Free The Spanish Tycoon's Temptress by Elizabeth Lennox Page B

that I’ve approved and I need you to charm the other board members so that they know that you’re a reasonable risk.”
    Elana’s heart picked up the pace with that declaration because she’d had to attend these functions on several other occasions with whichever group was providing her funding.  It was standard procedure to wine and dine the people who were paying, to convince them that her work was important and would help with the end goal of whichever organization was paying for the work.  “Fine,” she said grudgingly, which probably wasn’t a good idea considering that this man was the head of that particular board.  She needed his support, she realized suddenly.  And she wasn’t doing a very good job of making him feel her appreciation for his efforts. 
    She might be better at that part of her job if he would just keep his distance, she thought with resentment.  No kissing would be a good start!  “What time and what’s the dress for tomorrow night?”
    “I’ll pick you up at six o’clock tomorrow and the dress is formal.”  She didn’t even touch the idea of his lake house.  She’d never been to his lake house, hadn’t known he even owned one, but she didn’t want to spend the weekend with him anyway. 
    Elana sighed and bowed her head slightly.  Why was this such an imposition?  She used to love dressing up and mingling with people, laughing and learning about what they did and what they thought.  When had she become such a curmudgeon? 
    Had she let Gaston’s betrayal affect her so much that her entire personality had faded away?  Had she really become such a shell that her life was solely about her work? 
    Obviously the answer was yes since she’d had to dust off her previously favorite shoes the last time she’d gone out to dinner with him.  Not good, she told herself firmly. 
    She sat up a bit straighter in the leather seat, wanting to show him that she was strong and confident.  “I’ll be ready, but you don’t have to pick me up,” she said, not looking at him.  “Just have your assistant send me the address and I’ll be there.”
    He laughed softly and shook his head.  “I don’t think so, Elana.  I know the way you work and you’ll be in the lab until midnight, forgetting everything if I don’t make sure you arrive on time.  I’ll pick you up at six.”
    Elana looked back at him, irritated that he was being so stubborn about this.  “I’ll set an alarm to make sure I leave the lab with enough time.  I don’t want you in my apartment again.”
    His smile was slow and sexy as his eyes looked at her figure, ending at her soft lips.  “Why not?  What are you hiding in that place?”
    She squirmed under his intense scrutiny, her lips pressing together mutinously.  “I’m not hiding anything in my apartment but even if I were, it still wouldn’t be any of your business.”
    “So why don’t you want me in your apartment?”
    “Because…” she wasn’t sure how to explain that his presence in her apartment set her world off kilter, made her private space seem as if he should be there more often.  But she didn’t want to reveal that much to him.  She didn’t want him to know that she still might have feelings for him.  And she didn’t want to be hurt by him again.  So the less time he was in her private spaces, the less of an impact he could have on her life and the easier her recovery would be once he left her life once again. 
    “Because I don’t want you invading my private life, Gaston.”   She said it with finality, looking him straight in the eye and feeling proud that she didn’t back down this time. 
    He was silent for a long moment, his smile growing slowly and the light in his eyes, that light that made her stomach muscles quiver and her knees press together, told her that she was in deep trouble. 
    “Elana, I can guarantee that we’re going to be…invading…each other’s private space very soon.  And I don’t think