A Deal With Alejandro. Maya Blake

poured his fifth cup of espresso. ‘Coffee?’

      ‘No, thank you. I’ve had my daily allotment. Any more and you’d have to prise me off the ceiling.’ One corner of her crimson-painted mouth twitched and Alejandro found his gaze tracing the full curve.

      Striding back to his desk, he gulped down half of his beverage. ‘In that case, sit down, Miss Jameson, and tell me what is in your remit.’

      She took the time to unbutton her jacket, giving him a glimpse of the jade-coloured silk top beneath and a shadowed cleavage before she sat down.

      ‘Normally, it works the other way round. You tell me what you need PR-wise and we advise you how to achieve it, sycophancy not included, of course.’ Another smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

      Over the scent of ground coffee beans, he caught the faintest hint of her perfume. Crushed berries mixed with an elusive spice. Unique. Captivating. He caught himself inhaling deeper to chase the scent and gritted his teeth.

      ‘We seem to have skipped a step or two in the traditional interview process, so perhaps we should go with the flow here.’

      She blinked. ‘I could go with the flow. Except I’m not even sure where the river starts, Mr Aguilar. Wendell Grant was equally cryptic when he called and asked me to come here. Sadly, cryptic won’t cut it if you need my help.’

      ‘Since I haven’t decided whether I do or not, I’m not going to go into the specifics of a highly confidential deal.’

      Her mouth tightened a touch before she smiled her insincere smile. ‘If you’re worried about confidentiality, our impeccable record speaks for itself.’

      ‘Be that as it may, until you’re officially hired, I prefer to practise a little...restraint.’

      Her gaze locked with his for a long moment. Then she nodded. ‘As you wish. So let’s talk hypotheticals. What can I do for you?’

      A frown tugged at Alejandro’s brow. She was intelligent. And she was saying all the right things. But he couldn’t shake the feeling something else was going on beneath the surface.

      ‘How old are you?’ he asked.

      Her eyes widened. ‘Why is that relevant?’

      Alejandro folded his arms, mildly disturbed by his own question. ‘Is it a state secret?’

      ‘Of course not.’ Her gaze dropped to his desk. ‘But you have my file right there in front of you. You’ve read it so you know my age. If I wanted to lie to you about anything—which I don’t, by the way—lying about my age would be the stupidest one to start with, don’t you think? And other than to catch me out in a lie, I’m not sure why—’

      ‘Do you always answer a simple question with a diatribe?’

      Beneath the make-up, heat flushed her cheeks. Her nostrils flared a touch before she blinked back her composure.

      ‘I’m twenty-five. As it says in my file,’ she returned acerbically.

      ‘How long have you worked for your parents?’ Again a question he hadn’t anticipated asking.

      Her mouth compressed. ‘Since I graduated university at twenty-one.’

      Alejandro studied her silently. To her credit, she didn’t fidget.

      Unfolding his arms, he rested his elbows on his desk. ‘I don’t think this is going to work out, Miss Jameson. Thank you for coming.’

      First came a look that closely resembled relief. Followed by surprise. Then her lips parted as shock set in. ‘Excuse me?’

      ‘If you can’t see your way through answering a few simple questions without getting emotional, I don’t see how you can deal with the hard stuff. Margo will see you out.’

      She started to get up. Halfway through the act, she dropped back down. ‘This is some sort of trick, isn’t it?’

      It was Alejandro’s turn to be surprised. He regained his senses quickly. ‘I’ve been working on a deal that is determined to fall apart at the last minute. Trust me, wasting time with tricks is the very last thing on my mind. Goodbye, Miss Jameson.’

      Shadows and questions swirled through her hazel-gold eyes. Her lower lip twisted, as if she was gnawing it from the inside. Eventually she rose, her fingers clamped around her briefcase, her jaw angled with stubborn pride.

      Without a word, she turned away from his desk. In that moment, Alejandro wished he’d also turned away. The sight of her trim waist and voluptuous backside triggered another onset of libido-tugging.

      He gritted his teeth.

      The timing and circumstance of this attraction to her were abhorrent enough to send him to his feet. He’d vowed a very long time ago never to mix business with pleasure when another deal had disintegrated because of a fleeting liaison with a competitor. He’d been young and foolish enough to imagine one would not affect the other. Although the incident had only temporarily slowed down his meteoric rise, Alejandro had learned the lesson well enough to keep his affairs private and brief.

      Dragging his gaze from the shapely legs heading for the door, he strode to the window and stared at the view. Lake Michigan didn’t offer much solace. Like a lead domino falling over, Elise’s image, the feel of their palms touching, the silkiness of her skin, tumbled through his mind. Even the sound of the door shutting barely created a ripple in the sizzling awareness gripping him.

      What the hell was wrong with him today? First he’d cracked open the vault of memories he’d vowed never to revisit. Now he was getting hot under the collar because of a woman who should barely register on his radar?

      He shoved a hand through his hair and turned around.

      Elise Jameson was standing before his desk, her eyes square on his.

      ‘Unless I’ve grown senile in the last five minutes, I’m sure I told you to leave.’

      She exhaled slow and steady. Alejandro was certain it was a composure-gaining technique. He had a feeling he’d need one of those before the day ended.

      ‘You did. But I’m still here. The way I see it, you’re either going to hire me or we’ll never see each other again. So I need to say this. I wasn’t being emotional. I just didn’t see the point of wasting time with questions to which you already had answers. And yes, my...irritation could’ve been kept on a tighter leash. Give me another chance and you have my word it won’t happen again.’

      ‘What it are we talking about, just to be certain? The irritation or the emotion?’

      The whitening of her knuckles on her briefcase was the only sign that his question had further irked. ‘Either. Both. Whichever you wish.’

      He leaned back in his chair. ‘Because I’m the boss?’

      ‘Because you’re the boss. Once you hire me. But allow me to say one last thing before you make up your mind.’

      ‘Yes?’

      ‘I’m good at my job. You’ll get nothing but the best from me. I promise.’

      He shrugged. ‘That’s a good speech. But it’s just a speech. I also don’t deal in promises.’ Promises were easy to make and easier to break. He’d learnt that lesson with shocking frequency as a child.

      Her gaze swept down for an instant before rising again. ‘Finish the interview. Whichever way you want. Then make up your mind.’

      The urge to dismiss her was strong. The urge to have her stay was stronger. Alejandro stepped back from examining why. This whole day had been askew from the start.

      ‘Very well. Sit down, Miss Jameson. But let me make one thing clear.’

      She sat back down. ‘Yes?’

      ‘I never play tricks. I abhor subterfuge of any kind. Remember that before we go any further.’