The Buenos Aires Marriage Deal Read Online Free PDF Page B

thirty-five times his stake, and his had been the only coloured chip on that number.
    His hosts and the other two couples round the table politely applauded. When the croupier paid him out in the appropriate chips, he turned and put them on the table in front of Briana.
    ‘Play again,’ he urged smoothly, smiling at the shock on her face. ‘Perhaps you have other lucky numbers at your disposal? Whatever you win…you keep.’
    ‘I’d rather not, if you don’t mind.’ Appearing distressed, she pushed to her feet. Her cheeks reddening, she halted a passing cocktail waitress. ‘Can you tell me where the ladies’ cloakroom is, please?’ she asked.
    In faint concern, Pascual also got to his feet. He caught Briana’s elbow as she started to move away. ‘What is the matter? Are you unwell?’
    ‘I shouldn’t have come here!’ she hissed, her silvery eyes shimmering beneath the twinkling lights of the opulent chandelier sparkling above them. ‘I came against my better judgement, and now I wish I hadn’t!’
    ‘Why? Are you so averse to winning money?’
    ‘I’m not winning anything, Pascual! It’s your money that you’re so recklessly throwing away to chance, and I want nothing more to do with it.’
    ‘Such principles you have! What a shame they were not in such evidence when you ran away from me in Buenos Aires five years ago, without even giving me a good reason why you’d suddenly decided I was not good enough to be your husband!’
    ‘I saw you kissing another woman!’ Jealousy and hurt slashed through Briana’s insides like a blade, with no lessening of the pain she had suffered at the time of the incident five years ago.
    Remembering where she was, she quickly glanced behind her and realised that they had an audience. She moved her head in anguish. She hadn’t meant to just come out with it like that, but the memory had been dragging at her heart from the moment she’d set eyes on Pascual again and she could stem the tide of hurt no longer. Pulling her arm free from his hold, she tried to regain control of her briefly lost equilibrium and restore her dignity.
    He considered her with a stunned look. ‘Who?’ he demanded. ‘Who was this woman you saw me kissing?’
    ‘You know very well who!’ Her lip trembling, Briana kept her voice low.
    ‘I imagine you are referring to Claudia at the party that night? A very drunk Claudia, who barely even knew what she was doing!’
    ‘Oh, she knew what she was doing Pascual…And so did you, by the looks of things.’
    ‘Why didn’t you tell me you saw this? Was that the real reason you left? Dios mio! ’
    ‘We’d better not have a scene here, in front of everyone. Think how it will look to your hosts—and it might reflect badly on my business too.’
    ‘Yet you clearly did not care how it looked to my family and friends when you heartlessly deserted me just a week before our wedding!’
    Pascual’s heart was pounding again, and he almost did not care whether he made a scene or not. The memory of Briana’s renunciation of both him and their marriage still cut him to the bone. And now to discover that she had witnessed that distasteful incident with Claudia, to learn that that was the reason she had left! Inside he was reeling from the knowledge. Why hadn’t she immediately said something to him? Demanded an explanation and given him the chance to tell her that his ex had been drunk and he had frankly been appalled by her throwing herself at him?
    Mindful that they were not alone, he had no intention of providing entertainment for the night for all and sundry who might be watching. A more personal discussion of events would have to wait. Giving Briana a stiff little bow, he barely disguised his impatience and annoyance.
    ‘Go to the ladies’ cloakroom. When you return I will instruct our driver to take us back to the house. I have suddenly lost my interest in gambling any further tonight!’
    Taking her brush out of her compact leather handbag,