His eyes narrowed. Nobody in his family talked about the past—not even Ricardo. Cruz had come back from Ocean Haven eight years ago angry—yes, by God, angry—and he’d stayed that way. And he liked it. Anger drove him and defined him. Made him hungry and kept him on his guard.
He looked at Aspen. Unfortunately for her he was really angry now. ‘I don’t remember reading anywhere in that makeshift document of yours that pop psychology was part of our deal.’
Her eyes flashed up at him. ‘I was only trying to help. Though I don’t know why,’ she muttered, half under her breath, inflaming his anger even more.
‘Helping wasn’t part of it either. There’s only one thing I want from you. Conversation before or after is not only superfluous, it’s irrelevant.’
She gave him that hurt look again, before masking it with cool hauteur, and he felt his teeth grind together.
Dammit, why couldn’t he look at her without feeling so...so much?
All the time.
Lust, anger, disappointment, hunger. A deep hunger for more—and not just of that sweet body which had haunted more dreams than he cared to remember.
He reminded himself of the type of woman she was. The type who would use that body to further her own interests.
She’d used it to good effect to deceive him years ago and hadn’t cared a damn for his feelings. That was real. That was who she was. And once he’d had her in his bed, had slaked his lust for her—used her in return—then she’d be out of his life and his head.
Hell, he couldn’t wait.
CHAPTER SIX
IT WAS EARLY evening by the time Cruz turned onto the long stretch of driveway that led to the Rodriquez Polo Club. A hotel, Aspen had heard it said, that was a hotel to end all hotels.
She didn’t care. She was too keyed-up to be impressed. And, anyway, it was just a hotel.
Only it wasn’t just anything. It was magnificent.
A palatial honey-coloured building that looked about ten storeys high, it curved like a giant horseshoe around a network of manicured gardens with a central fountain that resembled an inverted chandelier.
As soon as their SUV stopped a uniformed concierge jumped to attention and treated Cruz with the deference one usually expected only around royalty.
Expensively clad men and women wandered languidly in and out of the glassed entrance as if all their cares in the world had disappeared and Aspen glanced down at her old top and jeans. Despite the fact that her grandfather had once been seriously wealthy, Ocean Haven hadn’t done well for so long that Aspen couldn’t remember the last personal item she’d bought other than deodorant. Now she felt like Cinderella before the makeover, and it only seemed to widen the gulf between her and the brooding man beside her.
‘Well, I can see why it’s rated as seven stars and I haven’t even seen inside yet,’ she said with reluctant admiration. ‘And, oh...wow...’ she added softly. A row of bronzed life-sized horses that looked as if they were racing each other in a shallow pool with shots of water trickling around them glowed under strategically placed lights, adding both pizazz and majesty to the entrance. ‘There’s so much to see. I almost don’t want to go inside.’
‘Unfortunately we’re not allowed to serve meals on the kerb so you’ll have to.’
Aspen switched her gaze to Cruz at his unexpected humour and her pulse skittered. He was just so handsome and charismatic. What would it feel like, she wondered, to be with him at the hotel because she wanted to be there and he wanted her to be there with him?
The unexpected thought had her nearly stumbling over her own feet.
Why was she even thinking like that?
The last thing she needed was to become involved with a man again. And Cruz had told her in no uncertain terms that he expected sex and nothing else. No need to pretty it up with unwanted emotion.
How had she convinced herself that she’d be able to do this? Not only because of her own inherent dislike of sex but because it was so cold. What would happen once they got upstairs? Did they go straight to the bedroom? Undress? Would he undress her? No. Probably not.
Fortunately she didn’t have much time to contemplate the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as the doorman swept open the chrome and glass doors and inclined his head as Cruz strode inside. Aspen scurried to keep up and couldn’t help but notice the lingering attention Cruz garnered with effortless ease.
Another deferential staff member in a severely cut suit descended on him and Aspen left them to stroll towards a circular platform with a large wood carving of a polo player on horseback.