pulled away from Gabriel. Stopping at the door, she looked back at him. ‘I gave in to passion once before,’ she said quietly. ‘And it nearly killed me.’
Leaving him, she went to her own bedroom and locked the door behind her before she gathered her crying baby in her arms. Robby’s plaintive wail instantly stopped as she cuddled him close. She breathed in the sweet smell of his hair.
She heard a low knock on the door.
‘Laura.’ Gabriel’s voice was muffled.
‘Go away.’
‘I want to talk to you.’
‘No.’
Silence fell on the other side of the door and she thought he’d left. She sat down in the rocking chair and held Robby in the darkness of the shuttered bedroom. Then Robby started to squirm and complain. Clearly, his nap was over and he was ready to play.
Setting her baby down on the carpet, with a pillow beside him in case he suddenly forgot how to sit and toppled over, she looked through the shopping bags that Mrs. Tavares had sent and selected some dark jeans and a white tank top. Pulling them on over a new bra and panties, Laura lifted her son onto her hip and quietly unlocked her door. Holding her breath, she peeked out into the hallway.
Gabriel stood leaning against the wall, waiting for her in jeans and a black T-shirt. His eyes were dark, almost ominous.
‘Planning to sneak out?’
She took a deep breath, then tossed her head defiantly. ‘I’m taking my son for a walk.’
‘You need to get ready for the gala.’
‘It will just have to wait.’
He stared at her, then set his jaw. ‘Fine. Then I’ll come with you.’
‘Come with me?’ she repeated incredulously.
He moved toward her quick as a flash, scooping Robby from her arms.
‘Hey!’ she cried.
Gabriel looked down at the baby, who was staring up at him with a transfixed expression. A shadow of a smile passed over Gabriel’s handsome face. Turning, he opened the front closet and pulled out a folded stroller, an expensive brand that she would never have purchased on her own. Still holding the baby with one powerful arm, Gabriel opened the stroller with his other, in one easy gesture.
Her jaw fell. ‘How did you know how to do that?’
He shrugged.
She tried again. ‘Have you ever been around a baby before?’
He looked away. ‘It’s madness outside. You are my guests. I will keep you safe.’
‘To protect us from a festival on Ipanema Beach? We’re just going for a walk!’
‘Funny. So am I.’
‘You’re being ridiculous.’
Putting Robby into the stroller, he clicked the baby’s seat belt, then without a word, pressed the elevator button. The doors opened and he pushed the stroller onto it. Looking at her, Gabriel waited.
Exhaling, she followed him onto the elevator. The doors closed, leaving the two of them with only a baby stroller between them.
‘Why are you doing this?’ she said through her teeth.
‘For my own selfish reasons, no doubt,’ he said dryly. ‘That is why I do everything, is it not?’
‘Yes, it is.’ She bit out the words, then looked at him. ‘Why? Is there a chance Felipe or Adriana might see us?’
‘There is always a chance,’ he said. ‘It’s not impossible.’
The elevator doors opened, and she grabbed the handle of the stroller and pushed it through the lobby. Gabriel held the door open for her and they were out on the street.
Since she’d last been outside, the avenida had become even more crowded, filled with people celebrating Carnaval . Music was blaring, tubas and drums, as people sang and danced in the street with their friends, some of them wearing extremely provocative costumes as they gulped down caipirinhas , the famous Brazilian cocktail of lime and distilled sugarcane.
Laura and Gabriel walked down the beach to a slightly quieter area and found an empty spot past a big yellow umbrella. She saw families splashing in the surf with their children, as nearby, groups of young people drank together beneath the sun as they waited for the nighttime
Leaving him, she went to her own bedroom and locked the door behind her before she gathered her crying baby in her arms. Robby’s plaintive wail instantly stopped as she cuddled him close. She breathed in the sweet smell of his hair.
She heard a low knock on the door.
‘Laura.’ Gabriel’s voice was muffled.
‘Go away.’
‘I want to talk to you.’
‘No.’
Silence fell on the other side of the door and she thought he’d left. She sat down in the rocking chair and held Robby in the darkness of the shuttered bedroom. Then Robby started to squirm and complain. Clearly, his nap was over and he was ready to play.
Setting her baby down on the carpet, with a pillow beside him in case he suddenly forgot how to sit and toppled over, she looked through the shopping bags that Mrs. Tavares had sent and selected some dark jeans and a white tank top. Pulling them on over a new bra and panties, Laura lifted her son onto her hip and quietly unlocked her door. Holding her breath, she peeked out into the hallway.
Gabriel stood leaning against the wall, waiting for her in jeans and a black T-shirt. His eyes were dark, almost ominous.
‘Planning to sneak out?’
She took a deep breath, then tossed her head defiantly. ‘I’m taking my son for a walk.’
‘You need to get ready for the gala.’
‘It will just have to wait.’
He stared at her, then set his jaw. ‘Fine. Then I’ll come with you.’
‘Come with me?’ she repeated incredulously.
He moved toward her quick as a flash, scooping Robby from her arms.
‘Hey!’ she cried.
Gabriel looked down at the baby, who was staring up at him with a transfixed expression. A shadow of a smile passed over Gabriel’s handsome face. Turning, he opened the front closet and pulled out a folded stroller, an expensive brand that she would never have purchased on her own. Still holding the baby with one powerful arm, Gabriel opened the stroller with his other, in one easy gesture.
Her jaw fell. ‘How did you know how to do that?’
He shrugged.
She tried again. ‘Have you ever been around a baby before?’
He looked away. ‘It’s madness outside. You are my guests. I will keep you safe.’
‘To protect us from a festival on Ipanema Beach? We’re just going for a walk!’
‘Funny. So am I.’
‘You’re being ridiculous.’
Putting Robby into the stroller, he clicked the baby’s seat belt, then without a word, pressed the elevator button. The doors opened and he pushed the stroller onto it. Looking at her, Gabriel waited.
Exhaling, she followed him onto the elevator. The doors closed, leaving the two of them with only a baby stroller between them.
‘Why are you doing this?’ she said through her teeth.
‘For my own selfish reasons, no doubt,’ he said dryly. ‘That is why I do everything, is it not?’
‘Yes, it is.’ She bit out the words, then looked at him. ‘Why? Is there a chance Felipe or Adriana might see us?’
‘There is always a chance,’ he said. ‘It’s not impossible.’
The elevator doors opened, and she grabbed the handle of the stroller and pushed it through the lobby. Gabriel held the door open for her and they were out on the street.
Since she’d last been outside, the avenida had become even more crowded, filled with people celebrating Carnaval . Music was blaring, tubas and drums, as people sang and danced in the street with their friends, some of them wearing extremely provocative costumes as they gulped down caipirinhas , the famous Brazilian cocktail of lime and distilled sugarcane.
Laura and Gabriel walked down the beach to a slightly quieter area and found an empty spot past a big yellow umbrella. She saw families splashing in the surf with their children, as nearby, groups of young people drank together beneath the sun as they waited for the nighttime
Similar Books
