Minding Her Boss's Business

by Janice Maynard

  Forcing himself to take a painful look at his behavior this past weekend was mildly reassuring. Even though he had let his personal life intrude during a time he should have been concentrating on the Montoros, he honestly didn’t think making love to Maria had been any kind of dereliction of duty.

  His worst sin lay in allowing her to believe that he didn’t respect or value her as a person and woman.

  That had never been his intention, but looking at the situation from her point of view, he could now see how badly he had bungled things. She was hurt that he thought she was a liar. Nothing could be further from the truth. But when she told him nothing was going on with her and Gabriel, he’d assumed she simply didn’t recognize the other man’s interest.

  The truth was, Alex couldn’t imagine any red-blooded male being immune to Maria’s charms.

  When he had handed her his room key and asked her to remove her things, he’d been operating from hurt and jealousy and anger. Though he’d told himself it was the right thing to do because of his position as head of the delegation, the truth was, he’d been reeling from seeing her in the garden with Gabriel.

  Alex had never cared enough about any woman to be affected one way or another if the female in question found someone else. His work had always been at the forefront of his priority list. Satisfying his physical needs had come second. He liked sex as much as the next guy and enjoyed women and their soft bodies and interesting minds.

  But not once in his life had he ever experienced this gnawing feeling of emptiness and loss.

  Hubris brought down many a man. Recognizing his failings had certainly chastened and humbled Alex. Now he faced a double-barrel shotgun ready to destroy much of his life. If this had happened six months ago, he would have been obsessing over how he could save face and salvage his career.

  At this moment, however, he didn’t give a damn about losing his reputation or his job or anything else that might be part of the Montoro fallout.

  His only regret was that he had screwed up the one exquisitely wonderful, warm and perfect relationship he’d ever experienced. He had lost Maria’s good regard, her friendship and any prospect of having her in his bed.

  And there was a dollop of bitter gall on top of this mountainous fiasco. He knew one truth beyond any shadow of doubt. He was in love with Maria Ferro.

  * * *

  Maria didn’t know what to do. She was not an indecisive person, but she felt as if the walls had caved in on her.

  Her first impulse was to call the airline to see about changing her ticket. But when she tried, the cost was ridiculous, and even then, she couldn’t get a seat until the following week because of a baggage handler strike.

  The impulse to run was overpowering. She didn’t want to face Alex and would try to avoid him for as long as possible. When they were eventually together again, would he be able to read heartbreak in her face? Would he guess that she was in love with him?

  When flying home early didn’t work, she decided it was for the best. To leave without saying goodbye to the Montoros would be terribly rude, particularly with Isabella in the hospital.

  Two days later, Maria sat in a coffee shop a few blocks from the hotel and scrolled through emails halfheartedly. The past forty-eight hours had dragged by. The only news of note was that Isabella had improved dramatically and would be returning home. Her diagnosis, of course, was still terminal, but doctors gave her an open-ended amount of time to live, so everyone involved was thankful.

  While all that was happening, Maria had read books, walked on the beach and even taken a bus tour of the city. Anything to pass the time.

  Waiting was excruciating. She could only imagine how Alex must feel. Today was even worse, and it wasn’t yet noon. She and her mom chatted online for a bit. Hearing about events back in Alma seemed strange...as if the world should have stopped while Maria was in Miami.

  Finally, just as she was ordering a sandwich for her lunch, a text came through. From Gabriel.

  Don’t say a word to anyone, but we’re close!

  Her heart stopped. Immediately, she wanted to call Alex, but of course, she couldn’t. She answered quickly.

  Will there be a monarchy?

  It looks that way. God help us...

  She had a feeling Gabriel meant those last three words literally. The task set forth before Rafael was enormous, but the entire family would be affected in so many ways.

  Does Isabella know? she texted.

  Not yet. Rafe and Dad want to make sure all the t’s are crossed and i’s dotted.

  Makes sense.

  If this all comes to pass, big party planned. Other news for the Montoros to announce.

  Tell me. Tell me.

  My lips are sealed.

  She could almost see his smirk.

  Thanks for the heads-up.

  You bet. See you soon.

  Maria paid for her sandwich and sat down to eat it, but she had lost her appetite. If she and Alex hadn’t argued, Alex would probably have included her in all of this last-minute hush-hush negotiation. As it was, she’d been left out in the cold. She was surprised at how much that hurt.

  Her phone lay on the table. Surely Alex would tell her when it happened. Or maybe things had fallen apart. She shoved her half-eaten lunch aside and bit her fingernail, a bad habit she’d given up in high school.

  It was thirty-seven minutes from Gabriel’s text until the next time her phone dinged quietly. This time the message on the screen was from Alex. It was simple and to the point.

  We have a king!

  Tears sprang to her eyes. She knew exactly how Alex would look right now. Jubilant. Relieved. Incredibly handsome.

  He had not texted her privately. One by one, the replies came in until it became clear he had included the entire delegation in a group message. Maria was one of the crowd.

  Knowing she had to say something or risk seeming oddly silent to her colleagues, she bit her lip and slowly composed her answer.

  A great day for Alma. I am proud to have worked alongside all of you.

  Then she shut off her phone. There was only the minutest of chances that Alex would call her, but she couldn’t take a chance. Hearing his voice would tear her apart.

  Grabbing up her things and her tote bag, she tossed the remains of her lunch in the trash and set out to walk the streets of Miami. Maybe she could outrun her demons. And maybe the moon was made of green cheese.

  Her life had changed. It would change even more back in Alma. She had some big decisions to make.

  Fifteen

  Alex couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this tired or this satisfied. Or this frustrated. He barely knew what to think from one moment to the next.

  When Rafe Montoro rang to say he was signing the document but with a few caveats, a firestorm of phone calls had ensued. The prime minister had to be roused from his bed back in Alma. The time difference would make the next few days challenging as the two parties resolved minor differences.

  As a show of good faith, Rafael IV planned to make a quick trip to Alma very soon to sign a new agreement between Montoro Enterprises and a major refinery in Alma to ship oil to the US.

  After the long days and weeks of waiting and wondering, suddenly it was all happening very quickly.

  Alex tried Maria’s phone three separate times, but the calls went straight to voice mail. Where the hell was she? With Gabriel? Even if nothing romantic was going on between the two of them, it was clear to Alex that Gabriel and Maria were becoming very good friends.

  Alex had thought, once upon a time, that he and Maria were close. But now she had deliberately put distance between them. Knowing that the situation was his own fault didn’t help.

  For the remainder of the day until late in the night he fielded communications between
Alma and the soon-to-be royal family. Decisions had to be made about the timing of public announcements. In the interests of good business, it was important to protect the Montoros’ image here in the States as well as abroad.

  The stock market didn’t like change or uncertainty, and Montoro Enterprises was a publicly traded company. All the kinks needed to be ironed out before revealing this extraordinary news.

  For the next seventy-two hours, Alex worked pretty much nonstop, existing on four to five hours of sleep a night. Though he and Maria communicated via text and email, when they labored side by side at the table, there was always someone else in the room.

  Alex could have forced the issue, demanding that they meet in private. But he had done enough damage already. So he chose to bide his time.

  The truth was, he didn’t have the luxury of worrying about his personal life at a time like this. All of his attention had to be focused on Alma and the Montoros and the changes to come.

  But when he finally fell into bed during the wee hours of the morning, he lay in the darkness remembering the feel of Maria’s body pressed up against his and imagining he could still detect the scent of her perfume on his pillow.

  * * *

  Maria smoothed the skirt of her fire-engine-red gown and wondered if she had made a mistake. Looking in the bathroom mirror, she tugged at the bodice, hoping to cover at least half an inch more cleavage. Her breasts were modest in size, but with the cut of the fabric and the sewn-in boning, everything she had was up and out on display.

  When the news leaked that the Montoros were accepting Alma’s proposal, all heck had broken loose. Maria had spent long hours with her laptop preparing press releases in a variety of formats. Some for Alma, others for the local Miami market, and still more for the entire United States and the rest of the world.

  A political event of this magnitude had repercussions that would echo for years to come. It was exciting and challenging to be part of the process. All her education and training and hard work had led to this pivotal moment. She should be proud. And she was.

  But all the job satisfaction in the world did little to mend a broken heart, especially in light of the knowledge that she would most likely have to look for other work when she went home.

  Already, she realized that she couldn’t be in the same building as Alex and pretend that she didn’t care. She wasn’t the first woman to be mistaken about a man, and she wouldn’t be the last.

  But the hurt ran deep.

  What she needed to do in the meantime was to compartmentalize. Personal feelings—locked away. Fun-and-games Maria—out to play. Tonight’s party at the Montoro compound in Coral Gables was likely to be the glitziest, most glamorous affair she’d ever attended. To hell with Alex Ramon and his arrogant judgmental attitude. Maria was going to enjoy herself.

  In between frantic work sessions, she had slipped away yesterday afternoon and found a boutique at one of the nearby hotels that showcased the work of a local designer. Although of runway quality, the woman’s designs were still relatively unknown and the prices were not astronomical.

  In addition to the pale aqua dress she wore at the opening reception, Maria had brought with her from Alma two easy-to-pack outfits for formal occasions that might arise, but neither was particularly exciting. So when she had spotted this sexy red number, she’d had to try it on. Even the saleslady had been visibly impressed. The color was perfect for Maria’s skin and hair.

  The splendid creation made her feel like a princess. Which was not a bad thing on an evening when a monarchy was about to be reborn.

  She eyed the tiny straps and fitted waist. Though she couldn’t see the entire silhouette, she ran her hands down her hips, feeling the way the silk hugged her curves. Below the knees it fanned out in a mermaidlike froth of tulle and satin.

  Maybe she would meet a handsome local who would sweep her off her feet. Maybe they would dance until dawn.

  It was a nice image, but even as she turned away from her reflection, she had to blink back tears. She would not cry for Alex Ramon. Not tonight. Tonight was a time for celebration.

  * * *

  Maria was in the lobby, bags packed, at five o’clock. Bella had insisted on coming to pick her up in a limo. The entire delegation, as a courtesy, had been offered accommodations in the various guest villas at the Montoros’ Coral Gables estate for the weekend.

  Several cars were being dispatched to the hotel to ferry Alma’s guests of honor to the soiree. Fortunately, Maria didn’t have to worry about an uncomfortable encounter with Alex.

  Bella’s eyebrows went up when she walked in and saw Maria. “You look fantastic.”

  “Thank you,” Maria said. “You’re good for my ego.” As the driver stowed Maria’s bags, Bella and Maria settled on opposite sides of the wide seat and fastened their seat belts.

  Bella frowned. “Don’t take this as a criticism, but you look like you’ve been crying.”

  Her matter-of-fact assessment sent Maria scrambling for the small, mirrored compact in her evening purse. “Do I?”

  As she scanned her face hurriedly, Bella chuckled. “That was just a test. If you’d told me you hadn’t been crying, I’d have known you were okay. But I can see it in your eyes. You and Alex haven’t made up, have you? Gabriel told me what’s going on.”

  Maria gave her a sour look. “Not funny. And there’s nothing to make up. Alex and I are fine.”

  “Never kid a kidder.” Bella reached into the small refrigerator and poured a glass of champagne, handing it to her with a sympathetic smile. “Chin up. He may take one look at you in that dress and keel over at your feet...”

  Unfortunately, Bella’s blithe pronouncement was way off the mark. When Maria first spotted Alex, he was deep in conversation with a local news anchorwoman who looked far more interested in her interviewee than in the Montoro story.

  Although Alex spared a brief glance in Maria’s direction, his gaze didn’t linger. So much for the red dress.

  Instead of bemoaning something she couldn’t change, she chose to soak up the splendor of the evening. The backdrop for tonight’s festivities exhibited all the glamour and drama of a movie set. Lush lawns lay like green velvet, punctuated with every manner of tropical bush and flower amid towering palm trees.

  White tents, strung with lights that would eventually twinkle against the night sky, provided shelter in case of inclement weather, but so far, the clouds only served to accentuate what would be a dramatic sunset.

  Caterers were hard at work setting out china and crystal and, most impressive of all, heavy silver utensils bearing the Montoro crest. The precious metal dated back to the eighteenth century and had been hidden away in a root cellar by a faithful servant when the Montoro ancestors fled for their lives.

  Most recently it had been on display in a museum in Alma but, under Alex’s directions, had been flown across the ocean for tonight’s party. Maria gave a moment’s pause to wonder how safe it was to actually use such priceless artifacts, but security was heavy and visible.

  Everyone had been required to enter through a special gate where professional teams of men and women used hand wands and other means to ensure that only invited guests were allowed in.

  Bella glanced at her watch. “I hate to abandon you, but I promised my father I’d take care of a few things.”

  Maria smiled, shooing her away. “I’m fine. Go. I may hide out in my room for a bit if you’ll tell me where I’m staying.” The limo driver had absconded with her luggage.

  Maria’s smile was rueful. “I wasn’t in charge of the lodging assignments. The housekeeper put you and Alex in the same villa you had before.”

  Maria gaped. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

  “Sorry.” She seemed genuinely apologetic. “Every bed is taken.”

  “Never mind then,” Maria sai
d grumpily, her panic barely under control. “I’ll make myself useful somewhere.”

  Bella walked away, leaving Maria to wander the grounds in limbo until the main event started. Did Alex already know they were sharing a villa? Was he angry about it? Was that why he had barely looked at her when she arrived?

  If she had imagined being bored during the wait, nothing could have been further from the truth. Perching on a fabric-covered chair in an out-of-the-way corner, she had a perfect view of the guests as they arrived. It was almost like the red carpet at the Oscars.

  Since she wasn’t from Miami, or even an American, many of the faces were not recognizable to her. But it was easy to spot the ones who graced the covers of the tabloids. Rock legends and rappers. Television personalities. Stars of stage and screen. The Montoros were infinitely more well-connected than she had realized.

  At the far end of the lawn, with the ocean as an azure background, a small stage had been erected along with a high-tech sound system. At seven o’clock, the evening was to kick off with formalities. After that, on to dinner and dancing.

  She had waved at Gabriel from a distance, but he had two gorgeous women with him, one on each arm, so she didn’t intrude.

  By the time the dignitaries took the stage, Maria was a nervous wreck. She wanted to give Alex a word of encouragement, but with the discord between the two of them, it was probably best to keep her distance. Personal feelings had to make way for the important business at hand.

  She wished desperately that she were one of the carefree partygoers with nothing but pleasure on her mind. The festive crowd mingled and moved like a vibrant, colorful flock of birds, the men’s black-tie apparel providing a backdrop for the female plumage.

  A hush fell as Rafael Montoro III, his three children and Alex ascended the shallow steps and took their seats. Only the eldest member of the group remained standing. He approached the podium and looked out over the sea of faces, his expression full of emotion.

  He cleared his throat. “It is my great pleasure to welcome each of you into the heart of the Montoro family this evening. We are proud citizens of the United States of America, and Florida has been our home and our sanctuary. Nothing will ever take away that bond. But life is full of surprises, and as you all understand, the only constant is change.”