His Suitable Bride(99)

‘Querida, this is Mercedes Lopez—an old friend of mine and head of the biggest PR company in Southern Spain.’

A knife twisted in Rowan’s heart. Yeah, right. She was glad she couldn’t see Isandro’s face to read what his expression might be. What little secret look he might be giving the other woman. To her intense relief, Mercedes made her excuses and left, clearly taking the hint—or else some indication from Isandro that he would see her again soon.

‘Come—there are some people I’d like to introduce to you.’

And before she could dwell on the other woman, Isandro took Rowan’s hand and led her through the crowd. No doubt this was the object of her role here, to be the dutiful wife, her presence proving that all was well, all was respectable.

Isandro’s body still pulsed. When she’d made that cute little move to block Mercedes she’d taken him completely by surprise. And turned him on. She’d never shown any proprietary urges before.

That’s because now she’s back for your money and she’ll do whatever it takes …

But another voice reminded him that she’d been pregnant before, and unwell for a lot of the time, not able to attend functions, so how would he know how she’d act?

Rowan found that the people Isandro had taken her to meet were genuinely nice. Other couples, also colleagues from the banking world. And none of the women were looking at Isandro as if they wanted to devour him. She was happy to speak and get used to her Spanish here, and she’d caught a warm glance from Isandro that had made her feel absurdly happy.

She was tuning in and out of the conversation a little later when one of the women took her arm, and Rowan just got her last few words. ‘… market crash.’

Rowan frowned apologetically. ‘I’m sorry—what?’

‘The European market crash of eighteen months ago … don’t you remember? The absolute carnage that resulted in the economy practically sparked a global recession.’

Rowan racked her brain feverishly to try and remember if she’d heard anything. ‘I’m sorry … I just don’t recall …’

Isandro was frowning, giving her an intense look. Conversation had halted around them. She knew well why she hadn’t heard anything. She affected a look of delayed surprise and self-deprecation. She laughed nervously.

‘Oh, that crash—of course I do. I’m sorry, I wasn’t sure what you meant.’

The woman laughed. ‘How could you be married to the man who controls finance in Europe and not remember that? You’d have to have been buried under a rock!’

Or near enough …

Rowan smiled weakly and wished the ground would swallow her up. She felt Isandro’s arm tighten on her waist and looked up warily. She met that clear blue gaze tinged with ice again. He clearly hadn’t been fooled by her bad acting.

And the night wasn’t about to get any easier. Rowan’s heart sank to her shoes when she saw who was approaching them now. Ana. Isandro’s sister. Too late to escape. The crowd melted away and it was just them—and Ana and her husband.





CHAPTER SEVEN


ANA greeted Isandro and then stood back. She shared the same colouring as her brother. The same tall, lean physique. But she had her mother’s eyes. Dark and hard.

‘So.’ She looked Rowan up and down. ‘The prodigal wife returns.’

‘Ana,’ she heard Isandro say warningly.

His sister sent him a blistering look. ‘What? You mean to tell me that after what she did to you and to my nephew you’re just letting her waltz back in to clean you out?’

Rowan felt shaky. She could remember another conversation. One between him and his sister. That very day when she’d come home and known her life was going to change. Ana had travelled all the way from Spain to see him. Rowan had returned to hear them arguing in the sitting room. Their voices had been so raised that she hadn’t been able to help herself stopping. And it was all coming back in lurid detail.

His sister’s voice had been a strident shriek of indignation. ‘After all the years of pain and humiliation our father put our mother through, put us through with that English whore of his, you take an English wife and now she’s having your baby? You would do that to us?’

Isandro’s own tone had sent shivers down Rowan’s spine. ‘Ana, nothing has changed. This is a business arrangement. The fact that she is now bearing my child is an unexpected bonus. It will save me the bother of marrying again in order to secure an heir.’

His sister’s voice had lowered dangerously, reeking of suspicion. ‘Are you in love with her?’