Page 30 of His Innocent for One Spanish Night

‘Of course.’

Alejandro was used to playing hardball, and he liked her gentle take on things. He’d never spoken so easily to another person, or listened so carefully...

‘Are you proud of your mother?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ he said. His response was immediate, and surprised even himself—he’d never been allowed to admit being proud of his mother to anyone. Emily was the first person in for ever who had referred to his mother’s talent. ‘I used to go backstage with her and I could hear the cheers. She is incredibly talented.’

‘I’d love to have learned to dance.’

‘You didn’t?’

‘I started ballet, but...’

‘But?’

‘I hated it.’ She sighed at the memory. ‘One of the other girls called me fat...’

‘Wereyou fat?’

‘A bit.’

‘We call fat kids cute here...’ he said. ‘My sister was very “cute”,’ he said, and made her laugh. ‘Now she’s a brilliant equestrian.’ He slowed the car down. ‘This is our family residence.’

She looked at a huge gated property and saw, in the distance, a sprawling hacienda. ‘That’s your home?’

‘It was. See the stables? That’s where Carmen spends most of her time.’

‘She lives here with your father?’

‘Yes,’ Alejandro said. ‘When she’s not practising in the arena here, she’s at the equestrian school. It’s a kind of horse ballet...’ he said, in an attempt to describe it.

‘Dressage?’

‘A form of it, but really quite incredible. It’s a big part of life here in Jerez. Carmen could ride before she could walk.’

‘She didn’t take up flamenco?’

‘God, no, she hates it.’

And for years so had he. But last night, watching Emily’s rapt expression, he had found his pleasure in it starting to return...

‘What was it like having a famous mother?’

When he didn’t answer Emily corrected herself.

‘Of course she’d have just been your mum...’

‘Oh, no,’ he said. ‘She was the star at home, believe me. Always she wanted to be on tour or performing. My father was jealous—he wanted her to be at home more. Instead, we had nannies. And every time she came home there was another argument. So, of course, she stopped coming home...’

Alejandro had surprised Emily. She’d expected bitterness—but, no, he seemed to see both sides.

‘If your fiancé had asked you to stop working...’

‘Oh, he never would have—helovedme working,’ Emily said, and that made them both laugh. Then she was serious. ‘So long as it was inhisbusiness.’

‘You know, you could probably contest his ownership of it. I mean if you were together all these years you could argue you had a verbal contract...’

‘No.’ Emily shook her head. ‘I mean, I know I could fight it—but what’s the point? Lesson well and truly learnt. I’ll never get involved with someone who has a family business again...’

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