A Spanish Seduction by Alyssa J. Montgomery Page B

me, you’ll be unable to earn your livelihood. I believe in fair compensation for the disruption you’ll endure to your life. It’s a simple business transaction. Nothing more. Although, I do admit I’ll be relieved to know you won’t continue to be under threat of attack from that loan shark.’ One hand went unconsciously to the back of his neck to ease the tightness invading his muscles. ‘I’m not offering you money for sexual favours.’
    ‘You wouldn’t get any even if you did,’ she said adamantly.
    He gave a slight nod of acknowledgement but still her expression was full of scepticism.
    ‘Aren’t you worried someone might find out about my mother?’
    ‘Who would care?’
    ‘Don’t give me that!’ Her hand sliced angrily through the air. ‘I’ve been judged by people all my life because of what my mother did. You think I want to go into your world of socialites and have people sniggering behind my back and reminding me at every opportunity that I have no place in their world?’
    A truth flashed at him as blindingly as a neon sign on the Las Vegas strip. ‘I’m beginning to understand why you dress the way you do.’
    ‘I beg your pardon?’
    ‘You don’t want to be noticed. You hide in those baggy clothes and behind those God-awful glasses hoping to move about in the shadows. You’re afraid of what people will see if you’re put under the spotlight. You’re afraid of judgement.’
    Even as she blanched, she swung punches in her defence. ‘I’m sick of being the object of ridicule. Who could blame me for not wanting to be noticed? It isn’t a crime. You have no way of knowing what I’ve been through. I’ve been shunned because of my mother’s occupation. It’s hardly something you’d ever be able to relate to. You’ve been blessed with looks to rival Adonis and you must’ve had an extremely privileged upbringing.’
    ‘Must I?’ Had she known him, she would’ve noticed his sudden stillness. Jessica, however, was a stranger and right now she was obviously so caught up in her emotion, she was oblivious to his reactions.
    ‘Of course you were privileged. I’ll bet you were part of the cool crowd at school — that all you had to do was smile and your parents, teachers or peers would’ve forgiven you anything.’
    Ricardo felt his lips tighten. Her impressions couldn’t have been further from the truth. He had far more in common with Jessica than she thought. ‘You’re judging me. You’re forming opinions on the basis of ridiculous personal biases and doing exactly what it is you claim to loathe other people doing to you.’
    ‘I...’ Cheeks flushed, she at least had the good grace to stop her tirade.
    ‘You have no idea of my upbringing and you do me an injustice if you think I’d judge you on something one of your parents did.’
    Her lips parted as though she was about to reply, but no sound emerged.
    ‘You do yourself an injustice as well, Jessica. It strikes me that you judge your own worth on the basis of your mother’s prostitution.’
    Her lower lip trembled before she said, ‘I’m hardly proud of what my mother did. Being with you would put me in the public eye. You can’t expect me to do that. I’d be the object of media speculation if I paraded as your girlfriend. The same gutter press who wanted to expose you as having an affair with a married woman would delight in exposing that you’re involved with the daughter of a woman who prostituted herself, then ended her life by throwing herself off a bridge.’
    The shame in her words made his guts twist.
    He was agitated on a whole lot of levels which he didn’t want to delve into. How had he been drawn into this personal discussion with her? It was something he’d never have chosen to embark on, but for some inexplicable reason he was having this heart to heart with a virtual stranger and her wounds affected him. He was furious with those who’d judged her in the past and made her believe her mother’s