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At a little after two-thirty Xav stood at the window of his office, staring out across the city, his mind adrift until the sound of Ramon’s dry, half-amused voice dragged him out of his head.
‘Daydreaming, hermano?’
He turned, shot a deliberate look at his watch and raised an eyebrow. ‘Did you forget to set your alarm?’ He eyed his brother as he sauntered in and sat down in front of his desk. ‘I came to the office from Madrid and managed to get here five hours earlier than you.’
Ramon shrugged, unconcerned. ‘Katie had a bad night, which means Emily had a bad night. I stayed at the villa this morning to look after Katie so Em could rest.’
That didn’t sound like his sister-in-law. Emily might look delicate, but he knew she was a strong, capable woman. Not the type to be fazed by a sleepless night. ‘She’s unwell?’
‘She’s fine, but she had a virus a couple of weeks ago. She tires easily.’
He sat down behind his desk. ‘Mamá couldn’t have helped?’
‘She offered, but she had some errands to run, and then one of her luncheons in the city, so I told her to go.’ He stretched out his legs. ‘How was Madrid?’
‘Fine. Mostly meetings. No dramas.’
If he didn’t count running into their cousin Diego. Unease ran through him like a trickle of icy water, but he shook off the sense of foreboding. Diego had witnessed nothing last night that he could wield as a weapon. He’d seen his cousin dining out with a beautiful woman—that was all. It was unfortunate that Jordan had revealed her full name, but Diego would have to dig deep and connect a lot of obscure dots before he unearthed anything significant.
Xav leaned back in his chair and took a breath. ‘I can’t make it tomorrow,’ he said, and saw surprise flash across his brother’s face.
‘Why not?’
‘I have another commitment.’
One with red hair, soft curves and a ripe mouth he seemed to have developed a permanent craving for.
Ramon frowned. ‘You haven’t seen Emily or Katie yet. Em will be disappointed. We’re returning to London on Sunday.’
‘I’m sorry.’
Ruthlessly he quashed the flare of guilt. His time with Jordan was limited, whereas his family would always be relatively close and accessible. His parents’ home was a thirty-minute drive from his. Ramon and his family, in London, were only two hours away by plane. He could see any of them any time—just not this weekend.
Ramon held his palms up. ‘Fine. I assume you’ve told Mamá?’
‘I’ll call her.’
Although it wasn’t a conversation he looked forward to. Very rarely did he disappoint his mother. For years that had been Ramon’s speciality, and Xav had lost count of the times he’d taken his brother to task for his selfish behaviour.
Things were different now, of course. Ramon was different. He’d settled down, returned to the family fold.
Another trickle of unease went down Xav’s spine. Now he was the one about to upset their mother. Was that what his lust for Jordan had reduced him to? Was she his drug of choice and he little better than a junkie who would do anything—even lie to and disappoint his family—to guarantee his next fix?
‘You can tell her in person.’
He looked at his bro
ther. ‘Excuse me?’
‘Mamá. She’s coming here after lunch.’ Ramon glanced at his watch and frowned. ‘If you haven’t seen her, then she’s late. She said she’d be here around two. Unless...’
A sudden ripple of tension went through Xav’s shoulders. ‘Unless what?’
Ramon grimaced. ‘She might have gone to the apartment first. I let slip about the renovation, and you know how she likes to put her two cents in when it comes to decorating. Sorry, hermano. She’s probably up there right now changing the entire colour scheme.’
‘She is right here, mis queridos hijos, so be careful what you say.’
Both men straightened in their chairs and swung their gazes towards the doorway.
