Mistress of His Revenge (Bought by the Brazilian #1) by Chantelle Shaw

the flagship premises that I am about to open on Bond Street.’
    ‘What do your business plans have to do with me?’
    ‘Delgado Diamonds needs to attract a certain class of wealthy clientele, people who demand exceptional design and craftsmanship and will think nothing of spending thousands of pounds on an item of jewellery. The old-school aristocracy won’t be interested in a jewellery company owned by an ex-miner who grew up in a slum in South America,’ Cruz said bluntly. ‘But if I am seen to be in a relationship with an earl’s daughter who belongs to one of the oldest and most prestigious families in England, I’ll become acceptable in high society, particularly as I intend to move into Eversleigh Hall with you. It will be the perfect opportunity for me to search for the map of the diamond mine that belongs to me.’
    Cruz’s lips curled into a sardonic smile as he studied Sabrina’s stunned expression. He lifted his hand and slowly ran his knuckles down her cheek and the white column of her throat and was exultant when he felt the frantic beat of her pulse. Despite her proud words he knew she would be his whenever he chose to take her. He was tempted to sweep her into his arms and carry her through to the bedroom so that their bodies could communicate on a fundamental level that did not require words.
    The shadows in her grey eyes stopped him and he felt a faint tug of regret that they were on opposing sides of a battlefield. It was safer that way, he reminded himself. She was the only woman who had ever made him lose control, unmanned him with her sweetness and fire and mind-blowing passion, but he would not succumb to such craven weakness again.
    ‘As well as having been born into a high-ranking family you are a respected historian specialising in antique furniture restoration, and, according to my private investigator, you have undertaken commissions at the Wallace Collection and the Victoria and Albert Museum. You are also a well-known patron of the arts and no society dinner party is complete without your name on the guest list.’
    Sabrina drew a sharp breath. ‘I can’t believe you instructed someone to pry into my private life.’
    He shrugged. ‘The first rule of business is to thoroughly research the subject you are interested in, and, in this instance, I am interested in you.’
    ‘Because of my so-called pedigree,’ she snapped.
    ‘You belong to the rarefied world of the English upper class. I can get sex anywhere,’ Cruz stated coolly. ‘What I desire from you, Sabrina, is your heritage and breeding. You will be my very public mistress and your connections to the aristocracy will open doors that would otherwise be closed to me.’
    Sabrina held her breath as he trailed his knuckles over the upper swell of her breast and she felt her nipples pucker in anticipation of his touch. She jerked away from him and this time he did not prevent her from opening the door. ‘Hell will freeze over first,’ she told him grimly.
    His mocking voice followed her down the hallway. ‘I’ll give you three days to come to me, querida . If I haven’t heard from you by seven p.m. on Tuesday evening I will withdraw my offer and you will have lost your chance to save Eversleigh Hall from the developers.’

CHAPTER SIX
    T HERE WAS NOT a chance in hell that she would agree to Cruz’s outrageous ultimatum, Sabrina thought angrily, when she arrived back at Eversleigh Hall. But she had to face the stark truth that she could no longer afford to keep the house and estate, especially as it seemed increasingly possible that her father might not be found.
    The fire and the huge costs of repairing the annexe had made a bad situation even worse. The best thing she could do would be to sell Eversleigh to the Excelsior hotel chain. But she hadn’t discussed it with Tristan yet, she argued with herself. She had hoped he could finish his exams before she broke the news that he might lose his home and heritage. In