The Secret Spanish Love-Child Read Free

wondered whether a man of his importance was incapable of working a coffee machine. ‘I…I really can’t stay…’
    Gabriel frowned. ‘Maybe you didn’t quite understand me when I told you that I don’t tolerate clock-watching in my employees.’
    ‘I know. And I’m more than happy to work overtime, but I need a day’s notice. As it is, I’m already really late for…’
    Gabriel raised one imperious hand. ‘Not interested. Whatever date you’ve got lined up will have to wait. There are a few things we need to discuss.’ He thought that he had swept all traces of her from his mind but he must have been mistaken because there was a familiarity about her that was strangely disconcerting and he was aware that the faintest colour scored his slashing cheekbones. Déjà vu slammed into him with pulsating intensity and suddenly he could remember everything about her, right down to the smallest details, the tiny freckles across her shoulder blades, the way she always smelt of the pine soap she liked to use, the sounds she used to make when he ran his hands all over her body.
    The memories stole into his head like destructive gremlins and he banished them without conscience.
    ‘What things?’
    ‘You said that I reminded you of someone you used to know. Tell me.’
    ‘Wh…what?’
    ‘And stop clinging to that door knob as though you’re on the verge of collapse! I told you to sit down!’
    Alex could barely hear herself think. The blood was rushing through her and, even though she could see a precipice yawning open at her feet, she was still desperately happy to kid herself that everything was fine. She was having an inconvenient conversation but that was the extent of it.
    ‘I…I really have to go, Mr Cruz. I have…obligations. I know you hate clock-watchers but…’
    ‘I told you. Cancel your date. It’ll be a lot easier than you think.’
    Alex tried not to look resentful in the face of his implacable smile. In fact, she was trying hard not to look at him at all.
    ‘Okay.’ She angled her body away from him and spoke in a low, hurried voice, explaining the situation and lacing her request with a thousand apologies. Then, feeling a bit calmer, she turned to face him.
    ‘So.’ Gabriel watched as she gingerly sat down. Her body language was shrieking discomfort. ‘This guy you tell me that I remind you of.’
    ‘It’s not important. I thought you called me here to find out how my day with your fiancée went.’
    ‘Okay. Shall we use that as our starting point? How did the day go? Feel free to speak your mind. It’s something I encourage in all my employees.’
    Alex refrained from pointing out that he hadn’t much liked it when she had spoken her mind and told him that she had to leave the office. ‘The day went very well. She’s demanding but I think she got a few things accomplished.’
    ‘Yes,’ Gabriel mused thoughtfully, ‘I can imagine that you might have found Cristobel a little challenging. What else did you think of her?’
    ‘I don’t think it’s my place to say, sir.’
    ‘There’s no need to keep repeating sir at the end of every sentence. So I take it that you two didn’t get along…’
    ‘I think she found my translating skills very useful.’
    ‘I’m beginning to get the drift.’
    ‘She’s a very…a very… polished woman…’ She had broken out in a film of perspiration because she suspected that traps were being laid, except she had no idea where the traps were. If she inadvertently stepped on one, would it signalthe end of her career? Women, apparently, had a great deal of influence over their men, or so she had read somewhere, and if the mind-numbingly empty-headed socialite Cristobel decided to blacken her name, then she might very well find herself out of a job before she had had a chance to even get her feet under the table. But there was no way that she could pretend a rapport where none had existed. Nor was she finding it comfortable to look at him, which