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She blinked at him. ‘What?’
‘I have some meetings to attend in our office there.’ Meetings that were currently scheduled for next week, but he would have Lucia bring them forward. ‘I have an apartment in a separate building from the offices—near the Museo de Prado.’
She put her fork down. ‘You’ll be working during the day?’
‘Of course. And you’ll be busy sightseeing. I’ll put a dedicated car and driver at your disposal. And then the evenings and the nights...’ he pushed his chair back, reached for her hand and pulled her into his lap ‘...will be ours.’
It was perfect. Jordan wanted to see Madrid, and he wanted more of Jordan. One night together was not going to be enough. And taking her out of Barcelona was ideal. It eliminated any risk of her encountering his brother or anyone else from the family.
She bit her lip. ‘I don’t know...’
He rose with her in his arms and saw that adorable scowl forming on her features. But he also saw her pupils widen, heard her breathing grow shallow. She wanted him again already, and given how she’d come apart in his arms earlier he didn’t imagine one night would be enough for her either.
‘Hey!’ She wriggled her luscious body against his. ‘What are you doing? I’m not finished eating.’
His body hardening rapidly with need, he headed for the bedroom. ‘It seems you may need some persuading.’
She opened her mouth and closed it again.
He lifted an eyebrow. ‘Objections?’
Her scowl receded. ‘No. But I warn you now—’ she looped her arms around his neck ‘—I may need an awful lot of convincing.’
CHAPTER NINE
‘OH, MY GOODNESS...’ Jordan stepped off the bottom tread of the long staircase that had brought them deep underground and looked around her. ‘This is amazing.’
She glanced up at Xavier and his easy smile, combined with the warm press of his palm against the small of her back, had a dangerous effect on her equilibrium.
He turned her towards an approaching maître d’. ‘Four hundred years ago this was a network of winery cellars run by monks,’ he said. ‘Now it’s one of Madrid’s finest restaurants.’
The windowless space might have felt stuffy and oppressive, but it had been so beautifully restored that instead it felt welcoming and intimate.
Following the maître d’, they walked beneath centuries-old arches of brick and stone, through an enchanting labyrinth of narrow passageways that linked a series of dining alcoves and galleries of varying shapes and sizes.
Isolated from the noisy, bustling city above, and with soft music piped through invisible speakers and subtle, atmospheric lighting enhancing the sense of tranquillity and seclusion, it was the perfect place for a couple to enjoy a romantic night out.
Ignoring the pang behind her ribs that warned her against yearning for things she shouldn’t, Jordan smiled and thanked the man who’d shown them to their table, set in its own alcove, and held out her chair.
This was not a romantic date. She and Xavier were simply marking their third and final night in Madrid by doing something different. Something other than spending the whole evening at the apartment and ordering in.
Not that she’d minded that, of course. She’d packed her days with sightseeing, and by the time the evenings had rolled around all she’d wanted to do was see Xavier. She hadn’t cared what they did, so long as they were together. But when he’d suggested they dine at a restaurant tonight she’d thrilled to the idea of going out with him.
A waiter brought the wine Xavier had ordered, noted their food selections and disappeared.
‘What did you do today, querida?’
She smiled. When he’d asked that question last night, and the night before that, she’d been naked and sated, lying in his arms with her head resting on his chest. The first time she’d assumed he was just being polite, making conversation because that was what men thought women wanted. She’d expected him to listen with only half an ear, but his murmured comments and further questions had proved he was listening attentively and she’d realised his interest was genuine.
She sat forward and gave him a brief rundown of her day’s sightseeing, which included, among other things, a visit to an impressive art museum housed in a neo-classical palace, a walk to one of the city’s oldest squares, and a wander around the boat lake in Madrid’s beautiful Retiro Park.
He frowned. ‘You could have saved your feet a lot of walking if you’d accepted my offer of a driver.’
She shook her head. ‘I told you. I like walking. And you see so much more than you do from the window of a car.’
He sipped his wine. He looked ultra-gorgeous tonight, his jaw dark with five o’clock shadow and his bronzed skin set off by a black open-collared shirt. ‘Did you reach your friend?’
She pulled her gaze off the triangle of dusky skin at the base of his throat. ‘Yes.’
