Alejandro's Revenge

Abby had been about to pick up her coffee cup again, but now she pressed her hands together in her lap. She’d never dreamt that he might confront her with what had happened two years ago. Had he no shame? Or did he just enjoy making her squirm?

‘I’d prefer not to talk about it,’ she said at last, though she balked at addressing him as Mr Varga again. She didn’t want to anger him. That would be foolish. ‘It was a mistake I’d just as soon forget.’

Alejandro’s mouth compressed. ‘You think?’ he said, regarding her flushed face for several long nerve-racking seconds. His eyes dropped to the ring on her finger. ‘Edward told me there was a new man in your life.’

A new man?

Abby didn’t know what he meant by that, but she had no intention of entering into a discussion about her private life. It was hard enough to believe Edward would have told him anything. And that rekindled all the suspicions about Lauren her brother had raised.

‘Look,’ she said, trying not to sound concerned, ‘what is this all about? And please don’t tell me you’re interested in what I’ve been doing. It’s a little late to find your conscience now.’

‘My conscience?’ He seemed amazed by her directness. ‘I am sure your brother has told you I do not have such a thing. But you, Abigail—you are different from Edward. And I still find you attractive. Please have no doubts about that.’

Abby was stunned into silence. Had he guessed why Edward had tricked her into coming here? But, if so, did that mean there was some truth in what Edward had been saying? Were he and Lauren really involved in an affair?

‘I—my brother has had an accident,’ she said unevenly. ‘That’s the only reason why I’m here.’

‘If you say so,’ he said, his eyes dark and guarded. ‘But your brother has another agenda, I think.’

Abby swallowed. ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she said, not sure now she even wanted to know.

‘Edward has a hairline fracture to his leg,’ he said, his tone dismissive. ‘Hardly life-threatening, I think you will agree.’

The fact that Abby herself had said much the same when she’d found out was not an issue. ‘He’s had a terrible shock,’ she insisted tensely. ‘He could have been killed—’

‘But he was not,’ inserted Alejandro unfeelingly, much like her fiancé. ‘Forgive me, Abigail, but your brother leads far too charmed a life to have it taken away by a drunken driver. The accident was unfortunate, but not serious. The car was damaged, sí, but it was not a write-off.’

Abby pushed back her chair and got to her feet. Whatever Edward expected of her, she couldn’t stand any more of this. Did Alejandro know why Edward had brought her here, or was he only guessing? And why, when he insisted he was still interested in her, did she feel so aggrieved when this was exactly what her brother had hoped?

‘If you’ll excuse me…’ she said, not really caring whether he did or not. But Alejandro wasn’t finished with her.

When she would have circled the table and hurried up the steps to the terrace, he moved into her path. ‘You are not leaving already,’ he said, and although it was said innocently enough Abby thought it sounded like a warning. ‘We have not finished our discussion, Abigail. Edward is not going to like it if you don’t get a favourable result.’

‘How dare you?’

Abby was so incensed her hand moved automatically towards his face. But Alejandro’s hand was quicker, trapping her wrist in mid-flight, holding it effortlessly away from harm.

‘I think not,’ he said softly, his warm breath lifting the unruly strands of hair from her cheek. ‘If your brother wants my help, you will have to do better than this, cara. I regret the need to use these methods, Abigail, but I did not make the rules.’