Mistress to the Mediterranean Male. Кэрол Мортимер

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СКАЧАТЬ was throwing euro coins to the bottom of the pool before diving down to collect them. ‘He is so like Alejandro, is he not.’ It was a statement rather than a question.

      ‘Yes.’ What else could Brynne say? The likeness between father and son was indisputable.

      ‘Thank you,’ Antonia said as she accepted the glass of juice before placing it down on the table untouched, her long nails still tipped in the red that matched her lipgloss. ‘Miguel is the son of your sister …?’ she prompted without so much as a polite preliminary.

      Brynne’s wariness grew at this unexpected visit by the other woman. ‘My sister-in-law, actually,’ she said.

      ‘Your sister-in-law …?’

      Brynne nodded. ‘It’s a little complicated, but, yes, Joanna was my sister-in-law.’

      Anotnia’s pouting red lips tightened slightly. ‘Alejandro is very anxious that Miguel should … adapt … to his new way of life as quickly as possible,’ she declared, obviously deciding not to pursue the subject of Brynne’s specific relationship to Michael.

      Brynne was starting to like this conversation less and less!

      ‘Yes,’ she answered noncommittally.

      Antonia gave a shrug of her smoothly bare shoulders. ‘As such it would probably be better for Miguel if he were to spend more time with—people of his own kind.’

      Meaning what, precisely? Brynne wondered guardedly. Did Antonia mean the people of Majorca and Spain? Or did she mean affluently rich people like her and her father, and Alejandro himself, of course? Something Brynne obviously wasn’t!

      ‘Alejandro hasn’t said that,’ she replied truthfully. He had made it clear he didn’t want her here, but not for that reason.

      ‘Alejandro is very much the caballero, you know,’ Antonia told her with an indulgent smile. ‘Always the gentleman,’ she explained for Brynne’s benefit.

      Brynne knew what a ‘caballero’ was—she just didn’t particularly associate Alejandro with one!

      Although perhaps that was being a little unfair. Alejandro was always aware of the social niceties expected of him, was unfailingly polite to his employees, receiving their loyalty, and possibly their affection, in return. It was only with Brynne that he seemed to have trouble maintaining that politeness!

      And she certainly didn’t appreciate this woman’s implication that Brynne had to be aware she wasn’t wanted here. Or the fact that Alejandro obviously had to have discussed that subject with Antonia for the other woman to know that!

      ‘I’m sure that if Alejandro wishes to … change our arrangement … he will tell me so,’ she told Antonia stiffly, knowing that Alejandro had told her from the start that he didn’t want her here, but that she had chosen to ignore it. Obviously by talking to Antonia on the subject he had decided to bring in reinforcements!

      ‘That is a little … difficult … in the circumstances, is it not?’ the other woman pointed out. ‘Besides, it is so much more … civilized … for the women to talk of these things, yes?’ she added sweetly.

      Brynne’s dislike of this beautiful but venomous woman was growing by the moment. As was her anger towards Alejandro for having discussed this situation with the woman who appeared to be his mistress even if he didn’t intend her to be his wife.

      ‘I’m sorry, Miss Roig. I appreciate that you and Alejandro are—friends,’ she bit out tensely as she stood up, ‘but I really have no intention of discussing something so—so personal, with someone I hardly know.’ She glared down at the other woman pointedly as she willed her to leave.

      Antonia stood up slowly, completely unruffled as she smoothed the white sundress down over shapely legs. ‘I was merely trying to be—kind, Miss Sullivan,’ she soothed huskily, smiling slightly. ‘As I said earlier, Alejandro is too much the gentleman to be quite so … frank … with you.’

      Brynne gave a scornful smile. ‘That hasn’t been my experience so far!’ she dismissed impatiently. ‘Now, if you wouldn’t mind? Michael and I are going for a walk this morning.’

      The other woman gave her a considering look. ‘You must be careful of too much sun, Miss Sullivan,’ she advised lightly. ‘A golden tan is acceptable, but with your fair colouring you are sure to burn.’

      Exactly when had Alejandro spoken to this woman about her? After he had left her bedroom last night? Or had it been first thing this morning?

      Well, if he thought telling his girlfriend to come and have a little ‘woman to woman’ chat with her was going to persuade Brynne into leaving here, then he was going to be sadly disappointed.

      It was more likely to have the opposite effect!

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      ‘HOW dare you ask that—that—woman to come here and tell me you want me to leave?’

      Alejandro had spent a long day in Palma, locked in further negotiations with Felipe Roig, tired of the cat-and-mouse game Felipe seemed to be having with him as he gave the older man the warning that he might withdraw from the possible deal himself if it wasn’t soon settled to his satisfaction. A warning Felipe had obviously taken seriously enough to waste a day of Alejandro’s time!

      Alejandro would rather have come home once it had become obvious that no deal would be reached today, but the older man had insisted that the two of them had to go out to an early dinner in order to show that they were still friends. As Alejandro still had every intention of buying the tract of land Felipe had for sale, he didn’t intend being anything else until he had Felipe’s signature on a contract.

      But having finally returned to the villa at nine-thirty that evening, he had gone to the pool-house to change into black swimming trunks before diving straight into the refreshing water and swimming half a dozen lengths of the pool before he had felt his temper start to cool. Another argument with Brynne was the last thing he felt in the mood for …

      He rested his arms on the edge of the pool as he looked up at her, taking a few seconds to appreciate how sexily attractive she looked in the sky-blue linen dress with her feet bare beneath tanned legs. Her hair was loose about her shoulders and her face beautiful in spite of the angry glitter he could see in her eyes and that becoming flush to her cheeks.

      It was an angry beauty he was becoming all too used to where this particular woman was concerned!

      ‘I have no idea what you are talking about, Brynne—and, quite frankly, at this moment I do not think I want to know.’ He sighed, holding up a silencing hand. ‘I am tired and dusty from my frustrating day in Palma, so if you can wait a few minutes before continuing this tirade, then I would like a glass of cool wine first …’ He levered himself quickly out of the water.

      Brynne’s breath instantly caught in her throat at the sight of all that bare male beauty. Alejandro’s skin was dark olive all over, his legs long, his shoulders broad, chest muscled, stomach flat …

      She averted her gaze but couldn’t resist looking back again as Alejandro strolled over to the pool bar to take a cooled bottle of wine from the refrigerator there, deftly removing the cork before placing two glasses on top of the bar.

      God, СКАЧАТЬ