A Convenient Marriage

‘She only wants you to be happy.’

‘I am happy, for God’s sake! Why is it both of you can’t see that I’m doing what I want to do? I’m not like you two; I’m just not the maternal type.’

‘No?’ Grinning widely, Ellie absorbed the picture of her pretty older sister cuddling baby Tallulah to her supple, willowy frame as if she’d been born to the task.

‘Anyway,’ Sabrina retorted defiantly, ‘I haven’t the hips for it.’

‘Oh, no? I’ve seen the looks you get from men when you walk down the street, and believe me—you go in and out in all the right places. What I can’t quite believe is that you haven’t had a date for at least a year now, maybe more. Are all the men you come into contact with blind, as well as dead from the waist down?’

‘I don’t have time to date. The business takes up practically every waking hour.’

‘Now, that’s a sad indictment of a young woman’s life.’ Wagging her finger, Ellie scooped up a handful of soft toys that littered the carpet and dropped them into the baby’s playpen. ‘Forget the business for a while. Get yourself a date and go out and have some fun. That’s my answer to your present dilemma.’

‘Is that the time?’ Grimacing at her wrist-watch, Sabrina got hastily to her feet, plonked the baby back into her mother’s arms, paused to kiss each of the toddlers sitting in front of the TV, and headed for the front door. ‘I’ll ring you later. Sorry I’ve got to dash but I must get back to relieve Jill for lunch. The woman’s been in since eight and hasn’t had a bite yet.’

‘Well, I’m giving you my advice whether you want it or not!’ Ellie called after her as she hurried towards the compact gun-metal-grey car parked in the drive.

‘Find yourself a date and soon!’

With her sister’s undoubtedly well-meant advice ringing in her ears, Sabrina reversed out of the drive into a wide avenue and headed towards town. ‘Get myself a date,’ she muttered irritably as she fiddled with the radio dial. ‘Like I don’t have enough problems already without adding a man to the mix!’

Wrestling with her umbrella as well as her now soggy packet of sandwiches and her shoulder bag, Sabrina didn’t see the man standing in front of East-West Travel’s shopfront peering in until she was almost on top of him. As a strong arm reached out to steady her, she was engulfed in the lingering fragrance of expensive male cologne and a surprising heat that seemed to tinglingly transmit itself right through her body from the brief but firm exchange of contact.

‘I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there—I don’t normally try to mow people down with my umbrella.’ When she’d folded it, transferred her damp packet of sandwiches to her shoulder bag and brushed her brown hair from her eyes, Sabrina gave the man her full attention. Something inside did a funny little flip when she did. He was gorgeous. That was the only adjective that came to mind. Tall and Latin-looking with jet-black hair and eyes to match. Eyes that were so dark they glimmered back at her like perfect onyx jewels. When he didn’t reply she felt suddenly foolish—foolish and unprepared…but unprepared for what? To cover her embarrassment she gushed, ‘If you’re looking for somewhere warm at this time of year, Tenerife is always a good bet. I can put you in touch with some wonderful little family-run hotels, or if you wanted something a little more upmarket I could personally recommend some stunning places.’

When he still didn’t reply, Sabrina had a couple of bad moments of sheer panic. Perhaps he didn’t speak English? Perhaps he was looking at her wondering what this mad woman with the dripping hair and soggy sandwiches was blathering on about?

‘Oh, well.’ Thinking she’d better make a hasty retreat before she made a complete twit of herself, she shrugged good-naturedly, delivered one of her sunniest smiles and pushed at the shop door to go inside.

‘Wait.’

Funny how one softly enunciated little word could convey such innate command. ‘I beg your pardon?’

‘I would very much like to come inside and discuss a vacation with you.’

‘Well, great. Why don’t you follow me inside out of this rain?’

Jill had her coat on and her umbrella at the ready behind her desk. The blonde’s keen gaze positively lightened when she saw the dazzling specimen of manhood who walked in behind her boss. ‘Hi. It’s all been very quiet since you’ve been gone. I sent Rob out to lunch fifteen minutes ago—was that OK?’

‘Sure, Jill. You go out and get something yourself now. I’ll be fine here.’

‘OK. You be good, now.’ With a brief conspiratorial wink, the blonde swept past them both and the doorbell jangled behind her.

‘Take a seat. I’ll just get rid of my coat.’ Silently appreciative of the fug of warmth that enveloped her after the cold outside, Sabrina smiled again at the man as she made to dash into the little office at the end of the room. Javier hesitated, his astute business sense automatically kicking in as he scanned the small but neatly presented room with its three old-fashioned desks planted side by side, with an equally old-fashioned computer terminal positioned on top of each one. What was that word the English liked to use when describing something traditional rather than modern? ‘Quaint’, he thought it was. Yes, quaint. He smiled back at the woman who’d careened into him with her umbrella and registered that her eyes were startlingly blue and guileless…almost untainted by life.

‘You must eat your lunch as we talk,’ he instructed, and the guileless blue eyes shone back at him in surprise.

Sabrina could hardly believe a stranger was capable of such consideration. A little burst of warmth spread inside her. ‘I’ll make some coffee,’ she replied. ‘Would you like some?’

‘Black—no sugar. Thank you.’ Javier positioned his tall frame in a padded chair nearest to the office. Silently he watched her through the open door, marking her hurried movements. He saw her remove her coat and hang it on an old wooden coat-tree, saw her hand pat the back of her golden-brown hair encased in its slightly awry knot and registered that she was very pleasingly built beneath the rather plain blue suit and white blouse. Even several feet away from her, her light floral perfume lingered, insinuating its way past his defences and making him feel surprisingly at ease. Astounding when his heart and head were in such turmoil over Angelina and her father. Michael had insisted the child attend school today and at three-thirty Rosie would pick her up and take her to a friend’s for tea. ‘Best keep everything as normal as possible,’ Michael had instructed him. Javier intended to be back at the house to greet her when she came back from her friend’s—by which time he would surely have had news of the outcome of his brother-in-law’s treatment?

‘There you are.’ Registering the slight rattle of the cup in the saucer as she placed the coffee carefully down in front of him, Sabrina noted there were no rings on his fingers and his hands were very slender and very brown. And that accent of his—she couldn’t quite place it; South American perhaps, but which country?

Sliding behind her desk, she drew her own mug of steaming coffee towards her. Self-consciously unwrapping her sandwiches, she gathered up the cling film into a little ball and jettisoned it into a nearby bin.

‘I hope you don’t mind?’ she checked again before taking a ladylike bite of her chicken sandwich. ‘I didn’t actually have any breakfast and to tell you the truth I’m starving!’

‘Go ahead. One cannot properly conduct business on an empty stomach.’ His lips parted in a brief smile. His teeth were very white against his tan, and movie-star perfect. For the first time she noticed he had a dimple in his chin…a very sexy little dimple. Somehow her morsel of food had trouble getting past her throat.

‘So…any ideas where you’d like to go?’

‘Excuse me?’

‘On holiday? I presume you’re thinking of taking a break somewhere?’

Javier shrugged his broad shoulders and wondered what the perfectly English Miss—he squinted at the name on the small gold badge on her lapel—Sabrina Kendricks would think if she knew he had travelled the globe more times than she’d find it easy to believe. As a man who’d built up a successful one-stop travel business on the internet, he spent a large majority of his life travelling. No, he didn’t need a holiday. What he needed right now was a little more complicated than that…

‘Are you usually this quiet?’ Ignoring her question, Javier posed another one. As he did so he glanced curiously around him, noting the colourful posters of varying exotic locations on the walls behind her, the two tall potted plants that resembled miniature palm trees by the door, the once rich maroon carpet beneath his feet that was more than just a little faded. The whole business had an air of regal deterioration about it. Rubbing his hand round the back of his neck, Javier sighed. Her computer system looked badly out of date, too. How on earth were they making a living?

Sabrina took a hasty sip of coffee, nearly scalding her mouth in the process. ‘It’s raining,’ she explained as if he should understand the unspoken meaning without her elucidating further.

‘That puts people off?’ His lips quirked wryly. The woman was blushing and it intrigued him as to why.

‘It’s a slow time of the year.’ Shrugging, she glanced quickly away from his too knowing black eyes.

‘I should have thought many people would be booking vacations leading up to Christmas. The prospect of getting away after such a hectic time would appeal to most, no?’

He said it as if he knew what he was talking about and Sabrina felt herself grow prickly and defensive. She could hardly tell him that the bigger travel chains that dominated most high streets nowadays naturally took most of the business. But then they couldn’t offer the very personal, specialist, highly skilled service that Sabrina and her colleagues had perfected over fifteen years, could they? The chains didn’t have time to devote to planning sometimes elaborate itineraries for their wealthier, more established clients—not when they wanted to shift as many cheap package holidays as possible. If Sabrina wanted to compete, it looked as if she would have to go that way too.

‘It’s not always as quiet as this.’

‘I have offended you.’ Javier heard the slight quiver in her voice with genuine remorse, saw the wave of pink that shaded her cheeks.

‘No.’ Putting down her half-eaten sandwich, Sabrina patted her lips with her paper napkin. For some reason a picture of the loathsome Richard Weedy floated into her mind and she heard him say again that she wasn’t a good risk so he wouldn’t be recommending the loan. She’d walked out of the bank feeling as if she’d gone to him with a begging bowl. Ugh!

‘I’m just not having a very good day. Nothing to do with anyone else but my own sorry inability to rise above my disappointment.’

Inexplicably, Javier’s gaze went to her fingers. Her hands were pretty and small but minus a ring of any description. ‘Someone hurt your feelings…a man, perhaps?’

It took only a couple of seconds for his comment to click. ‘Not in any romantic sense, no.’ She was smiling now, her blue eyes shining with humour, and Javier realised that, with her high cheekbones and generous mouth, she was really quite exquisite. She’d be even more exquisite if she let that hair of hers down… Now, where had that thought come from?

‘Anyway. Back to business. If you don’t want a holiday, Mr—er—?’

‘D’Alessandro—Javier D’Alessandro.’

He said it so beautifully that Sabrina was instantly transported to another time and place; somewhere very different from chilly, dreary London, somewhere with a landscape of burnt sienna and hot sun, a place where conquistadores ruled the land, conjuring up pictures of glamour and adventure. A place where her current concerns and worries disappeared like magic beneath the hypnotic gaze of a dark-skinned, dark-eyed lover…

‘If you don’t want a holiday, Mr D’Alessandro, then what can I do for you?’ Unconsciously her tongue wetted the seam of her lips. Javier’s eyes seemed to grow darker still as he registered the fact.