meet his gaze, and bit down hard on her lip when he stood aside for her to precede him out of the lift.
‘Are your offices up here?’ She glanced along the corridor, frowning as she searched for a door other than the one that she knew led into the penthouse.
‘Uh-huh.’ Ramon slotted a card into the door security system and ushered her inside. The apartment was achingly familiar—a wide hallway, with various spacious rooms leading off it, all decorated in neutral shades and furnished with contemporary pieces which provided splashes of bold colour. Through a half-open door Lauren could see the master bedroom. Memories crowded in on her and she halted abruptly, gripped by sudden panic.
‘Is this is another one of your games?’ she demanded sharply. ‘You said you were going to show me my office.’
Ramon gave her a musing look, taking in her flushed face and the slight tremor of her mouth. This wasn’t the first time she had seemed uneasy with him, and he was intrigued to know what was bothering her.
‘It’s in here.’ He pushed open a door at the far end of the hall and led the way into a room which Lauren remembered had once been a small sitting room. It now housed a desk, computer, and other office furniture. ‘I’m working from my study, adjoining this room, until I can rent a suitable office complex for the London subsidiary of Velaquez Conglomerates,’ he told her. ‘In fact, that will be your first task. I recently viewed a new commercial building at St Katherine’s Dock, and I want you to deal with the lease contract.’
When Lauren made no reply he continued, ‘My PA has remained in Spain, and I’m using secretarial staff from a temp agency until I find a permanent base. Sally comes here a couple of mornings a week so that I can dictate correspondence.’
So working from the apartment would only be a temporary arrangement, Lauren tried to reassure herself. But it could still take weeks, maybe months, before Velaquez Conglomerates took over the new offices—which meant that she would have to come here every day and re-live memories of all the times Ramon had made love to her. Dear heaven—Mateo had been conceived here!
She had walked across to the window, to stare at the view over Hyde Park, but now she swung round to face him, her body rigid with tension. ‘This isn’t going to work,’ she said tersely. ‘It’s easier for me to commute from PGH’s offices than here. I can be in constant communication with you by email or phone…’
Ramon shook his head. ‘I’d prefer you to be here.’
‘Why?’ she cried, unable to control her emotions any longer. She had been so shocked to see him again, and coming back to the apartment where they had been lovers was sheer agony. Throughout lunch she had felt as though he was stripping away her protective shell, layer by layer, and she was terrified that if she didn’t leave now he was going to guess how much he affected her.
Ramon’s eyes had narrowed at her outburst, and now he strolled towards her, as silent and intent as a panther stalking its prey, and twice as deadly. The atmosphere shifted subtly, the tension between them so tangible that Lauren’s skin prickled.
‘What exactly are you worried about, Lauren?’ he asked softly.
‘I’m not worried about anything,’ she denied desperately, sure he must hear her heart hammering against her ribs. He was too big, too close, and memories of his demanding mouth plundering hers hurt too much. ‘I simply don’t understand what all this is about, Ramon. Why you’ve gone to such lengths to manipulate me into working for you.’
He said nothing, just kept on coming towards her, and the stark hunger in his eyes robbed her of breath. ‘What do you want from me?’ she whispered, and her heart stopped when his hand shot out to cup her nape and his head slowly descended.
‘I want this, querida ,’ he said harshly, and covered her mouth with his own.
CHAPTER THREE
L AUREN’S lips
‘Are your offices up here?’ She glanced along the corridor, frowning as she searched for a door other than the one that she knew led into the penthouse.
‘Uh-huh.’ Ramon slotted a card into the door security system and ushered her inside. The apartment was achingly familiar—a wide hallway, with various spacious rooms leading off it, all decorated in neutral shades and furnished with contemporary pieces which provided splashes of bold colour. Through a half-open door Lauren could see the master bedroom. Memories crowded in on her and she halted abruptly, gripped by sudden panic.
‘Is this is another one of your games?’ she demanded sharply. ‘You said you were going to show me my office.’
Ramon gave her a musing look, taking in her flushed face and the slight tremor of her mouth. This wasn’t the first time she had seemed uneasy with him, and he was intrigued to know what was bothering her.
‘It’s in here.’ He pushed open a door at the far end of the hall and led the way into a room which Lauren remembered had once been a small sitting room. It now housed a desk, computer, and other office furniture. ‘I’m working from my study, adjoining this room, until I can rent a suitable office complex for the London subsidiary of Velaquez Conglomerates,’ he told her. ‘In fact, that will be your first task. I recently viewed a new commercial building at St Katherine’s Dock, and I want you to deal with the lease contract.’
When Lauren made no reply he continued, ‘My PA has remained in Spain, and I’m using secretarial staff from a temp agency until I find a permanent base. Sally comes here a couple of mornings a week so that I can dictate correspondence.’
So working from the apartment would only be a temporary arrangement, Lauren tried to reassure herself. But it could still take weeks, maybe months, before Velaquez Conglomerates took over the new offices—which meant that she would have to come here every day and re-live memories of all the times Ramon had made love to her. Dear heaven—Mateo had been conceived here!
She had walked across to the window, to stare at the view over Hyde Park, but now she swung round to face him, her body rigid with tension. ‘This isn’t going to work,’ she said tersely. ‘It’s easier for me to commute from PGH’s offices than here. I can be in constant communication with you by email or phone…’
Ramon shook his head. ‘I’d prefer you to be here.’
‘Why?’ she cried, unable to control her emotions any longer. She had been so shocked to see him again, and coming back to the apartment where they had been lovers was sheer agony. Throughout lunch she had felt as though he was stripping away her protective shell, layer by layer, and she was terrified that if she didn’t leave now he was going to guess how much he affected her.
Ramon’s eyes had narrowed at her outburst, and now he strolled towards her, as silent and intent as a panther stalking its prey, and twice as deadly. The atmosphere shifted subtly, the tension between them so tangible that Lauren’s skin prickled.
‘What exactly are you worried about, Lauren?’ he asked softly.
‘I’m not worried about anything,’ she denied desperately, sure he must hear her heart hammering against her ribs. He was too big, too close, and memories of his demanding mouth plundering hers hurt too much. ‘I simply don’t understand what all this is about, Ramon. Why you’ve gone to such lengths to manipulate me into working for you.’
He said nothing, just kept on coming towards her, and the stark hunger in his eyes robbed her of breath. ‘What do you want from me?’ she whispered, and her heart stopped when his hand shot out to cup her nape and his head slowly descended.
‘I want this, querida ,’ he said harshly, and covered her mouth with his own.
CHAPTER THREE
L AUREN’S lips
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