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‘That will not be necessary.’
With her back to the room, Alicia froze, all the colour and warmth draining from her face as his voice wrapped around her, strangling her, shocking her, so her heart felt as though it had been electrocuted.
‘Connie.’ It was a strangled plea, but for what? What did she want her assistant to say or do?
‘Good evening, sir. Are you the lucky winner of Miss Griffiths’ services?’
She barely heard Connie’s question. Her ears were ringing and her mind was in free fall at the realisation that not only Graciano was here, but that he’dbidon her.
‘Yes.’
‘Wonderful. And what was your name, sir?’
Alicia turned slowly, bracing herself to come face to face with him again, this time with the knowledge he’d just pledged an exorbitant amount for a week of her time.
‘This is Graciano Cortéz, Connie,’ Alicia said quietly.
A thousand billion feelings slammed into her like an out-of-control train.
Her face was ashen, her eyes haunted when they met his, but only for a moment. She rallied quickly, imposing a cool mask to her features, but oh, how it cost her. What was he thinking? He’d swiftly declined even the idea of a drink, of ten minutes of shared airspace, and yet he’d bid an outrageous amount on her event-organising skills?
‘Someone you know?’ Connie asked.
She was quick to dispute that. ‘Just someone I spent time with many years ago.’ It felt important to delineate the past from their present. She ignored the mockery that shifted on his face, a mockery she immediately understood, because she understoodeverythingabout Graciano Cortéz, and probably always would.
‘I see.’ Connie frowned.
Alicia infused a note of disdain into her voice; after all, what more did he deserve? ‘I take it you have an event you’d like me to organise?’
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. ‘Correct.’
‘I see. Well, if you leave your details with my assistant, Connie, I’ll be in touch once the payment has cleared.’
‘I’ll require you to start Monday.’
‘Monday?’ Alicia stared at him, momentarily forgetting she was supposed to be unflappable. ‘Why so soon?’
‘The event is at the end of the month.’
‘How come you haven’t arranged it already?’
‘I wasn’t aware my five hundred thousand pounds also bought me an inquisition. Can you do it, or not?’
Alicia shot Connie a look of disbelief and Connie’s own features reflected bemusement. ‘You have two meetings, but I can move them back a week...’
It was not the answer Alicia wanted.
‘What is your name?’ Graciano’s attention shifted to Alicia’s right.
‘Connie.’
‘My assistant will send an itinerary to you tomorrow morning, Connie. I will require Ms Griffiths’ services for five nights. Her flight will leave first thing Monday morning.’
‘Hold on a second.’ Alicia needed to draw breath. For a moment, she was sixteen again, all her hopes and wants and dreams centred around this man, and the reality of how far life had taken her from him, of how far from one another they were now, almost made her physically ill. Would her sixteen-year-old self ever have understood that they could speak so coldly to one another? For a time, he’d truly felt like the other part of her. But it had just been a childish dream, nothing more. ‘A week of my time means a week of my time, not... I can’t... You’re not seriously expecting me to go to Spain with you?’
‘I presume my five hundred thousand pounds buys me your undivided attention?’
‘Well, yes, but I can give you that from my office at home—’
