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And, if she had wanted some reassurance of his intentions, there was not a hint of seduction on his face. Last night it had been the easiest thing in the world to adapt to Ramon’s sybaritic lifestyle, but mornings were something else! Perhaps he would mellow over breakfast. The tone of his voice when he crossed the stateroom to fling open the curtains extinguished that hope.
‘I’ll have a tray of fruit juice and croissants brought to you.’
Hard to believe that dinner had placed her in such a hypnotic trance… How else could she explain how she had come to be leaning her head on his shoulder? Annalisa frowned as she tried to remember just when Ramon had removed his dinner jacket, opened the buttons on his shirt, turned back the cuffs, revealing strong, tanned arms shaded with dark hair? It was all so hazy…
‘I’ll run the shower for you,’ he barked, interrupting her reverie with an impatient gesture. ‘And then I’ll wait for you on deck. If you care about the finca at all, you have exactly half an hour to get ready.’
She shook her head as she struggled to recall a single clear detail from the night before. She vaguely remembered leaning forward to reach for the champagne flute…somehow their fingers had touched. Then, removing the glass from her hand, Ramon had settled her back against the sofa—
‘Annalisa! How can you expect to do business with me when you won’t even get out of bed? I thought I told you to get up.’
‘I’m sorry… I…I was thinking about last night—’
His expression was like a slap in the face. ‘There’s no time for that now.’
Stiffening her resolve, she sat up and confronted him. ‘Didn’t you enjoy yourself?’
‘The meal was good,’ he admitted impatiently.
‘And the rest?’ She watched as he mashed the door handle impatiently.
‘The champagne was a good year—other than that I have no idea what you are talking about.’
Angrily she turned her back on him.
For a brief moment he remained silent and then he gave a short, virile laugh. ‘Allow me to reassure you, Annalisa. If there had been anything else between us apart from a meal last night you would remember.’
‘So, we didn’t…?’ Her glance flickered up to his face and away again.
‘You are not accustomed to champagne,’ he observed coolly. ‘Do you think I would take advantage of you?’
She studied the stitching on the amethyst silk counterpane and made no reply.
‘This is a very large boat,’ he said dismissively. ‘Let me reassure you that I slept alone. Now, get in the shower before I throw you over my shoulder and hose you down myself!’
During the meeting in Don Alfonso’s dignified wood-panelled office it soon became clear that Ramon’s legal team was picking holes in every suggestion made by the older man. Or perhaps it was just that he represented a different age and things had moved on, Annalisa thought, glancing around the table. The average age of Ramon’s team couldn’t have been more than thirty, and, boy, were they sharp. She was being forced to jump in constantly to defend her corner, knowing that many a fatal barb could be clothed in legalese.
The old adage, ‘Why pay a dog and bark yourself?’ sprang to her mind, but Don Alfonso had come highly recommended by… No. That was it. Don Alfonso had written to her stating that he had been one of her father’s most trusted legal representatives. Everything about the bequest had come as such a bolt from the blue and she had had no reason to doubt him. However, the situation concerning agreed boundaries and water rights was far more complicated than she could ever have imagined…perhaps even beyond Don Alfonso’s capabilities.
But with Ramon’s gaze likely to fall on her at any moment it was the wrong time to admit that she had made so little enquiry into the details before jumping headlong into her new life. And after last night’s fiasco she was determined to keep what little remained of her pride intact. She tensed as Ramon stopped the meeting with an imperative gesture.
Looking straight at her across the table, he said, ‘I take it that Señorita Wilson has been fully apprised of every aspect of this dispute?’
Dispute? Annalisa looked questioningly at him and then at Don Alfonso. Out of respect for her mother’s feelings she had made no enquiries whatever during her lifetime about the mysterious Spaniard who was her father, let alone any disputes that might have affected him. And Don Alfonso had volunteered no information beyond what she had requested.
Don Alfonso’s warning glance urged her to let him speak for her as he rose to his feet. At once Ramon yielded the floor to the older man.
‘Señorita Wilson would no doubt benefit from hearing your interpretation of the problems you both face,’ Don Alfonso began vaguely.
So they shared some difficulty, Annalisa thought, wondering what it might be. She watched Ramon incline his head in gracious assent. She might have expected him to jump down Don Alfonso’s throat for suggesting he suffered problems just like any ordinary mortal. But there was not so much as a flicker of impatience on his face. How attractive he was, she thought, relishing the chance to gaze at him without attracting curiosity as he rose to speak. What a tragedy to find herself ranged against him! And worse still to know he was spoken for…
‘As Señorita Wilson is already aware,’ Ramon began, his low, resonant voice commanding the whole room’s attention, ‘our fathers were partners. When my father died,’ he added, directing his gaze straight at Annalisa, ‘I inherited his share of the business.’
He paused, and that moment seemed like an eternity to Annalisa. She stared fixedly at a small knot of wood on the polished table while shockwaves pummelled her mind. She struggled to take in this latest breathtaking revelation. The only thing she had known about her Spanish father was that he had deserted her mother shortly before she was born. As far as she was aware they had never heard from him again. To discover that he had not only been a man of property, but had been involved in business with one of the most powerful families in Spain, was a staggering discovery… But why hadn’t Don Alfonso mentioned this to her when he must have known? Feeling Ramon staring at her, she glanced up distractedly, but as his focus sharpened she looked away.
‘On her twenty-fifth birthday,’ he continued, ‘Señorita Wilson discovered that she had inherited a large tract of land here in Menorca. Land that had been left in trust for her by her late father, Don Pedro di Fuego Montoya.’
A wave of emotion broke over Annalisa as Ramon mentioned her father’s name. His voice contained such affection and respect. There had clearly been a bond between the two men, a bond that both thrilled and frightened her. It made Ramon Perez part of her life whether she liked it or not. And now all the men around the table were bowing their heads, as if they remembered her father quite differently from the way she had always imagined him. Her mother’s refusal to talk about him had always led Annalisa to suppose that her absentee Spanish father must have caused some dreadful hurt. Wasn’t his neglect proof enough of that?
She looked up again to hear Ramon say, ‘This land was his to give freely. I have no dispute over title with Señorita Wilson.’
Don Alfonso made another discreet signal to silence Annalisa. ‘You wish to purchase a piece of this land in order to advance your plans for development in the area?’ he asked.
‘That is correct,’ Ramon agreed. ‘I had imagined the new owner of the finca would be eager to sell. But that was before I met Señorita Wilson. Now I realise Señorita Wilson has plans of her own. However, in order for the orange groves to be restored to full production she will require a constant supply of fresh water: water that runs across my land.’
He stopped, his expression unfathomable. But Annalisa had heard enough. She sprang to her feet. ‘I admit my intentions are still in the planning stage, but I can tell you two things: whatever difficulties are placed in my way, I intend to make my home in Menorca, and finca Fuego Montoya is not for sale.’
‘Is the property viable?’ one of Ramon’s young lawyers asked doubtfully. ‘Even forgetting the problem you will have obtaining sufficient fresh water for your commercial activities, I heard the house was in a terrible state.’
Emotionally, Annalisa was wrung out. Deciding to keep the finca had left her stranded on an island of uncertainty, where she was bombarded by facts and revelations and, worst of all, the scrutiny of a man who seemed capable of seeing beyond her professional façade to the vulnerable core beneath. Her glance flashed up as he began to speak again.
‘You have not seen the finca recently,’ he said, glancing first around the table and then back at her.
His eyes, Annalisa saw, had warmed past a point that was safe. And his voice when he spoke again wrapped around her like a comfort blanket, even though he directed his comments to everyone.
‘Señorita Wilson has made many improvements already—’
Feeling an ominous pricking at the back of her eyes, she pulled herself together fast. Ramon as adversary was bad enough… Ramon back-pedalling out of concern for her feelings was really worrying.
‘And Don Alfonso assures me that she has sufficient funds,’ Ramon finished, with a ‘so that’s an end of it’ shrug.
Then either Don Alfonso knew something she didn’t, or he had stretched the truth past breaking point, Annalisa thought uncomfortably as she sank back in her chair. When the sale went through for her modest home in England she might just be able to scrape together enough money to mend the roof, and perhaps even lay some sort of proper road to the property. But as for purchasing land from Ramon to secure irrigation for her fruit?
Picking up her pen, she stabbed at her notepad as if trying to pin down an idea. ‘I will restore the orange groves to full production,’ she insisted stubbornly, feeling her throat dry as she gave voice to her plans—plans that even she knew were ambitious to the point of being reckless. She had come to the island knowing nothing at all about agriculture, and even less about oranges. But she could learn… She would learn. ‘It is my intention to live and work at the finca,’ she went on, conscious that she had everyone’s full attention now. ‘And I mean to provide employment for as many of the local villagers as I can.’
Rapt faces stared up at her in frozen surprise, but only Ramon shifted slightly in his seat as he murmured, ‘Bravo!’
‘But the strip of coastline,’ one of his team reminded him, clearing his throat to break the trance-like state of his companions. ‘The strip you need to complete the marina, Señor Perez. Surely Señorita Wilson will not require a beach as part of her plans to re-establish the orange groves?’
Annalisa tensed. So that was Ramon’s angle. So much for his concern…his kind words! She would be better off taking Don Alfonso’s advice. At least he was honest! ‘The coastline is not negotiable,’ she said coldly.
‘All things are negotiable,’ Ramon argued amiably.
‘My client has had a lot to take in,’ Don Alfonso said, excusing her with a shrug. ‘I should like a month to look into everything with Señorita Wilson. After which she may well reconsider how much of the land is necessary to her plans and how much is superfluous.’ He gave another shrug as he looked around the table.
Every face swung to Ramon. He nodded briefly. ‘That seems fair, Don Alfonso, but a lot can happen in the time you ask for, so I shall require weekly updates.’
‘We’ll see to it,’ one of his lawyers said, making a note.
‘No,’ Ramon said quietly, planting both hands firmly on top of the table. ‘I’m going to handle this myself.’
Annalisa silenced her gasp. And, staring around, she saw she was not alone in her surprise. The inscrutable faces of the lawyers had slipped just enough to prove that Ramon would normally delegate such an insignificant matter.
‘This is a sensitive case,’ he continued, as if that was explanation enough. ‘And I am keen to achieve a settlement that will satisfy both Señorita Wilson and myself. After all,’ he said wryly, ‘it appears we are going to be neighbours whatever the outcome.’
Sensing the power and determination of her adversary, Annalisa tensed. It was as if a silken net had been cast by so skilled a hand she had barely felt it land on top of her…until it was too late. Swinging away from his knowing glance, she felt her heart thump ominously as Don Alfonso rose from the table. Directing his comments to Ramon, he inclined his head graciously.
‘We are honoured to have your personal input, Señor Perez. I am sure we can reach an amicable agreement. If it is convenient to Señorita Wilson and yourself, I will arrange our first briefing for the same time, one week from today.’
Now it was Annalisa’s turn to be the centre of attention, and again she felt Ramon watching her with that stillness she had already identified as his particular hallmark. ‘That’s fine with me,’ she agreed in a voice that gave nothing away. What else could she say? She was in this to the finish and she had to keep track of Ramon’s designs on her land…maybe even think up a way to barter some of her shoreline in exchange for his water…
As the meeting concluded the tension eased.
‘Lunch?’ Ramon said, directing the question straight at her.
It was the very last thing Annalisa had been expecting. She felt at a disadvantage from every point of view. She needed time to regroup, to recover… ‘Oh, no,’ she said quickly. ‘I’m not even hungry.’
‘Or thirsty?’ he teased gently.
‘I never drink in the middle of the day, Señor Perez.’
‘You mean I can’t even tempt you with a single glass of champagne?’
‘Ah, now you make me wish I was joining you,’ Don Alfonso said as he ushered them both out of the door.
‘Lucky for you he didn’t see that expression on your face,’ Ramon said as he accompanied her across the street.
The touch of his hand on her arm even through two layers of fabric was electrifying. The knowledge that he was only being courteous should have filled her with relief, but shock came first and put a chill in her voice. ‘I never want to hear the word champagne again.’
‘That sounds like a challenge to me,’ Ramon threatened softly.
‘I’m serious.’ But even Annalisa knew her words lacked conviction.
‘For now,’ Ramon murmured, increasing the pressure of his fingers enough to invade her body with warmth in a way that was both seductive and alarming. ‘We’ll stop off for something to eat on the way back to the finca.’
That was a really bad idea! She told him so.
‘Why not? I’ll drive you home.’
And then…? ‘I can take a taxi,’ Annalisa told him, willing her voice to stay firm.
‘Why do that when you don’t have to?’
She stopped and looked up at him. Was it that muscle working in his jaw, the smouldering amusement and confidence in his eyes, or the curve of his lips? Did it even matter? One thing she was sure about. There could be no such thing as a harmless friendship with a man like Ramon Perez.
‘I’m going to take a taxi because you haven’t been straight with me,’ she said, for want of a better excuse. But even as she tried to free her arm from his grip he tightened his hold.
‘What are you talking about now?’ he asked, catching hold of her other arm and drawing her round in front of him.
The tang of warm clean male laced with sandalwood and musk was almost too much to bear. ‘The shoreline…for your marina,’ she said, whipping her head away from the evocative scent.
‘The fresh water for your orange groves,’ he countered lightly.
Annalisa gasped as he cupped her chin in one hand and brought her round to face him again. ‘You didn’t tell me about your plans for a marina,’ she whispered, shutting her eyes tight as his fingers strayed beyond the sensitive area just behind her ear to mesh through her hair.
‘And Don Alfonso didn’t tell you that your father and I were partners…did he, Annalisa?’ Ramon countered, releasing her abruptly.
She had been right to accept that intuitive warning. Ramon was a man that any woman would need an anaesthetic to resist. She took a moment or two to steady her nerves. ‘I’m not sure… I—’
He cut in impatiently. ‘And that’s not the only piece of vital information he failed to give you. Is it, Annalisa?’
She shared his irritation at the incompetence of her lawyer, but a peculiar loyalty to someone who had once worked for her father prevailed. She wouldn’t get rid of Don Alfonso. She would just have to mug up on Spanish law in her spare time. Spare time? That was a joke! ‘Don Alfonso hasn’t had a chance to fill me in on every detail,’ she said casually, noting the look of suspicion in his eyes.
‘You don’t know much about your father, do you, Annalisa?’ he pressed shrewdly.
‘No, I—’ She flicked her wrist in a gesture that suggested she didn’t want to either, at this late stage.
‘If you intend to live in his house…employ his workers…make your home in the village where he was born—’
‘Surely the approach I take where that is concerned is up to me?’
‘OK,’ Ramon agreed. ‘Perhaps it is too soon to revisit the past. But there’s a lot to talk about besides that, and it won’t hurt you to have lunch with me. You survived dinner—’
‘Barely,’ she reminded him quickly. And before she could stop it the hint of a smile warmed her eyes.
But Ramon appeared not to notice and only hummed a brief note of agreement before grabbing her arm to steer her across the street. ‘I’m glad that’s settled,’ she heard him murmur as they wove their way through some ambling tourists.
His self-assurance jolted Annalisa out of her complacency. ‘No!’ she said, almost causing a pile-up as she stopped dead in her tracks.
‘What’s wrong now?’
Could a voice seduce you? she wondered, trying desperately to ground herself in the day-to-day bustle of the city street. ‘I’m not sure we should.’
‘Should what?’
His molten gaze was like liquid heat. It seemed to steal into every part of her. ‘Be together when Margarita—’ She felt her throat dry, attempted to swallow and gave up.
‘This is work,’ Ramon broke in impatiently. ‘We’ve just had a business meeting. I need to eat. You need to eat.’ He stared at her intently, as if daring her to argue.
She was being ridiculous. This was business—for both of them, Annalisa reminded herself, firming up her glance. And if she wanted to avoid making a fool of herself for a second time in twenty-four hours she should accept his invitation for what it was and stop running scared.
‘This will just be a quick lunch with no champagne. Deal?’ he demanded.
Taking her silence for assent, Ramon opened the door of his black Porsche and stood aside as he waited for her to climb in.
Mashing her lips together, Annalisa forced her feet to move. Right now running scared seemed not just the sensible option, but the only option. Then Ramon slammed the door and it was too late. She watched him stalk around to the driver’s side. Confidence like his was…irresistible, she realised apprehensively.
Slipping the key into the ignition, he gunned the performance machine into life. ‘That meeting has given me a real appetite.’
