THE VALQUEZ SEDUCTION(71)

                He caught her before she got to the last wrought iron post of the school fence. ‘Daisy. Wait.’

                She swung around to face him, her cheeks rosy-red and her blue eyes flashing. ‘I have nothing to say to you. I think my father said it all, don’t you?’

                He frowned. ‘What has your father got to do with anything?’

                She stood staunchly before him. ‘Why don’t you tell me?’

                He took in her tightly set mouth and glittering eyes. ‘I’m here because I need to talk to you.’

                ‘I think you should find someone else to help you butter up your sponsors,’ she said. ‘I’m no longer available.’

                A sharp pain seized him in the chest but there was no way he was going to let her see how much her cold statement hurt him. ‘That didn’t take you long. How long’s it been? A week?’

                She raised her chin. ‘I’m sure you’ve filled my position seven times over.’

                ‘Is that what you think?’

                ‘It’s what I expect from someone like you.’

                Luiz drew in a breath and slowly released it. ‘Right, well, then. I guess I should cancel my arrangements for the weekend.’

                She glared at him. ‘How could you?’

                ‘How could I what?’

                ‘Sleep with me because of what my father said.’

                ‘Hang on a minute. I did not sleep with you because of anything your father said. I slept with you because I couldn’t help myself.’

                She threw him a scornful look. ‘You expect me to believe that?’

                ‘It’s true,’ Luiz said. ‘I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you. Your father had nothing to do with it.’

                Her forehead crinkled in an even deeper frown. ‘But he told me he threatened you.’

                ‘He did but I didn’t take it seriously. Well, only a bit. But it didn’t stop me from wanting you. I don’t think any threat could do that.’

                She chewed her lip for a moment. ‘Why are you here?’

                ‘We had an agreement, remember?’

                She moved her gaze to look at a point in the distance, both of her hands gripping her bag strap so tightly he could see the small white bulges of her knuckles. ‘I’m not sure I can go through with it… Not now…’

                ‘Why not?’

                She shifted her weight on the cobblestones and met his eyes. ‘I think it’s unwise to extend a holiday fling.’

                ‘Why?’

                ‘Because people aren’t the same when they’re back in their real worlds.’

                ‘I came all this way to see you, querida,’ he said. ‘I’ve booked a luxury hotel. I’ve got a helicopter on standby to take you there. We can have the weekend together and shut out the rest of the world. Come on. What do you say?’