A Spanish Inheritance

‘And I cannot understand why you are allowing yourself to be influenced by anyone’s interests other than mine.’

He looked offended, and when he spoke again it was in a conspiratorial whisper. ‘We are talking about one of the most powerful families in all Spain, Señorita Wilson. Led by a man whom I should not wish to cross.’ He shook his head in a grave show of disapproval.

Well, if that was meant to frighten her off it had missed its mark, Annalisa thought, firming her mouth. ‘You may feel the need to abide by this man’s dicta, Don Alfonso, I do not.’

‘You can have no idea of what you are taking on.’

‘So, tell me,’ Annalisa challenged. ‘Put a name to my opponent. We’re not discussing some mythical villain, I presume?’

Her elderly advisor bowed his head in dignified acquiescence. ‘No, Señorita Wilson. We are talking about an exceptional man with a mind like a steel trap and a will of iron. I fear you will find Ramon di Crianza Perez a most formidable adversary.’

Annalisa’s wide mouth softened, images of sun-kissed flesh and rippling muscles uppermost in her mind.

Misreading her expression, Don Alfonso warned, ‘It would be a mistake to underestimate Ramon Perez.’

‘He’s not such a monster,’ she reflected absently.

‘You know him!’

‘I have—’ Annalisa stopped, taking care over her choice of words. ‘I met Señor Perez briefly. He seemed perfectly civil—’

The lawyer’s frown deepened. ‘Forgive me, Señorita Wilson, but you are a young lady in her mid-twenties with limited experience—’

‘I am a working woman with a law degree,’ Annalisa returned sharply.

‘You would be most unwise to take Ramon Perez lightly.’

I would be most unwise to take him at all, she reminded herself wryly. Apart from the knowledge that she would be playing well out of her league, Ramon Perez was a married man. ‘I shall treat Señor Crianza Perez exactly as I would treat anyone else,’ she said confidently.

Don Alfonso shook his head. ‘I’m afraid that may not prove an effective tactic in this case.’

‘Well, we will just have to find a way to make Señor Perez understand that finca Fuego Montoya is not up for sale, Don Alfonso. This is my home,’ she said with a sweeping gesture. ‘And I intend to stay here for the rest of my life.’

The lawyer sucked in a deep breath as he flagged up his defeat with his hands. ‘So be it, Señorita Wilson. If those are your instructions—’

‘They are, Don Alfonso,’ Annalisa said firmly.

She was out in the yard when the low-slung black car screamed to a halt. Tossing back her wrist-thick ebony plait, Annalisa wiped her arm across her face as she waited for the dust cloud to settle. When she saw who was coming towards her she tensed. What on earth was Ramon Perez doing here? And why had she decided today of all days to emulate the local women by tucking her lightweight cotton skirt into her underwear while she worked?

Her mind revolved like a Catherine wheel, throwing off excuses…the hen hutches needed repairing…her shorts were drying on the line…

‘Buenos días, señorita!’ Ramon called out as he strode towards her, swiping the thick coating of limestone dust off his close-fitting jeans.

As he drew nearer she could see his sensuous mouth beginning to curve in the suspicion of a grin. And then he scanned her from head to foot.

‘I like your outfit,’ he commented approvingly.

Damn! Damn! Damn! Annalisa thought, wrenching her skirt free.

This was not the sort of meeting she had anticipated! She had instructed Don Alfonso to arrange something very different. Something cool and collected in the centre of town. In his shady, peaceful office—wearing suits, for goodness’ sake!

‘Thank you,’ she said, hoping there was enough of a casual note in her voice to fool Ramon into believing she was as composed as he was. She smoothed the crumpled fabric to a modest length around her calves and plucked at the low-cut cotton top that had once been white. ‘I bought it in the village.’

‘I would never have guessed,’ he murmured, turning away to study the various outbuildings before she had a chance to gauge his expression.

Even when the attention of those dark and disturbing eyes was deflected he had presence to spare, Annalisa thought, wishing she could relax.

‘You have plenty of work ahead of you,’ he called back to her. ‘These barns don’t look too safe. You mustn’t think of housing animals.’

‘I have no intention of doing so.’ She wished she could keep the edginess out of her voice. But the sight of those strong tanned hands thrust into the pockets of his jeans—

He fielded her peppery response with a laconic, ‘Forgive me, Annalisa. I am sure you will take every precaution. I did not mean to challenge your intentions.’

But his eyes said otherwise. They were watchful and amused as he turned to face her while he raked his thick black hair into order.

‘That’s OK,’ Annalisa lied, knowing her pale skin betrayed her feelings at the most inappropriate moments. ‘So, why are you here, Señor Perez?’

A grin tugged at one corner of his mouth. ‘I would have thought that was obvious.’ When she didn’t answer, he explained, ‘To see you, of course.’

‘Me?’ He was viewing her discomfort with a worrying degree of interest, she thought.

He gave a brief nod. ‘Don Alfonso came to see me on your behalf…to arrange a meeting. To discuss water rights.’

Annalisa tensed. He didn’t need to say any more. The water was her Achilles’ heel. If she was going to restore the orange groves, the closest source of fresh water ran across Ramon’s land. ‘In town. In his office,’ she agreed quickly. ‘Not here.’

‘Why not here?’

She squared her shoulders, as if signalling her refusal to be drawn into a debate out of the hearing of her lawyer. ‘What have you really come for, Señor Perez?’

Ramon dipped his head to bait her with his compelling stare. ‘To make sure you got home safely.’

‘Ah, yes,’ Annalisa said awkwardly, realising she should have said something sooner. ‘I can’t thank you and Margarita enough—’

He brushed off her gratitude with a gesture. ‘And to return this,’ he said, uncurling one large fist to reveal her tiny bikini.

A sharp sound somewhere between a sigh and a groan escaped her lips as she stepped forward to take it from him. But as one looping bra strap fell over her fingers, he reeled her in with a snap of his wrist. For a long moment they both stood motionless. Then at last he murmured, ‘Do you like playing games with me, Annalisa?’

Every tiny hair on her body stood erect as his warm breath caressed her senses. She had no way of seeing the expression on his face. At that moment her eyes were level with the third button down on his shirt. Was he talking about the water rights…the sale of the finca? Or something else…something on a far more personal level? That possibility made her shake her head emphatically as she struggled to remain immune to the very masculine heat coming from him. It was a heat with very different properties from the scorching midday sun. It was a heat that beat at her senses with unrelenting purpose…

‘Would you like to?’ he growled, so close to her ear that she shivered involuntarily. And then, as if he had received the answer he was looking for, he laughed as if it was indeed just a game to him and let her go.

‘I think it’s you who is playing games,’ Annalisa declared, struggling to hide the fact that she was very shaken indeed. ‘But thank you anyway for returning my—’

‘I was curious to see for myself the condition of the estate,’ Ramon broke in, as if nothing unusual had passed between them.

How could he change pace as smoothly as that? Annalisa wondered, fighting for equilibrium as he moved away from her to stroll around the yard.

If Don Alfonso had wanted to remind her that Ramon Perez was unlike any other man she had ever met, he could not have orchestrated a better demonstration! And the fact that Ramon was forbidden fruit failed to stop her heart from careering around her chest—whilst apparently he was able to remain detached and totally in control.