a while.â
âI do not recall likening you to a bad smell.â
âYou didnât have to.â She gave an indifferent smile to underline that his opinion was of the utmost indifference to her. âItâs obvious what you think of me and I donâtâ¦â
âI like the way youâ¦â The muscles in his sexily hollowcheeks clenched as he swallowed. âI have changed my mind. I think you should remain a part of Katerina and Antonioâs life. They need you.â
His volte-face made her suspect the worst. âHas something happened?â
âKaterina did not come home last night, but that is not the reason for my change of heart.â He watched her; an expression of alarm spread across Nellâs face.
âIs she all right?â
âDo not be alarmed. She is unharmedâfor the moment,â he added darkly.
Nell gave a relieved sigh and eased her bottom onto the edge of one of the tables. âDriving you crazy, is she? It doesnât sound like Kate, the staying-out-all-night thing. Are you sure there were no crossed wires?â
âPositive.â
âMaybe she forgot the time. Didnât you ring to find out what was happening?â she puzzled.
âWe didnât know where she was,â he admitted bluntly. âI allowed her the freedom you suggested and this is the result of the new tolerant regime.â
âTolerant, not stupid !â Nell exclaimed. âYou canât just chuck the rule book out with the bath water,â she explained earnestly, mixing her clichés.
âThis may come as a shock to you, Miss Rose, but people are not in the habit of telling me I am stupid.â
âBelieve me,â she breathed, âit shows.â
There was a silence and then to her total amazement he threw back his head and laughed. It was a warm, uninhibited and incredibly attractive sound.
His laughter died away but he continued to watch her with a quizzical expression. âIâm curiousâdo you think I would become a nicer, kinder, cuddlier, more politically correct person if I was insulted occasionally?â
The day anyone mentioned cuddly and Raul Carreras in the same breath was the day hungry wolves became old ladiesâ favourite lap-dogs.
âAnd deprive all your boot-lickers of job satisfaction?â She gave a disingenuous smile. âI wouldnât be so cruel, but donât worry if you need your ego prickingâchildren are good at that.â
âSo are you.â He didnât smile, but neither did he look annoyed. He lookedâ¦? Nell couldnât quite put her finger on it, but she knew the intensity he was radiating made her feel uneasy.
She shrugged. âItâs one of my only talents,â she explained, trying to introduce a note of lightness.
âWhat about yourâ¦was it painting or sculpture?â he queried.
âI painted.â
He was quick to pick up on her use of tense. âBut you donât now?â
âOh, Iâm not good enough to make a living out of it. Javier made me see that.â
A frown forming on his lean features, Raul scanned her face with disapproval. âAnd he was the expert?â
âWell, yes, he was.â
âYou seem very untroubled about your loss of a dream,â he observed.
âWhat do you know about my dreams?â she charged, angered by his disapproving tone.
âI know I feature in them upon occasion.â
The sly observation made Nell catch her breath.
With an air of languid interest Raul watched the hot, guilty colour flood her pale face. âThe morning after the night I spent on your sofa?â
Nell gave a fractured sigh of relief. âI thought youâdâ¦â She stopped. Well, she could hardly tell him that heâdplayed a major role in all her dreams since and to her shame she wasnât always asleep! âThat was strictly a one-off.â Nell could hear the bluster in her own