by Maya Blake
‘No problem. Seriously. Now go before he tears me limb from limb,’ Steven muttered.
She went, her heart racing as she slid into the seat beside Alejandro. His exit from the ranch was aggressively fast and dusty. Hanging on, Elise fought the urge to roll her eyes. And failed.
‘If I lived in an alternate universe, I’d say you were jealous.’
The SUV swerved to the side of the deserted road and screeched to a stop. Tension mounted until she was sure she could reach out and touch it. For the longest time, he stared at her and just breathed; heavy, chest-filling breaths that vibrated right through her.
‘For the sake of my ability to function, Elise, tell me you haven’t spent the last six months in his bed?’
Her mouth dropped open. Her body flushed with heat. Then cold. ‘I... Why on earth should that matter to you?’
A harsh laugh wrenched through the vehicle. ‘Because contrary to the laws of common sense and everything that should dictate otherwise, you continue to rage like a damn fever in my blood.’ The delivery was intense. A lethal blade cutting through everything he’d said in the last hour. Striking the heart of his presence here. ‘I want you. I crave you. Despite everything.’
Her low gasp dissolved before it’d even fully emerged. ‘Despite everything? You hate yourself for feeling the way you do about me, don’t you?’
Another ragged exhalation. ‘A lot of things have ceased to make sense to me. Including this.’
While she was trying to compute that, he lunged for her, buried his fingers in her loose hair and gripped her tight. ‘Por el amor de Dios, tell me!’
‘Why should I?’ she hissed, anger and hurt scything through her despite the intoxicating proximity of him. When his breath feathered hot and decadent over her mouth, she almost lost her ability to think. ‘There’s nothing between you and I, Alejandro.’
His nostrils flared with towering rage, before he let out a harsh laugh. ‘You made sure of that by falling into another man’s arms!’ he charged with a quiet fury that was no less volcanic for its rumble.
She pulled away, at once afraid of the depth of her feelings and the temptation of him. ‘I was—’
‘Dios mio, you were kissing another man, when I couldn’t have made it clearer that I wanted you to be mine!’ One hand spiked through his hair before it balled into a fist.
‘Yes, you wanted! Did you ever stop to think about what I wanted?’
His features tautened. ‘What are you talking about? Nothing excuses what I saw.’
‘In that case why are we having this conversation?’
He seethed for tense seconds.
‘Because I can’t get you out of my head.’
The words were stark. Rough. Jagged.
Her heart lurched as they stared at each other across the console. ‘Tell me you’ve gotten me out of yours.’
She shook her head, the words clogging her throat.
‘I want to hear the words, Elise,’ he stressed.
Her mouth parted, ready to issue lies. But they locked, strangled, morphed into other words. Words that she knew before she uttered them would doom her. She’d wished for the door she’d slammed shut to open one more time. She was getting her chance. ‘I haven’t been able to get you out of mine,’ she murmured.
Alejandro’s eyes glinted with a mixture of satisfaction and disillusionment, as if he’d found a prize that had turned out to be only semi-precious.
He threw the car into gear and accelerated down the dirt road.
She cleared her throat. ‘Alejandro, I need to explain what happened with Jason—’
‘No,’ he cut in coldly. ‘I don’t wish to hear it. You’ve told me the only thing that matters. It may be six months longer than I anticipated, but I’ll have you in my bed, Elise. You’ll come to me. You will enjoy it. And when we’re done, we’ll walk away from each other. But I never want to hear you utter his name again. Is that clear?’
CHAPTER TWELVE
SHE WAS IN deep trouble. Elise had thought she’d sorted through her feelings in the six months Alejandro had been out of her life, but she found out very quickly that being around him was tantamount to living in emotional chaos. And a determined Alejandro only made things worse.
The first exhibition of the juggernaut that was Alejandro’s sheer willpower came her way even before she’d stepped on his plane. The second she responded ‘no’ to having a place to stay, he nodded.
‘We don’t have time to find you an apartment. You’ll stay with me.’
He’d taken the same dominating path to his discovery that her one suitcase only contained clothes fit for ranch work and work boots. Clothes had arrived in her suite in his multimillion-dollar penthouse displaying designer labels that made her gasp. Her hasty, ‘I can’t accept these!’ had been met with an inflexible, ‘You can and you will. If it eases your sensibilities, donate them to charity when you’re done with them.’
Of course, the reminder that their time together was finite had robbed her of breath and an adequate response. She’d fallen back into the routine of being his eyes and ears. Only this time, Alejandro demanded her stronger participation with client liaisons; had taken to touching her hand or arm to gain her attention when her focus strayed for even a second; his trips into her small office were more frequent, and his gaze lingered long and hungrily on her body when they were alone. Most evenings they dined out, although conversation during their meals was stilted, with Alejandro barely eating more than a few mouthfuls while she wasn’t allowed to leave a meal unfinished.
But there’d been no kisses, no attempt to take her to bed.
And more than once, she’d encountered his harsh, disillusioned stare that dragged icicles across her heart.
As she slipped her feet into four-inch heels and smoothed her hands down her black pinstriped dress in readiness to join Alejandro for breakfast before they headed in to work, her heart squeezed painfully, even as she admitted the wait was driving her slowly insane.
It had disturbed more than a few nights’ sleep, which had in turn fuelled a frenzy of sketches. It hadn’t surprised her when she’d noted that all the stories charted a tale of heartache and loss.
Pushing the state of her turbulent emotions aside, she caught up the matching jacket and her handbag and left her bedroom.
The scent of freshly ground coffee drew her to the dining room, and she smiled as she passed Alejandro’s butler, Sergio.
‘Buenos días, querida,’ Alejandro drawled, his hard gaze skimming over her before returning to the paper in his hand.
Breathing through her escalated heartbeat, she returned the greeting, sat down and helped herself to a cream-cheese-spread bagel and coffee.
‘Anything of interest in the paper?’ she asked.
‘Surprisingly, not even a whisper,’ he replied, a hard smile doing nothing to soften his sculptured features.
Speculation had been rife for the past week, with financial pundits going wild with what the rumours of the SNV/Ishikawa/Toredo deal would mean if it went ahead.
Alejandro’s in-house PR department, with her supervisory input, had kept a tight leash on all press releases. But by day’s end, the Aguilar brothers would make history.
Because today, two weeks after dragging her back to Chicago, Alejandro and Gael would finalise the merger.
Her blood thrummed in anticipation of what tonight would bring, her excitement unable to be suppressed despite the quiet pride and awe she felt in being part of this financial-landscape-changing merger.
‘Are you ready for the ride?’ he asked.
Despite the casual nature of the question, there was an edge to his voice, one that made her hackles rise.
She knew what he was asking.
She’d sensed that Alejandro was waiting for the merger to be signed before making his move. Whereas she’d been ready to take the insane leap back on that dirt road in Montana.
She raised her head and locked eyes with his narrowed ones. ‘Yes.’<
br />
He nodded once, stood and held out his hand. She slipped her hand into his and he pulled her up. His gaze dropped to her lips.
Unbearable need propelled her tongue into a quick swipe of her lower lip.
Alejandro made a rough sound in his throat, his eyes losing focus for a second. Then he stepped back, and straightened his faultless tie.
The ride to The Loop was fast, his Bugatti eating up the miles. Elise walked at his side as they entered his building, the tension between them growing thicker with each second.
At SNV the mood was one of muted excitement.
Gael’s presence took a little bit of Alejandro’s focus off her, but all through the excitement-tinged day she sensed his gaze tracking her, the ominous intensity leaving her in no doubt that, one way or the other, the subject of their own personal merger was about to be broached.
Kenzo Ishikawa arrived with his grandsons at two. By three o’clock the documents were signed. Alejandro gathered his employees in the largest conference room and broke the news to thunderous applause, then stood beside Gael as he did the same via video link with his employees in California.
After champagne toasts were given, the entourage headed to the ground floor where the press had gathered.
Elise spotted her parents the moment she stepped out of the lift. They were holding court with the rest of SNV’s PR team in preparation to head into the conference.
They’d tried to inveigle their way, via her, into getting more commissions from SNV. When Elise had made it painfully clear she was only back to finish the work she’d started, they’d requested inclusion into the press conferences scheduled for when the merger was formally announced.
Her mother sent a dismissive glance that made her stiffen with hurt.
Alejandro glanced sharply at her. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing I want to ruin your day with.’
His eyes narrowed. Then he scoured the room until he spotted her parents. ‘If I’d known they would cause you this much distress, I would’ve had their invitation revoked.’
She shook her head. ‘No. I’m serious. Don’t concern yourself about this.’
‘You need to remind yourself that falling in with them would’ve been so much easier than resisting. You chose a different path. A better path.’ His hand lightly holding her wrist tightened, imbuing her with warmth. ‘Give yourself credit for that at least.’
The unexpected accolade hit her square in the chest. Her breath shook as her eyes met his. ‘Okay... I...umm, thanks.’
He gave a curt nod.
Gael approached, his own tension adding to the almost capricious excitement. ‘We ready to do this?’ he rasped.
Alejandro’s glance lingered on her, his expression taut. ‘Sí. I’m ready.’
* * *
Four hours later, Elise stood in front of her mirror. This time her attire was far removed from office chic. The dinner party Alejandro had decided to host to celebrate the merger would start in fifteen minutes.
She’d opted for a 1920s-style cocktail dress in a deep green with a sequin-fringed hem and capped sleeves. The heavy chiffon skimmed her curves and ended a few inches above her knee. But while she loved the style, she was ashamed to admit that she’d chosen the colour because it matched Alejandro’s eyes.
She drew a brush through her hair, her movements slowing as she recalled his words to her this afternoon. Her heart performed a worryingly familiar somersault, even though her more feet-on-the-ground mind told her she risked a whole lot more than a dizzy spell if she read more into Alejandro’s words than the blatantly carnal.
But she couldn’t deny his words had provided a much-needed balm. She’d been able to withstand her parents’ preening and brazen spotlight seeking without feeling the urge to retreat into her own world. And her mother’s narrow-eyed assessment of her dress and smug conclusion that Elise was finally taking her advice and getting what she could from her relationship with Alejandro had bounced off her for the first time in her life.
A knock on her door drew her from her musings. Alejandro stood tall and proud in her doorway, his customary black shirt and charcoal suit swapped for a black dinner jacket and snowy white shirt.
Dizzyingly overwhelmed by his presence, she stepped back. ‘I’m just about—’
‘Dios mio, you look breathtaking.’
Her blush should’ve embarrassed her. She should’ve wrung her hands and sought self-deprecating words. But something earthy and powerful in his eyes made her chin rise, her spine straightening as she drank in his compliment, for the first time, accepting and acknowledging her femininity without bitterness or shame.
‘Muchas gracias.’ She murmured the words she’d heard him use.
His eyes darkened and her pleasure escalated.
They stood like that, staring. Appreciating. Acknowledging their impending merger. And even when the trace of cynicism crossed his eyes, her excitement didn’t dim.
He reached into his jacket pocket. ‘I have something for you.’
‘I... What?’
‘A gift to remind you of a momentous day.’ He held out the box.
‘There’s no risk that I’ll forget it any time soon. You don’t need to give me a gift.’
‘I’m doing it all the same.’
‘Alejandro—’
‘We’re arguing again,’ he murmured, his jaw slightly clenched.
‘You like our arguments.’ She attempted to lighten the mood, unable to drag her eyes from the olive-skinned beauty of him, or her senses from the intoxicating scent of him.
‘I do. They drive me half insane, but the victory is always worth it.’
Her eyes widened. ‘The victory?’
‘Sí, you always inevitably capitulate, but not before you make me jump through hoops.’
‘I don’t...’ She stopped, her mind drifting back to realise that it was true. Somehow Alejandro got his way in the end.
‘Take the gift, querida. My arm is about to fall off from the strain.’
She took it, partly out of curiosity and partly because she was still replaying his words. Reason took flight as she opened the box and saw the glittering gems.
‘Alejandro! I can’t take this. It’s not... What would your team think?’ she blurted.
‘They’ll think themselves incredibly lucky to be working for me since they all received bonuses of their own.’
‘Oh...’ The diamond bracelet was exquisite, the design simple but flawless.
He took the bracelet from its velvet bed and secured it around her wrist. Then taking her hand, he kissed the back of it. Elise didn’t miss the hard triumphant light in his eyes as he placed her hand in the crook of his arm.
Mild dread shivered down her spine, but she pushed it away, attempting to lighten the tension once again. ‘No need to look so smug.’
His mouth twitched in a tight smile. ‘There’s every need, mi corazón. I have you exactly where I want you.’
* * *
Alejandro kept ahold of her all through the party. And even though they drew more than a few speculative glances, Elise didn’t care. Her decision was made and cemented in her heart. Besides, although it hadn’t happened yet, Alejandro’s constant attention in the form of little touches had already sparked enough rumours to snowball its own story.
She went with the flow, chatted to acquaintances and executives from all three companies, with the exception of Jason Ishikawa, whose name had been blatantly excluded from the guest list.
She was walking away from Jason’s brother, Nathan, when a hand slid around her waist. ‘You were right about one thing,’ Alejandro drawled in her ear.
Her smile wasn’t as full as she hoped. ‘Just the one?’ she teased.
She expected a quick comeback, and her steps faltered when he didn’t answer immediately. Stopping in the hollowed-out space between reception rooms, she faced him, her heart thudding sickeningly.
‘Alejandro...I think we need to talk. Clear the air?’
<
br /> His mouth tightened. The look on his face was harsh. And yet vulnerable. Elise was stabbed with the visceral urge to comfort him, but she remained still.
‘I’m not sure what talking will achieve, querida. And sí, you were right. I’m jealous of every man who looks at you. Of every man you smile at,’ he breathed.
Her soft gasp landed between them. ‘It’s... I...’
‘It’s irrational. And deplorable, considering I know how detrimental such feelings can be.’ His gaze flicked to hers as if he was gauging her reaction.
Elise gave in to her need and cupped his cheek. ‘It’s only deplorable if you deliberately use it to hurt or manipulate. As for the rationality of it...’ She shrugged. ‘Nathan Ishikawa’s date was almost introduced to my irrational side when she flashed her cleavage at you for the third time at dinner. But I guess we all have our crosses to bear, don’t we?’
One corner of his mouth lifted. The harshness dissipated. He laid his hand over hers and pressed her back until her shoulders touched the wall. His gaze scoured her face with an intensity that bordered on fanatic, before locking on her mouth. ‘Smile for me, Elise mio. Just for me,’ he ordered thickly.
Her breath shook out, and her mouth wobbled with her first attempt. But her smile shone through and stayed when she heard his strangled groan.
‘You look nothing like her,’ he mused roughly.
Elise tensed. ‘Like who?’
‘A painting that briefly hung in my father’s study. The first time I saw you, you reminded me of that painting. But I see now it’s only a passing resemblance. Your smile, your face, is so much more exceptional.’
Some of the tension seeped out of her. ‘Was that why you reacted to me the way you did?’
He inclined his head. ‘Yes. I was captivated. I still am.’
She blushed. To cover her embarrassment, she blurted, ‘Tell me more about the painting.’
His face shadowed. ‘Regrettably, as with all things my father paid attention to, it caused too much friction for it to last. But there is one detail I recall though.’
‘Yes?’
Dark hunger scorched her. ‘She was nude.’
Her gasp was swallowed, her hand caught in his and curled against his chest as he kissed her, deep and long and masterfully. Elise moaned, strained closer until his hard body was imprinted against hers. The sound of clinking glasses and drifting voices finally made them part.
