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The rest of the man was gorgeous, too. Long. Lean. Hard-muscled. When he’d kissed her she’d felt the masculine power of his body. The strength of it. When he’d kissed her…
God, when he’d kissed her…
Alyssa blinked. Lucas was looking at her with the intensity of a rattlesnake watching a field mouse.
It frightened her but she’d sooner have died than let him know it. She didn’t know much about men—why would she want to? What she’d learned, watching her mother defer to Aloysius, was enough. But she knew stallions and to show weakness to a stallion was to put yourself in mortal danger.
So she steeled herself for the Spanish prince’s inevitable questions and reminded herself that she’d had nothing to do with any of this, and he’d damned well better get that straight.
“Explain yourself.”
His voice was low and filled with command. Alyssa narrowed her eyes. The last time anyone had used that tone with her was in sixth grade and Miss Ellison had demanded to know why she’d punched Ted Marsden in the nose.
Because he thought he could get away with putting his hand on my backside, she’d said, and Miss Ellison had tried, unsuccessfully, not to laugh.
Nobody was laughing now.
Alyssa drew herself up. “Excuse me?”
“I said—”
“I heard what you said. I just didn’t like the way you said it.”
Lucas stepped forward. She managed to stand her ground but was that really better than tilting her head back so she could keep her eyes on his?
“It’s been a very long day, amada,” he said softly. “I am tired and irritable, I have not eaten since morning, and I am in no mood for nonsense.”
“I’m sorry if you find our hospitality lacking,” Alyssa said, her coolness making a mockery of the words, “but I am equally tired and irritable and, thanks to your presence, I have not eaten, either. Just knowing you were here spoiled my appetite.”
She gasped as his hands closed around her shoulders.
“You are quick to offer insult.”
“You are quick to show your temper.”
“I want answers.”
“And I want you gone. Perhaps, if we cooperate, we can both get what we want.”
Angry as he was, Lucas almost laughed. Dios, this one was tough! Not that she wasn’t frightened. Despite her show of bravado, he could feel her trembling under his hands.
Was she afraid of him?
He hoped not. She had angered him, y
es. Infuriated him, was closer to the truth, but he had no taste for scaring women, especially women with such deep blue eyes and sweet, tender mouths.
And look how quickly she’d taken his thoughts from where they belonged, he thought coldly.
Something was going on here, a scam, a swindle of some kind, and he was not going to let this woman, who was surely part of it, distract him.
“That’s the first intelligent thing you’ve said, señorita.” Lucas lifted his hands from her shoulders. “So, go on. Explain yourself. Oh. Sorry.” A smile that wasn’t a smile at all twisted his mouth. “What I meant,” he said dryly, “is, would you kindly tell me what you meant by that cryptic statement? In what way did my grandfather supposedly ‘buy’ you?”
Alyssa decided to ignore his sarcasm. It was time to get this over with.
“As Thaddeus told you, your grandfather and my adoptive father signed a contract. Felix paid Aloysius half the agreed-upon price.”
Lucas was watching her through narrowed eyes. “With the other half due when?”
