Читать книгу Latin Lovers: Passionate Spaniards: The Spaniard's Marriage Demand / Kept by the Spanish Billionaire / The Spanish Doctor's Convenient Bride - Кэтти Уильямс, Maggie Cox, Cathy Williams - Страница 12

SHE was so amazed by this statement that for a moment all Isabella could do was stare at Leandro blankly as she strove to get her astounded brain to deal with what she’d just heard. Was he joking? There was no smile touching his lips, no humorous glint in his eye. She had to assume he was serious.

‘But I don’t want to get married!’ she said in agitation, rising to her feet.

Leandro kept his features perfectly neutral as he too stood up, but inside his chest his heart had jolted in surprised protest at her point blank refusal of the suggestion he had made. Was it marriage in general she had something against or was the idea of marrying him simply one she could not entertain? For a moment, the latter thought made his blood throb with anger. He didn’t think he’d be overstating the matter if he concluded that most women he met considered him a more than reasonable catch. But not this woman, apparently. When he had discovered yesterday that Isabella had had his baby, his natural inclination had been to make her his wife and that was still Leandro’s goal. He simply would not entertain the idea of his son’s parents living apart from each other whilst he was growing up. Leandro had seen the effects of separation on too many of his friends’ children to be at all enamoured of the idea—no matter what the reasons.

‘We have to think of the child,’ he insisted, grey eyes turning to flint. ‘It is in Raphael’s best interests that he has a mother and father who are together and married, rather than he lives with just one of us alone. Living in England is not an option for me, seeing as most of my film work is in Spain. It is simply not practical that we live together here. The other important consideration is that my family live in Madrid …as I do. When they find out about Raphael they will naturally want him close by so that they can see him regularly.’

‘And what about my family?’

‘You have already more or less indicated that you are not close.’ Shrugging his broad shoulders with arrogant ease, Leandro dismissed Isabella’s comment as being of little to no account. She had a pushy sister, as he recalled, who had insensitively persuaded her against her will—whilst she had been undertaking a quest of her own—to try and find him and gain an interview, and a mother and father who did not sound like the most loving of grandparents that a child could wish for. Parents who could not find it in their hearts to help their daughter with childcare when she was clearly in need hardly deserved consideration as far as he was concerned. He knew his mother, aunts and extended family would feel exactly the same dismay about them as he did. In fact it was quite detestable to Leandro to think of his son in the sphere of such aloof and perhaps cold people.

The spread of crimson on Isabella’s otherwise pale cheeks spoke volumes, but he would not let her discomfort at his frankness sway him. Right now he was more interested in persuading her to concede to his very justified demand that she and Raphael return to Spain with him. And as far as their future relationship was concerned, well …Leandro was absolutely adamant that they had to get married for Raphael’s sake.

‘And besides that—you forget that I have a job here. A job that I really do enjoy,’ she elaborated.

‘And this is the same job that you told me you had become dissatisfied with?’

The sarcasm in his tone deepened Isabella’s blush. ‘I was able to look at it in a more positive light when I returned from Spain!’

‘And so …does it pay good money, this job you are suddenly so eager to stay with?’

‘That’s none of your business!’

‘I beg to disagree. It is very much my business when it concerns my son’s welfare.’

Isabella glared. ‘We do all right …and my grandfather left me this house so at least I have no mortgage to pay. I’ve also been working really hard towards getting a promotion and that means a pay rise, so financially things will be a lot easier for us then.’

‘I am sorry but I cannot say that fills me with confidence, Isabella. If you are struggling to manage on one wage then you are clearly not doing all right! And unless your expected promotion pays you double what you earn already—then in my opinion you will still be struggling to make a decent standard of living. There is simply no good reason for you to remain here in England when you and Raphael can live very comfortably with me in Spain. Besides, do you not realise you will have a job that you really enjoy there too?’

A smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Leandro closed the distance between himself and Isabella—his previous irritation stunningly transformed into a commanding need for intimacy that was so all-pervasive and persuasive that for a moment he completely forgot his impatience with her. Her arresting scent clung to the air with hypnotic sweetness and those disturbingly dark eyes with their lush ebony lashes rendered him more captivated than any acknowledged beauty in the film industry he had ever worked with.

‘You will be able to be at home with Raphael full time, and when you want a break my mother and my aunts will no doubt offer their services. You will not have to juggle both work and childcare like you are doing now and you will have more free time to pursue other interests as well. Speaking of other interests …what about your book? The one you were writing about the Camino? How close are you to finishing it?’

It was hard to formulate an answer to the question when he was standing so near. And Isabella was still trying to come to terms with his stunning suggestion of getting married. This was Leandro Reyes she reminded herself with a powerful sense of shock shooting through her veins—world-renowned film director and much admired by many …This was no simple love affair with a handsome stranger. It had connotations that were both life-changing and far-reaching. She could be laying her whole life open to public scrutiny for one thing …especially if she agreed to marry him. Being a person who liked to safeguard her privacy as much as possible, the very idea of being so exposed was anathema to her. Brushing her hair behind her ear with her fingers, Isabella forced herself to meet the mercurial gaze that so mercilessly dazzled her.

‘I’ve still got quite a way to go. I just haven’t really been able to find the time …I do intend to finish it, though. I think about it often.’

It was true. Isabella also thought about the momentous few weeks she’d walked the Camino trail and what it had meant to her personally. As well as the physical challenge and the profound personal transformation, her senses had been confounded with secret delight by all the sights and sounds she’d been greeted by in that part of Spain. The architecture, the history, the wild landscapes and the amazing people she’d met would be with her for ever. And those people—her fellow peregrinos—had all bar none accepted her just for herself. There had been no judgement and no expectation involved, just simple, uncomplicated companionship and friendship, and it had been such a relief. Coming from the family she did, where conformity to their wishes and expectations was an ever-present challenge, walking the Camino had helped give Isabella back her sense of herself.

Since her return she’d vowed not to relinquish that sense of self to anyone else’s desires ever again. But most of all …most of all she remembered that never-to-be-forgotten meeting with Leandro and the magical evening they had shared that had started out in Señor Varez’s little bar and ended up in a hotel room that was the height of luxury. The still air had bathed them in sultry heat and their only accompaniment had been the music of the rain that had hypnotically glanced against the windows. Together they had turned that night into a spellbinding dream …Meeting Leandro had changed everything for Isabella. Apart from her knowing that she could never give her heart to any other man but him, he had given her her beautiful baby son. Now no one would ever convince her that there was no such thing as divine intervention …

‘Then you must finish it when you come to Spain, no?’ His warm fingers glancing against the underside of her chin came as the most exhilarating thrill and Isabella found herself catching her breath as heat flooded through her in an intoxicating rush. ‘Never underestimate the importance of art,’ he asserted huskily. ‘It is the secret to saving our sanity in this world. But it will be easier for you to think about this when there is no longer the need to go out to work.’

Although his encouraging words about art—in her case writing her book—were music to Isabella’s ears, the tacit implication in Leandro’s words told her that he already believed he had her full agreement to go to Spain and live with him, and that was not a decision that she had definitely reached at all. It made her panic a little. Especially when she believed that he was only asking her because of his deep sense of responsibility towards Raphael. What if the profound connection she had sensed between them had been one sided? She did not know as yet what Leandro really felt about her at all. And she still couldn’t help wondering if he had only looked her up because he was in London and saw an opportunity for another hot little encounter with her. Now, because of their son, he was saddled with a woman for whom the only feelings he entertained might be purely sexual. Hurt and disappointment welling up inside her, Isabella knew she could not remotely consider marriage with this man if he didn’t love her.

‘I’m sorry, Leandro, but I’m overwhelmed by what you expect me to do! First you insist that we move to Spain with you practically immediately, then you tell me that we must get married! You say that it’s in Raphael’s best interests that we make a life together, but can you really be so sure that that’s what’s best? What if him being here with me and seeing you whenever you can make it to England would be the best thing for him? He’s happy at his nursery. It’s run by a very close friend of mine and I know that she ensures he has the best care. As for us …’ The skin between Isabella’s dark brows puckered a little as she contemplated the thing that was disturbing her the most. ‘We slept together once and we made a baby. That doesn’t mean that we could make a marriage between us work or that we’d be better parents if we were together. What I think is that we both need more time to really work this out …to come up with the best solution. Don’t you agree?’

Her plea for understanding did not elicit the positive response she might have hoped for. To her shock and surprise Leandro abruptly turned and walked away from her, but not before Isabella registered the volatile spark of fury and impatience in his eyes with a nervous somersault in her stomach.

‘I cannot give you more time!’ he declared, turning to face her again. ‘Have you not been listening? I already told you that I needed to be back in Madrid in three days’ time. I do not have the kind of job where I can get someone to stand in for me when I take time out …I have an expensive cast and crew waiting for me when I get back that expect me to be there on schedule to start shooting this film, not to mention the financial backers who expect one-hundred-and-ten-per-cent commitment for the money they are investing. So you see, Isabella, I cannot wait for you to make up your mind to come to Spain with me. Raphael is my son too and I want full custody of him alongside his mother! To lose nine months of my child’s life is bad enough—to lose even one more day of that life is inconceivable to me now that I have seen him and held him in my arms. Can you not comprehend that?’

As well as being furious at her seeming obstruction of his desires, simmering deep inside Leandro was absolute rage that he had not received any of Isabella’s messages about her pregnancy. When he got back to Madrid, one of the first tasks he would be undertaking was to call on the film offices concerned, make a proper investigation about what had happened and then make his fury known to the people responsible. Their over-zealous protection had denied him knowledge of his son as well as the once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness the miracle of his birth, and to his mind that was not an action that would be eliciting his unconditional forgiveness any time soon …

‘Of course I can comprehend that you want to be with your son, Leandro, but sometimes it’s just not possible to have our desires instantly gratified. Sometimes a little planning and forbearance is required.’

‘Dios mio! You test my forbearance, Isabella!’

His white-hot anger cut Isabella to the quick. This was definitely not the kind of reunion she would have envisaged for them both, given the choice. Now she felt utterly miserable.

‘You have no idea what it means to me to discover I have a son …no idea at all.’ His lean jaw visibly clenched, Leandro focused his agitated gaze firmly on Isabella’s unhappy face. ‘It is punishment enough that I did not know of his existence until yesterday. Do not punish me further by keeping him from me another day.’

As she heard the anguish in his voice Isabella’s heart ached for his distress. Now she knew an instinctive need to hold him, to tell him she understood his great need to be around his child …but, fearing that he might reject such advances when the atmosphere between them was fraught with such tension, she stayed where she was, her arms down by her sides.

‘My father died.’

‘What?’ Isabella held her breath in surprise and shock. She saw Leandro lift up his hand to push it through his hair, but he stopped halfway and shook his head, as if it pained him beyond measure to even say the words. ‘When?’ she asked him. ‘When did this happen?’

‘Not long after we said goodbye in Vigo. He was mowed down by a drunken driver …It is also why I need to be with my son.’

Sensing that he did not want to go into detail, Isabella felt her heart swell with compassion. Now she understood why he was so vociferous about his demands that they go to Spain. If he had recently lost his father …and in such a brutal, shocking way …it must be even more important for him to have a close bond with his son.

‘I’m so sorry, Leandro.’ She moved towards him to touch him, to show him how moved she was by his confession, but he stepped away from her, as if he almost regretted having to share this information with her. His gaze glittered fiercely.

‘I do not need your sympathies, Isabella!’ he said savagely, and a muscle ticked at the side of his lean jaw. ‘All I need is for you to come to Spain with Raphael!’

Leandro had not wanted to tell Isabella about what had happened to his father, but the emotion of their situation had prised the information from him. He only hoped that he could trust her not to share it with anybody else. He was fiercely protective of his especially close relationship with his father, even more so since he had gone. His reasons for wanting Isabella to move to Spain with him were imperative and he was not playing games here. He wanted Raphael with him …he wanted his son. He could not go home without him now that he had seen him. He owed it to Vincente to be a good father to his grandson—the way Vincente had been a good father to Leandro. What he could not afford to do was let Isabella’s doubts cloud the issue in any way.

‘Leandro? Raphael’s happiness and well-being means everything to me and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardise that. If I come to Spain with you, I need to feel that I’m doing the best thing for my son …that I won’t regret it.’

He stared at her as though it pained him to look at her. ‘Put yourself in my position—a father who did not know he was a father until yesterday, nine months after my son was born—and then you will know about regret, querida …’

And without another word he left her there alone in the kitchen, his expression an amalgam of sorrow and anger as he furiously brushed past her, leaving Isabella feeling as if she’d done him the most dreadful wrong that she might never be able to put right ….

Leandro ended the conversation with his mother and placed the receiver back on its rest. His hand shook slightly as he did so. After getting over the initial shock, Constanza Reyes had been ecstatic to learn that he had a son and that he was bringing him home with him tomorrow. She had laughed and cried for joy, as well as pledging to offer prayers to the saints, and the terrible depression that had descended upon her since his father’s death had seemed to miraculously recede. For such a blessing, Leandro knew only the most unimaginable gratitude. But strangely enough the conversation had left him a little morose instead of completely happy. He had lost a father and gained a son, but relations with the woman who was the mother of his child were under a most regrettable strain. Isabella had been on his mind almost constantly since he had left her last night—as indeed she had been on it over the past eighteen months—and he longed to know how to make relations between them more conducive.

Was he so wrong to expect her to leave her life in England and make a new life with him and Raphael in Spain? After the time they had spent together in the Port of Vigo last spring, Leandro did not think that he had imagined the powerful connection that had radiated so compellingly between them. When he had let Isabella go without even giving her his cell phone number, he had had much cause to regret his overly cautious action. And all that time after she had left she had been pregnant with his child and he had not known it …Regret and pain locked his throat when he considered how she had managed on her own and how betrayed she must have felt when the film company would not even pass on her messages to him. He should not be surprised that any vestiges of past affection had probably been obliterated under the circumstances.

Yet he could not help craving her attention like a drug he could not give up. Last night he had slept little. How could a man sleep when he was plagued by daydreams and fantasies of a woman who fulfilled every criteria of feminine perfection that Leandro could imagine? The softly provocative kisses he had received from her delectable lips in that hotel room eighteen months ago—as well as the memory of the arousing little sounds she had made in the throes of making love—were a seductive torment to him even now in the cold light of morning.

Impatiently he pushed to his feet, driving his hands into the slim pockets of his jeans as once again the hot, drugging heat that flooded his body at the thought of Isabella made it impossible to sit or relax at all. As his edgy, preoccupied gaze swept the newly tidy room that his friend’s housekeeper had restored in the early hours whilst Leandro had been working he had to console himself with the fact that at least tomorrow he would have the chance to be alone with Isabella and Raphael in his own house. And once his baby son was fed and settled for the night, then he would waste no more time in making relations between himself and his beautiful amante far sweeter and more agreeable than they were at present. And living with him and sharing some of the material and cultural advantages of his world and seeing how much that environment must benefit their son, Isabella would soon forget her worries that she might be jeopardising Raphael’s happiness and quickly agree to becoming Leandro’s wife …