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Dear heaven. What was he doing here?
For a startling moment she was flung back to a time when her life had been everything she could want it to be.
Until it had all fallen apart in those wretched few months following her miscarriage, when the pain of grief had wrought such havoc.
He’d phoned, and when she had refused to take his calls he’d arrived on her doorstep, demanding she return with him to Madrid.
Except she’d stood her ground, wanting time and space alone…and he’d left, assuring her the next move had to be hers.
‘Nothing to say, Gia
The slightly accented drawl curled round her nerve-ends and brought her crashing back to reality as she took in his etched features.
Eyes as dark as sin, with tiny lines fa
She lingered a little too long on his mouth…The sensual curve revived a host of memories she fought hard to control. Vivid, primitive…so much so she could almost feel the touch of his lips, the wicked sweep of his tongue.
Oh, God. The silent despairing groan remained locked in her throat. Don’t go there.
It took all her effort to tilt her head a little and summon a wry smile.
‘What would you have me offer? Hello, how are you? seems…’ She paused deliberately.
‘Inadequate?’
‘Incredibly banal,’ Gia
‘Now, there’s an interesting word.’
She glimpsed a muscle bunch above the edge of his jaw and felt a moment of satisfaction as she enjoyed the small visible sign of his tension.
Even though she wore high heels Raúl still towered above her, and she tilted her head in order to align her eyes with his.
‘What brings you here?’
‘Australia? The Gold Coast in particular?’ he drawled, and she swept an arm to encompass the boutique.
‘Here.’
One eyebrow lifted in cynical query. ‘To see you.’
‘A phone call would have taken care of whatever you have to say.’
‘If you chose to take my call.’
Would she have? She still had his name on her caller register. So she could pick up or ignore if he rang. He hadn’t, but she’d felt the need to have the option.
‘I can’t imagine anything being sufficiently important to warrant your personal appearance.’
He looked at her carefully, examining her slender form…more slender than he remembered. Pale features beneath the skilled touch of light make-up, the almost undetectable shadows beneath her brilliant blue eyes. The deep-beating pulse at the base of her throat.
Not so calm beneath her projected persona, Raúl detected with a degree of satisfaction.
‘No?’
She couldn’t quite restrain the faint edge to her voice. ‘There’s nothing you could say that I want to hear.’
At that moment the door buzzer sounded, and it took her a few seconds to ignore the silent as if I need this now? before she turned towards the entrance.
‘Excuse me? Are you still open?’
Raúl inclined his head towards Gia
‘Is there anything I can help you with?’
‘The large red bowl in the window display. As soon as I saw it I knew it would be perfect.’
‘Exquisite, isn’t it?’ Gia
‘I’ll take it.’
Gia
‘If it’s no trouble.’
‘It’ll be a pleasure.’ It took only minutes to extract the appropriate box and carefully package the bowl, select wrapping paper, ribbon and effect an elegant bow.
With deft movements the task was completed, credit card swiped, a signature attached to the slip, and a very satisfied customer expressed gratitude as Gia
‘Do whatever needs to be done, then we’ll leave.’
‘We?’ Gia
‘I think you will.’ His voice held a dangerous silkiness, and her eyes sharpened into deep blue shards.
The thought of sharing time with him and pretending to make polite conversation was the last thing she wanted to do.
‘Give me one reason why I should.’
He didn’t prevaricate or lead into it gently…just a single word, aware that it would get her attention as no other would. ‘Teresa.’
Gia
A very special woman, who’d kept wise counsel when Gia
Letters to which Gia
Her stomach clenched in pain at the thought Teresa might be ill, injured or…heaven forbid…worse.
‘No.’
‘No what?’ Gia
Apparently not.
For a long moment she simply looked at him, silently daring him to shift his gaze. Except he didn’t, and she became conscious of the pulse at the base of her throat kicking into a quickened thud.
Every cell in her body seemed to blaze into life, and she hated that he knew.
‘Tell me, dammit.’
His eyes darkened measurably. ‘A few weeks ago Teresa was diagnosed with inoperable cancer.’
For a few seemingly long seconds she was lost for words. ‘Teresa made no mention of illness in any of her letters,’ she managed at last—for affection, trust and mutual respect had developed into a genuinely warm friendship between both women. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Yes, I believe you are.’ His eyes held her own, and she almost swayed at the intensity of his gaze. ‘Enough,’ he continued quietly, ‘to fulfil one of her dearest wishes?’
She schooled her voice to remain calm in spite of the premonition that she wasn’t going to like what he intended to say. ‘If it’s possible,’ she managed with instinctive caution.
‘Teresa has requested the pleasure of your company.’
Gia
‘In Madrid?’ An u
‘Initially.’
Chapter Two
MADRID.
The city where Raúl resided and ruled his late father’s multibillion-dollar consortium.
A silent scream rose and died in her throat at the mere thought of seeing him, pretending politeness whenever he visited to spend time with Teresa.
As he would…often.
She couldn’t do it.
Amend that…She didn’t want to be anywhere near Raúl. She especially didn’t want to be placed in a position over which she had little control.
‘You can’t be serious?
His eyes held hers, compellingly intent. ‘Very serious.’
A host of conflicting thoughts swirled through her brain.