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‘Champagne!’ she said accusingly.
‘Buck’s Fizz,’ Ramon corrected, slanting her a look as he lifted the glass jug of freshly squeezed orange juice.
‘But if I’m to see a lawyer this morning—’
‘That’s later. First there’s another important matter I want to discuss with you.’ He tightened the belt of his towelling robe before settling into an easy chair.
‘Since when do we drink champagne before a meeting?’ she challenged, raising the glass to her lips. Surely business could wait just a little longer?
‘Take a seat,’ he said, raising his glass. ‘To us.’
Sitting on the edge of her chair, Annalisa took a sip. The champagne was delicious, and his toast had her heart thundering into a gallop…but the tone of his voice put a brake on her excitement. It was so businesslike; too businesslike. She put the glass down again on the small table between them.
‘I’m thinking…partnership,’ Ramon said making a steeple of his fingers as he waited for her reaction.
‘Partnership?’
‘Why not?’
‘Professional, you mean?’
‘No. Permanent. Marriage is for life as far as I’m concerned,’ he said as he poured them both another drink.
‘Is that a proposal?’ Annalisa demanded incredulously as he placed the glass in her hand.
‘What do you think?’
He was so objective, so cold and calculating, she felt ice trickle in to replace the spark of confidence he had worked so hard to instil.
‘Marriage between us makes a lot of sense.’
‘Sense!’ She almost choked on her drink.
‘Yes,’ he said evenly. ‘To me…to your father.’
‘My father’s dead!’
‘Surely you can see that he hoped you would make your home in Menorca?’
‘Well, yes, perhaps I can now. But—’
‘Maybe he hoped for a lot more than that.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Maybe his last wish was that we should be together.’
A whole slew of possibilities churned around in her mind… Perhaps Ramon had tried to buy the finca from her father and been refused…the daughter had proved a far easier target…just seduce her and— She felt physically sick just thinking about it. ‘I never imagined you’d sink to using tactics like this.’
‘Tactics?’ Ramon demanded sharply. ‘Your father thought of me as his son. He trusted me. And he loved you.’
The breath exploded out of Annalisa’s mouth in a sound of utter disbelief. ‘Well, he had a funny way of showing it.’
‘You’re wrong—’
‘So, tell me the truth about my father, Ramon,’ she challenged angrily.
He looked at her steadily for a few moments. ‘When your father and mother first met, his relationship with Claudia was over. He considered himself free to marry. And that was his intention…’
She heard the hesitation in his voice. The pause told her he was trying to phrase some unpalatable truth to make it acceptable to her. ‘Go on,’ she prompted.
‘Then Claudia told him she was pregnant.’
‘And that’s supposed to make me feel better?’ Annalisa demanded incredulously. ‘Knowing he got two women pregnant around the same time?’
‘But Claudia wasn’t pregnant,’ Ramon went on calmly. ‘She sacrificed everyone’s happiness when she tricked your father into marriage. She didn’t even want a baby. She just wanted his money.’
‘But my mother was pregnant,’ Annalisa said bitterly. ‘With me. And he abandoned us both.’
Ramon shook his head. ‘No. His code of honour would never have allowed it. I know he would have provided for you.’
‘Well, sadly, that’s where your story unravels,’ she broke in. ‘There never has been any money.’
‘I’m sure you’re wrong. But, whatever the outcome for your fortunes, marriage to me—’
‘Save your breath!’ Did he really think she would follow in Claudia’s footsteps and marry for money?
‘Try looking at things calmly, logically. There’s attraction between us—’
‘Sex?’
‘Don’t say that!’ he warned. ‘It’s a great deal more than that as far as I’m concerned. You have everything I need. And I have—’
‘Too much,’ Annalisa interrupted coldly. ‘You don’t need me to add to your trophies. You don’t even need to buy my land at a fair price. You can just wait until I go broke.’ And then something else occurred to her. ‘Or is that what this meeting with another lawyer is about? Signing contracts, Ramon? Take me to bed and it’s a done deal—is that what you think?’
