my brother.’
The spark of fury burned in her eyes and those so very kissable lips became a firm angry line.
‘That’s not very fair. To change the terms of our agreement like that, Raul.’
‘Our agreement is to find my brother or get married. Only seeing through one of those options will unlock the funds to clear your father’s debt. This is, after all, what it’s all about. Your father’s debt.’
‘You really are quite mercenary, aren’t you?’
‘Are you only just realising this?’ He couldn’t keep the amusement from his voice. Her directness was refreshing. Nobody had ever dared to tell him that.
‘Unfortunately, yes, and that’s a mistake I will now pay for.’
‘We will fly to London together and once I have met my brother your part of the deal will be honoured and your father’s debts will be cleared.’
‘And if your brother has no wish to meet you, to be part of the family business?’
Right now this all seemed too real and Raul couldn’t think past the fact that Max had been found.
‘Then