her body with someone else and desert him and their son.
It had been the most incredible experience to see Adán for the first time. One glance at the boy and Pascual had known straight away, with the most profound inner certainty, that he would gladly lay down his life to protect him and keep him safe. Fidel had been right about how having a child became the most important concern of a man’s life—driving away all other ambition that had previously seemed so significant. That was why he would take Briana to Buenos Aires and marry her…even if the love between them was gone for ever.
Rubbing his chest to try and relieve some of the emotion that for a moment made it hard to breathe, he went to the window, drew back the sumptuous lined drapes and gazed out on yet another cold and frosty morning. Contemplating the scene without the pleasure he had experienced during his early-morning walk yesterday, he felt his longing to be back home in warmer climes was suddenly close to overwhelming.
On their way back to London the following morning, Briana glanced at her so far silent passenger and tightened her hands apprehensively on the steering wheel. Since bidding farewell to her clients as they got into the waiting Rolls-Royce that would take them home to their various destinations, Pascual had only spoken to her when he had absolutely had to. Such as when he had informed her that he was going back with her to ‘sort things out’, and then on to the hotel he was staying at for the duration of his stay in Park Lane.
Despondent that he was still mad at her, Briana wondered how they would sort anything out if he continued to be furious with her and maintain a sullen silence.
As they joined the stream of motorway traffic heading for London, a long-suffering sigh escaped her and Pascual’s head immediately snapped round.
‘What is wrong?’ he demanded.
Ruefully shrugging her shoulders, she stole a brief glance sideways at him. ‘Do you want a list?’
‘If you expect me to apologise for what happened last night, then—’
‘I don’t,’ she cut in, grimacing, ‘I hurt you by not telling you about Adán, and whether you believe me or not I’m truly sorry. I also want you to know that when we get home I’ll be telling him who you really are…that you’re his father and not…not my friend.’
‘Good. I see no reason in denying him the truth any longer.’
‘And as for going back to Buenos Aires…’ She sensed his brooding gaze suddenly cleave even more intensely to her profile—as she kept her eyes firmly on the road ahead. ‘I’ll agree to go back with you for a while at least, to give us time to come to some arrangement about the future. But I can’t stay away too long because I’ve had a court summons regarding my business debt and I’ll be in serious trouble if I’m not there to answer it.’
‘That is nothing to worry about.’
‘To you it might not be, but it certainly is something to worry about as far as I’m concerned!’
‘I mean that I will pay the debt on your behalf. Since I am to be your husband, then naturally I will take responsibility for it.’
‘Now, wait a minute I—’
‘Watch the road!’
In the blink of an eye Briana suddenly found that they were far too close to the rear bumper of the car in front of her. Guiltily, her stomach turning over in fright, she eased down on her speed. ‘Sorry.’
‘As I said…’ Pascual continued, without so much as a hint of warmth or conciliation in his accented voice. ‘I will pay this debt for you and then you can forget about your business.’
‘Do you think what I do is so unimportant I can just cast it aside as if it was nothing? Besides…I can hardly forget about it when I have an employee to think of. What will Tina do if she doesn’t work for me?’
‘This was the only job you’ve had on your books for some time, so I gather?’
‘What are you saying? How did you—?’ Her shoulders hunching in resignation, Briana
It had been the most incredible experience to see Adán for the first time. One glance at the boy and Pascual had known straight away, with the most profound inner certainty, that he would gladly lay down his life to protect him and keep him safe. Fidel had been right about how having a child became the most important concern of a man’s life—driving away all other ambition that had previously seemed so significant. That was why he would take Briana to Buenos Aires and marry her…even if the love between them was gone for ever.
Rubbing his chest to try and relieve some of the emotion that for a moment made it hard to breathe, he went to the window, drew back the sumptuous lined drapes and gazed out on yet another cold and frosty morning. Contemplating the scene without the pleasure he had experienced during his early-morning walk yesterday, he felt his longing to be back home in warmer climes was suddenly close to overwhelming.
On their way back to London the following morning, Briana glanced at her so far silent passenger and tightened her hands apprehensively on the steering wheel. Since bidding farewell to her clients as they got into the waiting Rolls-Royce that would take them home to their various destinations, Pascual had only spoken to her when he had absolutely had to. Such as when he had informed her that he was going back with her to ‘sort things out’, and then on to the hotel he was staying at for the duration of his stay in Park Lane.
Despondent that he was still mad at her, Briana wondered how they would sort anything out if he continued to be furious with her and maintain a sullen silence.
As they joined the stream of motorway traffic heading for London, a long-suffering sigh escaped her and Pascual’s head immediately snapped round.
‘What is wrong?’ he demanded.
Ruefully shrugging her shoulders, she stole a brief glance sideways at him. ‘Do you want a list?’
‘If you expect me to apologise for what happened last night, then—’
‘I don’t,’ she cut in, grimacing, ‘I hurt you by not telling you about Adán, and whether you believe me or not I’m truly sorry. I also want you to know that when we get home I’ll be telling him who you really are…that you’re his father and not…not my friend.’
‘Good. I see no reason in denying him the truth any longer.’
‘And as for going back to Buenos Aires…’ She sensed his brooding gaze suddenly cleave even more intensely to her profile—as she kept her eyes firmly on the road ahead. ‘I’ll agree to go back with you for a while at least, to give us time to come to some arrangement about the future. But I can’t stay away too long because I’ve had a court summons regarding my business debt and I’ll be in serious trouble if I’m not there to answer it.’
‘That is nothing to worry about.’
‘To you it might not be, but it certainly is something to worry about as far as I’m concerned!’
‘I mean that I will pay the debt on your behalf. Since I am to be your husband, then naturally I will take responsibility for it.’
‘Now, wait a minute I—’
‘Watch the road!’
In the blink of an eye Briana suddenly found that they were far too close to the rear bumper of the car in front of her. Guiltily, her stomach turning over in fright, she eased down on her speed. ‘Sorry.’
‘As I said…’ Pascual continued, without so much as a hint of warmth or conciliation in his accented voice. ‘I will pay this debt for you and then you can forget about your business.’
‘Do you think what I do is so unimportant I can just cast it aside as if it was nothing? Besides…I can hardly forget about it when I have an employee to think of. What will Tina do if she doesn’t work for me?’
‘This was the only job you’ve had on your books for some time, so I gather?’
‘What are you saying? How did you—?’ Her shoulders hunching in resignation, Briana
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