coaxingly across her high cheekbones
then up to trace her slightly arched brows. "You'll enjoy driving the
Esprit, Juliet," he said softly yet insistently. "And since I rarely
drive it myself, it sits in the garage. So you'd be doing me a favor by
using it. It isn't good for any car to sit too long without being
driven."
She was being conned and knew it but his coaxing tone and
caressing fingers were far more persuasive than last night's threats
had been, so much more persuasive that she found herself wanting to
give in to him. Besides, she rationalized, she did hate driving the
Bentley but driving the Esprit might be an exhilarating adventure.
Since she was committed to staying in Granada anyway, she might as well
derive some pleasure from the situation. "Oh, all right," she finally
relented. She pulled back slightly, escaping the fingers that were
causing her heart to beat too rapidly, then felt a ridiculous sense of
loss when Raul's hand dropped away. Dismayed by her own ambivalent
feelings, she looked at Raul cautiously, confusion warring with
defensiveness in her amber eyes as they met his. She glanced away again
quickly. "I'll borrow the car but remember this was all your idea and
don't get mad at me if I happen to have an accident in it."
Raul leaned forward in his chair, his expression suddenly
very serious. "You think I would care about the car if you had an
accident, Juliet?" he muttered, jade green eyes searching her delicate
features. "What kind of unfeeling monster do you think I am? Don't you
know I'd be concerned about you, not the damn car, if you had an
accident."
Foolishly, she laughed at him and was immediately made to
regret her response. Her eyes dilated and widened as her wrist was
quickly enclosed in a vise-like grip. Her warming cheeks were fanned by
his breath as he half rose from his chair and his dark angular face
came down close in front of hers. She gulped. "All right, I'm sorry I
laughed," she blurted out compulsively. "It was rude."
"And unjustified," he added softly, releasing her wrist
and sitting back in his chair again, his dark narrowed eyes drifting
over her. He shook his head, then massaged the back of his neck with
one lean hand. "Juliet, you're such a foolish child."
She thrust back her chair and stood. "I don't have to
listen to your insulting, condescending remarks," she proclaimed
heatedly, entrancing rose color blooming in her cheeks. She tossed her
head indignantly as he suddenly grinned. "You—you are the
most…" She never finished her scathing opinion because at
that moment, Rosita bustled into the dining room, carrying a blue and
white enameled vase filled with fragile ivory rosebuds. As Raul also
rose to his feet, the housekeeper eyed both him and the girl hopefully.
Then she very nearly giggled as he took one of the roses from the vase,
broke off part of the long stern, and catching Juliet's hand to hold
her there, tucked the bud into her shimmering auburn hair. His hand
dropped down to cup her cheek, his fingers stroking caressingly.
"Hmm, just as I thought," he murmured, undaunted by
Juliet's outraged scowl. "Even the petals of a rose aren't as soft as
your skin." And he silenced her attempted retort by pressing a finger
against her lips, then a faint warning glinted in his green eyes. "But
remember, I'm still not sure I should believe what you said last night.
If you were telling the truth, then I've judged you too harshly. But if
you were lying, I will find out about it and you'll suffer the
consequences, I promise you. So if you're wise, you still won't see
this Benny while you're here. Is that clear?"
"Contrary to what you believe, you're not a feudal lord
and I'm not your obedient serf," she retorted furiously, low enough so
Rosita couldn't hear. Resentment burned in her eyes. "Besides, Benny
happens to be in Jaen—with Holly, his wife. But even if he
were in Granada, I'd see him if I wanted to. So you might as well stop
trying to order me around because I'll
then up to trace her slightly arched brows. "You'll enjoy driving the
Esprit, Juliet," he said softly yet insistently. "And since I rarely
drive it myself, it sits in the garage. So you'd be doing me a favor by
using it. It isn't good for any car to sit too long without being
driven."
She was being conned and knew it but his coaxing tone and
caressing fingers were far more persuasive than last night's threats
had been, so much more persuasive that she found herself wanting to
give in to him. Besides, she rationalized, she did hate driving the
Bentley but driving the Esprit might be an exhilarating adventure.
Since she was committed to staying in Granada anyway, she might as well
derive some pleasure from the situation. "Oh, all right," she finally
relented. She pulled back slightly, escaping the fingers that were
causing her heart to beat too rapidly, then felt a ridiculous sense of
loss when Raul's hand dropped away. Dismayed by her own ambivalent
feelings, she looked at Raul cautiously, confusion warring with
defensiveness in her amber eyes as they met his. She glanced away again
quickly. "I'll borrow the car but remember this was all your idea and
don't get mad at me if I happen to have an accident in it."
Raul leaned forward in his chair, his expression suddenly
very serious. "You think I would care about the car if you had an
accident, Juliet?" he muttered, jade green eyes searching her delicate
features. "What kind of unfeeling monster do you think I am? Don't you
know I'd be concerned about you, not the damn car, if you had an
accident."
Foolishly, she laughed at him and was immediately made to
regret her response. Her eyes dilated and widened as her wrist was
quickly enclosed in a vise-like grip. Her warming cheeks were fanned by
his breath as he half rose from his chair and his dark angular face
came down close in front of hers. She gulped. "All right, I'm sorry I
laughed," she blurted out compulsively. "It was rude."
"And unjustified," he added softly, releasing her wrist
and sitting back in his chair again, his dark narrowed eyes drifting
over her. He shook his head, then massaged the back of his neck with
one lean hand. "Juliet, you're such a foolish child."
She thrust back her chair and stood. "I don't have to
listen to your insulting, condescending remarks," she proclaimed
heatedly, entrancing rose color blooming in her cheeks. She tossed her
head indignantly as he suddenly grinned. "You—you are the
most…" She never finished her scathing opinion because at
that moment, Rosita bustled into the dining room, carrying a blue and
white enameled vase filled with fragile ivory rosebuds. As Raul also
rose to his feet, the housekeeper eyed both him and the girl hopefully.
Then she very nearly giggled as he took one of the roses from the vase,
broke off part of the long stern, and catching Juliet's hand to hold
her there, tucked the bud into her shimmering auburn hair. His hand
dropped down to cup her cheek, his fingers stroking caressingly.
"Hmm, just as I thought," he murmured, undaunted by
Juliet's outraged scowl. "Even the petals of a rose aren't as soft as
your skin." And he silenced her attempted retort by pressing a finger
against her lips, then a faint warning glinted in his green eyes. "But
remember, I'm still not sure I should believe what you said last night.
If you were telling the truth, then I've judged you too harshly. But if
you were lying, I will find out about it and you'll suffer the
consequences, I promise you. So if you're wise, you still won't see
this Benny while you're here. Is that clear?"
"Contrary to what you believe, you're not a feudal lord
and I'm not your obedient serf," she retorted furiously, low enough so
Rosita couldn't hear. Resentment burned in her eyes. "Besides, Benny
happens to be in Jaen—with Holly, his wife. But even if he
were in Granada, I'd see him if I wanted to. So you might as well stop
trying to order me around because I'll
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