He nodded once, stood and held out his hand. She slipped her hand into his and he pulled her up. His gaze dropped to her lips.
Unbearable need propelled her tongue into a quick swipe of her lower lip.
Alejandro made a rough sound in his throat, his eyes losing focus for a second. Then he stepped back, and straightened his faultless tie.
The ride to The Loop was fast, his Bugatti eating up the miles. Elise walked at his side as they entered his building, the tension between them growing thicker with each second.
At SNV the mood was one of muted excitement.
Gael’s presence took a little bit of Alejandro’s focus off her, but all through the excitement-tinged day she sensed his gaze tracking her, the ominous intensity leaving her in no doubt that, one way or the other, the subject of their own personal merger was about to be broached.
Kenzo Ishikawa arrived with his grandsons at two. By three o’clock the documents were signed. Alejandro gathered his employees in the largest conference room and broke the news to thunderous applause, then stood beside Gael as he did the same via video link with his employees in California.
After champagne toasts were given, the entourage headed to the ground floor where the press had gathered.
Elise spotted her parents the moment she stepped out of the lift. They were holding court with the rest of SNV’s PR team in preparation to head into the conference.
They’d tried to inveigle their way, via her, into getting more commissions from SNV. When Elise had made it painfully clear she was only back to finish the work she’d started, they’d requested inclusion into the press conferences scheduled for when the merger was formally announced.
Her mother sent a dismissive glance that made her stiffen with hurt.
Alejandro glanced sharply at her. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing I want to ruin your day with.’
His eyes narrowed. Then he scoured the room until he spotted her parents. ‘If I’d known they would cause you this much distress, I would’ve had their invitation revoked.’
She shook her head. ‘No. I’m serious. Don’t concern yourself about this.’
‘You need to remind yourself that falling in with them would’ve been so much easier than resisting. You chose a different path. A better path.’ His hand lightly holding her wrist tightened, imbuing her with warmth. ‘Give yourself credit for that at least.’
The unexpected accolade hit her square in the chest. Her breath shook as her eyes met his. ‘Okay... I...umm, thanks.’
He gave a curt nod.
Gael approached, his own tension adding to the almost capricious excitement. ‘We ready to do this?’ he rasped.
Alejandro’s glance lingered on her, his expression taut. ‘Sí. I’m ready.’
* * *
Four hours later, Elise stood in front of her mirror. This time her attire was far removed from office chic. The dinner party Alejandro had decided to host to celebrate the merger would start in fifteen minutes.
She’d opted for a 1920s-style cocktail dress in a deep green with a sequin-fringed hem and capped sleeves. The heavy chiffon skimmed her curves and ended a few inches above her knee. But while she loved the style, she was ashamed to admit that she’d chosen the colour because it matched Alejandro’s eyes.
She drew a brush through her hair, her movements slowing as she recalled his words to her this afternoon. Her heart performed a worryingly familiar somersault, even though her more feet-on-the-ground mind told her she risked a whole lot more than a dizzy spell if she read more into Alejandro’s words than the blatantly carnal.
But she couldn’t deny his words had provided a much-needed balm. She’d been able to withstand her parents’ preening and brazen spotlight seeking without feeling the urge to retreat into her own world. And her mother’s narrow-eyed assessment of her dress and smug conclusion that Elise was finally taking her advice and getting what she could from her relationship with Alejandro had bounced off her for the first time in her life.
A knock on her door drew her from her musings. Alejandro stood tall and proud in her doorway, his customary black shirt and charcoal suit swapped for a black dinner jacket and snowy white shirt.
Dizzyingly overwhelmed by his presence, she stepped back. ‘I’m just about—’
‘Dios mio, you look breathtaking.’
Her blush should’ve embarrassed her. She should’ve wrung her hands and sought self-deprecating words. But something earthy and powerful in his eyes made her chin rise, her spine straightening as she drank in his compliment, for the first time, accepting and acknowledging her femininity without bitterness or shame.
‘Muchas gracias.’ She murmured the words she’d heard him use.