Claiming His Convenient Fiancée. Natalie AndersonЧитать онлайн книгу.
in shock, then she almost squeaked. ‘You mean with Alejandro? You’re why he bought this house? He bought it for you?’
It was amazing how the smallest suggestion could snowball into something so out of control so quickly.
‘It’s a secret, you understand,’ Kitty murmured guiltily, not quite correcting Sarah’s assumption and hoping Alejandro was still deeply involved with his conversation and not eavesdropping.
‘The two of you are that...serious?’ Sarah’s voice rose.
She was so obviously thunderstruck at the notion that Kitty was suddenly irate. Why was it so shocking that an attractive man might want her? Just for once she wanted to knock the superior smirk from this woman’s face—and every other person who’d looked at her as if she were a loser freak. ‘We’re—’
Sarah’s eyes narrowed on the way Alejandro was holding Kitty’s left hand so firmly. ‘You’re never engaged,’ she breathed.
‘We’re...er...’ Kitty suddenly realised a metaphorical crevasse had opened at her feet. She was in real trouble.
That was when Alejandro turned.
If only the earth really would open up and swallow her whole.
‘Kitty’s just told me the news.’ Sarah reached out and put a hand on his wrist and shot Kitty a sharp look before Kitty could even draw breath. ‘Congratulations.’
Kitty couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
And then Sarah did it. She asked so loudly that several heads turned. ‘Are you two really engaged, Alejandro?’
ALEJANDRO’S FINGERS TIGHTENED again on Kitty’s—extremely firmly.
But Kitty didn’t wince. She held her breath, waiting for the ultimate in public humiliation. It was suddenly so quiet, it was as if the rest of the world was holding its breath with her. This would actually be worse than when she’d finally found out about James’s infidelity. At least she’d been alone then and not in the centre of a roomful of people.
‘Sarah guessed,’ Kitty muttered as she finally braved a glance up at him and recklessly killed the silence that had been a fraction too long already. ‘She’s always been astute.’
His gaze imprisoned hers and for a second everyone in the room faded. His eyes were like banked furnaces, so very black but so very deep and there was a level of emotion in them that she’d not expected and that she couldn’t interpret.
Oh, God, she should just run away now.
His fingers tightened even more—to the point of pain—as if he’d read her mind and was physically preventing her escape. But she wanted to run. She had to. How could she ever explain?
Sarah—the one who’d never told her that her fiancé was sleeping with someone else. Sarah—who’d never been nice, who’d never welcomed her into the group, who’d never seemed to want her to succeed.
‘You’ve caught her out, Sarah,’ Alejandro said quietly.
Kitty started to die inside.
‘Catriona was reluctant to announce it so soon...’ He trailed off.
Sarah’s jaw dropped. So did Kitty’s, but she caught herself in time. She licked her lips, her heart thundering as she gazed at Alejandro. He was smiling? He was looking...satisfied?
He turned to face her nemesis intently. ‘We can trust you, can’t we?’
‘Of course,’ Sarah said weakly. ‘But I...er...might have been a bit loud just then.’
‘No matter.’ Alejandro smiled. ‘We’re all friends here.’
Did he underline the word ‘friends’? He still held Kitty’s hand in a vice but he was smiling.
‘Congratulations.’ Sarah looked stunned.
Alejandro lifted his free hand to place a finger over his lips and winked at her. ‘Shh, remember?’ Finally he turned to Kitty again. ‘Come along, Catriona. I think you need some fresh air.’
He set off at such a pace Kitty almost stumbled. If it weren’t for the grip he had on her hand, she might have. Instead he wrapped his other arm around her waist and—under the guise of attentive affection—practically dragged her out through the back room, past that bland dishwashing guy and out into the small private courtyard at the back.
Only once they were alone outside did he release her. Kitty took a quick few steps to the corner of the tiled courtyard. Then turned to face him.
‘We’re engaged?’ He sent her a look.
With the bright lights gleaming from the house, this one was easy to interpret. He was amused?
‘It’s your fault,’ she declared, instantly defensive. ‘I was trying not to be predictable. You dared me.’
‘So it’s my fault?’
‘This entire mess is your fault.’ She nodded firmly.
He slowly stepped closer. ‘You don’t feel any responsibility, given you’re the one who broke in and tried to steal from me?’
‘I didn’t break in; I used a key. And I wasn’t stealing anything that belongs to you.’
‘No? I wonder.’ He was watching her closely, then his smile returned, slow and seductive. ‘Catriona, you are going to pay for this, you know.’
‘Not in the way you’re thinking.’
He laughed and stepped so he was right in her personal space. ‘Very much in the way I’m thinking. You think these sparks can be ignored?’
She really wished his accent didn’t make his atrocious words sound so damn attractive. His laugh was low and did things to her insides and the cool air did nothing to settle the fever in her bones.
Now she really wished he’d stop looking at her like that. It made her hot and it was even harder to concentrate. And he knew it. He knew he was like catnip to every woman in the world. He loved it. She didn’t want to want him at all. But her stupid body recognised the talent and experience in his.
‘Is this the bit where you attempt to exert your sexual dominance over me?’ she growled as he stepped closer still.
He let out another burst of laughter, but he caught both her hands in his and forced them behind her back in a move of total sexual dominance. ‘No, this is the bit where I stop you from saying more stupid things in public.’
‘You have no right to censor me.’ She had no idea where the wildness came from. She’d never normally speak to anyone like this. Usually she’d duck her head and mind her own business and let Teddy do the talking.
‘Not censoring you,’ he chided wickedly. ‘Kissing you. To leave you speechless.’
‘You’re...what?’ Her jaw dropped. ‘You’re unbelievable.’
‘I know. So good.’ He mock preened.
But his proximity was getting to her—she could feel his strength and his size and, appallingly, she wanted to lean up against him! She stiffened instead. ‘You don’t think you’re hyping yourself up too much? I’m going to expect something so amazing you’re never going to be able to live up to it.’
‘I’m willing to take the risk.’
‘You’re willing to take a lot of risks.’
‘Possibly. But this is my home and you will not cause trouble when I have this many guests present.’
‘Then let me leave. With my necklace.’ She looked up and sent him a brilliant smile,