Indiscretion Read online

  Alexandra swallowed hard. ‘I guess so,’ she said in a small voice. She was not particularly fond of heights.

  ‘Excellente,’ he said, before rounding the car once more and starting his descent down the hillside. He reappeared a few minutes later, standing on the flat patch of ground under the tree.

  ‘Can you hear me, Alexandra?’ he shouted, hands cupped to his mouth.

  ‘Yes, Salvador, I can hear you. I can see you too.’

  ‘Go very slowly, mi primita,’ Ramón said beside her. ‘You don’t want the car to move.’

  Alexandra opened the door as slowly and cautiously as she could, taking care not to shift her weight too abruptly. The drop, and the ground far below, made her suddenly dizzy. She paused and closed her eyes. Her heart was beating quickly, knocking violently against her ribs; her mouth went dry. She really didn’t like heights.

  ‘What if you don’t catch me?’ Alexandra instantly regretted those words as soon as they were out of her mouth. She sounded unnerved and loathed to admit her fear to Salvador.

  ‘Alexandra, querida, no tenga miedo, don’t be afraid, you must jump now. I’m here to catch you.’ She heard Salvador’s voice through the haze of her fear. This is no time for histrionics, she admonished herself, where is your English gumption, girl? And then, with her eyes closed, she jumped.

  She almost fell through the branches to the ground but, true to his word, Salvador was waiting for her. He drew her to him, grabbing her with both arms and pulling her against his powerful chest with a bruising strength. Under his bronzed tan, Alexandra could detect a fearful pallor, and she could see the tension in his harrowed features.

  Alexandra was still a little wobbly when he set her down. She met the dark blue eyes, which were fastened intently on hers.

  ‘Are you hurt?’ he enquired softly as he put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to him. Instinctively, she leaned into the strength of his muscular body.

  ‘Shaken but not broken,’ she replied with an uncertain laugh, hoping it wouldn’t sound too false.

  Even in the midst of this frightening experience, Salvador’s dark good looks, his vitality, his self-control overwhelmed her. She faltered, her heart beating ferociously; not from fear this time, but with the sudden surge of raw passion she felt for him.

  ‘I’ll help you climb back up.’

  Salvador took her hand firmly in his and slowly they scrambled up the graduated side of the cliff. ‘Lentamente, mi ángel, lentamente.’ His tone was deep and gentle as he helped her slowly negotiate the rocky path.

  Alexandra felt a riot of emotions skitter along the surface of her skin, which was reacting to his touch in a way she couldn’t seem to control. A warm breeze blew a couple of locks of hair that had slipped over her brow. It played caressingly around her neck, and for a split second she found herself fantasizing that it was Salvador’s fingers stroking her.

  He stopped and looked down at her, still clasping her hand tightly. Had he felt her tension? Their eyes locked, as if he knew all about the tumult going on inside her body.

  ‘Por Dios, by God, if they were jewels, those green eyes of yours would be worth a fortune strung on gold,’ and, bending his head, he leaned closer. Mesmerized by her mouth, he paused a breath away from her before taking her lips in a slow-moving kiss. Her entire body flashed with heat, and all the while his fingers were twining between hers. The heady masculine scent of him filled her as the smooth texture of his lips finally lifted their pressure, brushing over hers as lightly as a feather.

  Quickly, but gently, he pulled away. Alexandra’s cheeks burned, not only because all her senses were crying out for more but also with the thought that they might have been seen from above. Reading her mind, Salvador shook his dark head reassuringly but his ardent stare, ocean-deep, remained a few seconds more on her face before they resumed their climb.

  At the top they were greeted by the girls and Ramón, who had somehow managed to ease himself out of the other door once Alexandra had jumped. He now held out a hand to help them up the last steps.

  ‘That was a near miss …’ He heaved a sigh of relief. ‘It’s good to be back on firm ground. Alexandra, are you all right?’

  But Alexandra was far from feeling that she was on firm ground and wasn’t sure if she was feeling all right either, but she wasn’t about to elaborate truthfully on either count. She felt Salvador’s hand slip from hers and smiled at Ramón. ‘Yes, thanks to Salvador, I’m fine.’ She turned to her rescuer, not quite able to meet his gaze. ‘I’m sorry if I made a bit of a fool of myself earlier, but I’ve never been good with heights. Thank you for being so patient.’

  There was a glimmer of emotion in Salvador’s dark eyes that she couldn’t quite interpret. ‘You did everything perfectly, Alexandra. Clearly your gymnastics stood you in good stead for dramatic car crashes.’ For the first time, she saw him relax and the expression lighten.

  Ramón stood with his arms folded, watching them both. He nodded towards Salvador with a wry smile. ‘And you too did everything perfectly, Cousin, as always.’ His jovial enough remark held a slightly mocking edge, even though Salvador had clearly saved the day.

  Beside Ramón, Esmeralda regarded her brother with glowing eyes, clearly proud. Next to her, Mercedes was watching Salvador and Alexandra, a mixture of excitement and jealousy flitting across her face in equal measure. Alexandra had no doubt that her sister would have loved to have had the starring role in this highly charged adventure, not to mention having Salvador’s arms wrapped around her.

  It wasn’t long before the drivers had hauled the car back on to the road with the use of some rope. They tested it, reporting that it was in good enough shape to continue the journey to Ronda.

  ‘I think it would be wiser if you travelled in the first car with Mercedes and Esmeralda. Ramón and I will bring up the rear in this one,’ Salvador told Alexandra. However, she wasn’t listening, too busy recovering from the effect his unexpected kiss had had on her. The shock of the near-plunge down the side of the steep ravine was now setting in too. She was shivering, despite the heat of the sun, and was feeling dizzy and light-headed. Salvador, who had turned towards Ramón to issue his instruction, now abruptly turned back and she almost collided into him.

  ‘Are you sure you’re all right, Alexandra? You seem very pale.’ He placed his hands on her shoulders, his touch once more igniting an awareness between them. ‘You’re trembling,’ he murmured, a concerned furrow between his eyebrows. ‘Come, let me help you into the shade of the car. You’re not accustomed to our scorching sun. Its heat is quite unforgiving.’

  Uncomfortably conscious of his closeness, Alexandra let him guide her back to the vehicle, his arm around her shoulder. She could feel the warmth of his body brushing against her corsage, making her heart beat erratically. In an attempt to free herself from this physical and psychological bondage, she pulled away from him but only managed to stumble unsteadily and he caught her swiftly. What a fool he must think me, she told herself, as she gripped his arm to steady herself.

  Salvador settled her down comfortably in the back of the first car and poured some water from a thermos he brought out from under the seat. ‘Here, drink this, it will refresh you,’ he said in an overly gentle tone of voice, which Alexandra suddenly found infuriating. Her mind was beginning to clear. What had just happened between herself and Salvador? After ignoring her for days on end he had now pulled her into a kiss full of tenderness and slow fire. Had he misread her tension as fear and was merely trying to calm her down with an arrogant male response? Worse still, perhaps he thought she was some silly schoolgirl who had lost her nerve, and he felt sorry for her. She wished he would just go and leave her alone. Embarrassed now, she despised herself for so easily falling back under his spell, and for giving everyone the spectacle of her acting like a weakling.

  ‘I’ve absolutely recovered now,’ she insisted firmly, hoping he would be convinced and that they could get on with the journey.

&
nbsp; ‘We’re not far from Ronda,’ Salvador informed her, studying her face and leaning his elbow on the open car door. ‘Another twenty minutes and we’ll be there. Do you think you can manage that?’

  The implication that she was faint-hearted grazed Alexandra’s pride further, but she gritted her teeth, determined not to create another scene. Lifting her chin, she smiled coolly. ‘I expect so.’ With that, she rested her head on the back of her seat and closed her eyes dismissively, as if by blocking him out of her sight she was erasing him from her life.

  The driver rose to his feet, having examined the car. ‘I’m afraid this wheel won’t take us far, señor,’ he announced grimly. ‘We’ll need a new one to take us to Ronda.’

  Salvador frowned. ‘How far will this one get us?’

  ‘We’re only a little way from Arcos de la Frontera. It should last long enough to take us there safely, provided we move slowly.’

  ‘Very well then, we’ll just have to stay there tonight. Let’s get going.’

  It was late afternoon when they finally rolled into Arcos de la Frontera, a small town not far from Ronda. The ancient bells in the church of Santa María were sending their age-old message to the inhabitants as the cars stopped in front of the inn Fonda la Felisa, the only respectable posada in the vicinity. Tomorrow morning they would travel on as planned to the more refined lodgings of the Parador de la Luna in Ronda.

  Alexandra had the strange feeling of stepping into a different era as she entered the large inn. Like most buildings in Spain, it had numerous shaded patios, a broad wooden central staircase and long dark corridors. A cauldron simmered in the massive fireplace of the main hall, filling the place with the cloying aroma of a country stew. The pale glimmer of the oil lamps failed to pierce the shadows lurking in the recesses of the vast room. Flycatchers and wagtails flitted among the beams of the high ceiling, catching insects. This was not a smart hotel, to say the least. No electricity and bugs but it would have to do.

  The shaken travellers were soon taken up to their rooms. By now, Alexandra was exhausted. She had feigned sleep through the remainder of the journey, in the hope of being left to her brooding thoughts. Now, the last thing she wanted was to join the others for supper but, not wishing to be rude and collapse straight into bed, she went downstairs to say goodnight.

  She found the others seated at a long table in the main hall that ran from the corner of the room to the fireplace, where the posadero of the inn was dishing the contents of the cauldron into wide bowls for the guests at neighbouring tables. Half-full now, the room had taken on a far cosier atmosphere than when they had first arrived. The murmur of voices and clinking glasses mingled with the sound of a guitar playing somewhere. In the huge fireplace, flames were crackling, flickering light on to the rough walls as people milled about between comfortably huddled groups.

  Alexandra almost regretted her decision to retire early but if she had been tempted to stay, one look at Salvador made her long to be back in her room and not so close to him. He was sprawled in a relaxed fashion on a high-backed wooden bench running the length of the table, trousers stretched over muscled thighs. A brooding expression glittered in his eyes.

  ‘I think I’ll get some food sent up to my room and have an early night. It’s been an eventful day,’ she announced. Her gaze flicked to him, then away again.

  ‘Cousin, surely you’ll stay for some sangria?’ Ramón beamed at her, holding up a glass invitingly.

  ‘Yes, Alexandra. Why don’t you stay for one drink? It’ll relax you after your ordeal. Ramón here has found its reviving properties effective, haven’t you?’ Salvador arched a brow at the young man, his lips curving with a trace of amusement.

  Ramón grinned again and lifted his glass in a nod to Salvador. ‘Yes, indeed I have. I will always stand by the reviving properties of sangria.’

  ‘There you are, Alexandra. Now you cannot refuse.’ Salvador filled a glass and pushed it towards her expectantly, fixing her with a look that made her struggle to hold his gaze. Her glance fell to his shoulders and then to his hands, which even in repose had a dark appearance of power in keeping with his face and athletic form.

  ‘How are you feeling now, Alexandra?’ Esmeralda gestured towards the empty chair at the head of the table, between herself and Salvador. Alexandra smiled tightly. Why could there not be a seat further away from that stare of his? She caught a whiff of fragrant tobacco mixed with soap as she took her place between brother and sister; it was a smell so particular to Salvador she would have recognized it anywhere. It played havoc with her senses for she was flooded with the recollection of those few times they had been intimate. Her heart was pounding against her breastbone and she could feel her spine tensing.

  Esmeralda gave Alexandra a wide-eyed, sympathetic look. ‘It must have been a shock for you. I would have felt so scared, leaping from the car like that. I know I wouldn’t have been so brave.’

  ‘Oh, Esmeralda, don’t be so wet!’ Mercedes’ huffy voice cut in next to her. Clearly, she was still piqued that all the attention was on her sister, not to mention that Alexandra had enjoyed the benefit of a dramatic rescue from Salvador. She stared at her peevishly. ‘I would have got out perfectly well on my own, unlike my dear sister, who found the perfect excuse to jump into Salvador’s arms.’

  Alexandra felt Salvador stiffen slightly beside her.

  Ramón nodded with mock seriousness. ‘Indeed, Mercedes. Something tells me rescuing you would have been a far longer and noisier affair.’ He laughed loudly. ‘Plus we would have been hearing about it for months afterwards. La peor gallina es la que más cacarea, the worst hen is the one that clucks the most.’

  As was usually the case in her dealings with Ramón, Mercedes had no blistering retort to hand and merely resorted to pouting in silence. Alexandra, too, sat without speaking and sipped her drink.

  ‘You know, it’s a shame, for the sake of Alexandra’s book, that we didn’t travel past La Peña de los Enamorados, Lover’s Leap,’ Esmeralda noted airily, ignoring Mercedes’ and Ramón’s little spat. She looked her usual dreamy self but Alexandra could have sworn there was a hint of sly interest in Esmeralda’s eyes as she glanced between herself and Salvador.

  ‘No more an outlandish route than the one we took, I suppose,’ muttered Ramón.

  Alexandra was curious. ‘What’s so special about that place?’

  All the while, Salvador had been silent, though the air between him and Alexandra throbbed relentlessly as her heartbeat. Now he broke in.

  ‘La Peña de los Enamorados is attached to a local legend about an impossible love affair,’ he explained.

  Alexandra drove her gaze towards him. For an instant, something warred in his eyes as he looked at her; was it longing, regret? The force of his personality struck her like a hurricane, sending her head spinning. She struggled not to betray the effect he had on her, conscious that everyone’s attention was on them both.

  Salvador tapped a finger gently on the side of his glass and looked down into its contents as he continued. ‘Lover’s Leap is an enormous crag of limestone overlooking the town and valley of Antequera. The rock provides the setting for the tragic finale to the lovers’ story. Legend has it that a young Christian man from Antequera and a beautiful Moorish girl from nearby Archidona were driven to the top of the cliff by Moorish soldiers. Rather than renounce their love, they chose to hurl themselves into the abyss. The rock remains a symbol of their eternal love.’ His eyes were on Alexandra again, his features brooding. It felt as though his gaze was scorching her skin and she put a hand to the base of her throat, where she felt her pulse thudding beneath her fingertips.

  Salvador paused, taking his time as he lit a cigarette. The air filled with the aromatic smoke, creating a halo around him. At this point, the others began chatting about the bullfight. Under his breath, Salvador went on: ‘A romantic novelist’s dream story, wouldn’t you say?’

  ‘Yes,’ Alexandra conceded, lifting her chin. ‘There’s nothi
ng more romantic than eternal love.’

  ‘And nothing more foolish, perhaps.’

  ‘Passion and fidelity are foolish?’ She shot him a fierce look. ‘Being prepared to die for love only makes it more powerful.’

  ‘It is the stuff of romantic fables. And even there, the obstacles of real life soon show themselves. Those soldiers of misfortune chase most poor unfortunates to ground in the end.’ He drained his glass and set it down abruptly without looking at her. ‘Passion can be an affliction.’

  But Esmeralda had caught the tail end of their conversation and was moved to speak: ‘Salvador, that’s a little harsh, I think.’ She looked almost hurt at his pronouncement. ‘Surely you can’t condemn true love as foolish?’

  Alexandra forced a laugh. ‘I’m afraid your brother has a doomed view of life, Esmeralda,’ she said, before he could answer. She was trying to make light of it all, but inside her emotions were churning. Is that what Salvador really thought about love and passion? Was he giving her a clear message that he regretted what had passed between them only hours before? Why did he keep pulling her one way, then another? His eyes were dark and impenetrable; her inability to fathom what strange truth lay behind them made Alexandra keenly aware of Aunt Geraldine’s warning that, like her mother Vanessa, she too would find herself among strangers whose whole culture and way of thinking would be unfamiliar. Suddenly an overwhelming weariness descended, sapping her of all energy.

  Salvador smiled wryly. ‘Yes, I’m a lost cause, I suppose.’ He then leaned forward slightly, seeming to sense the change in Alexandra.

  ‘And so am I now,’ she muttered, rising from her chair. ‘I think I really do need my bed.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ Salvador rose quickly too. ‘I’ll see you to your room.’

  Her brows drew together. ‘Salvador, that’s really not necessary.’