Mad for you in Madrid (Building Love Book 3) Read online

  He was beginning to hope he’d morph into that clock. Anything to earn that lustful look. “Go ahead and steal if you wish. Instead of the clock, I think you should aim higher. The crown jewels are here.”

  “No! Get out of town.”

  “Okay, but if I left town, who would show you around Madrid?”

  She ignored his jibe. “The crown jewels? Really?” she squealed.

  “Yep. Thought I’d mention, in case you were interested. I’ve never known a woman to pass up jewelry.”

  “Bah. I’m so excited, I won’t let your stereotype of women distract me. Let’s go see them right now,” she urged.

  “Patience,” he said with a laugh. “If we ran straight to the crown jewels, you would bypass the world’s most priceless collection of Stradivarius cellos and violins. Not to mention the throne room. And the room where they keep the oldest copy of Cervantes’ Don Quixote known to exist.”

  “I hate patience,” she muttered.

  He extended his hand out, bestowing a royal bow. “I will escort you to all these wonders. Your wish is my command. I am but your humble servant.” He was kidding, or course. Unless there was there some truth to his light-hearted words? What was it about her that made him willing to acquiesce control?

  She grinned. “You’re at my command, huh? Who would have guessed?” Her eyes twinkled. Surely, she was having some fun with him. “Are you positive you can handle it?”

  If she kept this up, their tour would go off the beaten path; he’d seek out the royal boudoir. The seraphs depicted on the king’s bedroom wall would be soon be trumpeting his conquest.

  Daniel nonchalantly twisted himself away from Lori to readjust the crotch of his pants. Walking through the endless corridors would be a lot less comfortable from now on. “Let me escort you down this corridor,” he said, wondering if he was leading them down the right path. Or the proverbial garden path.

  They were approaching the throne room when her smartphone beeped a message. “Excuse me,” she said, fumbling in her purse. She slid her finger across the screen.

  Daniel politely walked away. Giving her privacy was the right thing to do. Her watched her thumbs finish flying, and then approached her. “Ready to continue?” he asked.

  “Okay,” she answered in a flat voice.

  “Everything all right?”

  “I got some unexpected messages. I’ll be fine.”

  He was quiet for a moment, giving her opportunity to say more. “We can sit down if you like. There are some benches in the hallway. It’ll give you a chance to continue texting.”

  “Really. I’m fine.” She sighed. “Okay, I might as well tell you. The first message was from my mother. She’s annoyed I’m sightseeing with you today. She thinks I’m distracting the client.” Lori made air quotes with her fingers. “I’m not a distraction, am I?” she asked, her large doe eyes imploring him.

  “Hardly,” he answered, lying through his teeth. She had been a distraction from the moment he laid eyes on her. Lori’s odd ways were enticing. Sincere, innocent, and with a way of creating chaos everywhere she went. If he weren’t careful, she’d create greater chaos with his heart.

  “Good. I’m relieved,” Lori said, oblivious to his thoughts. “I told Mom the same thing.” A flicker of doubt crossed her pretty face. “I hope you don’t mind I that I spoke for you.”

  The urge to kiss her threatened to overpower him. “Not at all,” he croaked out. “Who was the other message from?” he asked, ignoring his pledge not to pry into her business.

  “Oh,” she said, voice perking up, “the other message was from your brother.”

  “Elias?” Frowning, Daniel reached into his pants pocket for his smartphone and pressed the screen. “My phone is on. Why would he have to call you to get ahold of me?”

  Lori shook her head. “He didn’t need to speak with you. He wanted to talk to me.”

  The creases in Daniel’s forehead grew. “Really? Why?”

  “Your parents are hosting a fancy party at their house tonight. Elias needs a date.”

  “Let me guess. He asked you.” Hot blood boiled within. When I see Elias tonight, I’ll perform my own Spanish Inquisition. Torture included.

  “Yup,” Lori chirped. “Sweet deal, right? I feel like a princess, ready to have a royal time.” She laughed. “Daniel, I have to say that you and your brother have made me feel very welcomed.” She paused, sincerity dripping from her eyes like water. “After all the trouble I’ve caused you, well, I just can’t tell you enough how grateful I am. I hope my mother does her best publicity campaign ever for you, and that’s saying something.” She hesitated a brief moment. “You’ll be at the party too, right?”

  He nodded stiffly.

  Smiling, she lifted herself up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. The kiss was light and quick.

  It was the worst possible way to feel the softness of her lips. His mind knew the kiss was nothing more than a physical demonstration of gratitude. Yet his heart interpreted the simple peck as something more. Lower parts of his body begged for a deliberate misread too.

  His blood simmered from both attraction and anger, a bad mix. He didn’t know what he wanted more—to be left alone with Lori to explore her body, or to be left alone with Elias to pummel his.

  “Before we leave the royal palace,” Lori chirped happily, “can we stop by the gift shop? I want to buy you a thank you present.”

  “No need.”

  “Oh, but I want to. A token to remind you of how wonderful you’ve been to me. Whatever item you pick out, I’m going to buy myself a duplicate. I never want to forget either.”

  He stood there, dumbstruck.

  “I hope we find something good quickly,” she added. “Too much time spent shopping will detract from our afternoon. My mom may be annoying, but she does have a point. We both want your campaign to be successful.” Her face brightened. “I know how we can make up lost time. Let’s forget sightseeing this afternoon. If there’s time left tomorrow, I can cram in more sights by myself.” She placed her hand lightly on his arm.

  His skin flinched. Ten euros says she doesn’t realize her touch makes me crazy. How can a woman be so oblivious to what the hell she’s doing?

  A second later, Lori’s hand was gone. Given her downturned lips, she must have felt him flinch. Damn.

  “Sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t mean to act so . . . familiar with you. Don’t worry, I promise to calm down. Some days I simply create chaos,” she said, as if reading his thoughts.

  If she only knew. Daniel twisted his heavy Rolex wristwatch around to read the time. “Carlos should be outside waiting for us.”

  “Oh no,” she exclaimed. “Does that mean there’s no time for the gift shop?”

  “Some other time perhaps,” he said, declining as politely as he could.

  “Don’t worry. I understand.” Her voice was heavy. “Would you mind if I run to the bathroom before we left? I’ll only be a moment.”

  “Go ahead. I’m heading back to the car. When you leave the palace, be sure to exit the gates the same way we came in. Carlos will be to the right.”

  “See you in five minutes,” she said, heading toward the damas sign.

  Daniel exited the palace and headed out the main courtyard to join Carlos. Five minutes without Lori’s beautiful, quirky, company would be a royally long time.

  Chapter 16

  Lori hurried to dress for the party, tossing various items of clothing out of her suitcase and onto the bed. Her choices were slim since she came straight from Las Vegas. Fortunately, most of her clothes were made of travel-friendly fabric. Otherwise, she’d look like a wrinkled mess for the duration of her trip, including tonight’s shindig. Given the lack of hangers in the coffin-sized closet there was little alternative but to dump
her clothing on the bed.

  The only dress marginally presentable for tonight’s upscale dinner party was a sleeveless black sheath. She’d taken it to Las Vegas in case she had to endure dinner or drinks with a potential client. Lori had learned long ago to pack for all kinds of contingencies when traveling on business. Mom demanded wise planning.

  Black high heels helped transform the outfit from passible to presentable. She slipped the soft nylon over her head and let the dress fall over her, hanging two inches above her knee.

  She sat on the edge of her bed rubbing her swollen feet. Putting on her stilettos at the last possible moment was a good idea. After walking for hours in wedge heels all morning, her feet were crying out for mercy.

  Multiple mirrors in the bathroom reflected her effort. She twisted her thick hair into a loose knot, and let it gracefully hang down at the nape of her neck. An attractive smoky smudge of eye makeup gave her a party-appropriate appearance. She walked barefoot into the bedroom to search for earrings. No luck. After dumping her little travel bag’s contents on top of the pile of discarded clothes, she cursed. Even if I had the money to shop for jewelry on Gran Via, I don’t have the time.

  The hotel room’s phone rang. Lori hurried over to answer it. “Yes? I mean, ¿sí?”

  “Señorita, there is a Señor Vega here to see you. He wants to come up to your room.”

  “Let him up,” she instructed, keeping the surprise from her voice. Elias wasn’t due for another half-hour. Plus, he was to meet her in the lobby, not her room. Oh, well. Good thing I’m almost ready, and that Elias is only a friend. It would be embarrassing for a love interest to see the mess in her room. If there had been a separate bedroom, she would have shut the door. I’m sure Elias knows how chaotic traveling is.

  She hurried to scoop as many items back into their cases as quickly as possible. She had only managed one armful before hearing a knock on the door. “Coming, Elias,” she called out. With a hasty shove of some clothes into her carry-on, she threw the bed coverings over the rest of the pile and high tailed it to the door. “Elias, you’re early . . .” She stopped dead as she stared at the very different man in front of her. “Daniel? What are you doing here?”

  “Sorry for the intrusion. I wanted to give you something for tonight. I thought perhaps it would make you more comfortable at the party.”

  Nervous laughter bubbled forth. “It’s not more work, is it? Because all work and no play makes Lori a geeky girl.”

  His eyes roved over her entire body, from head to heel. “You are a long way from geek. In fact, you look beautiful.”

  The intensity of his gaze made her heart lurch in her chest. Heat rose to her cheeks. If things got any hotter, she’d have to bust open the hotel room’s window and let in the cool breeze. “Thanks,” she squeaked out. “Come on in.” She opened the door wider and stepped aside for him to enter.

  His tall frame breezed by her barefoot body. If I leaned up to kiss him again, I’d have to reach so much higher . . .

  “What’s with the mountain of clothes?” he asked, gesturing toward the bed. Amusement danced in his voice. “The Pyrenees Mountains magically teleported to your hotel room?”

  “Ha ha,” she said flatly. “You travel for business all the time. You know how hard it is to find things in suitcases.” Her lips twisted into a frown. “Assuming, of course, I had packed exactly what I needed in the first place. I know my choice for tonight isn’t perfect. I hope I came close.”

  “I can imagine preparing for tonight was difficult. A formal event sprung on you without warning. Quite unfair of my brother.”

  She cocked her head, wondering why his words carried a cryptic tone. “I don’t mind. I’m glad I can help him out. My only concern is to not embarrass him by being underdressed.”

  Daniel cleared his throat. “I have no such concern. You will outshine everyone. What you wear does not matter. My goal is make you feel comfortable. I want you to enjoy the night.”

  Before she could answer, he briefly stepped back into the hallway. He returned a split second later with a large, colorful paper bag embellished with fabric handles. “Please don’t feel compelled to wear the dress I bought you. I didn’t know you already had a suitable dress. Especially one this fetching.”

  Her eyes grew round. The bag itself was beautiful. Her imagination ran wild with the appearance of the dress inside. “Thank you. Are you sure? I don’t want to . . .”

  “It’s yours,” he said firmly, handing her the bag. “Whether or not you choose to wear the dress tonight, I want you to keep it.” He turned to the door. “There is no pressure. I will see you tonight.” Without another word, Daniel walked out of the room. The door clicked behind him.

  The paper bag was heavier than expected. Then again, nothing involving Daniel went as expected. She placed the bag atop the mound of clothes on the bed and extracted a large white box from the bag. Gingerly, she shook the box cover off. An emerald green dress shone through white tissue paper. She sucked in a hard breath. Her greedy fingers scurried to unearth the dress. She pulled the garment out and let it unravel until it reached the floor. Then she held it up to the window to inspect. It was a cocktail dress. Knee length, sleeveless, with a tunic collar. It cinched at the waist. The dress was perfect.

  A card peeking out of the box caught her eye. She gently placed the dress on the bed and read the note. I bought this dress in honor of our trip to the royal palace today—green because it’s an imperial color. Matching earrings because you loved the royal jewels so much. Tonight, you will look like a queen. My brother will be the envy of everyone—including me.

  Her heart sputtered. Thrusting her hand in the bag, she pulled out a tiny box tucked away in a corner. Hastily, she grabbed it. The small, cream-colored box was lightweight. A gold sticker bearing the name of the store graced the front. The lid fit snuggly onto the box’s bottom. With a firm grasp, she gave a sharp tug. Green earrings gleamed in her hands. Her eyes grew wide. It was hard to tell which was racing more, her heart or her mind.

  She held up one of the dangling lever-back earrings to the lamp. How could Daniel have possibly known malachite was her favorite stone? Impossible. Malachite wasn’t particularly common, or popular. Yet the stone’s swirling, vibrant shades of green contained nature’s own architectural detail. Perhaps her relationship with Daniel was turning out to be vibrant and full of wonderful intricacies too.

  Her time to get ready for the party was running out. She slid the earrings on and hurried to change her dress. Careful of her hair, she tugged the black dress off. The green dress had a long zipper down the back, allowing her to step into it. The fabric had a matte finish and fibers that comfortably stretched. A good choice, since he didn’t know her size. She hurried back into the bathroom to see the finished look.

  The fabric conformed to her body. The tunic-styled collar gave gracious curves to her chest without the effect being too noticeable. The dangling earrings not only matched the dress, they enhanced.

  Her phone buzzed. Lori grabbed it off the bed and read Elias’s text, telling her he was waiting in a black limo outside the hotel’s main doors. Geez, the Vega brothers certainly know how to travel in style. She gathered her purse and hotel key card and made her way to the elevator. She pushed the button and crossed her fingers, praying the night would go smoothly.

  Her appearance tonight was classy and attractive. Thanks in no small part to Daniel. The man who was not her date. She was lucky to receive such wonderful gifts. She was starting to wonder if the same applied to Daniel himself.

  ~ ~ ~

  Daniel bolted out of the car as soon as his Mercedes pulled into the circular driveway of his parents’ mansion. The trip to the suburbs lasted twelve times longer than normal. Not because of traffic, but because of his mood. The entire afternoon had filled him with a mixture of anticipation and annoyance�
��anticipation from the thought of seeing Lori bedazzled, and annoyance from the thought of seeing her hanging on Elias’s arm.

  Daniel walked to the mansion’s front door, his thoughts darkening. He understood his brother meant no harm by asking Lori to be his date. Elias had reached out to Lori as a lifeline; an emotional rope to pull him away from the dangers of their parents’ criticism and control. Elias’s situation was especially understandable since he was their employee. His ability to tell their parents to back off was limited.

  Elias wouldn’t have given a thought about whether Daniel needed a date. Elias believed Daniel was firmly in charge of his own affairs. Which Daniel had been, until he met Lori.

  The one kiss she had bestowed on him was merely from gratitude. Yet the press of her warm, inviting lips against his bare skin had felt like pure passion. Sending a rippling effect from cheek to groin. Transforming into a burst of hot lust. Was he overreacting? Probably. His rational side knew the pointlessness of fixating on a token gesture. If only he could get his body to agree.

  Was his fixation on pursuing her romantically also pointless? Definitely. In a few days, she would fly back to the States. He would probably never see her again. It wasn’t as if he could stop his business ventures here in Spain and other locations around the world in order to be with her. Especially since he barely knew her. Besides, if by random chance she felt the same spark, the likelihood of her leaving her mother’s firm was equally remote.

  He could only guess her reasons for tying herself to her mother’s firm. It had to be something more than the desire to be obedient. Whatever her motives, of all the people in the world who could empathize with her, it was him. Breaking free from his parents hadn’t been easy. Even with his abundance of confidence. If his ego was an ocean, her ego was a dried-up creek.