The Unforgettable Spanish Tycoon
Christy McKellen
I know we were more than just friends.Once Elena Jones shared an intense entanglement with striking Spaniard Caleb Araya, ending with both their hearts in tatters. Now she's a successful entrepreneur, and when he rejects her new business proposition it's clear Caleb hasn't forgotten…Then a sudden accident means that the tycoon remembers nothing about their past! Elena seizes the chance to make things right—she’ll stay in Barcelona and help Caleb recover his memory. But the closer they get, the more Elena realises how much her own heart has never forgotten him…Romantic GetawaysEscape to Paradise!
“I know we were more than just friends.”
Once Elena Jones had shared an intense entanglement with striking Spaniard Caleb Araya, ending with both their hearts in tatters. Now she’s a successful entrepreneur, and when he rejects a new business proposition, it’s clear Caleb hasn’t forgotten...
When an accident causes the tycoon to lose his memory, Caleb seems to think they are still a couple! Elena wants to help him recover...but will staying in Barcelona with him just put her heart in jeopardy again?
Romantic Getaways
Escape to Paradise!
This Valentine’s Day, escape to four of the world’s most romantic destinations with these sparkling books from Harlequin Romance!
From the awe-inspiring desert to vibrant Barcelona, from the stunning coral reefs of Australia to heart-stoppingly romantic Venice, get swept away by these wonderful romances!
The Sheikh’s Convenient Princess
by Liz Fielding
The Unforgettable Spanish Tycoon
by Christy McKellen
The Billionaire of Coral Bay
by Nikki Logan
Her First-Date Honeymoon
by Katrina Cudmore
Dear Reader (#ulink_71c3f1e6-4906-523e-9168-21238b2c41a1),
I’ve wanted to write an amnesia story for a while now and was ruminating on how to start it when a rather intriguing question popped into my head.
What might happen to someone who’s harbored feelings of anger and hurt toward someone for years—that have tainted every relationship they’ve ever had—if they suddenly lost their memory and found themselves in their enemy’s care?
And I was away.
At the heart of it, this story is about how determinedly clinging on to past hurts can stop you from moving forward with your life. In our hero, Caleb’s, case it takes a potentially disastrous event to force him to reevaluate his life and help him see that holding on to anger and resentment is only going to cause him more pain and heartache and ultimately keep him apart from the love of his life. And for our heroine, Elena, it’s the perfect way to finally atone for the wrongs she did Caleb by moving past her risk-averse tendencies to find the courage she needs in order to forgive herself—if she can only keep her heart intact in the process!
It’s quite a journey for the two of them, full of uncertainty and trepidation as they push past deeply rooted behaviors, but also one filled with hope and excitement for the future. I hope you enjoy tagging along for the ride.
With best wishes,
Christy x
The Unforgettable Spanish Tycoon
Christy McKellen
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Formerly a video and radio producer, CHRISTY McKELLEN now spends her time writing fun, impassioned and emotive romance with an undercurrent of sensual tension. When she’s not writing she can be found enjoying life with her husband and three children, walking for pleasure and researching other people’s deepest secrets and desires. Christy loves to hear from readers. You can get hold of her at christymckellen.com (http://www.christymckellen.com).
This story is dedicated to my supersmart friend Erica, who talked me through the different types of amnesia and their symptoms, then patiently listened to my rambling and slightly bonkers story idea and still pronounced it something she’d love to read. I really appreciate the time you took to help me shape it into something workable. And thanks for always being such a good friend.
Contents
Cover (#u2dd8181f-291d-5c37-9e3e-d20f21a851ce)
Back Cover Text (#u4bd8d76a-33a8-5021-bcae-7d6aa891a3d4)
Introduction (#ueef9fabe-02c0-5cf9-9ab1-f45719fc4696)
Dear Reader (#ulink_24fe23a8-617b-53e0-9a98-a5b024fdd746)
Title Page (#u2480123f-b5e3-513f-9c34-7fb448109c8e)
About the Author (#u7aaee257-5cd6-5214-9733-676e1aa5b731)
Dedication (#u068a4e87-6cfe-51a8-9fde-659918ff3e67)
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_9431e289-e3eb-5f4c-bbb2-c9d40e1f287a)
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_41cefb15-d76e-5356-beff-9ad64eb3f26e)
CHAPTER THREE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_a05ce9b8-bf92-5688-a9af-42b074656214)
IT WAS UNSEASONABLY hot in Barcelona for February and, what with the adrenaline-spiked blood rushing through her veins and the brilliant sunshine that beat in waves at her back as she alighted from the cab outside Araya Industries’ ultra-modern offices, Elena Jones was just about ready to combust in her made-for-English-weather woollen suit.
After giving her name in the wonderfully cool air-conditioned reception area, she was shown into a meeting room by a rather anxious-looking PA, acutely aware of the sound of her heels clicking loudly on the highly patterned ceramic tile flooring.
Swallowing down a twinge of nerves, Elena accepted the offer of a drink of water from the young woman, who for some reason didn’t seem to be able to look her in the eye, then chose a chair at the head of the imposing twenty-seater frosted glass-topped table, carefully hanging her suit jacket over the back of the sharply stylish but rather uncomfortable-looking chair so it didn’t get crumpled. She wanted to look her absolute best today in the hope it would provide her with the boost of confidence she needed to get a positive result from this meeting.
What was making her most nervous was not knowing how Caleb Araya was going to react to seeing her again after all this time. She was actually annoyed by just how anxious she felt about being out of her comfort zone. After running her own company for the last five years she’d become far better at taking risks and getting a grip on her fear of the unknown, and it took something rather exceptional to faze her now.
Apparently the thought of coming face-to-face with Caleb again was to be one of those things.
Would he have forgiven her by now?
Her heart gave an extra hard thump in her chest.
He had to have done, surely? What happened between them had been fifteen years ago; he couldn’t still be holding a grudge. He was a businessman after all, a hugely successful one by all accounts, who wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get in on a profitable deal just because they had a bit of a rocky past.
Would he?
Staring out of the floor-to-ceiling windows at the busy street below, she remembered how she’d felt the very first time she’d met him during her second year at the University of Cambridge. At the tender age of twenty she’d thought Caleb Araya was the most arresting, ambitious and charismatic man she’d ever met.
They’d been good friends once, able to talk for hours about their passion for engineering and their hopes of making a mark on the world after they’d gained their degrees.
They’d made a strange pair, the two of them, so much so that their classmates had found their friendship a great source of amusement: she a petite, middle class, inner-city-living bookworm and he a hulking bad boy from the wrong side of a small Spanish town.
But away from other people the formerly laconic, gruff Caleb had been playful, gentle and animated. He’d fascinated her with his passion and drive, not to mention his dangerous sex appeal, and had excited her in ways she’d never experienced before.
What she’d most loved about him was that despite having a tough start in life Caleb hadn’t let it beat him down. He’d been determined to better his situation through sheer hard work and making intelligent decisions.
Looking around her now, she could see he’d certainly achieved his goal, and then some. According to the articles she’d read on the Web, his was now the most successful technology and engineering company ever to come out of Spain.
The door in the remarkably fingerprint-free wall of glass that divided the room from the large, plush reception area swung open, letting in the sound of Spanish chatter, and she stood up, taking a deep breath and preparing herself to face Caleb with a cool head and a warm smile.
She was determined not to let her shame about the heartless way she’d treated him in the past get in the way of her objective here today.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t let any residual antipathy towards her get in the way of a promising business partnership either.
A wave of nervous tension made her skin prickle as the man himself strode into the room with his PA hot on his heels.
Caleb was just as captivating as she remembered, probably even more so now that he’d grown into his darkly arresting looks and six foot five, broad-shouldered frame. It seemed he’d only built on the animal magnetism she remembered so keenly too. With his dark, hooded eyes and jet-black hair slicked away from his strong-boned face he looked fierce, indomitable and rather dangerous.
No wonder his PA seemed so afraid of him.
The scowl currently marring his craggy features as he approached was so intimidating it made Elena’s heart leap about in her chest.
‘Elena Jones,’ he drawled in that same beautiful gravelly Spanish accent she remembered so well, his voice sounding not so much friendly as vaguely amused.
Her stomach jumped with nerves as he came to a halt in front of where she stood.
Instead of holding out a hand in greeting, he folded his enormous arms, making his shirt sleeves tighten over his bulging muscles, and looked down at her with one dark eyebrow raised, as if waiting for her to explain how she could possibly have the nerve to show her face here.
He hadn’t forgiven her then.
She swallowed hard, wishing she could take a quick sip of water to loosen her suddenly dry throat, but she didn’t want to weaken her position by breaking eye contact with him so she ignored the impulse.
‘It’s good to see you again, Caleb. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting.’
His mouth twitched at the corner as if he were suppressing a smile. ‘My former PA made it without my knowledge,’ he said, glancing quickly towards his current PA, who seemed to shrink into herself a little, as if afraid she was about to take the fall for her predecessor’s mistake. ‘But when I saw your name in my diary I couldn’t help but be curious about what you could possibly want from me after all this time.’
His presence seemed to grow, crowding out the light in the room as he dropped his arms and drew his shoulders back, pulling himself up to his full height. ‘I’m guessing you’re only here because you need something from me—rather desperately, judging by the power suit and heels.’
Damn, his dispassionate attitude was going to make her job here so much harder. But there was no way she was giving up that easily. Just because he wasn’t prepared to be friendly it didn’t mean she couldn’t persuade him to agree to give her what she needed. She was going to have to play this meeting carefully though. Apologise—again—if that was what it took.
Just not yet.
It was probably best to keep things on a purely business tack for now.
‘I’m here to put a proposition to you,’ she said, forcing herself to keep her gaze firmly fixed to his. ‘Although to say I’m “desperate” isn’t at all accurate,’ she lied.
If she knew Caleb at all, and she thought that she did, showing any kind of weakness at this point would be a huge mistake.
‘A proposition?’ he said, a hint of incredulity colouring his voice.
Elena nodded jerkily, cursing her churning stomach. ‘Yes. I’m sure it’s something you’re going to be very interested in.’
There was a heavy pause while Caleb ran his piercing gaze over her face—perhaps looking for signs of a set-up, or even a joke—before appearing to decide that she was absolutely serious.
‘Then I suppose we’d better sit down,’ he said, gesturing towards the chair she’d vacated and taking another one two places away, which he turned around so it was facing her.
‘You won’t need to take any notes,’ he said to his PA, waving his hand dismissively. ‘This won’t be a long meeting.’
Trying not to show how much his glib assumption riled her, Elena took her own seat and smiled encouragingly at the PA, who gave her a nervous nod in return before scuttling out of the room.
Poor woman.
Biting her lip to refrain from saying something to Caleb about his ogre-like behaviour, Elena sat up straighter in her chair and fixed him with a serious stare.
He looked back at her with one eyebrow raised in apparent curiosity, though the look in his eyes was still hard enough to cut diamonds.
‘I don’t know whether you know, but I’m the Managing Director and owner of a company in England called Zipabout,’ she began, leaning forward a little in her chair.
His expression gave no hint as to whether he’d known that or not so she decided to just forge ahead with the pitch.
‘We’ve designed an electric car specifically suited for a single person to make short trips around towns and cities. It’s safer than riding a bike and easy to park in small spaces, but the overarching benefits are that it’ll help cut down on air pollution and unnecessary fuel usage.’ She took a breath. ‘Right now we’re looking to source a large rechargeable battery to run it. The one that your company makes would be a perfect fit for our design.’
The smile he gave her made her think of a wild animal about to pounce.
‘You’re asking me to partner with you?’ he asked with dry amusement in his voice.
She cleared her throat to try and defuse the tension that was building there.
‘That’s exactly what I’m proposing.’
He nodded slowly, his intense gaze never leaving her face.
‘Why did you choose my battery?’
‘It’s the best one on the market.’ She held back on revealing that it was the only one that would work with the design now that their previous choice was no longer viable.
When their former supplier had called a meeting at the eleventh hour to let her know there was an unfixable fault with the battery they’d planned to use in the car, Elena had done some frantic research, only to come to the uncomfortable conclusion that Caleb’s company was the only other manufacturer of a battery compatible with the design. If she didn’t get him to agree to supply her company today it was quite likely the car’s product launch would be perilously held up and they’d lose all the pre-orders they’d worked so hard to accrue.
‘And I think a partnership would be highly beneficial for both our companies,’ she went on, hoping to goodness that her nerves weren’t beginning to show. Her whole body was rigid with tension because, most crucially, if he didn’t agree to supply the battery Zipabout could go under and her entire workforce, who had become like family to her over the last five years, would all lose their jobs.
Tamping down on the dread that sank through her at the thought of it, she widened her smile. ‘I sent some information over to your PA this morning in case you had a chance to look at it before the meeting, but I’m guessing from your reaction that you haven’t. I have a short presentation on my laptop with me though; perhaps you’d like to see it?’
He regarded her without speaking for what felt like minutes, his dark eyes narrowed in thought. There was something else there in his expression that she didn’t like the look of. Something cold and hard.
‘No, I don’t think I would,’ he said finally.
She stared at him, wondering whether she’d misheard. Surely he couldn’t be dismissing the idea without at least looking at her proposal?
‘What—?’ she whispered, giving herself a little shake, then leaning in closer to him. ‘Caleb, at least look at the sales projections—’
But he cut her off with a wave of his hand. ‘I’m not interested in partnering with you, Elena.’ He stood up. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a busy day—’
‘Wait!’ She raised her hand with all but her pointing finger clenched into a fist so he wouldn’t see how sweaty her palm was. ‘I haven’t given you all the salient details yet,’ she said desperately.
‘I don’t need to hear them; I’ve already made my decision.’
‘But—’ She could feel panic rising from her gut. ‘Why, Caleb?’
He took a step towards her, his face completely devoid of emotion. ‘Because, Elena, I don’t do business with people whose word I don’t trust.’
She shook her head in disbelief. ‘That was a long time ago, Caleb. I can’t believe you’re still angry with me for that.’ Getting shakily to her feet, she took a step towards him. ‘Please know I still feel bad about the way I handled it all, but we were both so young and naïve—’
‘You were naïve,’ he cut in angrily. ‘I wasn’t. I’d experienced far too much ignorance and cruelty in my life for that to be the case.’
‘And you’re really still harbouring bad feelings about it? It was fifteen years ago! Surely you’ve experienced enough happiness in your life now to get over it?’ She swallowed down her regret. ‘I read that you got engaged last year.’
He batted away her questioning look, his gaze finally slipping from hers. ‘It didn’t work out.’
Something twisted and tightened in her chest, making it harder for her to breathe. ‘I’m sorry to hear that.’
His expression darkened. ‘Are you? Since when do you care about my love life?’
‘I—’ She didn’t know how to answer that. The truth was she’d kept tabs on what he’d been up to over the intervening years because, despite the fact their friendship had ended badly, she still cared about him. Not that she thought telling him that right now would do anything to strengthen her case. He’d probably just see it as more weakness.
Caleb used her hesitation to push the knife in deeper.
‘How is—what was his name?—Johnny, was it? Are the two of you still living your safe, comfortable life together?’
Heat raced to her cheeks. ‘His name was Jimmy and, no, we’re not together any more. We split up a number of years ago.’ Which was yet another painful regret. She still felt guilty about backing away from her and Jimmy’s wedding, even though she’d known it was the right thing to do at the time.
The main problem had been that the memories of Caleb had never left her, even though she’d tried her hardest to forget him. He’d stayed with her, buried deep in her heart.
There wasn’t a flicker of reaction on Caleb’s face at this news though, not even a twitch of an eye. Clearly he didn’t care a jot about her any more. But then, if that was true, why was he being so pig-headed about not listening to her?
Because he was punishing her for hurting him fifteen years ago.
Frustration surged through her. ‘I can’t believe you’re still holding a grudge, Caleb. Surely someone of your standing and success has no need to be so small-minded.’ She could hear the anger vibrating in her voice and it seemed Caleb did too because he widened his eyes a little before replacing his flash of surprise with an amused smirk.
‘Is this the controlled, cautious Elena I knew all those years ago? My, how you’ve changed.’
‘For the better, Caleb. I’m not the naïve young girl you used to know.’ She refrained from saying and love, knowing that would be taking things a step too far. He’d never said such a thing to her, he’d been too proud for that, though it had been implied in his every action.
Unless she’d read him wrongly.
Which was quite possible.
She’d been wrong about a lot of things.
There was a quiet knock on the glass door and Caleb’s PA crept, hunch-shouldered, into the room.
Before she could speak, Caleb let out a growl of frustration and snapped, ‘I thought I told you I didn’t want to be interrupted!’
Because Caleb had spoken to her in English, and perhaps in deference to Elena’s presence there too, his PA replied in English. ‘I’m so sorry, but I thought you’d want to know about this straight away. Apparently there’s a problem with the meeting with the Americans on Monday. Señor Carter’s PA is saying he’s having second thoughts—’
Caleb held up a hand to stop her speaking, his gaze flicking momentarily to Elena before returning to his PA, his expression thunderous, as if furious that Elena had been a party to hearing about the setback.
This time he replied in Spanish and, even though Elena didn’t understand a word of it, not being a Spanish speaker, she could see that his words had cut his PA deeply when she backed out of the room with tears glinting in her eyes.
‘How can you be so cold? So mean!’ she blurted when he turned back to look at her. ‘That poor woman was just doing her job.’
Mouth dry, she reached for the glass of water but when she saw how much her hand was trembling she quickly dropped it to her side again.
‘How could you treat her like that, Caleb?’
‘Like what?’ he growled.
‘Like nothing. Less than nothing. I would have thought you’d have made every effort to make sure your subordinates were treated with kindness and respect after what you went through when you were young.’
Anger flickered in his eyes. ‘I’m respectful to people when they work hard and make good choices.’
‘But people won’t learn from their mistakes if you don’t nurture them. They become afraid to take necessary risks and everything grinds to a halt.’
‘Is that what’s happened to your business, Elena?’ he asked quietly. ‘Did you drive it into the ground with your inept handling of your staff so you were forced to come here, begging for my help? What a fall from grace that must be for you.’
Hot rage rushed through her body. How could the smart, compassionate man she remembered have become so hard and mean? ‘I knew you could be a bit on the curt side, Caleb, but the man I knew was never cruel. Or a bully!’
Shock flashed momentarily across his face before it was replaced with a stony scowl. ‘Enough! This meeting is over. I don’t need you coming in here, telling me how to treat my staff. Go home and run your own business—’ he leant in closer to her so she saw the conviction plainly in his eyes ‘—without my battery.’
With that closing shot, he turned his back on her and strode out of the room, leaving the glass door swinging in his wake.
* * *
Caleb Araya paced the floor of his corner office, his blood pumping frantically through his veins.
Who did Elena Jones think she was, turning up after fifteen years of silence and presuming to tell him how to run his business and treat his staff?
The woman certainly had some nerve.
And a skewed sense of priorities.
Not that he didn’t already know that from experience.
To his utter frustration, and despite the fact they hadn’t seen each other in a very long time, as soon as he’d seen her standing there in his meeting room he’d been hit hard by that same immediate connection they’d always shared.
It had put him on the back foot.
It had always been like that with her—she affected him like no other woman ever had. The moment he’d met her at the beginning of his Erasmus exchange year to the University of Cambridge he’d found himself drawn to her.
Her cool integrity and assertive sense of self had set her apart from the other immature, entitled female students that had swarmed around him, believing him to be an ideal candidate for the bad boy fling they were so keen to tick off their list before settling down with their rich, boring husbands.
They hadn’t bothered to get to know him at all.
Elena, on the other hand, had made him feel as if he didn’t need to pretend to be somebody he wasn’t when he was with her. She’d liked him for his erudite conversation and refreshing views on the world. Or so she’d said.
After growing up as the poor, pitied son of a woman who was infamous in the small town where he lived for being the mistress of a married man and a woman of loose morals, he’d promised himself he’d make sure his adulthood would be very different.
Because of the disgrace that surrounded his family, his early life had been pretty tough by all accounts: friendless, violent and isolated. But after he’d been threatened with expulsion from the elite school that he’d later found, to his chagrin, that his mother’s sugar daddy had funded, he’d pulled up his socks and eschewed everything and everyone for a life dedicated to study so he could get away from the small town and its even smaller mentality.
He was going to be someone that people looked up to and respected, and Elena had made him feel as though he’d achieved that—for a short time anyway.
To his shame and regret, it had turned out he’d been very wrong about how much she’d actually cared about him and she’d been the first and last person he’d ever trusted.
The memory of her betrayal had stayed with him over the years, tarnishing every relationship he’d had, as if she were a devil on his shoulder, judging his choices, prodding at his conscience, reminding him he could never truly trust anyone with his heart.
When he’d seen her name in his diary this morning it had sent a shock of such intense regret-fuelled nostalgia through him he’d had to sit down and take a few deep breaths to regain his composure. He’d been on the cusp of telling his PA to cancel the meeting, but curiosity and a deep-seated urge to regain some sort of equilibrium over past hurts had stopped him at the last minute.
He wanted to feel as though he finally had a handle on his feelings about Elena Jones.
It had been going well, with him feeling in control of the meeting until she’d caught him out by accusing him of being a bully.
It had shocked him to his core.
Was that really what she thought he’d become?
It had been such a long time since someone had stood up to him like that, he had no idea whether his behaviour was out of line or not. The thought that it might have been had rattled him. She’d rattled him, despite his determination not to let her get to him.
He stabbed at the buzzer on the phone to summon his PA.
Benita hurried into the room, her hands tightly clasped in front of her and her gaze lowered as if she was afraid she’d get another dressing-down for what had just happened.
He’d been furious when she’d let it slip in front of Elena that things weren’t exactly going to plan with the Americans. He’d not wanted her to know that things weren’t running as smoothly as he’d wanted to project, for the sake of his professional pride, but he was aware, now that he’d calmed down a little, that he’d perhaps been a bit too harsh on the woman. She’d not been working for him for long, having stepped into the role after his usual PA had gone on maternity leave, and they hadn’t found the right rhythm for working together yet.
But he wasn’t a complete monster, as Elena had so brazenly suggested. He was firm and expected total professionalism at all times, but he made sure to reward those who did a good job for him.
‘Benita, I wanted to say good work on putting that file together for me yesterday. It was very helpful in my meeting.’
His PA stared at him, as if in shock.
Surely it wasn’t that surprising that he’d offered her a compliment.
Was it?
No. He was letting Elena Jones get into his head and that was the last place he wanted her to be. He was over his feelings for her. It had taken him years to get rid of the ache he’d carried around after she’d rejected him, but he’d finally managed it.
‘Thank you.’ Benita paused, a worried frown now pinching her brow. ‘Are you okay? Is there anything I can get you?’ she asked with hesitation in her voice.
He opened his mouth to dismiss her misplaced concern, annoyed that she’d noticed his agitation, but pulled himself back at the last second, now hyper-aware of Elena’s comments.
Damn the woman!
‘I’m fine,’ he muttered, forcing his mouth into a smile.
But, instead of seeming reassured by this, his PA took a hurried step away from him as if suspicious about his sudden change in attitude.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, pacing to the window to look down at the street below and collect himself.
What was happening to him today? His head was a mess.
At least he was free of Elena now though. His outright rejection of her proposal would surely mean she’d never darken his door again.
The street was busy with people milling about between office blocks and cafés and he watched them scurrying around for a moment, his thoughts jumping between relief and dissatisfaction. He knew he’d been petty, not even agreeing to look at the proposal she’d brought all the way from England, but she’d humiliated and hurt him once and he wasn’t prepared to let her get anywhere near him again.
A partnership between them—their companies, he corrected himself—could never work.
For a second he wondered whether his mind was playing tricks on him as a familiar lone figure on the street opposite his building caught his eye. His stomach lurched as he watched her pace back and forth, then throw her gaze up towards Araya Industries and frown, as if hatching a plan to get back in here and torment him again.
Apparently he couldn’t have been more wrong about having chased Elena Jones away for good.
Well, he wasn’t having it.
‘Hold my calls for a while longer,’ he said to his PA as he swept out of the room past her and headed towards the lift that would take him down to street level.
Apparently he hadn’t made it clear enough to Elena that there would be no further opportunities to meet with him, so he was going to rectify that right here and now. He was going to tell her to go home and that he wanted nothing more to do with her.
Storming onto the street, blood pulsing feverishly through his veins, he called out her name and she turned to meet his eye, her expression registering first surprise then hope.
Hope away, cariño—you’re not getting a thing from me except a wave goodbye.
The street was quiet as he drew level with where she stood on the pavement opposite and he glanced quickly left, not seeing anything coming his way, anger at her audacity buzzing in his head.
Elena’s eyes were fixed firmly on him as he began to cross the street towards her but, as he stepped into the middle of the road, something made her glance away then quickly back to him again.
This time there was an altogether different expression on her face.
Panic.
Blood thumping in his ears, he swivelled to look at what had spooked her and time seemed to slow down. There was a motorbike coming towards him at speed and he knew in that moment, with absolute certainty, that there was no way he could get out of its path in time.
Memories flashed before his eyes: of him and Elena laughing together after one of their classes at university, of her sitting in his room telling him she was thinking about splitting up with her childhood sweetheart, and all the blood rushing from his head as he realised he finally had a chance to have what he’d wanted for so long, of the look of abject hurt and distress on her face just now when he’d told her he wouldn’t partner with her.
Lights and colours danced before his eyes and a strange kind of euphoria lifted his senses, making his surroundings hyper-loud and vividly real.
And then the bike hit him, the impact throwing his body into the air, knocking all the breath from his lungs. In a panic he flailed his limbs wildly as he tried to grab hold of something, anything, to anchor him as he spun through the void. A moment later his body made rough, painful impact with the ground, quickly followed by his head.
And everything went black.
CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_8289df2d-62d2-5dd2-bc5e-67cdce8cb2c7)
ELENA STOOD IN SHOCK, her arms still outstretched as if she’d thought she could do something, some kind of magic perhaps, to stop Caleb from being hit by the motorbike that had sped round the corner just as he’d stepped into its path.
She felt light-headed and displaced from reality, as if this was all some horrible dream—though the heavy thump of her heart in her throat and the adrenaline that roared through her body told her otherwise.
The rider was picking himself up from the ground after coming off his bike and miraculously seemed not to be injured in any way, but Caleb’s slumped body, which had been flung at least ten feet, was still lying half on the pavement and half on the road. And he wasn’t moving.
A cacophony of noise suddenly rushed in on her as people began running towards where Caleb lay, finally shocking Elena out of her dazed state. She stumbled towards him, falling to her knees by his side, barely registering the rough ground biting into her skin, and put her shaking hand onto his torso. His eyes were closed, but she could feel his chest rising and falling with his breathing.
So he was still alive. Thank God.
She could feel tears pressing at the back of her eyes but she blinked them away, determined to keep it together for his sake.
‘Caleb? Can you hear me?’ she whispered, leaning in closer to him and breathing in the distinctive scent of him that had haunted her throughout the years, usually at the most inopportune moments.
Somebody—a woman—asked her a question in Spanish and Elena shook her head, mouthing back ineffectually, totally unable to summon even the basic Spanish phrase for I don’t understand.
The woman frowned, then asked, ‘Are you English?’
Was it that obvious?
Judging by the fact she was wearing a highly inappropriate woollen suit for the weather and had skin so light it was almost translucent, she guessed it must be.
‘Yes!’ Elena said, relief flooding through her that the woman would be able to help her. ‘I don’t speak Spanish.’ She swallowed hard. ‘I need to call an ambulance. Can you help me?’
‘Don’t worry,’ the woman said, gesturing behind her. ‘My husband has already called them.’
Caleb let out a low groan and Elena swivelled back to look at him, her heart leaping with relief. ‘Caleb? Are you okay? I’m so sorry—this is all my fault.’
At least it felt like it was her fault, even though rationally she knew it had been an accident. But it was also another thing for him to hold against her.
She should have left this area and gone to regroup somewhere else—to give Caleb a chance to calm down—then come back again once her head was clear and her plan fully formed, instead of pacing about in front of his building like a lunatic. He must have seen her prowling around out here and decided to come out to ask her what the hell she thought she was doing.
When she’d heard him call her name from across the street her first thought had been that he’d changed his mind and decided to listen to her after all and her heart had leapt with excitement and relief. But as he’d crossed the street and she’d seen the look of frustrated fury in his eyes it had become powerfully obvious that she’d been very wrong to suppose that.
He hadn’t wanted to turn back the clock. He’d wanted her gone.
The woman laid a hand gently onto her back, dragging her out of her distraught reflection. ‘He’ll be okay, don’t worry. The ambulance is on its way.’
Elena nodded gratefully, this time unable to stop tears from welling in her eyes. ‘He was crossing the road to meet me and didn’t see the bike.’
‘It’s okay. Not your fault,’ the woman said in a soothing tone, rubbing Elena’s arm in sympathy.
If only that were true. She already felt guilty enough about the anguish she’d caused Caleb in the past and now she’d hurt him again, only physically this time. He never would have been out here if it wasn’t for her.
A moment later the sound of a siren broke through the low murmurs of the crowd that had gathered around them and an ambulance sped round the corner and parked up nearby, its flashing lights bouncing off the windows of the buildings opposite.
The paramedics jumped out of the cab and ran towards where Caleb lay, pushing their way through the large group of bystanders that had gathered to ogle the drama playing out in front of them.
The helpful woman disappeared from Elena’s side as the paramedics came to kneel next to Caleb and check his vital signs. The female paramedic turned to ask Elena a question in Spanish, indicating towards Caleb, and Elena guessed she must be asking whether she knew him.
Novia meant friend, didn’t it? It sounded like a friendly kind of word.
‘Sí, sí!’ she said, her voice sounding shaky and weak from shock. The woman nodded and gave her a reassuring smile, then turned back to help her colleague tend to the now silent and deathly still Caleb.
A short while later he was lifted onto a stretcher wearing a neck brace, then into the back of the ambulance.
Elena stood there stupidly, watching as they secured the straps to keep the makeshift bed from rolling around in the back of the vehicle, her chest tight with worry.
What if he died?
No. She couldn’t think like that. He’d be fine. The paramedics weren’t rushing around shouting and wielding scary-looking equipment as if they were worried that he was in grave danger. Mercifully, there was hardly any blood on the ground where he’d lain, just a little from where he’d cut his temple.
Perhaps he’d just been knocked out and not badly hurt. Just a bit bruised and battered.
Please.
Please.
Elena didn’t realise the female paramedic had said something to her until the woman waved a hand in front of her face and spoke again, her expression registering sympathy. ‘You come. To hospital.’
Elena nodded dumbly, not entirely sure it was appropriate that she should be the one to go with Caleb, but no one from his company had rushed out to be here with him. It looked as though the paramedics wanted to get him straight to hospital now so there wasn’t time to go into his building and find someone.
She should just go with him and call his office from there to let them know what was going on. Then she’d leave him be and go back to the hotel to get her head together.
One thing was for sure, going to pieces was not going to help anyone right now.
Mind made up, she gave the paramedic a wobbly smile and climbed into the back of the ambulance.
* * *
There was something wrong with the light in his bedroom, Caleb thought fuzzily as he woke up from a deep, dreamless sleep. And his cleaning lady seemed to have used a different kind of product than usual because he didn’t recognise the smell in here either.
‘Ah, you’re awake,’ came a voice from somewhere to his left and he wondered wildly who he’d gone to bed with the night before.
He couldn’t remember.
In fact, now he thought about it, he found his mind was strangely blank, as if it had been wiped of details. How much had he drunk last night to wake up in this state? It must have been a lot because he had the unsettling feeling that he wasn’t at home at all. In fact, he realised with a lurch as his vision cleared, he had no idea where he was or how he’d got here. The walls were painted an institutional green colour and were disturbingly free of any kind of decoration. Turning his head, he saw with a shock that he was lying next to some kind of flashing, beeping, monitoring machine with wires and drips hanging from it.
Which were attached to him.
He tried to sit up and felt his whole body complain, pain shooting through his abdomen.
‘No, no, don’t try and get up. You had an accident and you’ve cracked a rib and banged your head so you may feel dizzy and disorientated for a while.’
‘An accident?’ he asked, shocked by how rough and raspy his voice sounded. His throat was so dry it felt as if he hadn’t had a drink in days.
‘Here,’ the voice said and he turned towards where it came from to see a middle-aged woman in a crisp white uniform standing next to the bed where he lay, pushing a straw towards his mouth.
He sipped gratefully from the drink, feeling the cool liquid soothe his throat and begin to refresh him.
‘Your girlfriend’s very worried about you,’ the nurse said, taking the cup away once he’d finished and putting it on the nightstand next to his bed. ‘She saw you get hit by the motorbike and is blaming herself for the accident because you were crossing the road to see her when it happened, so be nice to her when she comes in to see you.’
‘My girlfriend?’ He didn’t remember having a girlfriend.
His heart began to race as panic swept through him, nausea welling in his stomach as the room started to slowly spin. He shook his head, trying to clear the feeling, determined not to give in to it.
He didn’t do panic, dammit.
Not appearing to notice his disorientation, the nurse helped him sit up a little so she could fluff up his pillow and he gripped the rail at the side of the bed hard, racking his brain for the memory of how he came to be here in an attempt to centre himself. The nurse had said a motorbike had hit him but he had absolutely no recollection of it.
How could he not remember something so serious?
‘I think she needs a hug and some reassurance that you don’t hate her,’ she said, smiling at him. ‘Judging by the way she’s been pacing the halls and badgering us every ten minutes for updates on your condition, she obviously cares about you very much. You’re a lucky man to have someone who loves you like that.’
He just nodded, not wanting to let on that he had no idea who she was talking about, or that he was becoming more and more aware of other rather worrying gaps in his memory. He knew his name and that he owned a company called Araya Industries, which he’d built up from scratch, and that he lived in the L’Eixample district of Barcelona. He even knew what the inside of his penthouse looked like, but things like where he grew up and who his friends were seemed to have escaped him. And he definitely didn’t remember being hit by the motorbike. The last thing he did remember was getting into work this morning and turning on his computer, but after that it was all a blank.
This disjoin in his memory made him feel sick if he thought about it too much, so he decided to put it out of his head for now. It would all come back after he’d been awake for a while and had got his bearings again. And he didn’t want any fuss; he just wanted to get out of here, back to his home. Maybe once in familiar surroundings his mind would catch up with everything else.
‘I’ll let her know you’re awake so she can come in and see you,’ the nurse said, coming over to him and smoothing down the sheet that was covering him up to his armpits. It seemed they’d stripped him of the rest of his clothes, perhaps to check him over for injuries.
‘Who?’ he asked distractedly, still trying to get a handle on the anxiety that stubbornly surged through his body.
‘Your girlfriend, Elena.’ The nurse frowned, as if beginning to suspect that all was not entirely well with him.
He shot her a quick smile and said, ‘Okay, good, I’d like to see her.’
Perhaps as soon as he saw this Elena he’d recognise her right away and the rest of his memory would come flooding back with it.
The nurse nodded curtly, clearly still a little suspicious about his well-being, but then turned and left the room.
A moment later there was a tentative knock at the door. He sat up a little straighter in bed and called, ‘Come in.’
A woman with ice-blue eyes and long blonde hair hanging loosely around her slim shoulders entered the room and walked towards him, coming to a stop a couple of feet away from the bed. Her movements appeared graceful and controlled, but he could see from her strained smile that she was tense and worried.
Something about her shot a bolt of intense sensation through him, almost like déjà vu, though he could have sworn he’d never set eyes on her before in his life. He had vague memories of relationships with other women, beautiful, smart women, but there was something about Elena, something almost untouchable, that unnerved him. Or was that just his addled brain playing tricks on him? He’d obviously banged his head pretty hard if he’d forgotten he was having a relationship with a woman as attractive as this.
‘How are you feeling?’ she asked in English, which for some reason seemed absolutely right and totally expected.
‘I’m okay—a bit banged up, but I’ll live,’ he said, patting a space on the bed next to him, wanting her to come nearer so he could study her closer. He had the strangest feeling that if he touched her he’d feel more grounded.
She looked at him warily for a moment then visibly swallowed before stepping up to perch on the edge of the mattress, as if worried about getting too close and knocking him and causing him pain.
Desire shot through him as the scent of her perfume hit his senses and he closed his eyes for a moment, feeling another wave of déjà vu sweep through him.
Come on brain, catch up.
‘It’s good to see you awake. I was really worried about you,’ she said, her voice sounding a little croaky.
‘You’re trembling,’ he murmured, reaching out to touch her arm, feeling her practically vibrating under his fingertips.
‘I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came in here,’ she said, her gaze darting away from his face to look down at where his tanned hand rested on her pale skin.
‘Well, you don’t need to worry. I’m fine,’ he stated vehemently, hoping to reassure her—and perhaps himself a little too—though, judging by the tremble in her bottom lip, it didn’t appear to have worked.
He was fine though, he told himself hazily, just a bit disorientated...that was all. Just because the sight of her hadn’t brought his memory back, it didn’t mean it was gone for good.
Perhaps if he kissed her, it would spark something in his brain.
She certainly looked as though she could do with some proof that he was still the man she knew and cared about. What was it the nurse had said? That she blamed herself for the accident because he’d been crossing the road to see her at the time? Was that the problem here—was she worried he was angry with her?
‘Come closer,’ he said, moving his hand up to slide his fingers under her jaw, feeling a strong urge to wipe the concern from her beautiful face now.
She stilled under his touch and her eyes widened as if she was surprised by what he was doing.
‘Stop worrying,’ he murmured, then drew her towards him and pressed his mouth firmly to hers.
She sucked in a startled-sounding breath but he paid it no mind, pulling her closer to him, ignoring the twinge of pain this caused in his damaged rib and hoping against hope that this would make everything right again.
Her mouth felt wonderful against his but he was blurrily aware that the kiss wasn’t having the effect he’d hoped for. Determined not to give up that easily, he opened his lips and slipped his tongue into the heat of her mouth. As he’d suspected, she tasted incredible, like honey and harmony and sex...
And then his brain seemed to switch gear and suddenly he couldn’t get enough of her. It was like having that first drink of water all over again, his body reacting with a forceful relief that shook him to his very soul. Her full mouth was soft but not as pliant as he would have liked, so he kissed her harder, feeling the pulse in her neck racing against the heel of his hand where he cupped her jaw.
A deep growl rumbled in the back of his throat as he began to lose control of his restraint and she let out a breathy moan in reply and dug her nails into the flesh of his upper arms.
He sank into the possessiveness of her grip, lost in the sensual taste of her, feeling the strangest mixture of comfort and desire and relief—until he suddenly became aware that she was trying to pull away from him.
Reluctantly, he slid his hands away from her jaw and let her go.
‘What’s wrong?’ he ground out, frustrated that she’d cut the kiss short when he’d been enjoying it so much.
It had been the first time he’d felt anything like himself since he’d woken up here.
Her eyes were wide and her expression a little wild. ‘Why did you kiss me?’ Almost absent-mindedly, she brushed her fingers against her lips and his body reacted with such erotic force he very nearly dragged her back to him again for another round.
But the look in her eyes stopped him.
He could see now that she was shaken by the kiss and not because she’d enjoyed it as much as he had.
‘Why shouldn’t I kiss you?’ he demanded, feeling panic begin to work its way back under his skin again.
She blinked at him, looking utterly bewildered, her cheeks flushed with colour and her brow creased. ‘Because of what happened this morning. We had a row.’
He frowned, his mind spinning with confusion. ‘You mean before the accident? Look, I’m sure that wasn’t your fault; I can’t have been looking where I was going.’
Getting up from the bed, she took a step away from him, crossing her arms and frowning hard as if she didn’t understand what she was hearing. ‘Caleb, don’t you remember what happened?’
He wanted to say yes, that he remembered everything, but he knew, with a slow sinking feeling of dread, that there was actually something very, very wrong here.
Throwing up his hands in frustration, he said, ‘No! Okay! I don’t remember!’
She flinched in surprise, then stared at him in horror, her mouth forming a perfect O shape.
Closing his eyes, he attempted to pull his focus back and took a long, deep breath. Fighting to keep his voice steady this time, he said, ‘The truth is my memory’s been a little fuzzy since I woke up.’ He ran a hand over his face then looked up at her. ‘I don’t remember anything between getting to work this morning and waking up in the hospital and anything before my life here in Barcelona is a little difficult to pin down—’
She was still staring at him in dismay. ‘Oh, no, Caleb. That’s not good.’
He flapped a hand dismissively, hating the idea of her pitying him. ‘It’s fine; it’ll come back to me soon. It’s probably just the drugs messing with my head.’
Taking a step closer to him, she said with a shake in her voice, ‘Caleb, do you remember who I am?’
‘Yes, you’re Elena, my girlfriend,’ he said airily, hoping it sounded more convincing to her than it did to him.
Her eyes grew comically wide. ‘What makes you think I’m your girlfriend?’
Confusion swirled through his head again. ‘Because...I thought...’ He paused and frowned. ‘The nurse told me you were, and I know I know you. You’re very familiar to me.’
Elena shifted on the spot, looking uncomfortable now. ‘I don’t speak Spanish so I must have misinterpreted the paramedic’s question when she asked me about my relationship to you,’ she muttered to herself, staring down at the floor. ‘Or perhaps the nurse got the wrong end of the stick or something.’ She looked up at him again, her brow pinched into a frown. ‘Anyway, however it happened, I’m not your girlfriend.’
He looked at her for a moment and got the distinct impression there was more to this than she was telling him.
‘So we’re what?’ he asked slowly, one eyebrow raised. ‘Just friends?’
* * *
Elena knew that lying to Caleb was the last thing she should do right now but she didn’t want to add any unnecessary stress to the situation, not when he’d only just woken up from an accident with a head injury and seemed to be rather confused.
And the thing was, they had been friends once, very good friends, and if she had any say in the matter she’d make sure they got past their differences to become friends again.
But that would be all. Just friends.
Even though the kiss they’d just shared had rocked her world. Her whole body still buzzed from the after-effects of the feel of his firm mouth on hers—her pulse jumping in her throat and her nerves on fire with a wild, almost frightening demand for more that she’d not felt the like of in years.
Not since the last time he’d kissed her.
‘Uh-huh. We haven’t seen each other for a long time though. We knew each other at university.’ She waited for him to recall the fact that they weren’t exactly friends any more but his expression remained blank. It seemed he really didn’t remember her.
‘I’m just visiting from England for a few days and dropped in to see you,’ she added, wondering if that would help jog his memory, but it didn’t appear to. He was looking at her with such an intense expression in his eyes now, as if he was thinking about kissing her again, that she had to drag her gaze away and look down instead at the sheet that was tucked up against his rather impressive bare chest. She tried not to stare too hard at it, or at the dark bruises marking his skin. Apart from those, he was in really good shape, his limbs strong and muscled, his torso toned and hard.
Stop gawping, you fool!
‘I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel awkward,’ Caleb said, frowning and shaking his head, then closing one eye and squinting as if the movement had caused him great pain.
She went to put out a hand to touch him, then withdrew it. ‘Is your head hurting?’
‘Like crazy.’
‘I’ll get the doctor.’
She started to walk away, then paused and turned back to face him. ‘Is there someone else you want me to call to be here with you?’
He looked at her in surprise, before frowning. ‘No, I don’t think so. To be honest, I can’t think of who I would call.’ He looked so uncomfortable she couldn’t help but feel a rush of sympathy for him.
She was just about to offer to stay until they were able to contact a friend in Barcelona for him when his expression cleared and he said, ‘Could you ring my office and ask my PA to come here?’
‘I’ve already called her,’ she told him. ‘She’s on her way over. I asked her who your emergency contact is but she wasn’t sure. Apparently she hasn’t been working for you for long.’
‘No. My regular PA has just had a baby.’
‘It’s not yours, is it?’ she quipped, then regretted it when she saw a look of panic flash across his face.
‘I’m just joking, Caleb. Sorry, that was tasteless of me considering your state of mind at the moment.’ She squeezed her eyes shut and wrinkled her nose. ‘I’m still a little shaken up after what just happened.’
But, instead of giving her a piece of his mind, he gave her a slow, wry smile instead, like the ones he used to give her back when they were friends. It was such an incredible sight and something she’d not seen for such a long time it stopped her in her tracks.
‘I’ll...er...go and find a doctor,’ she said hurriedly, swallowing down the lump that had formed in her throat.
Turning away, she strode out of the room on rather shaky legs, relieved to be able to get away from his befuddling presence for a moment so she could figure out how the heck she was going to handle this situation from this point on.
Just as she reached the nurses’ station Caleb’s PA hurried around the corner and, spotting her, gave a little wave of recognition.
‘Benita, thank you for coming,’ Elena said as the woman came to a breathless halt in front of her. ‘Caleb’s okay, but he’s banged his head and is having trouble remembering which friend to call to come and look after him. Has he mentioned anyone to you that he’s close to?’ she asked.
Benita shook her head, biting her lip and looking a little anxious. ‘I’ve only been working for him for a few days and he never talks about anything of a personal nature. I checked his computer and his work mobile—which he’d left on his desk,’ she added a little defensively, as if Elena might accuse her of snooping, ‘but there was no one obvious I should call.’ Turning away, she began rifling through her bag, her movements becoming increasingly desperate as she failed to locate what she was looking for. ‘Caramba! I forgot to put his phone in here.’
Elena put a steadying hand onto the woman’s arm. ‘It’s okay. He’s in no state to be using his phone right now anyway. In fact, it’s probably better if he doesn’t have it right away. Less stress.’
She nodded, though the expression in her eyes reflected her worry. ‘I’ll drop it round to his apartment later.’
‘I’m sure that would be fine,’ Elena said in an attempt to soothe the poor woman.
Sighing, Benita shook her head. ‘Carla would never have forgotten it.’
That gave Elena an idea. ‘Hey, would Carla know of a friend of his to contact?’ she asked hopefully.
Benita shook her head again. ‘I called her but she said the same thing. He never gave away much personal information about himself. He had a few girlfriends over the time she worked for him but she never met any of them and he’s not seeing anyone now, as far as she knows. He doesn’t have any family left either, now his mother’s passed away.’
Elena experienced a pang of sorrow on his behalf. She knew from their time at university that he’d always been a bit of a loner and that his mother had been his only family, not that they’d been particularly close. He’d been angry with her for continuing to have a long-term relationship with a married man. He didn’t know who his father was either; his mother had refused to tell him, saying he was just a man she’d met in a bar one night. Unfortunately for Caleb, that had been a well chewed over piece of gossip in the town where he’d grown up, which had followed him round like a bad smell.
It was really no wonder he was so keen to keep his private life private these days.
‘When did his mother pass away?’ she asked.
‘About six months ago, I think. Carla mentioned something about it because he’d actually taken some time off work for once to be with her in the hospice. It was cancer, apparently, that took her.’
The two women stood quietly for a moment, reflecting on this.
‘Well, I’d better get back to the office now I know he’s okay,’ Benita said suddenly, smiling, as if Elena’s presence there had released her from her own duties to Caleb. ‘I’ll let the other managers know what’s happened and that he won’t be in work for the rest of the week. Please tell him everything’s under control. I know he’ll worry otherwise.’
‘Don’t you want to go in and see him?’ Elena asked, a little shocked by the woman’s intention to withdraw without even saying hello to Caleb.
Benita shook her head, taking a step backwards. ‘No, no. Just tell him I hope he feels better soon.’
‘Well, perhaps someone else from work could come over and sort out who can look after him—’ Elena said rather desperately, but Benita was backing away now, clearly keen to get out of there and return to the sanctuary of a Caleb-free office.
‘I doubt anyone there will know any more than me,’ she said, giving one last tight smile, then turning and rushing away.
Sighing, Elena rubbed a hand over her face, her insides sinking with a mixture of sadness for Caleb at his apparent lack of close friendships and nerves about exactly what she’d got herself into here.
The sad fact was, it looked as though the only person available to take care of him right now was her.
As she thought about this a crazy idea began to form in her head and her stomach gave a nervous little flip. Maybe if she could show him she was happy to be here for him, and prepared to help in any way she could, it might go some way towards rebuilding their friendship—without the prejudice and anger he seemed to be holding on to from the past getting in the way—and help her reconnect with the man she knew was in there, hiding behind that hard shell she’d seen earlier. Otherwise, once his memory came back she might never have the opportunity to speak to him again, especially when he remembered why he’d been crossing that road, but if she could be a good friend to him now and prove how much she cared about him, perhaps he’d think twice before pushing her away again.
It was worth a try.
Anything was worth a try at this point.
But if she did stay to look after him there would be no more kissing, she told herself firmly, setting back her shoulders and heading towards the desk to ask the staff there to contact his doctor.
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