Page 48 of Seducing the Spaniard

Carrie rolled her eyes. “What?”

“Um, well, I answered your phone, and, um, I think Gael is planning to come here. To see you.”

“What?” Carrie stared at her best friend in total surprise. “When?”

“He said within an hour.”

“No, no, no,” she said angrily, throwing her shoes across her bedroom. “Why won’t he just get lost?”

Juanita nodded, a sympathetic grimace on her face. Then, an idea occurred to her. “Hey, why don’t we?” She whispered conspiratorially. “Pack some stuff; let’s go to a hotel. He’ll never find us.”

Carrie stared at Juanita long and hard, and finally nodded. The small part of her that wanted to see Gael was noisily drowned out by the fear she felt at meeting him again. “Where will we go?”

Juanita laughed. “Let’s go to the Ritz and book their best available room. Let’s spoil ourselves.”

Carrie joined in the laughter, though inside she was dying. “Yes, let’s.”

She pulled items from her wardrobe – just enough for a night or two. Some silk pyjamas, underwear, a few dresses, jeans, and her make up bag. She grabbed it defiantly, though she knew she’d never feel the same about it after Gael had made her confront her addiction head on.

She stuffed it all into her suitcase and then dragged it bumpily down the stairs.

“Oh, shoot!” She said at the bottom. “Call a cab. I’ll just be a moment.”

She ran back upstairs and surveyed her reflection in the mirror. She’d met with a potential investor earlier that day. Despite the copious amounts of champagne she’d consumed, her appearance was still fine. Glamorous, she could even have said. Maybe they’d go for drinks once they checked in? She smiled as she ran back down the stairs and lifted the handle on her bag. “You ready, slow coach?”

“Yeah! Just getting Tom to bring me some things.”

“You can borrow my stuff. Let’s go!”

“Hang on!”

Carrie rolled her eyes, then leaned against the door. It knocked almost instantly. “The cab’s here, Win,” she shouted.

Juanita appeared as Carrie wrenched the door inwards. “But I didn’t order a cab yet,” she giggled.

Gael was a dark, ominous presence as he took in the scene. His expression was a barely contained emotion; his hair dark, his eyes glittering, his clothes black. His eyes lingered for a second longer than was necessary on Carrie’s slender frame, before moving past her to Juanita.

In different circumstances, he might have been amused by the way the equally waif-like best friend clamoured to protect Carrie, moving her body between the two of them, with green eyes that blistered with indignation. “You’re not welcome here,” she said furiously.

Gael spoke slowly. “As I said earlier, I’m willing to discuss just how badly I behaved at another time. Right now, I need Carrie.”

“Tough,” Juanita snapped, putting an arm around Carrie’s waist reassuringly. “She doesn’t want to see you.”

Gael waited for Carrie to contradict her friend, but she stayed silent.

“Carrie…”

“Don’t you get it? You two are O-V-E-R. You’re acting like a loser, chasing her like this.”

Carrie sent Juanita a sidelong glance. She was obviously warming to the theme of valiant protector.

“Carrie…”

“Don’t speak to her!” Juanita shouted, pushing at his chest now.

Gael didn’t budge. He was like a boulder; firm and intractable.

“Carrie…”

---