The Spaniard's Love-Child Read Online Free PDF Page A

had a lot of other instincts, but Nell couldn’t see that dwelling on those was going to help the present situation.
    She was frustrated by the inherent weakness responsible for her turbulent pulse-rate and unsteady hands, but not surprised by it. There was nothing subtle about what Raul Carreras oozed, unless you considered being hit over the head by a large blunt object subtle! And Nell seriously doubted if her response to his brand of raw sexuality made her in any way unique.
    â€˜I thought I had made my wishes clear.’
    It was obvious from his tone that it had not for one second even crossed his mind that anyone would ignore an instruction he had given, no matter how misjudged said instruction might be.
    â€˜You did,’ she agreed placidly. ‘But I thought it wasn’t a good idea,’ she elaborated.
    Raul stared at her. ‘ You thought…?’
    Was he outraged at the idea she could think, or the fact she had dared think something he didn’t want her to? It was his expression of total astonishment that made her annoyance tip over into amusement.
    Her grin produced a predictable gleam of awakening anger in his deep-set eyes—this was not a man to whom laughing at himself came easily. Nell arranged her features in a suitably sober expression. There was no point deliberately antagonising him and, she reminded herself, his night had been even more hellish than her own. Under the circumstances the guy was allowed not to be in the mood to party or even smile, she thought, studying his magnificently brooding profile. God, but he really was something extra special.
    Being a fair-minded person, Nell knew that if he’d beenanyone else she’d have automatically cut him a bit of slack without a second thought. The problem was he wasn’t anyone else. The fact is, she told herself, you can’t allow your judgement to be clouded by his sexual charisma. You couldn’t hold a man personally responsible for looking like your fantasy dream lover and then compounding the crime by ruining the illusion when he opened his mouth.
    Maybe that was just as well, she reflected ruefully; if his personality had turned out to be as sublimely perfect as his raw, rampantly male looks, the fact he was totally unattainable to someone like herself would have been seriously tragic.
    The thought of how unspeakably awful it must have been for him to think, even temporarily, that the children had been snatched brought a sympathetic warmth to her expression of which she was totally unaware as she read her hormones a firm lecture on self-control.
    â€˜Look, I really don’t think you’ve thought this through,’ she told him kindly. ‘Why don’t we talk about it? Would you like to come in?’ She stepped a little to one side.
    â€˜There is nothing to think through and I should like to take the children back home in my car, which is no doubt being vandalised.’
    His continued inexplicable antagonism was beginning to really niggle her. ‘Oh, it’s your car you’re worried about.’ She regretted the childish retort the moment it escaped her lips. ‘And here was me thinking it was Kate and Antonio,’ she finished in defiance of his glowering disapproval.
    One strongly delineated dark brow lifted. ‘Frankly, Miss Rose, I do not think my worries are any of your concern.’ His fine nostrils quivered as he looked contemptuously down his patrician nose at her.
    His dismissive attitude brought a flush to Nell’s cheeks. For someone she associated with emotional detachment,there was something inescapably personal about the unconcealed contempt in his voice and manner.
    A natural optimist, blessed with an easygoing nature, Nell had managed to go through life without making enemies. Finding herself on the receiving end of such hostility wasn’t pleasant. Did he treat everyone this way or was she receiving special treatment? She didn’t crave Raul