‘But you’ve never married?’
‘There has been no time for a woman in my life.’
‘That isn’t what the newspapers say!’
‘I was referring to a woman I might wish to marry.’
‘Rather than go to bed with?’
His jaw tightened. ‘Yes.’
‘What happened to the woman you were having dinner with that night at the restaurant?’
‘Happened to her...?’
Lia nodded. ‘She looked nice.’
Gregorio’s company had been in negotiations to buy Fairbanks Industries for some weeks before he had recognised Jacob Fairbanks in the restaurant that evening. Both of them had been dining with other people. David Richardson was known to him as Fairbanks’s lawyer. But he’d never before met the woman seated between the two men.
She had been exquisite.
Gregorio had seen his dining companion seated before immediately going over to Fairbanks’s table to seek an introduction to the beautiful redhead. Amelia Fairbanks—Jacob’s daughter. And the lawyer was her fiancé.
When Amelia had stood up to go to the powder room half an hour later, Gregorio hadn’t been able to resist following her. Or kissing her. Only to receive an angry slap to his cheek as soon as the kiss had ended.
The evening hadn’t gone at all as Gregorio had originally intended it should. Not only had he mainly ignored his dining companion for the rest of the evening, in favour of staring at Amelia Fairbanks, but he had also put the other woman in a taxi as soon as they’d left the restaurant, rather than accepting her invitation to go back to her apartment for the night.
He straightened. ‘I never saw her again after that evening.’ Nor had he dated any other women in the past few months.
‘Why not?’
He gave her a pointed glance. ‘Because I saw you that night and I wanted you.’
Lia turned away from the intensity of that dark gaze. ‘I can’t imagine you allowing anyone—least of all me—to disrupt a single part of your life.’
‘Can’t you?’
She was so aware of everything about this man she was finding it hard to maintain the distance necessary if she was going to continue resisting him. Even more so after those revelations about his parents and his childhood. She didn’t want to know things about Gregorio’s life, to think of him as having been a child with loving parents and two younger brothers he had no doubt argued and fought with but would likely defend to the death if one of them was in danger. Knowing those things made him more a flesh-and-blood man and less the ruthless monster, Gregorio de la Cruz. Which had no doubt been his intention all along.
She must never forget who or what he was. Nor that he had revealed himself as someone who was not averse to using manipulation and machination to get what he wanted. And there could be no doubt now that he wanted her.
She glared at him. ‘I’m not interested.’
‘No?’
‘No,’ she snapped, seeing his knowing expression. But she knew he was right; she could never remember being this aware of a man before. Ever.
She had known David for over a year before he’d asked her out and she’d accepted. They had dated for another year before he proposed and she had accepted. They had been engaged for just over a month before David had invited her back to spend the night at his apartment, and again she had accepted.
Up until the night David had ended their engagement he had been every inch the gentleman throughout the whole of their courtship.
Gregorio wasn’t a gentlemen, and nor did he ever ask for anything he wanted. He just assumed it was his right and took it.
But wasn’t it better that way?
To be simply swept off one’s feet and not have to think about whether or not it was sensible, or consider the possible repercussions—?
No, of course it wasn’t! Now that Lia was completely on her own it was even more important for her to be on her guard. Most especially so with Gregorio de la Cruz.
* * *
‘You cheated,’ Lia complained two hours later as she let the two of them into her apartment.
‘I merely suggested we bring dessert back here.’ Gregorio followed her inside.
‘And so delayed answering my questions for even longer. Well, don’t make yourself too comfortable,’ she warned as Gregorio sat down at the breakfast bar. ‘Because you aren’t staying.’
‘You are bossy in bed,’ he said knowingly.
‘You’ll never know,’ she assured him tersely.
Gregorio made no reply. Why bother contradicting her when it would only lead to another disagreement? When he was fully aware that Lia, in spite of herself, wanted him as much as he wanted her.
Besides, he could afford to concede a single battle when he had no intention of losing the war.
‘Do you want any dessert?’
‘I couldn’t eat another thing after that delicious meal.’
‘That’s what I thought.’ She put the dessert in the fridge before straightening. ‘I’ve had dinner with you, fulfilled my part of the agreement, now it’s time for you to start talking.’
She leaned back against one of the kitchen cupboards, arms crossed defensively in front of her chest.
‘Of course.’
Gregorio stood up in what was now a very tidy apartment. All the boxes had been emptied and removed, the furniture was neatly arranged, and several photographs of Lia and her father had been placed in prominent places.
‘I liked your father very much—but obviously you choose not to believe that,’ he said impatiently, acknowledging her sceptical snort.
‘I have no reason to believe anything you say.’
‘And I have no reason to lie to you.’ He scowled. ‘Lia, De la Cruz Industries did not withdraw from the negotiations to purchase your father’s company.’
‘Of course you did—’
‘No,’ he stated evenly. ‘Your father was the one who withdrew from our offer.’
‘That’s ridiculous.’ Lia pushed away from the kitchen unit, her movements restless as she walked into the larger area of the sitting room. ‘Why on earth would he do that when he was on the verge of bankruptcy and so badly needed to sell Fairbanks Industries?’
‘In light of the current FSA investigation into the company, I think we may assume it was because he had discovered some...discrepancy.’
‘What sort of discrepancy?’
‘I believe several million pounds were transferred from the company accounts to offshore bank accounts.’
‘You believe or you know?’
‘I know,’ he confirmed quietly.
‘My father did not steal from his own company, if that’s what you’re implying!’ Her hands were clenched at her sides.
‘Of course not.’
‘Then who did?’
Gregorio shrugged his shoulders. ‘Only a limited number of people had the means, and access to the bank accounts affected.’
She frowned as she thought over what Gregorio had told her.
He’d said her father had withdrawn from the negotiations to sell Fairbanks