Mistress to the Mediterranean Male

Alejandro damped down his rising anger with effort. His meeting was an important one, crucial to the delicate negotiations that brought him to the island at this time, and allowing this constant discord with Brynne Sullivan to sabotage those negotiations by going to his meeting angry and impatient was not an option.

‘I am sure that they will,’ he acknowledged tautly. ‘Take care of your aunt, Miguel,’ he added, his hand on his son’s shoulders, his expression softening as he looked down at him.

Miguel grinned up at him. ‘Aunty Bry usually looks after me.’

Alejandro gave an acknowledging inclination of his head. ‘In Spain it is the man who takes care of the woman,’ he explained gravely.

‘Oh.’ Miguel nodded his head understandingly.

Brynne gave an irritated frown. Michael was six years old, for goodness’ sake—

‘It is as well that Miguel learns the Spanish way,’ Alejandro declared.

She raised her chin as her gaze met the challenge in his cold grey eyes. ‘I’m sure there’s a lot we can all learn from one another’s cultures,’ she said noncommittally, knowing by the way Alejandro’s gaze narrowed that the double-edge to her reply wasn’t lost on him.

He gave an impatient shrug. ‘You will need some euros—’

‘I have my own money, thank you,’ Brynne cut in sharply as Alejandro would have reached into his trouser pocket.

He raised his dark brows. ‘I was talking to Miguel.’

‘I have enough for Michael, too,’ she assured him, her anger barely contained. She might only be a lowly schoolteacher, but that didn’t mean she was going to accept money, even on Michael’s behalf, from this man! ‘Please don’t let us delay you any longer from your meeting,’ she added with saccharine sweetness.

Alejandro continued to look at her impatiently for several long seconds before giving a dismissive shake of his head. ‘One o’clock,’ he bit out tersely before turning away.

Brynne was determined to forget about Alejandro Santiago, and his arrogance for the next couple of hours as she and Michael wandered around the pretty village. The people were so friendly, with men and women alike smiling and talking to Michael in the shops and café they stopped in to have a cool drink.

They were not joined by Raul and Rafael, thank goodness, although the two men were loitering outside waiting for them when they came out of the café half an hour later.

Michael, luckily, seemed completely unaware of the men’s presence, holding her hand and skipping along happily at her side as they made their way back.

‘Alej—Father is nice, don’t you think, Aunty Bry?’ He looked up at her a little anxiously as they walked up the steps to the hotel.

‘Nice’ was the last thing Alejandro Santiago was!

But Michael’s question showed that he wasn’t as unaware of the animosity between Brynne and his father as she could have wished. Not surprisingly, really, when that antagonism surfaced every time the two of them were together. But it wasn’t good for Michael to have noticed it and so have his loyalties pulled in two different directions in this way.

‘Very nice,’ she told him brightly.

Michael frowned. ‘Did Mummy and Daddy like him, do you think?’

Brynne gave a pained frown. No doubt Joanna had ‘liked’ Alejandro Santiago seven years ago, but whether or not she would have still liked the man he was today Brynne had no idea. As for Tom, Brynne really had no idea what her brother would have made of this arrogantly assured man who was Michael’s real father!

But that wasn’t an answer she could give Michael. The little boy’s future lay with Alejandro, whether she liked it or not, and loving Michael as she did it was up to her to make this change in his life as easy as possible for him.

If only she didn’t find Alejandro so overwhelming physically!

‘I’m sure they did,’ she told Michael warmly as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, hoping Alejandro would appreciate her efforts—against her real feelings on the matter!—on his behalf.

‘Good.’ Michael sighed his relief.

Obviously Michael, even if he still didn’t really understand how it had happened, was nevertheless getting used to the idea of having Alejandro as his father, and that had to be a good thing.

Even if Brynne couldn’t share his enthusiasm!

She was even more disconcerted, when they reached the outdoor restaurant, to find that Alejandro wasn’t sitting alone at the table they were being shown to. Instead a ravishingly beautiful woman sat beside him, her dark hair long and luxurious, her complexion as olive as his own and her exquisite features dominated by huge dark eyes and a pouting, red-painted mouth …

CHAPTER FIVE

ALEJANDRO’S mouth tightened slightly as he saw Brynne and Miguel being shown to the table where he and Antonia were sitting.

Antonia was not supposed to have been here with her father today, and Alejandro was annoyed that her unexpected presence had changed the meeting from any serious talk of business to yet another social occasion.

Deliberately or accidentally, on the part of Felipe Roig …?

It had been all too easy to flatter Antonia, the daughter of widower Felipe Roig, as a way of charming the older man. But if the way Antonia had begun to actively pursue him was any indication, it was a flattery she had begun to take all too seriously. Which could, in itself, lead to Felipe wanting a much bigger price for the land he had to sell than Alejandro was willing to pay …!

Not that Antonia wasn’t beautiful. With a voluptuous figure that indicated a passionate nature she would no doubt more than satisfy the man lucky enough to become her husband—it just wouldn’t be Alejandro!

He and Francesca had married for all the wrong reasons, and their union had been painful as well as disastrous; he did not intend repeating the mistake!

It was a problem that Alejandro had had no chance to turn his mind to as Antonia had continued to linger long after her father had departed, but he had managed to avoid inviting Antonia to stay for lunch.

Although now that Brynne and Miguel had actually arrived at the restaurant he might no longer have any other choice!

He stood up as Brynne and Miguel reached the table, his smile less warm than he would have wished. ‘Did you have an enjoyable morning?’ he enquired politely.

‘Oh, it was wonderful,’ his son was the one to answer brightly. ‘We went to all the shops, and then to a café where the man gave me a biscuit to eat with my juice, and we sat outside and watched as people filled huge water bottles from the stream that runs down from the mountains, and—’

‘Slowly, Miguel, slowly.’ Alejandro laughed as he halted his son’s excited chatter, all the time aware that Brynne was looking at him with those questioning blue eyes before she glanced at Antonia and then back again. ‘Miguel, I would like you to meet a friend of mine, Antonia Roig.’ He placed his hands on Miguel’s shoulders as he turned him to look at the woman sitting at the table. ‘Antonia, this is—’

‘Your son,’Antonia finished throatily, standing up as she curved her pouting red lips into a smile. ‘But of course it is.’ She nodded. ‘He very much has the look of you, Alejandro.’ Her smile warmed intimately as she looked up at him.

Brynne watched the exchange with growing trepidation. It was one thing to acknowledge that Alejandro was Michael’s father but the little boy was only just coming to that understanding—surely this arrogant Spaniard wasn’t going to introduce him to a stepmother quite so soon?

Antonia Roig was certainly beautiful enough, Brynne recognized as she looked at the tempestuous perfection of the other woman’s face. But there was just something about the woman’s eyes, a certain lack of warmth when she smiled, that indicated to Brynne that this woman might think ‘boarding-school was a good idea’ for any child that wasn’t her own.

Although with Antonia’s curvaceously alluring figure Brynne very much doubted that Alejandro’s interest had gone as high as Antonia’s eyes!

Antonia’s deep brown gaze now narrowed on Brynne. ‘How very sensible of you, Alejandro, to have brought Miguel’s nanny, too.’ She gave Brynne a politely dismissive smile before turning away. ‘Alejandro, why do we not—’

‘Oh, but Brynne isn’t my nanny!’ Michael dismissed with a laugh, totally unaware of any tension amongst the three adults. ‘She’s my aunty. My Aunty Bry,’ he added happily.

Yes, very hard eyes, Brynne decided wryly as the other woman’s deep brown orbs were turned back on her, with critical assessment this time as Antonia took in her appearance from the top of her red head to the soles of her white flip-flops, before returning to Brynne’s make-upless face with its covering of freckles.

‘Your … aunt,’ Antonia finally murmured speculatively before glancing back at Alejandro, her dark, highly arched, plucked brows raised questioningly. ‘The same aunt who …’

Obviously Alejandro hadn’t had the chance yet to tell his … this woman that he had brought Michael’s troublesome aunt back to Majorca for a visit too.

Oh dear!

‘The same aunt,’ Brynne told Antonia happily as she held out her hand. ‘Brynne Sullivan. Are you joining us for lunch, Miss Roig?’ she prompted lightly as the other woman met the gesture with the slightest brush of her slender, scarlet-tipped fingers.

The pouting red mouth tightened slightly. ‘I would have, but unfortunately I have another engagement in Palma early this afternoon,’ Antonia snapped dismissively. ‘You have not forgotten that you are expected for dinner this evening, Alejandro?’ she added tartly.

Oh, dear, dear, dear, Brynne mused as she sat down in the seat the other woman had just vacated; poor Alejandro looked as if he might have some explaining to do later!

‘Of course I have not forgotten,’ he confirmed, a little impatiently, Brynne thought as he brushed his lips lightly against the other woman’s cheek in parting.

‘What a pity Miss Roig couldn’t join us,’ Brynne remarked dryly once Antonia had left.

Alejandro turned from watching Antonia’s abrupt departure to scowl down at Brynne’s bent head as she perused the menu with marked deliberation. ‘Yes, a pity,’ he bit out tersely as he resumed his seat at the table, knowing by the way Brynne returned his gaze with wide-eyed innocence that she was enjoying what she no doubt sensed was his slight discomfort.

But what could he have done otherwise? To press Antonia to join them would, with Brynne in this mischievously troublemaking mood, only have resulted in even more embarrassment, he was sure. No, he had done the right thing; he would have plenty of time to explain, and placate Antonia later tonight.

‘It all looks delicious. What do you recommend?’ Brynne asked as she closed the menu to look at him enquiringly, the mischief still dancing in those deep blue eyes.

She didn’t look much older than Miguel with that innocent expression, her face bare of make-up, and her hair pulled back into a green band that matched the colour of her top.

Except that expression was too innocent!

‘Everything,’ he dismissed impatiently before turning his attention to helping Miguel select his food.

Surprisingly Brynne enjoyed the leisurely lunch. She and Alejandro spent most of the time ignoring each other—which had to be a definite plus as far as her digestion was concerned!—but Michael was starting to relax in his father’s company and the food was excellent. The wine Alejandro ordered complemented their lunch perfectly, and the view was spectacular from where they sat high up on one of the terraces that looked down the valley to the sea.

In fact, by the time they left to drive back to the villa she was the most relaxed since arriving in Majorca.

Michael was quite happy to return to the pool in the afternoon, leaving Brynne to laze on one of the loungers as she pondered the merits of the local siesta; she could quite cheerfully have fallen asleep for an hour or so after that lovely meal and wine.

Although Alejandro’s presence on the lounger beside her own pretty much assured her that she would never be able to relax enough to do that!

‘So you’re going out again this evening?’ she prompted conversationally as she sat up to rub oil onto her tanning arms and legs.

‘Again …?’ Alejandro echoed softly as he turned to watch her movements, her fingers long and supple as she smoothed the oil into her shoulders and throat.

Brynne didn’t even glance at him as she bent to rub oil on the long length of her legs. ‘I saw you go out yesterday evening.’ She shrugged.

But she obviously hadn’t seen, or heard, him come back again two hours later …

His departure alone had obviously been enough for her to draw her own conclusions. And meeting Antonia today would certainly not have belied that conclusion.

Although why this woman should think she had any right to comment on what he did in his private life was beyond him!

He found his attention caught and held as Brynne pushed her halter-top up to just below her breasts as she now put oil onto her bare midriff. A completely flat midriff, with soft and creamy skin, and just a tanatalizing glimpse of the thrusting swell of her breasts beneath the green top—

What was he doing?

This woman was Miguel’s aunt by marriage, his nuisance of an aunt by marriage, not someone whose attractions Alejandro should find in the least arousing.

His mouth tightened. ‘You have a comment you wish to make about my dinner engagement?’ he rasped hastily, all the time knowing that impatience was aimed at himself more than at Brynne.

She was a constant thorn in his side, an irritant he couldn’t wait to be rid of, so what did it matter if she had a lithely beautiful body and that her skin looked like silk? Even the freckles that covered the whole of her body added to her sensuousness as he imagined discovering, and kissing, every single one of them …

‘Not at all.’ Brynne looked surprised by his question. ‘I was just making conversation, Alejandro,’ she dismissed lightly.

Like hell she was!

But he was not involved with Antonia in the way that Brynne seemed to think he was. Deliberately so. Flattering and charming Antonia was one thing, but he never, ever mixed business with the sort of pleasure he had been thinking of with Brynne herself a few minutes ago.

Although that slight possessiveness Antonia seemed to be developing where he was concerned told him that he might not have been his usual careful self where relationships were concerned during his distraction over the custody of Miguel. Both Antonia and her father might be expecting something more from the interest he had shown Antonia.

But he had no intention of ever going through the painful process of marrying again. And now that he had an heir in Miguel, he had no need to do so.

But there was still the problem of Felipe Roig’s elusiveness …

He stood up quickly. ‘I have some calls to make.’

‘My, what a busy man you are, Alejandro,’ Brynne looked up to taunt, her chin resting on her bent knee.

His gaze was cold as he looked down at her. ‘I have business commitments, yes,’ he replied coolly.

Brynne raised her eyebrows. ‘How pleasant for you when the business is as beautiful as Antonia Roig.’

Alejandro’s jaw clenched. ‘Not that it is any of your concern, but my only connection with Antonia is business with her father, Felipe.’

‘Really?’ Brynne derided. ‘That wasn’t the impression I got!’

‘I do not care—’ Alejandro broke off his angry retort, breathing deeply as he looked down his arrogant nose at her. ‘You really do not have the right to question me in this way, Brynne,’ he finally snapped coldly.

‘But the two of you are having dinner together this evening,’ she challenged, not prepared to let him off that easily. After all, if he was considering making Antonia his wife, and consequently Michael’s stepmother, then she did consider it her business!

‘I am one of several guests invited for dinner this evening at the home of Antonia’s father, yes,’ he bit out impatiently.

‘Ah …’ she murmured speculatively, enjoying seeing this usually perfectly controlled man at a disadvantage for a change.

Alejandro scowled darkly. ‘You really are the most—unsettling, of women!’

Brynne smiled. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’

‘I would not,’ he snarled, his accent becoming more pronounced in his obvious displeasure. ‘So far I have not found being with you a restful experience!’

Her smile turned to a chuckle. ‘I believe that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Alejandro!’

She was infuriating, Alejandro acknowledged, not for the first time. Infuriating, outspoken, and far too familiar.

But at the same time he also knew that he had never found a moment’s boredom in this woman’s company, either …

For a man who had been soured towards love years ago, his relationships since that time only having ever been on a physical level, it wasn’t just unsettling to realize this, it was extremely disturbing!

He shook his head. ‘I really do have to go and make some calls. What now?’ he questioned in frustration as he saw Brynne’s disapproving expression.

She shrugged. ‘I was merely wondering if you ever intended to spend any time with Michael?’

Alejandro’s frown darkened to a scowl. ‘I have just finished having lunch with both of you.’

‘Eating together and actually spending time together are two totally different things,’ Brynne dismissed evenly.

He drew in a controlling breath. No one, absolutely no one, ever questioned him in this way!

‘Tell me, Brynne,’ he said tersely, ‘have you ever been present at the taming of a wild stallion?’

Brynne gave him a puzzled glance. ‘I can’t say that I have.’

He nodded abruptly. ‘Then if you had you would know that it takes patience. That first you have to let the stallion slowly become accustomed to your presence, to the sound of your voice. Once you have done that, you can begin to touch the stallion as you talk to it. Again this takes time. But once he accepts these things it is time to put on the saddle and bit. Only to put it on, you understand. It will take many more days before you can actually attempt to get up into the saddle. If you try to go too fast, to force these things, then you will break the animal rather than tame it.’

Brynne stared at him incredulously. ‘Are you trying to tell me that you’re treating getting to know Michael the same as taming a wild stallion?’ she gasped disbelievingly.

He shrugged those broad shoulders. ‘It is a tried and tested method.’

‘You—you—’ Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright with temper as she stood up to face him. ‘Is that how you tame a woman too, Alejandro?’ she challenged in disgust. ‘Do you talk softly to them? Touch them? Caress them? Before taking them to your bed?’ She was breathing hard in her agitation.

His jaw was tightly clenched, his pale grey eyes cold with anger as he glared down at her. ‘You have no right—’

‘I have every right if that’s really the way you think you’re going to get close to Michael!’ she replied. ‘You’re incredible, do you know that?’ She gave a disbelieving shake of her head. ‘Absolutely incredible, if you think you can treat the emotions of a vulnerable little boy as lightly as you would the taming of a wild stallion!’

A nerve pulsed in that tightly clenched jaw. ‘And you, Brynne, have never even tried to understand how difficult this situation is for me—’

‘Forgive me, Alejandro,’ she came back sarcastically. ‘But you really aren’t my first priority!’

‘As well as Miguel,’ Alejandro finished angrily. ‘In fact, I believe you take delight in thinking the worst of me!’ he snapped.

‘I would think badly of any man who evaded his responsibilities for six years!’ she retorted.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘So now we come to the true reason for your obvious contempt for me!’

‘I’ve never even tried to pretend I feel anything else!’ Brynne scorned.

He looked at her icily. ‘You have no knowledge of what happened between Joanna and myself seven years ago!’

‘I know enough,’ Brynne assured him scathingly. ‘Joanna didn’t even trust you enough to tell you of her pregnancy, let alone try to include you in it!’

Alejandro’s chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to control his own temper, and tell himself that Brynne spoke out of ignorance rather than fact. She judged him on what she thought she knew rather than on what had actually happened seven years ago.

It didn’t work, his anger not abating in the slightest. ‘I advise you not to make judgements on something you do not understand,’ he told her coldly.

‘Oh, I understand you only too well, Alejandro,’ Brynne assured him with a disgusted toss of her head, blue eyes glittering. ‘You’re cold. You’re aloof. And your all-knowing arrogance is just unbelievable!’

He continued to look at her in frustration for several long seconds, his jaw clamped tightly together as he debated whether he wanted to verbally tear Brynne apart, or just pull her into his arms and kiss her until she was senseless.

The latter emotion won!

He reached out to pull her slender body into his and felt the softness of her skin against his own as he held her tightly against him and took possession of the sensuous curve of her lips.

The kiss was so unexpected, so fiercely hot, that Brynne had no chance to do anything other than respond.

It was like drowning! Every part of her seemed to melt into Alejandro, her hands moving up as she clung to the broad width of his shoulders.

And then Alejandro was pushing her away from him, a nerve pulsing in his tightly clenched jaw when he turned back from ensuring that Michael hadn’t seen the exchange. He hadn’t.

‘I have to go,’ he finally muttered determinedly before turning on his heel and striding purposefully back to the villa, his back and shoulders rigid.

Brynne watched him go, very much aware of the fact that, instead of repulsing Alejandro’s kisses, the ache in her body told her she actually regretted that they had ended so soon …!