A Deal with Alejandro (Rival Brothers 1)

She had given back as good as he dished out, but he knew the depth of his lovemaking tonight had worn her out. Her soft breathing told him she was almost asleep. A part of him wanted to keep the status quo. But a greater part of him felt the need to relax the reins of his control for her, even if it made him vulnerable.

‘I’d never experienced jealousy before I met you

. Now I’m jealous of every single moment you’ll spend away from me.’

A soft gasp broke from her. ‘Alejandro.’

‘How long?’ he grated. He kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling, absurdly unwilling to risk looking into her eyes in that moment.

‘Three days. Four at the most.’

He swallowed hard. ‘Take my plane.’

‘What? No, you need it—’

‘Gael arrives tomorrow. He’ll no doubt resume his efforts to remain a pain in my backside. He can fly me down to Seville on Saturday.’

‘I—’

He captured a handful of silky hair. ‘Say “thank you, Alejandro.”’

‘Thank you, Oh, Bossy One.’

He kissed her, because the time had long since passed when he could resist her. As passion whipped high and fierce again, Alejandro wondered if it was past time to stop trying to save his heart from bigger, riskier things, as well.

* * *

He ended up catching a commercial flight to Seville when Gael got caught up in an emergency. The mundane nature of it all helped keep his mind off the impending visit. And off the sheer intensity with which he missed Elise.

There were more satellite factories to set up and contracts to negotiate with new businesses, but from the start there’d been an unspoken agreement between them that this affair would only last for the duration of her contract with him.

Which meant that she would be gone in a few weeks. Or it had been that way. Until he’d woken this morning with a physical pain in his chest from missing her.

Alejandro didn’t have anything to compare these emotions to, but whatever he felt for her, he knew he wasn’t ready to walk away. And their goodbye in his plane two days ago had given him hope that she felt the same way.

All he had to do was lay a few ghosts to rest—

‘Andro.’

He stopped in his tracks. The voice. The name. Dios, it dragged him back to a place he suddenly doubted he wanted to go.

Slowly he turned to his left. And exhaled at the sight of his father.

A tumult of emotions tore through him, cracking open places he’d thought were sealed for ever. ‘Papá.’

Tomas Aguilar held out his hand. Alejandro hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and took it.

‘We need to talk.’

The older man, who despite his greying hair and slightly stooped posture still turned female heads, nodded. ‘Sí, I don’t imagine you came all this way just to sample the sangria.’ He looked down at Alejandro’s empty hand. ‘No bags?’

‘I’m not staying.’

Regret and sadness passed through his father’s eyes. Although he steeled himself against it, Alejandro was buoyed by that show of emotion.

The sudden need to find some redeemable quality within himself didn’t pass without ironic notice. He followed his father into the cool sunshine.

The ride to his childhood home was conducted mostly in silence. When his father drew up in front of the villa, Alejandro couldn’t bring himself to step out.