Page 20 of His Innocent for One Spanish Night

‘Then I’ll think about it.’ She gave him a smile. ‘Goodnight.’ She dug in her purse to retrieve the key, then clearly remembered where she was, and felt that she should make some effort. ‘Rather,buenas noches.’

‘Goodnight, Emily,’ he responded in English, pushing open the heavy gate. She wasn’t sure if it was a little rebuke as to how dreadful her rusty Spanish was, but as she turned to the door he added,‘Que tengas dulces sueños.’

Emily didn’t translate it—she just looked at her shaky hands as she heard the gate close behind him. She walked away and turned the key in the apartment door and let herself in, hearing his footsteps as he walked to his own residence.

It wasn’t so much a relief to close the door. It felt more as if she’d achieved an impossible feat.

One more second and she’d possibly have been an English girl behaving badly abroad.

And yet he’d done nothing...said nothing untoward. He’d been utterly polite and nice.

With an edge.

There had been a sharp sensual edge to him that she’d never glimpsed in another, let alone herself.

Taking her shoes off provided no relief—even though it should have, given that her feet had been agony since Heathrow.

Even taking her bra off did not elicit the usual exhalation of pleasure. Her breasts felt as constricted as if she was still wearing it, and her knickers were damp as she slid them off.

She was more aware of her body than she’d ever been.

The bathroom was white, with a huge dome-shaped showerhead that she hurried to stand under. And it was so nice that she didn’t even have to dig through her suitcase to find toiletries—they were all there on display, in striking cut glass bottles that she was careful not to drop.

She opened one of the stoppers and took a breath of body wash. But, as decadent and delicious as it was, the scent wasn’t his.

Emily washed quickly and wrapped herself in a very soft towel. And then, trying to ignore her thrumming body, she took herself to a very vast bed, with white sheets tucked so tightly in it took her a moment to realise she wasn’t under the top one.

Gosh.

She’d left the shutters open earlier, and the sound from outside was one of a breezy cool night and a city as close to asleep as the centre of a city ever came. She got up to close them, but then changed her mind and left them. She found the jagged piece of amber resin and placed it by her bedside light. She gazed at it as she lay there, naked in bed for the first time in her life.

Let me out, the little butterfly wing seemed to say.

Not yet, Emily thought. Because her holiday romance had its allocated slot in six weeks’ time... And she doubted it would be with anyone as thrilling or beautiful as Alejandro Romero.

He was probably like that with everyone, Emily warned herself. He no doubt smiled that decadent smile to all and sundry. She thought of the lipstick on the edge of his mouth. Although it had faded by the end of the night, some had remained, as if serving as a warning.

Alejandro had surely just been being polite to a newcomer, Emily decided, confused by the tears suddenly in her eyes. But it was more than a little sad that at the age of twenty-six, without a touch or a kiss, somehow this had been the most wonderful night of her life.

Only as she started to drift off did she allow herself to dwell on his words.

‘Que tengas dulces sueños.’—‘Have sweet dreams.’

Emily dared not.

CHAPTER FOUR

EVENINHERvery unfamiliar surroundings, Emily woke to a familiar headspace.

Common sense had returned, and all attempts at flights of fancy had been safely battened down.

Her new boss had simply been being perfectly nice.

Selecting a pale grey top to go with a fresh pair of black trousers—more stretchy ones that looked as if they had a belt and pockets but were really just yoga pants in disguise—she dressed, then slipped on some comfortable flats.

After tying her hair back in a low ponytail she was ready to face the day, and slipped out of the apartment with her camera.

It was early, but she wanted to get a feel for the place while it was quiet.

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