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

snob!’ she exclaimed contemptuously.
    A muscle clenched in his lean cheek as Raul studied her angry face with an air of baffled frustration. He ran a hand down the back of his sleek dark hair before rubbing it along the stubble that dusted his angular jawline.
    â€˜Would you be happy to walk alone here at night?’
    â€˜I have done.’ No need to mention she had not done so out of choice and had been extremely uneasy.
    â€˜Then you are a fool,’ he condemned.
    No, just a liar. ‘You’re entitled to your opinion.’ And don’t you enjoy sharing it?
    â€˜I am willing to overlook your involvement in tonight’s events,’ he revealed in the manner of someone making a major concession. ‘However, there are limits to my patience,’ he revealed in a colourless, bored tone.
    â€˜Involvement?’ she queried sharply. ‘Listen, I realise having someone to blame means you don’t have to examine your own behaviour, but I didn’t volunteer to be your scapegoat.’
    â€˜I am not suggesting you planned what happened.’
    Planned? Good God! Was that what he was thinking? ‘That’s terribly good of you,’ she choked with leaden irony.
    â€˜You expect me to believe you didn’t plant the idea in Katerina’s head? Oh, I’m sure you were subtle,’ he conceded nastily. ‘A word here, a word there…’ His eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘I don’t know what you think you’ll gain from exploiting the fondness my niece and nephew have for you? However, I think you should remember that I am not my brother.’
    As if I’m likely to forget! ‘You’re suggesting?’ Nell swallowed and shook her head, feeling the anger building steadily inside her.
    â€˜My brother obviously had a fondness for you, I don’t ,’ he spelt out coldly. ‘If these children come to any harm because of you, you will answer to me. Oh…’ he smiled grimly into her pale face ‘…in case you were wondering, that was a threat.’
    â€˜You’re suggesting that I encouraged them to run away?’ Her voice rose to a shrill pitch, which made him wince. ‘I’d really like to be around when you realise just how much you’ve underestimated Katerina.’ And if he was half as patronising to the teenager as he was with her he wouldn’t have to wait long, she thought grimly.
    â€˜Do not try and deflect the blame,’ he recommended scornfully.
    â€˜I’m not!’ Nell exclaimed angrily. ‘I just meant that you don’t begin to appreciate just how resourceful and bright Katerina is.’ Or how much she needs someone to love her, she thought sadly.
    â€˜I am aware that Katerina is an intelligent child; however,’ he added disapprovingly, ‘she lacks focus.’
    â€˜She didn’t lack focus when she knocked out your security.’ Nell watched a look of genuine shock chase across his dark, devastating features.
    â€˜Katerina?’ Raul, scepticism etched on his lean, dark features, shook his head. ‘It is not possible.’
    Nell smiled and Raul’s jaw tightened.
    â€˜I blame myself for not putting a stop to the phone calls and e-mails.’ He placed a hand on the doorjamb above her head.
    Hot with hating, Nell lifted her shimmering eyes to his and without warning was submerged by a wave of enervating lust so intense she couldn’t breathe. It hurt; it physically hurt. Nell, unable to tear her eyes from Raul’s face, couldn’t have said whether she was standing, sitting or lying down. Praying for things to return to normal, she fought to control her rising panic.
    It was the cringe-inducing possibility that he was not unaware of the effect his physical closeness had on her that enabled Nell to assume an attitude of defiance even when his voice dropped to a soft, threatening murmur that made the hairs on her nape stand on end.
    â€˜But