Mistress to the Mediterranean Male. Кэрол Мортимер

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ Sullivan was the last woman he should ever make love to!

      ‘Perhaps you are right,’ he snapped.

      ‘Yes.’ She sighed, reaching up a hand to push back the thickness of her hair to look up at him with pained blue eyes.

      Alejandro looked at her for several more seconds before turning sharply on his heel and walking to the door, closing it softly behind him as he left.

      He closed his eyes as he leant back against the wall outside in the hallway, fighting the yearning he had to go back into the room, to take Brynne into his arms.

      But he had made a decision when Francesca had died five years ago that any relationship he had in future would only ever be of the transient kind, of short duration, with no emotional entanglement, and Brynne Sullivan, he already knew, with her prim morality, and her soul-destroying blue eyes, was not a woman of that type.

      Brynne felt gritty-eyed and irritable from lack of sleep the next morning. She’d found it hard to sleep after the things she had learnt about Alejandro.

      He had probably been engaged when he and Joanna had met seven years ago and already married by the time Joanna had known she was expecting his baby. Although it appeared that his wife had died some time in the last seven years.

      All of these things had gone round and round in her head for hours last night.

      One thing she did know was that any growing attraction she might have felt towards Alejandro had to stop.

      It should never have happened in the first place after the battle the two of them had had six weeks ago over the custody of Michael!

      In fact, the more she came to know about Alejandro Santiago, the stronger her feeling that Michael should have been allowed to stay with her.

      The fact that Alejandro was sitting alone at the dining table, calmly reading a newspaper, when she got downstairs for breakfast did nothing to improve her mood!

      Alejandro looked up as he sensed Brynne quietly entering the room, his mouth tightening as she avoided meeting his gaze to go over to the side dresser and pour herself some juice.

      ‘Where’s Michael?’ she asked as she came to sit at the table opposite him.

      ‘He went down to the orchard with Maria to pick some fresh oranges,’ Alejandro dismissed, carefully folding his newspaper to place it on the table beside him. ‘Is juice all you are having for breakfast?’ He frowned.

      Brynne shrugged dismissively. ‘I’m not hungry.’

      ‘How are you feeling this morning?’ he probed softly.

      She raised her chin, her blue eyes bright with challenge. ‘How should I be feeling?’

      He shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘I merely wondered if your back was still painful …?’

      ‘Oh.’ Her gaze once again avoided his. ‘It’s much better this morning, thank you.’

      She didn’t look better, Alejandro noted, seeing that her face was pale and that there were dark shadows beneath her eyes.

      He nodded abruptly. ‘That is good. I have some business to attend to in Palma today,’ he said curtly. ‘Will you and Michael be able to amuse yourselves by the pool? With the appropriately applied suntan lotion, of course,’ he added ruefully.

      ‘Of course,’ Brynne echoed dryly. ‘If Michael gets bored I can always take him for a walk to Banyalbufar. Maria says its only just up the coast and—’

      ‘I would rather you did not walk anywhere today,’ Alejandro cut in.

      ‘I’m sure the walk will do Raul and Rafael good,’ Brynne finished mockingly. ‘From their unhealthy pallor they obviously don’t get out in the sun enough!’

      ‘But you have,’ Alejandro spoke firmly. ‘And to go out walking when you are already burnt is not wise.’

      Brynne gave him a scathing glance. ‘I think I’m old enough to know not to make the same mistake twice!’

      Alejandro gave her a searching look. Were they still talking about yesterday’s sunburn? Or something else …?

      From her guarded response to his earlier enquiry as to how she was feeling this morning he would say it was something else!

      Her skin had felt wonderful to the touch last night as he had carefully applied the soothing lotion to her shoulders and the curve of her spine, and he was experienced enough to know that Brynne had enjoyed the caress of his hands. But if she feared he would suggest repeating the process then she was mistaken.

      He had paid for his own unsatisfied arousal with a sleepless night, and did not intend repeating the experience!

      ‘I suggest you ask Maria to put some after-sun on your back before you go outside,’ he snapped dismissively, throwing his napkin down on the table to stand up. ‘I am not sure what time I will get back, so do not—’

      ‘Oh, please don’t hurry back on our account,’ Brynne assured him derisively, relieved to know that he would probably be out most of the day. ‘Michael and I are quite used to entertaining ourselves.’

      Alejandro looked down at her coldly before turning on his heel and striding from the room.

      Brynne heaved a deep sigh of relief as she relaxed the tension from her shoulders. Painful shoulders, as it happened, with the skin on her back bright red this morning and slightly itchy. No doubt it would start to peel in a couple of days, and then instead of having the appearance of a lobster she would look like a snake shedding its skin. Very attractive!

      Although if Alejandro was looking for attractive, he didn’t have to look any further than Antonia Roig!

      A fact Brynne was made very aware of later that morning when a red sports car roared down the driveway with Antonia sitting behind the wheel as she parked the car beside the villa with an assurance that spoke of familiarity.

      Brynne’s heart sank as she watched the other woman run her hands through her tumbled dark curls and replenish the red gloss to her lips before sliding out from behind the wheel, the white sundress she wore suiting her smoothly olive complexion and emphasizing the voluptuous curves of her body.

      In contrast, Brynne felt at a complete disadvantage, having pulled on a loose white shirt over her bikini after taking a dip with Michael in the pool, her wet hair now slicked back from a face completely bare of make-up.

      She stood up as Antonia walked over gracefully on white, high-heeled, designer mules. ‘I’m afraid Alejandro isn’t here at the moment, Miss Roig,’ she began politely.

      The other woman gave a gracious inclination of her head. ‘He is in Palma today.’

      If Alejandro had already told Antonia that, then what was she doing here …?

      ‘Can I offer you some refreshment?’ Brynne indicated the jug of fresh orange juice Maria had brought out minutes ago for her and Michael to enjoy, not particularly wanting the other woman to stay any longer than she had to, but at the same time realizing Antonia had other ideas.

      ‘That СКАЧАТЬ