The Mediterranean Millionaire's Reluctant Mistress. Кэрол Мортимер

grey eyes glacial. ‘Very well,’ he finally said coldly. ‘You may take a car and drive wherever you wish, but I cannot allow you to take Miguel about the island unprotected!’

      Brynne stared at him incredulously. What on earth—?

      ‘Miguel is my son, Brynne,’ Alejandro snapped impatiently.

      She frowned. ‘Yes, but—’

      ‘I am sure that when we arrived here you noted the electric gates and high fences as we came onto the property …’

      ‘Well, yes … but—’

      ‘There are also several security guards patrolling the property. Do not be so naïve, Brynne!’ he bit out tautly as she continued to look puzzled. ‘There have been several high-profile kidnappings in Europe in recent years. And my fight for custody of Miguel was very well publicized,’ he reminded her quietly.

      Brynne felt slightly sick as the full reality of what he was saying hit her. As he was the son of the super-wealthy Alejandro Santiago, there was a possibility that Michael could become a target for kidnappers!

      She swallowed hard. ‘But—I—Michael has been living with me quite openly for the last two months!’

      Alejandro gave an abrupt inclination of his head. ‘And he has been protected since I became aware of his existence,’ he assured her arrogantly. ‘Quietly. Unobtrusively. But, nevertheless, he has been protected.’

      Brynne felt her cheeks pale. ‘When he was at school …’

      ‘Then too.’ Alejandro gave another terse nod.

      It was unbelievable. All this time, all those weeks, and she hadn’t suspected a thing!

      But that was the whole idea, wasn’t it? she acknowledged. What was the point of being unobtrusively protected if everyone knew about it?

      ‘That’s—’ She broke off, swallowing down her nausea. ‘I had no idea! Why didn’t you tell me?’ she attacked angrily as her initial shock began to wear off.

      Alejandro had been waiting for that, knowing Brynne wouldn’t be virtually speechless for very long. ‘There was no need for you to know—’

      ‘Oh, and this is on a need-to-know basis, is it?’ she retorted furiously. ‘Michael could have been in danger any time during the last few weeks and you didn’t think I needed to know!’ She threw her napkin down on the table before standing up to walk down the length of the table to stand next to him. ‘You arrogant …!’

      He shrugged without concern, his grey gaze coldly unyielding as he looked up at her. ‘I merely protect what is mine.’

      Without telling her there was any need for that protection … How she despised this man!