With a hint of a blush that she couldn’t for the life of herself control, she dipped her head graciously and replied, “Gracias, Senor.”
A harsh, booming voice came from Garrett’s office door. “Villareal, you want to do business with the Rule Corporation or not? I don’t have all fucking day to wait while you loiter with the employees.”
Shock hit Maria hard, sliding through her veins at Garrett’s rough announcement. Max slowly released her hand and turned to face the other man, his smile dropping, his eyes turning speculative. As he held Garrett’s eyes, he switched to English and asked, “So, it’s that way, is it?”
Garrett replied at once, his teeth gritted in a punitive clench. “Yeah, it is.”
Maria felt almost speechless, but evidently, her brain wasn’t quite yet incapacitated. “No, it’s not.”
Garrett turned to her with a pissed, pointed gaze that screamed retribution if she dared argue with him. “Yeah, it damned well is.”
She felt a stroke of temper and dared. “No, it damned well isn’t,” she began arguing heatedly, but all at once, she realized his eyes had fallen to her shoes, undoubtedly noticing the effect they had on the length of her legs underneath her basic clothing. Her blood heated as his hands balled into fists and his shoulders seemed to grow a mile wide, his smoldering, accusatory gaze lifting back to hers. What the hell had she done? How smart could it be to tweak a tiger’s tail? Well—it was done now.
“We’ll discuss it later,” he snapped out, and then turned to the other man. “Shall we?” he asked, holding out a hand, indicating his office.
The businessman followed Garrett into his inner sanctum, the door clicking closed behind them, and Maria slowly let out her breath, not even realizing that she’d been holding it for the last few seconds.
Recognizing right away that she didn’t want to be anywhere close by when their meeting was over, she decided that now would be as good a time as any to make her rounds of the hotel.
Two hours later, Maria was walking back through the main lobby when she saw Garrett come from the back office area. Even with the distance that separated them, she could see that his eyes were sharp and focused only on her. He pointed to her and then tilted his head with an arrogant jerk, indicating that he wanted her presence at his side, pronto. Without waiting to see if she followed, he turned around and walked back through to the offices, obviously expecting her immediate compliance.
Steeling her guts for the altercation that was no doubt to come, forcing a bravado that she wasn’t feeling, she rolled her eyes and stomped in his direction.
She arrived at his office door, glanced inside and saw that he was waiting for her, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the front of his desk. He’d taken his suit jacket off, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.
“Yes?” she questioned as serenely as possible.
“Come in and shut the door,” he snapped, obviously pissed.
Son-of-a-bitch.
Maria stepped inside and shut the door, but didn’t walk any farther into the room. She tried to breathe even as she waited for the explosion she knew was about to happen.
Lifting his hand and slashing it downward, he indicated her. “What’s this all about?”
Damn. That had been quick. “I’m sorry. What is what all about?” she asked, stalling.
He shifted position slightly, not coming to his feet but not leaning back quite so much anymore. “I don’t want any shit from you right now, got it? Why the fuck are you dressed like that?”
Her spine stiffening, she asked, “Dressed like what, exactly?”
“A fucking sex siren, that’s what.”
“I’m sorry, what?” she screeched. Come on, really? Mascara and high heels? Please.
“You think it’s entirely smart to come to work showing off your goddamn cleavage like that? And what’s up with the fuck me heels?”
Maria about lost it. Her mouth flattening in lines of anger, she crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re so stupid.”
He came off the desk in an instantaneous show of fury. “You want to say that again?”
She didn’t back down an inch. “You need to get your head out of your ass,” she clarified. “How much is the Rule Corporation worth, exactly?” She spit the question out, and in two seconds flat, he was stalking toward her, but she kept talking. “So. Stupid,” she bit out. “Do you know the meaning of sexual harassment? I’m going to find a lawyer and own your fucking corporation.”
He reached her in four quick steps and grabbed her by the shoulders with hands of iron. “I’m not sure you understand what happens to women who make empty threats—”