A Diamond for Del Rio's Housekeeper

‘No ice cream for me, thank you.’ Don Xavier put up his hand as if to ward off the scoop of ice cream she was offering him.

Her stomach was clenching with apprehension, but she’d started so she’d finish. ‘I’m afraid I must insist.’

‘You must insist?’ he said, scanning her face as if he thought she’d gone mad.

‘I don’t have any champagne to toast your aunt,’ Rosie explained, ‘and as Doña Anna loved ice cream, I thought we could both take a moment to remember her.’

Her throat was so tight by the time she’d finished this little speech she couldn’t have argued with him if she’d tried, so it was a relief when he reached for the bowl. Lifting her own bowl, she proposed huskily, ‘To Doña Anna...’

A muscle flexed in Don Xavier’s jaw, and then—and she was sure she wasn’t mistaken—the faintest hint of amusement sparked in his eyes. So he was human after all. ‘I’m sure if we do this together, we can do more things together,’ she prompted as she waited for him to start eating. She had to stop herself exclaiming with relief when his firm mouth closed around the spoon.

‘Doña Anna,’ he murmured, holding her gaze until heat flared inside her.

‘Doña Anna,’ she repeated, trying not to meet his eyes as she wondered what else he could do with that sexy mouth. He was just so unreasonably hot. She had never been alone with such a good-looking man before, let alone so close to him. Her ideal was based on the heroes in the books she used to read to Doña Anna, and they were all big and dark and dangerous too.

And that was quite enough rambling off-track for one day, Rosie warned herself firmly. If Don Xavier had made the slightest move she’d have run a mile.

‘Are we done here?’ he asked, dipping his head to bait her with his piercing stare.

‘Yes, I think so. Thank you for that.’ Her body thanked him very much. She was tingling with awareness.

* * *

He wanted to smear her with ice cream and lick it off slowly. He wanted to lay her down on the kitchen table and attend quite thoroughly to Señorita Clifton’s every need. He wanted to explore every hungry part of her body slowly. He could certainly see some use for the ice cream. The contrast of heat and cold would be a torment to her—to him too, but that torment would end with pleasure so extreme, they would never forget it.

‘The tour?’ he prompted, shaking himself around.

‘Of course.’ She smiled primly into his eyes, but he couldn’t help wondering what was going on behind that lambent gaze.

Why did the one woman in the world he needed to eject from his life as efficiently and quickly as possible have to be so desirable, and so ready for seduction?

Why did she have to be so infuriatingly in his way?

It was vital to keep his mind on his goal, which was to own one hundred per cent of the island. He had to leave all thoughts of seducing Rosie Clifton out of it.

‘When we’ve completed the tour, you can sign the documents...’ He glanced at them.

Her gaze followed his to the table. ‘I’ll have to read them first,’ she said. ‘That’s another lesson Doña Anna taught me,’ she explained blithely. ‘Never write anything down that you’re not happy for the whole world to read—and never sign anything until you know what you’re putting your name to.’

Striding to the kitchen door to hide the impatience on his face, he opened it. ‘Don’t you trust me?’

‘Should I?’ She looked up candidly as he closed the door behind them both.

He should be used to her directness by now. She’d never had the chance to develop social niceties, he allowed. What you saw was what you got with Rosie Clifton. She had to be the most straightforward woman he’d ever met. ‘Those documents concern the future of the island,’ he informed her. ‘Something I thought you cared deeply about.’

‘I do,’ she assured him, ‘but I care for Doña Anna’s last wishes equally.’

‘In that case, you’ll read them and sign them.’

‘When I’ve read them, I’ll decide what to do,’ she said in a pleasant tone that made it hard to argue.

‘We’ll discuss it later,’ he snapped. ‘It’s getting dark.’

Later? She kept her cool, but inwardly she quailed. How long did Don Xavier plan to stay? As for reading the documents later, she got the distinct impression that it didn’t matter whether she did or not, as his decision regarding the island was already made.

‘Do I have your attention, Señorita Clifton?’

‘You have all of it,’ she said honestly, running to catch up with him. She would have to be made of wood not to be impressed by his staggering good looks and his physique, but even they couldn’t compete with the force of his personality. ‘Shall I lead the way?’ she suggested pleasantly.