by Alexia Adams
He perched his delectable ass on the table, stretched his long legs, crossed his ankles, and folded his arms over his abdomen, blatantly challenging her to respond.
As she racked her brain for a counter to his argument, there was a commotion at the back of the room. A deafening bang was followed immediately by pandemonium. Most in the audience stood, blocking her view. Chairs crashed to the floor, and a few people screamed.
Before she could even formulate a plan of escape, Eduardo was in front of her, further preventing her from seeing whatever was happening at the door. Without a word, he ushered her towards the curtained area behind them.
Within seconds, they were enveloped in darkness behind the heavy curtain, his body pressed against hers. His heart beat steadily beneath her hand and his scent, a mix of bergamot and sandalwood, suited the man he’d become.
“Where’s your security team?” Eduardo’s whisper straight in her ear sent heat directly to her core. Damn, but she wished she could turn back time, if only for a few hours. Where was a time-travel rune stone when you needed one? Or did those only work in Scotland?
“I didn’t bring any. I thought I’d be safe. This used to be my home.” She’d wanted to just be Anna Marquez for a while. But as the shouts of terrified people grew, she realized the folly of her plan.
There was no going back to a simpler life—one where Eduardo loved her.
Chapter Two
Eduardo forced his brain to recall every exit the community center offered and not dwell on the sensations bombarding him with Anna back in his arms. His body, however, refused to ignore her soft breasts crushed into his chest. Her hands were on his shoulders, his growing erection pressed against her stomach. Just like the good old days. Damn traitorous body. He’d make it pay later with a double workout.
His hand eventually released her hip and searched to the left. He shuffled them over a few feet, making sure they were still covered by the heavy curtain. He prayed that in the confusion no one noticed the bulge in the draperies. There were shouts asking for calm and for everyone to vacate the room in an orderly manner. It had been nothing more than a firecracker that had unleashed the chaos, but he wasn’t taking any chances with Anna’s life.
His building would never get the green light if one of Argentina’s most prosperous exports was killed on the site.
The last thing he needed was for her to become a martyr. And, yes, that was the only reason he was rescuing her.
At last he made contact with a metal handle and held his breath as he tried the door. It wasn’t locked. First good thing to happen to him today. They were about to enter either the ball storage room or the coach’s office. He didn’t dare turn on the light and alert anyone to their location. Beyond the curtain, people were calling Anna’s name—her fake name. They had a minute, maybe two, before they were discovered. He couldn’t be the only one who knew all the make-out spots in the building.
In a second stroke of luck, they were in the coach’s office, not the windowless ball room. His eyes had now adjusted to the dark and he found the cord for the blinds. With one tug, diffused sunlight flooded the room. He glanced at Anna to make sure she was unhurt.
Dios, she was beautiful. Even after all their years apart she still stole his breath.
Her long, platinum-blonde hair was coiled in an elegant roll at the back of her neck, and her eyes were the color of the blue stripes in the Argentine flag. No wonder she was considered a national treasure. His gaze lingered on her lips. How many hours had he spent tasting them and her soft skin? Kissing her had been the highlight of each day.
His only regret was that they’d never taken things all the way. They’d assumed they had forever. He’d been so naïve.
“Now what?” she asked in a soft whisper. Mierda, memories were doing a trick on him. Good thing he was immune to her now.
“Now I get you out of here.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and sent a text to Raul to leave the car and hurry to the back alley behind the community center. And to message him when he was in position.
The high window was too small for him to make it out, but Anna should have no problem. It was the six-foot drop on the other side that would be the issue.
“How?” She glanced towards the window. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“It will be fine. My driver will be on the other side to catch you.”
“And you?”
“I’ll go out the normal way.”
Panic widened her blue eyes. “But where will I meet you?”
“You don’t need to meet me. Raul will take you to my car and drop you anywhere you want.”
He would not cave to her display of anxiety. He’d rescued her, and he would ensure she got to safety—that should be enough.
“But we need to talk.”
He rummaged through the desk, looking for anything that could be used as a disguise. She stood out like a peach in a bowl of pine cones. His quest also kept him from succumbing to her sorcery. Years ago, she’d put a spell on him where he’d do absolutely anything just to see her smile.
“Talk? Why? I think your silence over the past decade has been clear enough. After I was injured—and it was evident that I wouldn’t be able to provide you immediately with a lavish lifestyle—you left, seeking a more lucrative relationship.”
“It wasn’t like that.” The anguish in her voice was well faked.
“Put this on.” He thrust a filthy baseball cap in her hands. He wasn’t going to listen to any protest. She slipped on the nasty hat. It did nothing to disguise her beauty. But hopefully, with her signature hair hidden, she would be able to escape unnoticed by the majority.
“Eduardo…” Dammit. Five more minutes and he’d never have to see her again. He could last that long.
Ignoring the plea in her voice, he climbed onto the desk, opened the window, and stuck his head out. Remarkably, the alley was empty of people, but he could hear the crowd around the front of the building. How long they’d stay there and not venture to the back, he had no idea.
Hurry, Raul.
While Eduardo was confident that he could keep Anna safe, it was now his own peace of mind that was at the greatest risk.
He spied his driver rounding the corner at full tilt, and Eduardo held out his hand to help Anna onto the desk. She slipped her delicate palm against his, as she had a million times in the past. Their eyes met for a split second before he released her hand and laced his fingers to offer her a boost through the open window. She pulled herself up, balancing for a moment on the ledge as she maneuvered her white-denim-clad legs into the opening. He heard Raul’s reassuring “I’ve got you” through the concrete wall.
Of their own volition, his eyes met Anna’s one last time before she slipped from view.
It was going to take days, and more than a double workout, before he would be able to erase from his mind the haunting sadness in her gaze.
***
Anna flashed her fan-favorite smile for Raul. “I promise, I’ll take the full brunt of Eduardo’s anger. And if he fires you, I’ll hire you at twice the salary,” she reassured him. She’d refused to divulge where she was staying, and after forty minutes, Raul had given up and brought her to Eduardo’s luxury apartment in the Retiro neighborhood’s famed Kavanagh building.
“I don’t need anyone to plead for me. I will face Señor Forenza for my decision,” Raul said. “And I thank you for the offer, but I can’t work for you in America. I have a son and am not able to leave Argentina.”
Devoted father had not been one of the pegs she’d put on the board.
“How old is your boy?” Anna asked as she wandered over to the balcony and looked out at the view over Plaza San Martin. She’d forgotten how much she loved her birth city. Los Angeles was great, but it didn’t have the history or the evocative architecture of Buenos Aires.
What she didn’t miss was the day-to-day struggle of living in poverty, wondering each month if she, her mom, and her grandmother would be out
on the street if they couldn’t scrape together enough money for rent.
“Timoteo is three.” Raul pulled out his phone and showed her a photo of a beautiful little boy with light brown hair and green eyes. There wasn’t much resemblance to the hulking giant who had lifted her effortlessly from the window and almost carried her to the BMW waiting around the corner. With his crooked nose, scarred and pockmarked face, and both arms covered in tattoos, Raul was a daunting figure. But as he gazed at the picture of his son, all she could see was complete adoration in the man’s face.
“Do you have a picture of his mother as well?”
“No. That snake left, and good riddance. She walked out on the two of us and now thinks she can sue me for custody and take Timo away? I’ll be dead before I let that happen.”
Was this the bond that glued Raul and Eduardo together? The driver seemed to almost worship his employer. Except instead of the hard-working, dedicated father Raul seemed to be, Eduardo’s mother had abandoned him with an alcoholic dad and a crippled grandmother.
“Well, your son looks happy, which shows what a great parent you are.”
“I’d do anything for him.” Raul’s face once again turned thoughtful. “Señor Forenza gave me a job when no one else would. I’d do anything for him as well.”
“I’m sure he appreciates your loyalty.”
She knew exactly how much Eduardo valued that quality. And what he thought of those who betrayed him. As she had done.
Despite her assurances to the contrary, she knew Eduardo wouldn’t be happy to find her in his apartment. But she wasn’t going anywhere until she’d at least apologized for leaving him all those years ago. Hopefully, he’d give her the chance to explain, but she wasn’t holding her breath for that. Getting his forgiveness would never even be an option. But her husband’s recent passing had taught Anna that regret ate at the soul as badly as cancer ravaged the body. She didn’t want to lie on her deathbed and think of all the things she should have said.
She rehearsed again her opening lines, knowing she’d only get one shot at this. Her throat tightened.
“Can I get a glass of water?” she asked.
“Of course.”
She followed Raul into an immaculate kitchen with marble countertops and hidden appliances. The driver opened a cupboard, pulled out a glass, and poured her a drink from a bottle in the fridge.
“It looks like you’ve been here before.”
He handed her the drink. “Timo and I stayed here for a week while there was a problem with our apartment. As I said, I’d do anything for Señor Forenza.”
Including throwing an unwanted guest off the balcony? But she had no fear of Eduardo hurting her physically. His hate was punishment enough.
She wandered back into the living room with its high ceiling and honey-toned walls. The dark wood floors contrasted with the overstuffed white sofas. Red accents in the throw cushions and knickknacks added a punch of color and gave the room a homey feel. The furnishings were not only comfortable but of the highest quality. And the artwork that decorated the walls had clearly not come from a department store. Eduardo had done well, even without the salary of a professional athlete.
So much for his words about still walking the streets of La Boca. He was as much of a fraud as Angel.
Her assistant had finally answered the text asking for background info on Eduardo. She’d read the reply six times in the back seat of the BMW, wearing the hoodie Raul had procured to aid in her disguise. All Janet had been able to discover was that Eduardo was one of Buenos Aires’s most prosperous lawyers and had recently become a partner in a property development firm.
He was equally successful with women. After the sixth link to photos of him with some supermodel or gorgeous television personality, Anna had stopped looking into his personal life. His active involvement in several charities was not a surprise. He’d always been one to champion the disadvantaged. He’d become a man any woman would give a kidney to be with.
Unlike Keanu Reeves in The Matrix, she’d chosen the wrong pill.
A large, tawny cat sauntered down the hallway. It stopped, stared at Anna for a few seconds, then ignored her as it stretched out in a patch of sunlight. Feline and master seemed to share the same opinion of her.
The lock on the door buzzed. She smoothed a hand over her hair and pulled at the wrinkles on her powder blue top, wishing she’d worn a more try-and-ignore-me-now outfit. Except that would have made escaping through the window of the community center impossible, or at least highly embarrassing.
Eduardo strode through the door looking none the worse for having braved a throng of her ardent fans and made his way out of Boca without his private car and driver. His eyes narrowed when he spotted her standing by the window, but his question was directed at Raul.
“What’s she doing here?”
“She insisted that she had to speak with you and wouldn’t tell me where she was staying.”
“You should have just left her in Boca, since evidently that’s what she considers home.” Eduardo flung his suit jacket on a wingback chair and strode into the kitchen.
She’d give him a minute to settle before launching into her apology. She’d hoped to do it in private, but Raul didn’t look like he was going anywhere. At this point, though, she didn’t know if his continued presence was due to curiosity or a determination to protect her—or his boss.
Eduardo returned to the sitting room, a glass of water in hand, his tie gone, and his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows. Damn the man, was there no reprieve from his sexiness? Her body shrieked that here was an answer to her problem.
“You know I couldn’t abandon her there, boss.” Raul held his hands out in a pleading gesture, but there was a look of defiance in his eyes.
Eduardo still ignored her, keeping his gaze trained on his driver. “I thought you of all people would be immune to a witch’s charms.”
Raul’s gaze bounced between Eduardo and Anna, clearly trying to figure out what the deal was between them. The antagonism was blatantly about more than just the fate of the community center.
“Have you met her before?”
Instead of replying, Eduardo glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly time to pick up Timo. You can go. I’ll get rid of my unwelcome guest.”
Raul still stared at Eduardo, his mouth open. “You know this is Angel, the superstar singer, don’t you?”
“I know exactly who she is. And her name is Anna.”
It took a second, but realization dawned. “Ah, she’s Anna to you.” A teasing gleam entered Raul’s eyes. “Well, when you drop her off, wear the hat. I left it on the passenger seat.”
“You think I’m going to wear a chauffeur’s hat? You don’t even wear it, and that’s your actual job.”
Raul shrugged, heading towards the door. “I just thought you might want to disguise yourself a bit. Otherwise, I look forward to tomorrow’s headlines: Buenos Aires’s most eligible bachelor seen with Argentina’s sweetheart.
A half smile replaced the tightness in Eduardo’s lips. “You’re never going to let me forget that eligible bachelor thing, are you?” Maybe she should ask Raul to stay if it kept her former boyfriend in a better mood.
“Not while it still gets a rise out of you. If you need me, give me a call. I can always bring Timo. He, too, loves Angel.” The last bit was addressed to her.
She’d fled the community center with only her phone, so she had no publicity photos or anything to send to the little boy. And she was sure Eduardo wouldn’t appreciate her flaunting her fame in his face.
Anna had sent a message to Johanna, who’d roped her into the appearance today, to let her know she was safe. Johanna was not only the head of the protest committee but also a friend of the family, so it hadn’t taken too much persuasion for Anna to agree to be the famous face of their cause. After the development meeting, they’d planned for Anna to do a signing while gathering signatures to prevent the destruction of the community center.
<
br /> Had Eduardo known that? He’d been very calm when everyone else around was panicking.
“Did you stage that distraction this morning?”
Eduardo’s eyes turned glacial. “You think I’m that underhanded? It shows what kind of people you hang out with now.”
Even Raul’s eyes had narrowed at her accusation. With a shake of his head, he left.
For the first time in ten years, she was alone with Eduardo.
Goosebumps broke out on her arms, and her heart tried to launch itself out of her chest, aiming for Eduardo’s feet. Her mouth was so dry that if she tried to speak, all that would come out would be dust.
She gulped down the rest of the water while Eduardo stood across the room, looking like he was considering whether or not she was too big to be sucked up by his vacuum.
“So, you’re BA’s most eligible bachelor?” Dammit, that was not how she’d wanted to start this conversation.
“A stupid title I neither want nor need. Why are you here, Anna? I made it abundantly clear at the community center that I never wanted to see you again.”
His arms were crossed over his chest, his feet hip-width apart, as though preparing for a fight.
“We need to talk. About the community center,” she added when he was about to turn away. She’d have a better chance to fix the past if they sorted out their present conflict first.
He turned back, his brown eyes narrowed.
“Why do you even care what happens to the place? Aside from two concerts, you haven’t been back in the country in five years.”
He’d kept track of her? Argentina held too many memories, both good and bad, for her to return more frequently. Staying away helped keep her sane.
If it hadn’t been for her grandmother’s passing, she wouldn’t even be here now.
“The community center was such an important part of our lives. It gave us a place to go when home was more of a nightmare than being on the streets.” Her mother’s constant criticism meant Anna escaped the apartment as often as possible. And helping younger children at the center had given her a purpose she’d sorely lacked in her adolescence.