The Buenos Aires Marriage Deal by Maggie Cox Page A

sighed. ‘ Tina. I should have guessed.’
    ‘She has already told me that she temps from time to time in between jobs. She seems a resourceful girl to me…she will be okay. And you will have other important occupations to think of when we go back to Argentina.’
    ‘All right…That aside…if you pay this debt for me—and I will only agree to let you do so because of Adán—then you know I will have to insist on paying you back, Pascual?’
    ‘Now you are being foolish.’
    ‘I won’t accept your help unless you agree to let me pay you back. I mean it!’
    Sighing, as if she was taxing him to the very limits of his patience, the man beside her reluctantly nodded. ‘Okay, okay! Just concentrate on the road, will you? Or we will find ourselves in the hospital instead of at your house!’
    ‘My driving’s not that bad!’
    To Briana’s complete disconcertion he chuckled, and her skin broke out into tingling gooseflesh at the sound. ‘Not as bad as some I know, I will agree.’
    ‘I suppose you’re referring to women in particular?’ Unable to prevent the sharp slash of jealousy that ripped through her at the thought of Pascual with another beautiful model like Claudia, or worse Claudia herself, her mood grew even more despondent.
    ‘Are you jealous, carina? ’ he drawled softly.
    ‘Let’s change the subject, shall we?’
    ‘So…today we will put your business affairs in order, and tomorrow I will organise our travel arrangements. I will also ring home and instruct Sofia to make ready a room near us for Adán.’
    ‘Sofia is still with you?’
    The older Spanish woman who was Pascual’s housekeeper had always been so sweet to Briana, and she had never forgotten her kindness. Of all the people she had met when she’d stayed in Palermo, she was the one who had truly accepted her for herself and had never given her the slightest inkling that she disparaged where she came from. She’d been totally happy with Briana because Pascual—whom she revered—loved her.
    ‘Of course!’
    For a moment Pascual sounded nonplussed, as if he could hardly fathom why anyone he employed would even think of leaving him to work for someone else. And of course he was right. As far as Briana had been able to observe he was a fair and generous employer, and Sofia clearly idolised him.
    ‘And you, of course,’ he continued, his magnetic voice lowering, ‘will not need a room of your own—because you will be sharing my quarters.’
    The possessive intent with which he shared this last piece of information made her hair bristle, but she held onto her indignation… just.
    ‘Perhaps in the light of what happened yesterday, it might be best if we kept our relationship purely platonic?’ she ventured.
    ‘I was mad at you yesterday…but my anger at you will not interfere with the physical side of our relationship in future, I promise you.’
    ‘Well, I—’
    ‘There is one thing I assure you our marriage will not be, Briana, and that is platonic!’
    ‘Even though I leave you cold?’ The small nugget of hurt inside her chest was like a sharp stone as she remembered the insult. She sensed his glance intensify again.
    ‘I did not say your body left me cold…far from it!’
    ‘But—’
    ‘Call me arrogant, if you will…but I know that my body does not leave you cold either. If nothing else we can at least take consolation in our mutual desire for each other and in being good parents.’
    Biting her lip on a despondent retort, Briana concentrated all her attention on the road ahead for the rest of the trip. The only time she allowed her thoughts to wander was when she tried to imagine how Adán was going to receive the news that the man she had introduced to him yesterday as a friend was really his father…
    ‘Do you really think this is the right thing to do, Briana?’
    Standing in her daughter’s kitchen, Frances Douglas cupped her hands round her recently made mug of coffee and frowned in concern.
    ‘I