Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (108 page)

's Seduction

"You could never make me sad. You're all I've ever hoped for," she said in a quiet voice just for him.

suddenly wished they were

alone-back at the pazo, back in their bed-the very same bed that had delayed their arrival at the party. Desire surged within him. He was hungry for her again. Already. But there was no question of leaving when they'd barely arrived and several of their acquaintances in town had noticed them.

So Alejandro did the next best thing-if he couldn't make love to her, he'd dance with her.

drew her onto the wooden

and

swung Elena into a rowdy country dance.

They whirled through dance after dance, giddy with the excitement of the evening and the brilliance of their love. Elena was all spirit and fire in his

her cheeks flushed, her hair loose,

her body warm where it met his. When they were old, he wanted to remember this moment, this night, Elena

and

in his

he

wanted to remember how

he felt because

this woman loved him.

Their enjoyment had not gone

At

one point, the

had cleared and they'd

danced alone, a fiery tango that pleased the villagers-Elena's

especially. They

received raucous applause

the onlookers and

Scott

an impromptu toast. "To

and Elena!" a

cry resonated throughout the square.

Alejandro helped Elena down

the

They wound their way towards the tables, feted by the crowd. Men

slapped him on the back, congratulating him.

Whatever had happened in the privacy of his marriage, he was a well-liked

among the

village men. It felt good to be welcomed home, as if this was the final seal of approval he needed to be

accepted back into the life he'd abandoned, accidentally or not.

He bent to steal a kiss

Elena but a loud

voice caught his attention. He looked up to find the source of the

was Don

Alicante. His shouts cut above the din of the crowd. "There he is. That's the man who claims to be

di Duero."

Don Alicante pushed through the crowd, followed by a stocky man dressed plainly in clothes.

felt Elena's

grip on his

tighten. Instinctively he moved

her behind him. He squared his shoulders and planted his feet,

folded across his chest.

"What do you want?"

The crowd was silent now, eagerly watching the unfolding drama. They circled the three men, waiting. Whatever Don Alicante thought he was

's Seduction

going to do, Alejandro thought he must be quite sure of himself to do it so publicly.

andro

mentally

prepared

himself.

Whatever Don Alicante might reveal, he must be careful not to accept it as

Alicante was

motivated solely out of revenge; whatever came his mouth would be designed to hurt and destroy.

would not let that happen.

He'd failed to protect Elena

this man once

before. He would not fail to do so again.

"This man claims to know you under another name," Alicante boldly asserted, a smug look of satisfaction on his face. Quiet whispers rippled through the crowd.

The stocky man had come up to stand next to Alicante. Alejandro noted the man wore an expression of wariness, of caution. He didn't Alicante any more than Alejandro did. Good.

Alejandro could work with that.

"I am looking for a man who bears some resemblance to you," the man said cautiously. "I am Patrick

London."

Alejandro held the man's gaze, assessing him. He sensed the man held something back. He had not mentioned the name of whoever he sought. But the mention of London was enough to put Alejandro on full alert and perhaps the man had meant it that way-as a subtle clue.

Scott

Alejandro had recognized early in his recovery that the sound of his voice was different than that of the other villagers. Elena had not been concerned about it, explaining that he may have spent time with Englishmen during his absence.

At the time such an answer seemed plausible.

Now, it seemed doubly so if a man from London was looking for him.

Alejandro decided to play the expansive host.

He spread his

wide in a gesture of

hospitality. "Do I have a long lost brother?" The crowd laughed and the tension Don Alicante had created receded. Excellent. He wanted to separate this Patrick

the crowd. He wanted

to get him alone where the man could reveal his message in private.

Alejandro stepped up to the man and put a friendly

around the stranger's shoulders.

"You are tired and have traveled far. Come with me and my wife. Our pazo is a short walk. We will give you a room for the night and you can tell me about the Englishman who is looking for me."

He started to steer the Englishman away the crowd, Elena on his other

Fifty more feet

and they'd be on the perimeter of the crowd, heading up the gravel path to the pazo. But at the last moment, Don Alicante seemed to realize