‘I’m going to go up.’

‘Oh,’ Eva said, and did not try to dissuade her, but got back to the rest of the class.

Emily wanted to hide, completely embarrassed by her own actions. She was so out of her depth when it came to men, or relationships.

A few tears spilled down her cheeks as she hurriedly made her way towards her apartment. She went to open up her front door, and then turned and looked at the gate behind her—the entrance to Alejandro’s residence—and knew he deserved an apology.

But did she dare?

Oh, she wasn’t going to his door out of temptation, or to throw herself at him—thankfully she had got over that...

Really, it didn’t take a mirror to tell her she wasn’t looking her best, with her face red from crying and her mismatched outfit and the silk flower in her hair.

She just wanted to thank him for looking out for her and to say sorry...

Alejandro had poured himself a drink and was fighting with himself not to go back down to the courtyard and wrench Emily away from that creep, and at the same time telling himself it was not his place to do so.

As Emily had just pointed out, she was not his concern.

Then he heard the tentative knock on his door and opened it. And what he saw further exacerbated the recent thaw of his usually cold and emotionless heart. Emily was shaking in her attempt to suppress tears...so much so, the silk rose was almost falling out of her hair. Her face was flushed and she couldn’t look at him.

It was he who spoke first. ‘Emily, I apologise.’

‘For what?’

‘I overreacted. You have every right to...’ He rolled his hand, but couldn’t bring himself to sayflirt with whoever you wantwithout sounding bitter. ‘But Fernando’s a player, Emily.’

‘Alejandro, I was just... I was trying to make you jealous.’

‘That’s not very sensible,’ he said gently.

‘I know.’

And he could have lectured her, but who the hell was he to scold her?

‘It worked.’

She looked up, embarrassed, but so grateful that rather than being scathing he was being nice. With Alejandro she had always been honest, and she was being honest now.

‘But don’t do that again,’ he warned. ‘It might not end so well next time.’

‘I know.’ She took a breath. ‘I am sorry.’

‘Forget it,’ he said.

‘Thank you for warning me,’ she said.

And she really wasn’t here for anything more than that, so, taking her wounded pride, Emily turned from his door.

‘Hey, Emily?’

‘What?’ She looked back over her shoulder.

‘Why don’t you come in and flirt with me?’

Still she didn’t turn around, and she remained honest. ‘Because you don’t want me, and it hurts too much.’

‘Stop it!’ he said. ‘You know that’s not true.’