A Spanish Engagement (4 page)

That stunt he had pulled yesterday proved he liked to play his cards close to his chest. So she needed to tread warily and keep her wits about her.

Opening the front door, he stood back to allow her to enter the house before him. He had impeccable manners, she noted. It was something she liked in a man. Forcefully she tried to steer her mind away from the things she liked about Max. He was obviously a shrewd businessman and that was all that should concern her.

Carrie glanced around the entrance hall to the villa. She liked the cool marble floors and the majestic staircase that curved gracefully down with a most magnificent wrought-iron banister. There were a few doors leading off in various directions, but Max led her through the nearest one and into a lounge that was light and airy. It had the same marble floors as the hallway. Large white settees with pale blue striped cushions echoed the blue of a swimming pool that lapped outside on the white terrazzo terrace.

The interior design of the property was fabulous and everywhere there were vases of fresh flowers. She found herself gearing herself up to meet his wife. He had to be
married…this place was too perfect and he was too handsome.

‘Shall we sit outside on the terrace?’ Max asked as he opened the patio doors and led the way outside to a table and chairs strategically placed to look out over the garden towards the mountains.

‘It’s beautiful here.’ Carrie didn’t sit down immediately. She leaned against the balustrade, her eyes following a grassy path that led down towards an orange grove.

‘Yes, I like it.’ As Max spoke his eyes didn’t move from her face.

She was aware of him watching her and it made her acutely self-conscious. Why was he looking at her like that? she wondered.

‘Do you live here alone?’ she asked, and hoped the question didn’t sound as if she were too interested.

‘Yes, I do.’

‘Really?’ She was surprised, and it showed clearly in her eyes now as she looked over at him.

‘Yes, really.’ He grinned as if he found her reaction extremely amusing. ‘I had this house built a few years ago. Other members of my family live nearby, and my parents live in the main family house in the other direction, about ten kilometres.’

‘This is a big place for one person,’ she said hurriedly, trying to cover her incredulity.

‘I suppose it is. But I like my space.’

‘Yes, I do too. But I’ve always been happy with my apartment up until now,’ she found herself telling him impulsively. ‘It’s compact and central and was the answer to all my requirements when I purchased it. But since Molly has come into my life I want to look for something with a bit more space myself.’ She smiled at him. ‘Nothing as grand as this, of course, just a little place with a
manageable garden where she can play.’ She paused for a moment. ‘That’s providing I get custody, of course.’

He noticed the sudden shadow that crossed her blue eyes. ‘Molly means a lot to you, doesn’t she?’ he said softly.

‘Yes.’ Carrie raised her chin and met his eyes squarely. ‘She means absolutely everything; she is the only family I have left.’

‘I can understand that. Family is very important. For instance this estate has been passed down from father to son for generations. As I’m the only son it will all be my responsibility one day, until I pass it on to my children.’

‘That feeling of continuity must be very rewarding,’ Carrie murmured.

‘In some ways.’ He shrugged. ‘In other ways it can be a pressure.’

‘What kind of a pressure?’ she asked curiously.

Max hesitated for a moment. ‘Well…nearly all my family work in the wine business, my uncles and cousins… So it is extremely important that its success is maintained.’

‘Well, I can take one weight off your mind,’ Carrie said promptly. ‘When you employ
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advertising services you won’t be making a mistake.’

Max laughed. ‘You’re a shrewd businesswoman, do you know that?’

‘Of course.’ She nodded. ‘Which is why you should employ my services for your vineyard.’

A young Spanish woman came out onto the terrace behind them and interrupted to ask in halting English if they would like a drink before lunch.

‘A glass of lemonade would be nice,’ Carrie said as Max looked enquiringly over at her.

‘Still keeping a clear head for business?’ he asked with a grin as they were left alone again.

‘I don’t drink much,’ she said with a shrug. ‘Which is the real reason I hadn’t got around to tasting your wine before yesterday.’

She looked over at him and met his eyes and there was silence between them for a moment. ‘Why did you tell me yesterday that you’re a lawyer?’ she asked him huskily, needing to know the truth.

‘Because I am.’

She frowned. ‘But I thought you ran this place?’

‘I am on the board of directors but I haven’t taken on the full responsibility for the vineyards yet. That won’t happen until my father decides to retire.’

‘Oh, I see.’

‘Unfortunately my father is in hospital at the moment. He had a mild stroke a few weeks ago. Which means I’ve had to take time out from my own work to step into his shoes for a while.’

‘I’m so sorry. How is your father?’

‘He’s fine. The doctors say he will make a complete recovery.’

‘At least that is a relief for you.’

Max nodded. ‘Yes, it is. But it’s been a shock. I thought my father was invincible… I thought I’d have a lot more time being independent from the Santos empire. Now I’m not so sure.’

Their drinks arrived and Max led the way over to the table and pulled out one of the chairs for her. Then he leaned back in his chair and surveyed her steadily.

‘Anyway, that’s enough about that boring subject—tell me about you.’

‘I told you about me yesterday,’ she said with a rueful smile. ‘In fact, I think I told you far too much. Probably bored you to tears.’

‘I can assure you that wasn’t the case,’ Max said with a small smile.

Something about his smile pulled at her heartstrings. Hastily she looked away. Max was a charmer, and she knew the dangers of falling for one of them. ‘Anyway, I suppose we should get down to business. What did you think about my ideas yesterday?’

‘I thought they were good,’ he said truthfully. ‘My father would approve.’

‘Will you have to run these ideas past him? Or will you have the final say?’

‘I’m trying to keep all business decisions away from my father at the moment,’ Max said briskly. ‘As his health isn’t good my mother doesn’t want him bothered by any kind of decision-making. So I will have the final say.’ He grinned wryly. ‘There, you’ve dragged it out of me. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be signing on the dotted line without going over everything in minute detail again.’

‘I can live with that,’ she said, feeling pleased with herself for even pinning him down that much.

‘Even if it means staying for an extra-long lunch?’ he asked with a smile.

‘Absolutely.’ She smiled back. ‘My time is yours.’

‘Now, that is encouraging.’

Carrie looked into his eyes and for a moment she felt as if some invisible magnetising force were pulling her towards him. She wondered suddenly what he would say if she asked him to come to lunch tomorrow to meet Molly’s grandmother and pretend to be her partner. As soon as the idea crossed her mind she discarded it in horror. She knew from experience the dangers of mixing business with her personal life. It was a golden rule she intended to stick to from now on. And anyway Max Santos would probably be appalled if she told him of her little white lie…might even decide to take his advertising contract elsewhere; he was a businessman, after all, and
he’d want someone who could give one hundred per cent to his advertising, not someone with personal problems.

‘Anyway…’ Hastily she looked away from him and reached for her briefcase. ‘Let’s see now…I do have some more details that I need to discuss.’

Max watched the way she calmly opened her leather briefcase. He admired her professionalism, and she intrigued him…it had been a long time since a woman had done that.

Carrie riffled through the pages hurriedly until she found the relevant details.

For a while their conversation centred on the papers in front of her, but it took all of Carrie’s resolve to remain focused. She was aware of everything about him: his smile made her heat up inside—even his businesslike questions seemed to stir excitement inside her.

She was relieved when the housekeeper arrived to tell them that lunch was served, giving her a few moments to gather her senses.

Max led her through to a dining room that also opened up onto the terrace. What was it about this man that made her feel like this? she wondered suddenly as she took a seat opposite him at a long, polished table and watched as he poured her a glass of wine. Why did she sense danger every time her eyes collided with his?

‘So, if you are happy with my suggestions, perhaps we could finalise the details and close our deal today?’ she suggested briskly.

‘You seem to be in quite a hurry suddenly, Carrie,’ he remarked.

‘Well, you know what they say, time is money.’ She met his eyes directly for a moment. ‘But then I sense that you don’t like to waste time either.’

He smiled at that. ‘You’re right, I don’t. But I’ve still got time for our extra-long lunch.’

‘Yes, of course.’ She laughed, and then, unable to hold his gaze for any longer, she looked away. ‘But I dare not be too late back to Barcelona today otherwise Molly’s grandmother will have me hung.’ Deliberately she lightened her tone and concentrated her attention on the salad appetiser of mozzarella cheese and vine tomatoes that the housekeeper placed before her. It was drizzled with olive oil and garnished with fresh basil, giving it the healthy, succulent taste of the Mediterranean.

Max watched her closely across the table. He had never met a woman who tried to keep herself so reserved, so aloof. He sensed that she used her work as a barrier to hide behind—that for all those sharp, businesslike responses she was extremely vulnerable. He wondered suddenly if she had been badly hurt by somebody in the past.

‘Well, I’ll try not to keep you too late,’ he said softly. ‘Are you picking Molly up from school?’

‘No, her grandma has asked to do that. She wants to spend some time with her.’

‘Then I presume you are hurrying back for some hot date?’

‘Certainly not. I have enough complications in my life at the moment! I simply want to be back at my apartment when Carmel arrives with Molly. We have a lot to discuss.’

‘Between that and work, life seems pretty hectic for you,’ he said nonchalantly. ‘I’m the same, running between this place and my work.’

They were interrupted by a sudden commotion out in the hallway. Carrie looked around and saw that it was Manuel, arriving accompanied by two boisterous children, a boy and girl of about Molly’s age. They looked like twins.

‘Sorry about this disruption,’ Manuel said from the open doorway. ‘They’ve been sent home on a half-day
from school and my wife has been delayed in town. I’m just going to go and drop them with their grandma.’

‘That’s okay,’ Max said easily. He didn’t seem fazed as the children caught sight of him and hurried through the doorway to greet him.

Carrie watched as he pushed his chair back from the table and welcomed them both with a bear-like hug, ruffling their hair and grinning as they chatted to him excitedly.

They were attractive children with dark hair and eyes very like their father, and they were talking in rapid Spanish. ‘Uncle Max, Mum says we can have a birthday party in our back garden next week and that you’ll come and so will everyone else and we might have pony rides and a barbecue—’

‘Hey, you two, steady on,’ Manuel said laughingly from the doorway. ‘Uncle Max is in the middle of a business meeting. He doesn’t want to hear about your birthday party.’

‘On the contrary, I’m very interested,’ Max said with a grin.

Carrie watched as the children perched one on each knee, and she found herself comparing Max’s easy manner with the awkward way José had behaved around Molly. If Molly had interrupted like this, José would have been totally irritated; he’d had no patience or time for Molly at all.

‘Carrie, these are Manuel’s children,’ Max introduced her cheerfully. ‘Belle and Emilio. It will be their fifth birthday a week on Sunday.’

‘Hello, you two.’ Carrie smiled and spoke to them in Spanish. ‘It sounds like you will be having a great party.’

They launched into an excited and noisy description of their party plans and Carrie found herself laughing and asking them more questions.

‘I just came over to tell you that your father rang through to the office a little while ago, asking about these delivery dates,’ Manuel said to Max. ‘I told him everything was under control, but he seemed to be fretting about things.’

Max shook his head. ‘I’ll pop down to the hospital a little later and reassure him. All he should be thinking about is getting well.’

‘Yes, that’s exactly what I told him,’ Manuel agreed, ‘but you know what he’s like. Doesn’t like to listen.’

The housekeeper brought in their main courses.

‘Come on, children, we need to go and leave Uncle Max and Carrie in peace.’

The twins seemed reluctant to move, especially when Max started to tickle them unmercifully and make them giggle.

He was good with children, Carrie thought idly. And she thought suddenly that maybe she had misjudged him yesterday when she had thought he was just a flirtatious Casanova type like her ex-husband…she didn’t even know him.

As the twins slipped down off his knee they grinned over at Carrie. ‘Are you Uncle Max’s new girlfriend?’ the little girl asked her suddenly.

Before Carrie or Max could answer that question their father was shooing them out of the room, sending profuse apologies in Carrie’s direction. ‘Sorry about this; see you later, Max. Perhaps we can have that talk before you go down to the hospital?’

‘Yes, give me an hour, Manuel, and then come up.’

As the front door closed behind them Max grinned over at Carrie. ‘Having kids around is a bit like having a whirling dervish rushing through the house, isn’t it?’