Page 41 of His Innocent for One Spanish Night

‘Of course.’

‘I hope to answer your questions soon.’

They both waited until she was gone.

‘We don’t discuss internal matters with outsiders,’ Sebastián clipped.

‘Which is why I asked her to leave,’ Alejandro said. ‘José wants Maria to stay on the label and for her to be mentioned in his bio.’

‘He didn’t a few weeks ago—he wanted every trace of her gone!’

‘He didn’t know he was ill then,’ Alejandro responded. ‘And it has become my decision—because you and Carmen want her erased, while our father wants her to remain.’

‘And what doyouwant?’ Sebastián glared at his brother. ‘To defend her as you did when we were children? To speak nicely about a woman who walked out on her husband and three children so she could pursue herart?’

‘Flamenco is an art,’ Alejandro said.

He had once loved it, but in more recent years, as he’d realised the damage it had caused to his family, that love had become twisted into first resentment and later indifference.

Watching Eva the other night had brought back some of his love for the art. Seeing Emily, a shy woman who had been ready to leave, remain seated, held utterly spellbound, had awoken some of his own dormant thrill for the ancient art.

It was in his blood, after all.

And it wasn’t flamenco that had caused their agony.

It was Maria de Luca, the ice queen herself, who had seen to that.

‘Why?’ Sebastián asked his brother. ‘Why would you support her? Surely we need to move on from her? She had no trouble moving on from us.’

‘It’s nothing to do with defending her,’ Alejandro said. ‘It is about our father and respecting his wishes.’

‘They change week by week, month by month...’

‘I’m aware of that,’ Alejandro said, ‘and that is why I’m refusing to be rushed into a decision. However, I do need to let Emily know what to do for the website.’

‘She can wait,’ Sebastián said dismissively. ‘Now, while I have you, I spoke to José this morning. He suggests a May wedding...’

‘Felicidades!’Alejandro responded, giving his congratulations.

‘What?’

‘I didn’t realise you were even engaged.’

‘I’m talking aboutyourwedding.’

‘Then don’t,’ Alejandro said—and exited the meeting.

He headed down to the offices and knocked on the door of IT while at the same time walking in.

‘Hey,’ he said to Andrés, and then walked over to Emily, who was working away at her desk.

‘Sorry about that...’ he said.

‘About what?’ She looked up. ‘Alejandro, I knew going into that meeting that I’d be raising a difficult topic.’

He perched on the edge of her desk, right beside where she sat, and looked at her rather than the work she was doing.

She tried not to notice.

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