The Twelve-Month Marriage Deal. Margaret Mayo

had been one of the last to leave. As had she. There had been so many people she hadn’t seen for years who had kept her talking.

      And he had kept his eyes on her.

      She had given no hint that she was aware of it, ignoring him completely, even slipping away before he could stop her to say goodnight.

      For some insane reason this morning, though, from the instant she’d set eyes on him a fire had ignited inside her, flaring swiftly, burning fiercely, filling her with irrational feelings that set off a mild panic.

      She told herself that it was angry resentment she felt, not a response to a magnificent body, and that she ought never to have accepted his invitation. What was the point when she had no intention of agreeing to the plan?

      Actually she had no idea what Vidal’s feelings were on the matter, so in one way it would be interesting to hear what he had to say. If he had an ounce of compassion in him surely he would go ahead with the so-called merger without marriage. They could then sort out the whole sorry affair and that would be an end to it.

      ‘What makes you think that you are wasting my time?’

      His voice was a rough, low growl, and the intent look in his eyes made her feel as though he were trying to hypnotise her. He had gorgeous eyes, sometimes grey, sometimes silver, depending on the light—or the mood he was in—with savagely thick lashes that could hide his feelings in a second.

      ‘I cannot think of a nicer way to start the day,’ he continued. ‘As I said last night, Elena, you’ve grown up remarkably. You are now a confident, extremely beautiful, extremely elegant young lady.’

      ‘Whom you almost didn’t recognise,’ she countered coolly. ‘Whereas I had no trouble identifying you.’

      ‘I am flattered,’ he said, but although his voice sounded sincere she caught a flare of something else in his eyes. A look that said he was furious that she should have recognised him when he hadn’t realised who she was.

      ‘Don’t think it’s flattery,’ she retorted. ‘I would have had to be blind not to notice you watching me the entire evening. I’m curious, though, as to what was in your mind. Were you weighing me up, wondering whether I’d be a better proposition than my sister? Don’t worry,’ she added quickly when his dark brows rose questioningly. ‘My parents have told me what the position is. I imagine this is the reason I’m here now?’

      Vidal held out his hands in open submission. ‘Guilty as accused.’

      ‘And do you really think I’ll say yes?’ He was out of his mind if he thought that. Entirely deranged. Not in a million years would she marry this man. She had no intention of getting married, not to anyone, not for a very long time. She’d gone out with guys in Los Angeles, but never seriously. She didn’t have time, for one thing, it had been hard work building up her agency and now that she had made it she had no intention of letting anything—or anyone—get in the way.

      ‘No, I don’t,’ he surprised her by saying. ‘I can think of no woman who would agree to such a thing.’

      Relief flooded through her, filling her body with a warm feeling of liberation, and she took a sip of her coffee. Vidal understood! She had done him an injustice! She smiled, and was just about to tell him how happy she was that he felt the same when his next words had her gasping in horror.

      ‘Unless, of course, she thought that there was something in it for herself?’ His voice had gone an octave lower and he looked at her from beneath half-closed lashes.

      Immediately Elena flashed her magnificent eyes. ‘How dare you suggest such a thing? I need nothing from you—or indeed any man. I’m quite capable of supporting myself, thank you very much.’ It hurt that he thought she was so mercenary and she would have liked nothing better than to slap his face hard.

      ‘But you are going to be a dutiful daughter and help out your parents?’

      ‘By marrying you?’ she countered fiercely, jabbing a piece of toast with her knife. ‘You’re out of your mind if that’s what you’re thinking.’

      ‘But you will!’ he insisted.

      His arrogant confidence angered Elena even further. ‘I’m worried about my parents’ future, naturally, but there has to be another way out of the situation. If you were half a man you would let the business deal go through without all this nonsense of uniting the banks by marriage. I was appalled when my mother told me that Reina’s was an arranged marriage. I thought she loved you. I was happy for her. But I can honestly say that I don’t blame her for leaving you. The marriage would never have worked, not without love. And neither would marriage to me work. At least you knew Reina. You and I are strangers.’

      She felt like getting up and storming out, or at the very least throwing something at him. How could he accuse her of being mercenary? The man was seriously insane. But at least she now knew how much he wanted their bank. If he was prepared to marry her, a woman he’d never liked, never had time for, then he had to be desperate.

      ‘We could have fun getting to know each other.’ The words were dropped quietly into the air between them. There was even a tiny smile curving the corners of his mouth.

      ‘Fun?’ Elena wanted to scream the word at him; it was hard keeping her voice level. ‘How can you say that? How can you describe marriage between two people who dislike each other’s guts fun?’

      His smile widened. ‘Perhaps we’re each interpreting it differently?’

      ‘Precisely,’ she snapped. ‘Mine is that it would be hell.’ She deliberately put emphasis on the word and saw the sudden change in his eyes, quickly disguised. ‘If you want to know what I think, Señor Marquez, I believe that you’re prepared to do whatever it takes to get your hands on my parents’ bank. Even if it means marriage to someone you—you despise.’ Her breathing had deepened by the time she had finished and it was all she could do to sit still.

      Vidal’s face really did harden now. His eyes grew fiercely angry, his brows drawing together in a ferocious frown. ‘So that is what you think of me? Let me tell you, something, Señorita Valero, if it were not for the fact that I do not wish to see your parents in trouble I would not be doing this. Do you think I want to marry someone like you? Someone who has turned her back on her family? When they could do with your support you have not been here. Tell me, what is it that you do over there in the States? If I remember rightly all you were ever interested in was having a good time.’

      Elena could not believe she was hearing this, and especially from Vidal. He certainly wasn’t doing anything to enamour her with him—in fact, he was driving her further and further away. She was tempted to get up and storm out of the restaurant, except that she did not want to give him the pleasure of seeing how much he had hurt her by his unkind comments.

      ‘I don’t have to tell you anything,’ she snapped fiercely, her head held high, her eyes shooting sparks of fire. ‘You can think what you like, but the fact remains that the thought of marrying a man I do not love fills me with horror. My parents are aware of this and I believe they are hoping that you will do the honourable thing and go through with the merger regardless.’

      His eyes glinted shafts of steel and he sat up straighter in his chair, his body as taut as a bow string. ‘Good try, Elena, but it is not to be. If you don’t agree to marry me then the deal is off.’

      Elena let out her breath on a deep sigh, feeling as though all the stuffing had been knocked out of her body. This was turning into a nightmare. ‘What are you made of, Vidal? Certainly not flesh and blood. You don’t have a compassionate bone in your body. You’re cruel and mercenary and marriage to you would be sheer hell. Do you really think I’d be prepared to put myself through that?’

      ‘I haven’t got where I am today by being soft,’ he growled, ‘and I certainly don’t intend to start now. You either marry me or your parents lose their business. It’s as simple as that.’

      Simple? How could