The Most Expensive Lie of All

‘To this.’

Quick as a flash he reached for her, grabbed the back of her neck before she’d realised his intention and hauled her mouth across to his. Aspen stiffened, determined to resist the force of his hungry assault. And she did. For a moment. A brief moment before her senses took over and shut down her brain. A brief moment before his mouth softened. A brief moment before he pulled back and looked at her with lazy amusement. As if he was already the victor.

‘He won’t sell to you,’ she blazed at him.

His smile kicked up one corner of his mouth. ‘He’ll sell to me.’

Aspen cut her gaze from his. She hated his insolent confidence because she wished she had just a smidgeon of it herself. ‘How long till we get there?’ she griped.

He laughed softly. ‘So eager, gatita?’

‘Yes,’ she fumed. ‘Eager to get out of your horrible company. In fact I don’t know why we didn’t just do this on the plane. Or at The Farm, come to think of it.’

His head tilted as he regarded her. ‘Maybe I want to woo you.’

Aspen blew out a breath. ‘I wonder what your mother would have to say about your behaviour?’

‘Damn.’ Cruz forked a hand through his hair, his lazy amusement at her expense turning to disgust.

He cursed again and gunned the engine.

‘Problem?’ she asked, hoping beyond hope that there was one.

‘You could say that.’ His words came out as a snarl.

She waited for him to elaborate and sighed when he didn’t. This situation was impossible. There was no way she would be able to relax with this man enough to have sex with him. Which was fine, she thought. It would serve him right, all things considered.

Switching her mind off, she turned her attention outside the window. From the air Mexico was an amazing contrast of stark brown mountains and stretches of dried-up desert against the brilliant blue of the Pacific Ocean. On the ground the theme continued, with pockets of abject beauty mixed with states of disrepair. A bit like her own mind, she mused in a moment of black humour.

But gradually, as Cruz drove them through small towns and along broken cobblestoned streets alive with pedestrians and tourists fortified against the amazing heat with wide-brimmed hats, Aspen felt herself start to relax.

She snuck a glance at Cruz’s beautiful profile. His expression was so serious he looked as if he belonged on a penny. The silence stretched out like the bitumen in front of them and finally Aspen couldn’t take it any longer. ‘So you went back to Mexico after you left The Farm?’

He cut her a brief glance. ‘You want the low-down on my life story, gatita?’

No, she wanted to know if it would take a silver bullet to end his life, or whether an ordinary one would do the trick.

One night, Aspen.

‘I was making polite conversation.’

‘Choose another topic.’

Okay.

‘Why do you want my farm?’

‘It’s a great location for a hotel. Why else?’

Aspen glared at him. ‘You’re going to tear it down, aren’t you?’ Tear down the only home she’d ever loved. Tear down the stables.

‘Perhaps.’

‘You can’t do that.’

‘Actually, I can.’

‘Why? Revenge?’

She saw a muscle tick in his jaw. ‘Not revenge. Money.’

Aspen blew out a breath, more determined than ever that he shouldn’t get his hands on her property. ‘How much further is it to the hotel?’ she asked completely exasperated.

Cruz smiled. ‘You sound like you’re not expecting to enjoy yourself, gatita.’

She didn’t answer, and she felt his curious gaze on her as she stared sightlessly out of the window.

‘It will be a while,’ he said abruptly. ‘We have a small detour to make.’

Aspen glanced back at his austere expression. ‘What sort of detour?’

‘I have to stop at my mother’s house.’

‘Your mother’s house?’ She frowned. ‘Why would you take me to meet your mother?’

‘Believe me, I’m not happy about it either,’ he said. ‘Unfortunately my brother has arranged her surprise birthday party for today and I promised I’d show up.’

‘Your mother’s...’ She cleared her throat as if she had something stuck in it. ‘You could have warned me.’

‘I just did.’

She blew out a frustrated breath.

‘Don’t make a big deal out of it,’ he cautioned. ‘I’m not.’