Ally Blake - At His Service - Flirting with the Boss - Crazy about her Spanish Boss / Hired - The Boss's Bride / Blind Date with the Boss

Her host always managed to do everything right, but she felt the fool. If her company hadn’t included an olive grove on their tour itineraries long before now, she should have known there was a practical reason why. Leave it to her to get so caught up in the excitement, she couldn’t see beyond the end of her nose.

Maybe her accident had impaired her thinking along with her vision. Intruding on his time had already inconvenienced the Senor, though he’d never admit it.

She shifted in her seat, glad the truck tour was over. Besides everything else, being confined in the cab with Remi made her cognizant of everything masculine about him. Jillian needed to be gone from Soleado Goyo as soon as possible. Hopefully he’d meant it when he’d said one of his staff would be glad to drive her back to Madrid. She couldn’t take being alone with this incredible man any longer.

She felt his dark gaze slant her way. “Had enough?”

That was no idle question. He couldn’t wait for this experience to be over with so he could get on with his normal life. Jillian lowered her head, wondering what he’d do if she told him she could never have enough of him. Instead she said, “I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, but I confess I’m ready to go back.”

“I thought so.”

She thought she heard relief in his tone before he circled around and headed home, nodding to several workers walking to their cars. Not much longer now and he’d be a free man. He was probably counting the minutes until he didn’t have to feel responsible for her. If he hadn’t talked to David, none of this would be happening.

As she sat there staring blindly out the passenger window, she could feel a strange tension building between them. To save him the necessity of having to spell things out for her, she decided to jump in and get it over with.

“I want to thank you for showing me around the estate. It’s an experience I wouldn’t have missed. The next time I’m back in my apartment in New York and have friends over for dinner, I’ll tell them about this incredible day while they enjoy chocolate mousse made from your cornicabra olive oil. Maria gave me the recipe. They won’t believe how good it is.”

“That won’t be happening for a while,” came his dampening response.

“True,” she said in a quiet tone. The doctor had warned her no flying for a whole month, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t take a train to the charming town of Cáceres and stay there until the week was out. Anything to get away from the temptation … Tomorrow she would be on the first train that headed in that direction.

By the time they’d reached the courtyard, the sun had dropped much lower in the sky. They’d been gone longer than she’d realized.

He pulled up in front of the main house where she could see whom she believed to be Soraya’s children playing on scooters. Remi didn’t appear to notice. With the engine still idling for the benefit of the air conditioning, he turned to her.

“You need to rest. In a little while we’ll have a light supper and then talk business.”

She clasped her hands. “Remi, you’ve bent over backwards for me the last few days. I can’t thank you enough for everything, including this tour of the estate, but after seeing it for myself I realize what I was asking for is impossible.”

“Say that again?” His words sounded like ripping silk, alerting her something was wrong.

“Soleado Goyo isn’t a hotel. I don’t know what I was thinking when I suggested a tour bus could stop here. You don’t have the facilities for tourists wandering around needing bathrooms and drinks.” She shook her head. “It simply wouldn’t work, but being the person you are you were unselfish enough to give up your personal time to show me around so I could draw my own conclusions.

“I’m very grateful, Remi, but now it’s time for me to leave. If you’ll let whoever’s driving me to Madrid know I’m ready, I’ll just run inside to freshen up first.”

Without waiting for his response, Jillian climbed out of the truck, needing to put as much distance between them as possible.

“ Hola !” she said to the children who answered in kind, eyeing her curiously before she rushed past them to enter the house. She heard footsteps behind her and thought they’d followed her, but when she turned around she discovered it was Remi who’d come into the master bedroom.

He shut the door and leaned against it, staring at her with a disturbing glint in his eyes. “Where’s the fire, Jillian?”

She swallowed hard, unable to sustain that look. “I don’t know what you mean.”

When she saw him fold his strong arms, a shiver ran through her body.

“What’s the reason you suddenly have to get back to Madrid? You haven’t had anything to eat or drink yet.”

“I’m still full from lunch, and since my business with you is concluded, it’s only fair to the person driving me to get an early start so they can be back at a decent hour.”

At this point he’d moved away from the door. Standing there with his hard-muscled legs slightly apart, he reminded her how impossibly attractive he was, reinforcing the reason why she shouldn’t stay here another second.

“What makes you think we don’t have business to talk over?”

She rubbed her palms against womanly hips, a gesture he observed with those intense black eyes. “I—I don’t understand.” What was he getting at?

His chest rose and fell visibly. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to explain.”

Knowing he always meant what he said, the second he went out the door she hurried into the bathroom. No sooner did she emerge than there was a knock on her door.

She trembled before opening it. Soraya stood at the entry with a tray.

“The Senor told me to put this on the table.”

Jillian smiled at her. “Come in.”

She moved quickly and set it down. Her eyes darted from the roses to Jillian. “You have beautiful flowers.”

“I agree.” It was on the tip of her tongue to tell her Remi had brought them to the hospital. However, at the last second she held back from divulging that revelation in case Soraya misunderstood the reason. “Thank you.”

The other woman nodded. No doubt she’d drawn her own conclusions.

On her way out of the room she passed Remi. Once the door was closed, he walked over to the table. “Come and join me,” he said, flicking her a glance.

This wasn’t a good idea. He had no conception of what his nearness was doing to her, but she couldn’t very well refuse him. After helping her to sit down, he took his place opposite her.

Maria had prepared a light meal of salad with chicken. Most people in Spain didn’t eat dinner before nine, but she realized Remi had made an exception for her. He was incredibly thoughtful, even providing ice water. She drank thirstily. Remi observed every move.

Halfway through their meal he put down his fork and sat back. “It’s true the estate was never meant to be anything but my family’s home and workplace. In order for me to accommodate the needs of the kind of tour you’re talking about, new facilities would be required.”

She wiped the corner of her mouth with the napkin. “I realize that. When I saw the groves, I’m afraid I got too carried away with excitement to consider the fundamental things required to make my plan feasible. To be honest, I’m embarrassed.”

After a slight pause, “Would it surprise you to know you’re the first person to broach such an idea with me?” he queried. “It would never have entered my mind otherwise.”

She squirmed in the chair. “All the more reason you should have pointed out the flaw in my plan and saved yourself the trouble of driving me all the way here. This is the third day you’ve had to worry about me instead of doing your work.”