Page 17 of Spanish Marriage Solution

All she could think about was the moment when he’d looked into her eyes, and she’d seen something leap in the depths of his golden gaze. Something hot. Something that had felt like a caress of flame over her skin, searing her.

Once, she’d thought she’d seen something similar in his eyes a couple of years ago, on Christmas Eve. Everyone else had gone to bed and he’d disappeared down to the stables. She’d been alone. She’d stood in front of the fire, allowing herself to relax for the first time since she and Edward had arrived, because she never could, not in Sebastián’s presence. She’d been thinking that perhaps this would be the last Christmas she and Edward would come to Spain, because it was getting too difficult for her. Emily had been asking her what was wrong and why was she so quiet, and, really, it would have been easier to stay at home. She could hardly tell her sister that it was because of Sebastián. Because his presence made her want things she shouldn’t want.

Something had alerted her, as if the air pressure in the room had changed, and she’d glanced towards the doorway. And he’d been there, staring at her, the look on his face fierce with an expression she hadn’t understood. His eyes had seemed to burn as golden as the flames in the grate and she’d felt herself catch fire along with them.

But then he’d turned away abruptly and left without a word. Afterwards, she’d told herself it was nothing. That perhaps he’d been looking for Emily and the expression she’d seen on his face was anger that he couldn’t find her. Anger that it was Alice in the room instead of his wife.

Perhaps it’s anger now.

Alice swallowed, her heart still beating far too loud. Their conversation had definitely been fraught and difficult and, yes, he was angry with her. But...the heat in his eyes hadn’t been anger, she was certain. There had been an intensity to it that made her feel as if she were prey under the gaze of a starving wolf.

She shut her eyes and took a deep, soundless breath, trying to get her heartbeat under control. But that only made it worse, because it only made her more aware of his powerful, muscular body sitting next to hers and how tense he was, like a drawn bow just before the arrow was released.

Desperately she tried to think of something to say to ease the weight of the silence, but she couldn’t think of a word. All she could think of was that look in his eyes. The look she’d dreamed of him giving her so many times, even though she knew it was wrong.

He was hungry for her. He wanted her. Maybe she’d imagined it back then on that snowy Christmas Eve. But she wasn’t imagining it now.

It doesn’t change things.

No, no, it couldn’t. Neither of them was bound by marriage vows now, it was true, but he’d still been her sister’s husband. And she’d been Edward’s wife. She’d loved Edward once and, while he’d been unfaithful to her, she wouldn’t use the excuse of his death to jump into bed with someone else only two months after he’d gone. Especially not when that someone was her own sister’s husband. Edward might have not been able to control himself around Emily, but she’d been controlling herself around Sebastián for years and she wasn’t about to stop doing so now. Also, if Sebastián himself had wanted to do anything about that hunger, he would have done so. At the very least he would have said something, but, since he hadn’t, it was obvious that he wasn’t about to take any action himself.

It didn’t matter. It had never mattered. Neither of them had been in any position to act on their feelings before and they still weren’t. There was Diego to consider after all.

Perhaps it would be better to simply ignore the moment as if it hadn’t happened. Pretend that she hadn’t seen the heat in his eyes, that he hadn’t told her to stop looking at him like that.

As if you’re just as starving as he is?

She forced the thought away. No, she wasn’t starving. She didn’t want him. It was better if she convinced herself of that because nothing was going to change between them. Nothing at all.

Slowly, Alice opened her eyes and risked a glance at the man sitting beside her. He had a sleek tablet in his hands and was doing something that must be very important because he was staring ferociously at it as if it were the most fascinating thing in the entire universe.

Her thoughts drifted back to what he’d told her about his father and about how he wasn’t Mateo’s biological son, that he’d been the product of his mother’s affair with a stable hand. That little fact had got lost in the abrupt crackling heat that had sprung between them, but she couldn’t forget it.

That had shocked her. It had also made his determination to claim Diego as his own far more understandable, since Diego was the product of an affair, too. Except Sebastián had been adamant that he wouldn’t treat Diego the way his own father had treated him. He hadn’t elaborated on what way that was, but, given how he’d brushed off her question, it probably wasn’t good.

It made her curious, though, and she wanted to know more. But this wasn’t the time for yet more difficult conversations, so she left him to whatever work he was doing, staying silent for the rest of the trip and staring out of the window. Trying to distract herself with plans for Diego and how she could find ways to keep herself in his life that wouldn’t involve too many confrontations with Sebastián.

It wasn’t until they came in to land on the rooftop of a beautiful old building in central Madrid that Alice realised she should have been thinking about more immediate concerns. Such as being in his presence for however long this business trip lasted and just how that was going to work.

As soon as the helicopter’s rotors slowed, Sebastián got out, talking in rapid Spanish to a tall, older woman in a black uniform who was waiting on the rooftop. She glanced at Alice then back at Sebastián, nodding all the while. Then, without a backward glance, Sebastián walked away.

Okay, so that was how it was going to be. That was good. Distance was better for both of them.

Alice got out of the helicopter and the woman introduced herself in heavily accented Spanish as Gabriela, the duke’s housekeeper, and said that he’d instructed her to show Alice around and to provide anything she might need.

Where the hacienda was full of old-world charm, Sebastián’s Madrid apartment was sleek and modern. Inside it was all white walls, black accents, and gold fittings. Gabriela showed Alice to a beautiful bedroom with long gauzy curtains covering the windows and wide white bed scattered with pillows and cushions. Then she asked Alice what she needed in the way of clothes and other ‘comforts’ since she hadn’t brought anything with her.

Alice—uncharacteristically—hadn’t remembered that until Gabriela mentioned it and abruptly became aware that she was standing in this beautiful, sleek-looking apartment that had probably cost millions and she was in old shorts and a T-shirt. And not only that, but she also hadn’t brought her phone or any money, or even her passport.

She began to explain to Gabriela, but the older woman only shrugged, simply stating that since the duke had instructed that all her needs be met, they would be met. Clothes would be brought for her, as would anything else.

It was going to be difficult to refuse since she could hardly keep wearing her clothes for three days straight, and she had no money to buy any more. However, Alice did insist on finding her own clothes and that an itemised list of prices be kept so she could pay Sebastián back. Gabriela merely shrugged.

The afternoon was taken up with a visit to an incredibly high-end department store with Gabriela, who attended to all the payments. Alice tried to buy a few cheapish items, only to have hangers of beautiful dresses shoved at her by the very insistent housekeeper.

Again, she very much wanted to refuse, but since there was nothing to do in the apartment except sit, and since she was in Madrid and having dresses shoved at her, she might as well try them on, if only to keep herself amused.

Unfortunately it seemed that quite a few of them Gabriela insisted she buy, since ‘the duke is paying’ and then some matching shoes needed to be bought, also underwear of the lacy, silky variety. Then Alice found herself back in the apartment that evening, surrounded by bags and boxes and feeling a little like Cinderella.

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