A Deal with Alejandro (Rival Brothers 1) - Page 24

She shook her head. The movement was jerky. Uncoordinated. ‘I’m not falling for this,’ she said, her voice a croak above a whisper.

‘Falling for what, Elise?’ he asked, his tone containing an unfamiliar pulse that sent more shivers chasing through her body.

‘For whatever trap you’re setting for me.’

‘You’re far too fixated on traps,’ he drawled, his gaze still glued to her mouth.

‘You’re far too adept at laying them.’

‘I’m waiting, Elise.’

She licked her lips. It was a quick lick, a desperate act to stop the insane tingling. But his eyes darkened dramatically, and he exhaled a breath that sounded pent-up. Aggravated.

What was happening—?

No. Whatever was happening here didn’t require fathoming. She knew first-hand how quickly things could escalate from seemingly tranquil to potentially life-scarring. She’d been wary before Brian Grey had taught her a salutary lesson last year. But that incident had only tripled her efforts to stay away from emotional and sexual pitfalls.

Granted, Alejandro evoked an entirely different sort of apprehension from the sensations Brian Grey had produced in her. But they were all equally dangerous. Even more so this time, because her emotions weren’t as non-receptive as they’d been with Brian.

The realisation troubled her enough to propel her one step back. Then another.

Do you like me, Elise?

This close, when his scent was sucking her into that sensual vortex, when his body was close enough to feel the heat pulsing off him,

her senses screamed yes.

‘I’m here to work, Mr Aguilar. There’s nothing in my contract that says I can’t be nice to other people. So unless you have another problem with me, or something specific you wish me to work on, I’ll be in my office.’

She turned and walked away, painfully aware of his gaze tracking her every step.

Elise entered the room she’d used yesterday and stopped in her tracks. The space had been transformed. A computer had been set up, together with a phone, sleek stationery and her own refreshment trolley. Two large ferns had been placed at each end of the window, and a bouquet of fresh, expensive-looking flowers stood on a pedestal beside her desk.

She looked over her shoulder to find him staring at her. Elise’s lips parted with the urge to say something, but, after their terse exchange, appropriate words failed her.

Alejandro turned away from her and the moment passed. Strolling with lean-hipped grace, he took a seat at his desk.

‘Your brief today is to find me an in to Kenzo Ishikawa,’ he ordered.

Her eyes widened. ‘You’re going after the grandfather?’

He eyed her. ‘Contrary to what you may think, I don’t go around annihilating every opponent who crosses my path, Elise.’

She flushed. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

‘You’ll do better than that. You insist on reminding me of the terms of your contract, so let me remind you that your contract holds as long as you remain useful to me. Find me something I can use, or you’ll cease to be useful.’

The warning gripped the back of her mind all morning and afternoon, long after the video conference that proved to be a colossal waste of time.

Ten minutes into the call, it was clear the Ishikawa brothers were merely spouting platitudes in order to buy themselves more time. She was surprised Alejandro went along with it, giving them the further week they requested to iron out what were clearly nonsensical minor issues.

Then he and the team spent the rest of the week digging deeper into every aspect of the Ishikawa Corporation.

Elise felt a moment’s unease when the words hostile takeover were thrown on the table. Alejandro’s head lifted and he stared directly at her as he vetoed the idea. She wasn’t sure why her heart tripped over. Nothing had changed between them. Their Tuesday morning conversation had set a precedent for their stilted relationship.

Each morning, Alejandro gave her a different brief. She clocked off late in the evening by presenting him with a carefully typed-out report.

He never invited her to dine with him in his private dining room. He never offered her a lift home.

Tags: Maya Blake Rival Brothers Billionaire Romance
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