A Spanish Engagement (9 page)

‘If you were to ask my mother about that she would say you just know. You feel it inside.’ He put a hand on the middle of his chest. ‘She says that you feel it right about here. That it strikes hard and it just gets you.’ He smiled teasingly. ‘And apparently before you know it you are hooked and reeled in.’

His smile seemed to do very strange things to Carrie’s heart. ‘Your mum is a bit of a romantic, isn’t she?’ she murmured lightly.

‘Just a bit.’ He grinned. ‘Even now after all these years she will tell that story with passion. And they have been through some difficult times but always stood solidly to
gether, so maybe she is right and sometimes you should just trust your instincts.’

‘Maybe.’ Carrie shrugged. ‘I used to be a bit of a romantic myself…’ She trailed off, wishing she hadn’t said that.

‘But not now?’

Carrie thought about that question for a moment. Once upon a time she would have said yes, categorically, she was a romantic. But that was before she had married Martin, before she had discovered what everyone else around her had known long before her. Yes, she had witnessed how women had gravitated towards him. And, yes, she had seen how he had flirted with them, but naively she hadn’t realised how far he had taken those dalliances. ‘I think I’m more of a realist these days,’ she said.

She was glad that the waiter arrived at that moment and poured the wine for Max to taste.

‘So what is the verdict on the wine?’ she asked him once they were left alone again, glad to get the subject back to something neutral. ‘How does it compare with the Santos estate?’

‘It’s high quality but not as outstanding.’ He gave her a boyish smile. ‘Of course.’

She smiled back and then lifted her glass, pretending to inhale the scent emanating from within. ‘I see what you mean,’ she said with mock seriousness. ‘Even the bouquet isn’t as good.’ She took a small sip. ‘But it is very palatable; I like the subtle hint of blackberry. It’s rather a cheeky little number, isn’t it?’

Max laughed. ‘We’ll make a wine expert out of you yet,’ he said. ‘My parents will be pleased.’

She smiled back. ‘Tell me about the rest of your family. How many brothers and sisters do you have?’

‘Just the one sister, Victoria,’ said Max. ‘I did have an
older brother, Ramon. He should have been the one taking over the vineyard, but he died ten years ago. So it falls to me.’ There was a calm tone to his voice that nevertheless failed to disguise an element of sadness.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Carrie said softly. ‘I know how painful it is to lose a family member.’

‘I was away from home when it happened, had just got my first job with an American company based in Seville. I offered immediately to come back and work in the business with my father again, but he was adamant that they could manage. They had Manuel and a lot of other family to help so I didn’t press the point.’

‘And now you wish you had,’ Carrie guessed softly.

‘Maybe I should. It would have proved that I had the passion for the land. Something that is important to Dad.’ He shrugged, his eyes suddenly serious.

‘And do you have the passion for the land?’ Carrie asked curiously. ‘Or are you just pretending for your father’s sake?’

‘Of course I care about the vineyard.’ Max smiled at her. ‘I always knew I’d come back one day. But I didn’t expect to inherit the estate. That has meant a major change in the direction of my life. I won’t pretend that giving up my career isn’t going to be a wrench.’

Their food arrived. Carrie had ordered smoked duck breast salad, and it was beautifully presented and succulently tender. But she could honestly say that she might have been eating cardboard for all the interest she had in the food. All her attention was on Max.

One course followed another, but Carrie hardly noticed any of it. She was intent on their conversation. Max was an entertaining dinner companion. And as well as telling her about himself he subtly seemed able to draw her out
in a way that she couldn’t remember a man doing in a long time.

She found herself telling him about her mother dying when she was seven and how she had been sent to live with her father, a man she’d barely known. ‘It took me ages to settle down. He was never the paternal type and his wife Donna was no better. They were both heavy drinkers and used to spend all their time either getting over a hangover or working up to the next one.’ She shook her head. ‘My only salvation was my half-brother Tony. We used to look out for each other.’ She smiled.

‘You miss him a lot, don’t you?’ Max said gently.

She nodded. ‘He was my best friend as well as my brother.’

Max reached across the table and caught hold of her hand. The firm touch was reassuring. ‘At least you’ve got Molly.’

‘Yes…’ Carrie smiled. ‘Thanks to you. Carmel thinks you are wonderful.’

‘It’s the Spanish charm, works every time.’ Max grinned.

Carrie suddenly became conscious of his hand which was still resting on hers, and as her emotions turned from sadness to awareness her skin seemed to burn from the contact and tingling, responsive sensations seemed to rush through her body like an adrenalin overload.

Hurriedly she pulled away from him. ‘Anyway, this is all very pleasant, but we haven’t discussed work yet, have we?’ she said, trying desperately to pull her mind away from dangerous emotions. ‘You said you had some problems you wanted to discuss about the advertising contract.’

‘I did, didn’t I?’ Max paused. ‘But I read through it again today and everything seems to be in order.’

‘Really?’ She frowned.

‘I’ll sign it and bring it into your office tomorrow,’ he said easily. ‘When do you think we can start shooting the commercial for TV? I’d like to get that underway as soon as possible.’

‘We’ll start this week. I’ll get onto it as soon as you bring me the contract.’

A waiter arrived to clear their dishes and ask if they would like coffee.

Carrie glanced at her watch. She could have lingered talking to Max all night but she felt that she should get back. ‘I’d better get home, check on Molly,’ she said to Max.

The waiter left them. ‘I’m sure Molly is fine. Otherwise Carmel would have phoned.’

‘Yes, but, even so, it is getting late and you have a long drive ahead of you back to the vineyard.’

Max shook his head. ‘I have an apartment here in town that I keep for business purposes. I’ll stay there tonight.’

‘Oh, I see.’

‘Come back with me if you want. I’ll make you coffee. It’s not far from here.’

The sudden invitation made her blood pressure soar. Going back to his apartment for coffee sounded like danger with a capital D. Yet she was profoundly tempted to accept.

Before she could say anything, however, a man in a white chef’s uniform interrupted them. ‘Hello, Ambrosio.’ Max stood up immediately and the two greeted each other warmly before Max turned to introduce her to his cousin.

He was about the same age as Max, but there the similarity ended. Ambrosio was a lot shorter and stouter than Max. But he had the same attractive dark eyes and they seemed to sparkle with merriment as he spoke to them.

The two men seemed to be good friends; Carrie noticed the warmth of Max’s conversation, the easy comradeship.

Estelle came over to join in and she slipped into the seat that Max had just vacated. ‘Did you enjoy your meal?’ she asked Carrie.

‘It was lovely, thank you.’ There was something about this woman that she didn’t like, Carrie decided suddenly—something that made her feel wary. The idea bothered her because she couldn’t say what it was, and Estelle seemed perfectly polite and friendly, which made Carrie feel a bit guilty for thinking such a thing.

‘Max is lovely, isn’t he? We all adore him.’ Estelle lowered her tone and leaned a little closer over the table. ‘You two seem to be getting on very well.’

‘Yes, we are.’ Carrie smiled as she remembered Max had told her that this woman was a gossip. Maybe that was why she felt she needed to be cautious around her.

‘But he’s a bit of a heartbreaker. So be careful.’ The words were accompanied by a smile that didn’t quite reach Estelle’s eyes.

‘I’d be surprised if he hadn’t broken a few hearts,’ Carrie murmured lightly. ‘He’s very good-looking.’

‘Yes, but between you and I he enjoys the thrill of the chase these days. So I’d play it cool if I were you.’

‘Thanks, but I don’t need the guidance.’ Carrie kept her smile firmly in place as well, but she didn’t like the advice. It sounded a bit like a warning-off. ‘We are doing just fine.’

‘I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to sound interfering.’ Estelle immediately sounded contrite. ‘I suppose I worry a bit about Max and all these affairs he has. So do his parents. He’s never really got over Natasha, you know.’ She leaned even further across the table in a confiding
way. ‘She’s back in town,’ she said in a low whisper. ‘Came in here for dinner last week.’

‘Really.’ Who the hell was Natasha? Carrie wondered. Was she his former fiancée? She glanced up at Max, hoping he would come back to the table and bail her out of this conversation, but he was still deep in dialogue with Ambrosio.

‘Yes, really.’ Estelle didn’t seem one bit chastened by Carrie’s flat tone. ‘As for taking over the family vineyard, I don’t think Max will want to stay around there for too long; he’s used to his freedom now. And—’

‘Actually you are very wrong about that,’ Carrie cut across her firmly. This conversation had gone quite far enough. And if she were to play her part as Max’s ‘fiancée’ she needed to put a halt to Estelle’s ramblings.

‘What do you mean?’ Estelle looked at her blankly.

‘I mean that Max and I are more than just getting on well together. And I think he is more than ready to settle down at the vineyard.’

‘You mean Max is serious…about you?’ There was disbelief, even a hint of scorn in the question as the woman’s eyes raked over her with brazen contempt.

The unguarded moment of animosity made Carrie realise she had been right to be wary of this woman. Luckily she was saved from having to say anything further because Ambrosio interrupted them. ‘I’m having to rush back to my kitchen, Carrie; it was nice meeting you.’

‘And you.’ Carrie got to her feet, glad to be getting away from Estelle. How did such a nice man get such an unpleasant wife? she wondered.

‘Everything okay?’ Max asked her as they stepped outside the restaurant.

‘Yes. It was a lovely meal, thank you.’ She was quiet as they walked back through the busy streets.

Snippets of Estelle’s words played through her mind. ‘He’s a bit of a heartbreaker…be careful. He enjoys the thrill of the chase these days. So I’d play it cool if I were you.’

A busker was playing a romantic ballad outside one of the shops and she noticed that Max threw some coins in his hat as they passed.

‘Who is Natasha?’ she asked Max abruptly as they reached his car.

Their eyes met over the roof of the vehicle. ‘I take it Estelle has been giving full vent to her theories about my love life?’ he said dryly.

Carrie nodded. ‘I had to dive in and tell her that we were serious about each other. I had no choice—she was saying that she didn’t think you would ever settle down at the vineyard. And if the story of our engagement is to be believed I had to say something.’

Max nodded. ‘You did the right thing.’

‘Maybe…but after the shock faded from her expression I don’t think she believed me.’

‘Sounds about right.’ Max’s voice was grim. ‘Don’t worry about Estelle; she’s difficult at the best of times.’

‘I’m not worried,’ Carrie said with a shrug. And she wasn’t worried—she was annoyed. Annoyed because he still hadn’t told her who Natasha was. When they had agreed on this charade he had insisted on knowing her background and if any of her boyfriends were likely to appear on the scene. Surely he should grant her the same consideration.

They got into the car. ‘So, how about coffee at my apartment?’ Max asked her lightly.

‘No. I need to get back, Max.’ There was no prevarication in her tone. Maybe earlier she had been tempted at the thought of being alone with him for a bit longer, but
she had been firmly pulled back to her senses. They needed to be businesslike about this arrangement otherwise it could blow up in their faces.

He didn’t try to persuade her, just nodded and started the engine.

So who was Natasha? Carrie wondered again as Max pulled out into the traffic. Was she the woman that Max had once spoken about so wistfully? The girl he had been engaged to?

She remembered the dramatic way Estelle had whispered across the table at her.
‘He’s never really got over Natasha.’
Before adding casually,
‘She’s back in town.’

Maybe Estelle was right. Because if Max was over her surely he would have had no difficulty opening up and talking about her now, letting Carrie know the exact situation between them. If the woman was
back in town
, as Estelle had told her so dramatically, did that mean Max would see her again?

A curl of jealousy stirred forcefully inside Carrie. The feeling took her completely by surprise and horrified her. Why should she be jealous? Max’s love-life was nothing to do with her. She couldn’t care less.

Carrie bit down on her lip. She was probably tired. It was probably the strain of all these lies she had to tell. She hated lying. Yes, that was it. Of course she wasn’t jealous. After Martin she had promised herself she would never feel like that over a man again and she intended to stick to that promise.

Max pulled up outside her apartment.

‘Thanks again for a lovely evening.’ She couldn’t wait to get away from him now.

‘You’re welcome.’

She hardly even waited for him to finish speaking be
fore she was reaching for the door handle. ‘See you tomorrow at the office.’

To her surprise Max also got out of the car. ‘I’ll walk you to your door,’ he said.

‘There’s no need.’

‘Maybe not, but I’d still like to see you safely inside.’ He locked his car and then moved to follow her towards the front door of the building.

The man was really irritating, Carrie thought as she struggled to find her keys. Why couldn’t he just go away when she told him to? She was conscious of his closeness as she unlocked the door, conscious of the scent of his aftershave in the warm evening air.