His Paris Affair (The Albury Affairs) by Christina Ow Page B

button down

black dress shirt. His jet black and wavy hair didn’t help matters as he kept

tossing it back either by a jerk of his head or combing it back with his

muscled fingers as he berated the room. She was sure she wasn’t the only woman

swooning over that. He’d always kept it reasonably long but now it was long

enough to pull it into a pony tail.
    What she would give to run her fingers through it…
    The push to her shoulder and the following snickers brought

her out of her reverie and she blinked looking around only to meet Ruiz’s glare

and thin lipped smile.
    How the hell did he spot her? She’d sank so low on her seat

and with the mass of bodies shielding her it would have been impossible. She

looked down at herself only to notice she was sitting very upright, practically

pushing herself up on her hands.
    Damn!
    “Miss Sinclair, or is it Mrs.—”
    “How may I help you?” she practically yelled as she shot out

of her seat, preventing him from insulting her or announcing the truth to a

room full of people who had no respect for her. The last thing she wanted was

for things to get worse off for her.
    Ruiz smirked. “I was just introducing Monsieur Jon Luc. He is an attorney who is going to help you and I

restructure the hotel and that includes re-staffing.”
    Murmurs filled the room but he didn’t break momentum.
    “If we are unable to do this in three months, Red Roses

Paris will be shut down. Make no mistake we will not risk the entire franchise

because of one ill managed hotel.”
    Melody gasped. When she’d said that to Antonio it was only

to irk him, but hearing the words come from Ruiz it frightened her. They

couldn’t do that. The Red Roses were her hotels. They couldn’t shut down the

Paris one without her consent, but the way his eyes bore into hers as he

announced this, it was clear the rest had out voted her. She had no say in the

matter, not anymore. She’d made a deal with Allan to never let the hotels slip

through her fingers out of fault of her own and she’d down just that. She’d

failed him and herself.
    God what he must think

of me! But if he only knew the circumstances…how could he if she won’t tell

him? And Antonio, was this his plan right from the start, to ruin Red Roses?
    “Melody.”
    She looked up at the sound of her name rolling off his

tongue.
    The room had cleared and it was just the lawyer, him and

her. He raised his hand and she watched it, keeping very still as he lightly

brushed her cheek with his finger. It was either he wet it or she was crying.

The look in his eyes gave her the answer.
    His brows creased and his eyes looked pained making her

heart ache. “Melody—”
    He stopped abruptly, pulling his hand away and stepping

back, his expression turning stern.
    What Ruiz, what were

you going to say? Why did you stop touching me, why are you so cold all of a

sudden? She screamed inside wishing she had the guts to say the words out

loud.
    “Am I part of this restructuring and re-staffing?”
    Melody felt her heart drop to her stomach. Of course that’s

why Ruiz’s demeanor changed so fast. She fought the urge not to cringe when

Antonio placed his arm around her waist. Ruiz’s lips split in a smile though

the rage in his eyes was scotching.
    “You have to be an employee here for that and if I recall, I

already fired you.”
    Melody felt Antonio’s hand fist, pinching her flesh and she

winced. She caught Ruiz’s gaze and feared his reaction knowing he’d noticed her

own.
    “You do understand that I’m married to the owner?” Antonio

added with a fake laugh.
    “Part owner like me,” Ruiz gnashed out. “And I have the

backing of the rest of the owners—Matthew, Reno and Allan.”
    “But I have part majority.” Melody bit her lips shut wishing

she hadn’t said that, but it was a knee jerk reaction. It had been so long

she’d had to stand up for herself against the domineering men in her family to

assert