The Spanish Tycoon's Temptress by Elizabeth Lennox Read Free Book Online Page B

her apartment.  She couldn’t, too embarrassed that she’d kissed him back with such ferocity, not even aware that he’d stopped. 
    Was this his plan?  To humiliate her?  To prove to himself that she was still putty in his hands?  Well, if that was the case, and she couldn’t think of any other reason, then he’d better rethink his strategy!  She would not put herself in that kind of a position again.  Now that she knew that he could still make her react this way, she would be on her guard. 
    She had to, she told herself as she leaned against the closed door.  It was simply a matter of survival. 

Chapter 3
    Elana sat out in the parking lot, her beaten up old Beatle surrounded by expensive vehicles parked all around her.  Gaston must pay his emp loyees well if the other cars in the lot were any indication.  Most were expensive vehicles which only made her decrepit, ancient transportation stand out because of the rust and poor paint job. 
    But that wasn’t really the issue, she told herself as she bit her lower lip as her anxiety level increasing.  She was using the expensive cars surrounding her as an excuse to avoid the real problem.  She was worried about going into the building where the laboratory was housed.  She hadn’t realized it, but the Montebello headquarters was also located here.  How could she have been so naïve?  So gullible? 
    With a sigh, she knew that it had nothing to do with naiveté or gullibility.  It had everything to do with feeding the world’s hungry population.  She had to get this right, she told herself sternly.  Ignore the man.  He wouldn’t even be in the lab, so what was she so worried about?  The man had his entire empire to run, he wouldn’t have time to stop by and find ways to torment her.  She’d read the article in the newspaper yesterday about how he’d just closed a huge deal that would change the way several industries operated.  So he definitely wouldn’t have time to visit his laboratory right now.  He had bigger priorities.
    Why was the laboratory even located here?  Why wasn’t it in some isolated spot or on a university campus somewhere?  Why did it have to be in the middle of the city on some of the highest-rent real estate?  Lab techs and executives rarely worked well together.  One group was interested in making money, the other wanted to save the world.  Even though that generalization wasn’t necessarily true and she was allowing her nerves to take over rational thought, those two groups didn’t necessarily mesh so most corporations kept the two groups separated, sometimes by large distances to avoid arguments.  It was also cheaper to house the scientists on less expensive real estate, so why did he have everyone here at his headquarters?  What was his plan? 
    She wouldn’t get any answers by sitting out here in her car, would she?  She picked up her purse and her laptop case filled with data and pushed open her car door.  There was no time like now to find out what her future might hold. 
    The lobby was impressive and she walked up to the security guard, explaining her purpose.  She was immediately directed to a security office where her picture was taken, a security badge issued to her with instructions that she had to have the badge displayed on her person at all times while in the building.  It would give her access to only the laboratory and the executive floor, which was on the twenty-fifth floor. 
    Elana looked at the badge, irritated that she was given access to the executive floor.  Did Gaston really think she would be going up to his floor just to see him?  How ridiculous!  She couldn’t believe the man’s arrogance.  One kiss and he assumed she’d be begging him for more. 
    Well, time had passed since Friday night.  She’d gotten her head on straight and she was going to avoid that man as much as possible.  She wouldn’t set foot on the executive floor unless she was going to a meeting to brief