One Month with the Magnate by Michelle Celmer Page A

up.”
    â€œI will. I promise.”
    â€œI need you to get one of the guest rooms ready. Preferably the one farthest from mine. Estefan will be back later tonight.”
    â€œSo, he’s not here?”
    â€œHe just left.”
    She was watching him expectantly. He wasn’t sure why, but then he remembered what he’d told her when the doorbell rang, that he wasn’t finished with her.
    â€œAbout what happened earlier. I think it would be best if we keep things professional from now on.”
    â€œOh,” she said, her eyes filled with confusion. And rejection. He shouldn’t have felt like a heel, but he did. Isn’t this what he’d wanted? To get her all worked up, then reject her? Well, the plan had worked brilliantly. Even better than he’d anticipated. What he hadn’t counted on was how much he would want her, too.
    â€œWell, I had better get the room ready,” she said. She paused, as though she was waiting for him to say something, and when he didn’t, she walked away, leaving him feeling like the world’s biggest jerk.
    The last few weeks had been stressful to say the least. He would be relieved when Isabelle was gone, and theinvestigation at the refinery came to a close, and he was securely in the position of CEO. Life would be perfect.
    So why did he have the sneaking suspicion it wouldn’t be so simple?

Nine
    S o much for hoping Emilio might forgive her, that he still wanted her. He wanted to keep their relationship professional. And they had come so close this afternoon. If it hadn’t been for Estefan showing up…
    Oh, well. Easy come, easy go.
    Clearly he didn’t want Estefan knowing he was involved with someone like her. It was bad enough she was living in his house. And could she blame him for feeling that way? Aside from the fact that her father had ruined their mother’s reputation, Isabelle was a criminal.
    Alleged criminal, she reminded herself.
    Unfortunately, now Emilio seemed to be shutting her out completely. He hadn’t come out of his office all day, or said more than a word or two to her. No insults or wry observations. He’d even eaten his dinner at his desk. Just when she’d gotten used to him sitting in the kitchen making fun of her.
    Isabelle loaded the last of the dinner dishes in the dishwasher and set it to run. It was only eight and all her work for the day was finished, but the idea of sitting around feeling sorry for herself on a Saturday night was depressing beyond words. Maybe it was time she paid her mom another visit. They could watch a movie or play a game of Scrabble. She could use a little cheering up, and she knew that no matter what, her mother was there for her.
    If Emilio would let her go. The only way she could get there, short of making her mother come get her, or taking a cab, was to use his car. She could lie and say she was going grocery shopping, but when she came home empty-handed he would definitely be suspicious. And would he really buy her going shopping on a Saturday night? Besides, she didn’t like lying.
    She could just sneak out without telling him, and deal with the consequences when she got back.
    Yeah, that was probably the way to go.
    She changed out of her uniform, grabbed her purse and sweater and when she walked back into the kitchen for the car keys Emilio was there, getting an apple from the fridge. He looked surprised to see her in her street clothes.
    Well, shoot. So much for sneaking out.
    â€œGoing somewhere?” he asked.
    â€œI finished all my work so I thought I would go see my mother. I won’t be late.”
    â€œDid Estefan get back yet?”
    â€œNot yet.”
    â€œYou’re taking the Saab?”
    She nodded, bracing for an argument.
    â€œWell, then, drive safe.”
    Drive safe? That was it? Wasn’t he going to give her a hard time about going out? Or say something about hertaking his car for personal use? Instead he walked