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CHAPTER SEVEN

TIAGO WAS IN a good mood after working with the colt, and as they walked back to the house it seemed as good a moment as any for Danny to ask him about the details of the wedding. She might not be having the idyllic country wedding she had imagined as a girl, but arrangements would still have to be made. It might be a hastily arranged formality, or—and she desperately hoped this wouldn’t be the case—a full-blown society wedding for the type of people Tiago mixed with when he was on the polo circuit.

‘So...our wedding...’ she began.

‘Friday,’ he said.

‘Friday?’ She looked at him blankly.

‘Friday is the end of the week,’ he said impatiently. ‘I did tell you it would have to be this week.’

Yes, but talking about something was very different from facing the reality of the situation. She was already running through a checklist in her mind.

‘There’s too much to do in the time available.’

Even if a wedding could be arranged at such short notice, she had to consider the demands of the ranch, as well as the Thunderbolts’ polo fixtures.

‘Did you check on the team’s games?’

‘Of course.’ Tiago drilled a stare into her eyes, as if the choice between a polo match and their wedding was no contest. ‘All we need for this wedding is you and me and a couple of witnesses.’

‘I never expected anything more,’ she said, angry to think Tiago imagined she craved some sort of grand ceremony to accompany her pay-out.

Nothing could be further from the truth. It was bad enough knowing she had to make promises that she would only keep for a year, without attempting to fool wedding guests into believing theirs was a romantic love match.

‘We’ll get married here on the ranch,’ Tiago said, to her relief. ‘But I want everyone to share the celebrations. This won’t be a quiet wedding. I’m not ashamed of what we’re doing, and neither should you be. When Chico and Lizzie return from their honeymoon we’ll fly to Scotland and have a blessing at the kirk in the village, with a party afterwards. You can have whatever you want, then—ten dresses and a dozen bridesmaids, if you like.’

Tiago knew so little about her, she thought, chilled by his casual attitude. ‘I just want to get it over with,’ she said, speaking her thoughts out loud. She was uncomfortable discussing the charade they were about to take part in.

‘I am not trying to cheat you, but I do want you to understand this situation for what it is. It’s a short-term solution that will benefit both of us enormously.’

‘I know that. I’ve made a bargain and I’ll stick to it,’ she confirmed.

Tiago relaxed. ‘Thank you, Danny.’ And then his eyes became slumberous, and a half-smile curved his wicked mouth. ‘Our wedding must be soon. I don’t do waiting.’

For anything, she remembered, thinking about their encounter on his jet.

‘I suggest you get some rest between now and Friday, chica. It will be a big day for you.’

And an even bigger night, she thought, shivering in a very different way.

‘Will I see you before then?’ She tried to sound casual, and only succeeded in making Tiago impatient.

‘I hope you’re not trying to tie me down even before we’re married?’

‘No.’ She took him on. ‘I’m asking you a question.’

‘Will the fire of South America sit well with the frost of Scotland?’ he mocked.

She raised a brow. ‘Let’s be quite clear. I’ve got no intention of becoming your doormat.’

‘Well said,’ he approved, curving her another smile. ‘And now I have business to attend to. You’ll see me when I get back.’ His powerful shoulders eased in a careless shrug. ‘I can’t tell you how long that will be.’

‘So long as you’re back for our wedding, I imagine that will be time enough,’ she said coolly.

Tiago huffed a laugh. ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ he assured her.

Those eyes, that smile—she was glad he couldn’t feel the heat surging through her veins. To say Tiago was arrogant would be vastly understating the case, but he was also bone-meltingly hot, and she was in no way immune to his appeal.

‘Shall I spread the word about our wedding?’ she suggested mildly.

‘Tell anyone you like.’

‘Fine. Goodbye, then,’ she said coolly. ‘Enjoy your trip.’

Tiago stared at her as if he expected something more —a longing look, perhaps, or a flaccid wave. She gave him a steely look as he walked away, and then—not for the first time—wondered what on earth she had got herself into.

It wasn’t as if she couldn’t arrange a wedding, Danny reasoned, now that she was alone, but for all Tiago’s interest in the matter it was clear to her that the groom intended to carry on as usual, with no interruption to his schedule. She could challenge him all she liked, but Tiago wouldn’t change his life for anyone.

* * *

He would be back by Wednesday, thought Tiago. She could like it or not. He would be back—because the gauchos were holding a party on Wednesday night, and he would take the opportunity to introduce Danny formally as his intended bride. And then he would take her to bed.

Everyone would know by then, as she would have told them, and waiting until their wedding night on Friday was too long for him to wait to claim a woman he’d already tasted and been denied.

He’d made a good deal with Danny and he was confident she would stick to it. It pleased him to think the people on the ranch already liked her. And the gauchos wouldn’t have crowded around to watch her training the colt if she hadn’t been good. The sketchy character he’d drawn in his mind of the wife he would be forced to take had acquired an appealing reality in Danny, and if their brief encounter on the jet had been anything to go by she would be a willing pupil outside the training ring too.

* * *

Tiago was a saint. That much she had learned while he’d been away. As she crossed the yard on Wednesday morning, heading for the house, she was still thinking about her conversation with one of the elderly gauchos, who had told her that Tiago rarely took time off. He knew every family by name, and all the names of generations past. He’d saved them from ruin, having plucked his grandfather’s property from the brink of disaster. His parents had both been fools, who hadn’t been able to spend Tiago’s grandfather’s money fast enough. They had been more interested in funding their lavish lifestyle than in saving the ranch.

The old man’s face had lit up at this point as he’d told her, ‘But Tiago is different. Tiago is one of us.’

Tiago was overly generous to everyone who worked for him, and one of the most highly regarded horse-trainers and horse-breeders of his time. He was also a world-famous polo international.

Basically, he had no flaws—though Danny suspected the world’s women might disagree, because Tiago had never recovered from his mother’s spendthrift ways and so didn’t trust women. This was what Elena, who had a far better command of English than anyone else on the ranch, had explained, after hugging Danny when she’d heard about their impending wedding.

Tiago’s mother had been the sophisticated type, Elena had confided, and she had groomed her son to be a playboy. This was a mask Tiago still wore when it suited him, but he was gaucho through and through—like his grandfather before him.

Danny took all this information and added it to what she already knew about Tiago, but whether it would give her more confidence regarding the next year or less, she wasn’t sure. Tiago was a product of his upbringing, and she was hardly a child from a stable home. Perhaps together they stood a chance of building something worthwhile?

They might, but that wasn’t why she was here. In a year’s time there would be no Tiago and Danny together. What was the point of building anything beyond an understanding between them?

Hearing rotor blades, she stopped in the middle of the yard to stare up at the sky. He was back. Her heart thundered. She tightened her grip on the parcel in her hand. She had bought him a wedding gift—had it made for him by one of the gauchos on the ranch. It was only a small gesture, but it was something. She didn’t want to go to Tiago empty-handed on Friday.

Now she began to wonder why she’d done it at all, and what he’d make of the gift—this man who could buy anything, and who travelled to town in his helicopter.

She glanced at the bulky package and at the white knuckles on her hand. Sucking in a deep, steadying breath, she firmed her resolve. Why go for half-measures?

Plucking a flower from one of the pots in the yard, she tucked it beneath the string on the parcel. Whether Tiago wanted her or not, he’d got her for a year—and she’d got him.

And he took her breath away.

Tiago’s air of purpose and energy seemed redoubled as he strode into the yard. He didn’t waste time. Dragging her close, he stared into her face for a heartbeat, and then kissed her as if he would never let her go.

‘I’ve missed you,’ he growled. ‘Where’s Elena?’

Still recovering from his sensory assault, she somehow found the breath to tell him that the housekeeper had gone home about an hour ago.

‘Excellent.’

Maintaining eye contact, Tiago backed her towards the house. Removing the parcel from her hands, he left it on the hall table along the way. He grabbed her hand when they reached the foot of the stairs.

‘No!’

He stopped abruptly and stared down at her, frowning. ‘No? What do you mean, no?’

‘I mean no.’ She had to tell him how she felt about this. ‘I don’t want to.’

‘You don’t want to what?’ Tiago demanded, his expression darkening.

‘I don’t want to make love to you. Not today. Not now.’

He seemed incredulous, and laughed. He certainly wasn’t used to rejection. ‘Explain,’ he said coldly.

Stiffening her resolve, she went ahead and told him. ‘I have decided to save myself for our wedding night.’

His frown deepened, and then he laughed again. ‘You’ve what?’

‘You heard me. I’m not going to bed with you until our wedding night. I want to make it special,’ she explained, starting to feel awkward as Tiago stared at her as if she were mad.

‘I have to keep my pride, Tiago. Surely you understand that?’

‘Your pride?’ His eyes narrowed.

‘Yes, my pride,’ she insisted more forcefully.

Tiago lifted his hands away from her, as if the last thing he wanted now was to touch her.

‘Please don’t be angry.’

He stepped back. ‘Is this some sort of power-play?’ He stared down at her suspiciously. ‘Are you using sex as a weapon?’

‘Hardly. I’m not using sex at all.’

He was incredulous. He didn’t have a clue what could be motivating this. Danny had been so different on the jet. But as he advanced towards her she paled, and put her hands flat against his chest.

‘Please...’ she said, staring up at him.

What had he been thinking? Was he no better than Pintos? Had his desire for Danny blunted his brain entirely?

The world he inhabited was brutal and unforgiving. The brand of polo he played was more than competitive, it was aggressive. But aggression had no place when he was with Danny. Losing had never been an option for him, whether that be in the game of polo or the game of life. But Danny was different, and she required different rules. He’d been drawn to her in Brazil because she’d been fun to be around, but the more time he spent with her the more he realised just how badly she’d been hurt, and how well she hid that hurt.

And now he was going to add to it?

They stared at each other, and then he said, with a reluctant shrug, ‘I guess waiting until our wedding night could be a good idea.’

‘Liar,’ she whispered, smiling now. But then she added softly, ‘Thank you, Tiago. Thank you for understanding.’

‘Me?’ He smiled into her eyes. ‘Understand pride? I’m surprised at you, Danny. You should know I’m an expert on the subject.’

She exhaled raggedly and, having surmounted that hurdle, went on to the next. ‘I’ve got something for you,’ she revealed.

‘For me?’ Tiago couldn’t have looked more surprised. ‘Why have you bought something for me?’

Was she the first woman ever to buy him a gift?

‘Why shouldn’t I buy something for you?’ She was genuinely bewildered. ‘I wanted to thank you.’

‘Thank me?’ Tiago’s lips pressed down in puzzlement as he stared at her. ‘For what?’

‘For the chance to work alongside you—the chance to live here on your ranch for a year.’

Danny’s heart filled as she spoke. There were so many reasons to thank Tiago, starting with right back at the stables in Scotland, when he had saved her from Carlos Pintos. And now he had understood why waiting until they were married before having sex mattered so much to her.

Even further back, in Brazil the first time, when she had still been raw from her disillusionment with Pintos the first time around, it had been Tiago she’d always looked for—and not just because he was the most attractive man on the ranch...though that fact had been hard to ignore. He’d always been able to lift her spirits. He had made her feel relevant again when Pintos had called her a waste of space, and she had believed him. Tiago had never seemed less than pleased to see her, and he had made her feel like someone worth seeking out for a chat.

‘Watching you work has been a revelation for me,’ she said honestly. ‘Having this chance to meet the people you work with, to learn how they live, will be a privilege.’ She shook her head as she struggled to find the right words. ‘I’d work here for nothing for the chance to learn from you.’

‘You haven’t mentioned money once,’ he said—more as an observation than a criticism.

‘Why would I?’ Her elation dwindled as she remembered that this had always been about money for her. No wonder he was cynical. They both had a long way to go to build any trust between them.

‘So what did you buy me?’ he wanted to know.

She was glad of the change of focus, but embarrassed that her gift was small in comparison to the riches Tiago was used to. ‘I think you can safely call it a job-appropriate gift.’

‘What?’ he demanded. ‘A tin of hoof oil?’

Danny smiled. ‘Not exactly.’ Leaving his side, she went to collect the bulky parcel he’d taken out of her hands. ‘I just hope it’s okay.’

The gaucho who had made the special coin belt for her had explained that in the olden days these traditional belts decorated with silver coins had been used almost as portable bank accounts for gauchos, as they moved from place to place in search of work.

‘Now I’m curious,’ Tiago admitted as she pressed the package into his hands.

‘So open it.’ She stood back, relieved that the tension between them had eased—at least for now.

‘Deus, Danny, this is really special.’ Tiago handled the belt reverently, the silver coins chinking in a smooth riff as they passed through his fingers. ‘I can’t thank you enough.’

‘Do you really like it? It’s not too much?’

‘I love it. It’s perfect,’ he insisted. ‘And I love you for thinking of it.’

He loved her.

No. Tiago didn’t love her, Danny reasoned, losing patience with her romantic self for allowing that thought to slip through. He loved her for thinking of him and for choosing the belt.

‘Manuelo said you’d like it.’

‘Manuelo helped you with your choice?’ He seemed impressed by this. ‘Manuelo must like you. He and his family have been making these belts for generations, but he won’t make them for just anyone. These traditions are another reason why this ranch is so special to me.’

‘You don’t have to tell me how much this ranch means to you.’

Catching her close, Tiago kissed her—first on each cheek and then, after a pause, on her mouth. He had never kissed her like that before. It was a tender, lingering kiss that made her eyes sting with tears, and when he pulled back there was a look in his eyes that thrilled her. It was warm and assessing and thoughtful.

‘What?’ she prompted when he didn’t speak.

He slanted her a smile. It planted that attractive crease in his cheek. ‘I bought something for you,’ he revealed. ‘I hope you like it. I went shopping in town.’

She smiled back at him as she imagined Tiago battling with the crowds. ‘Now, that I would like to have seen.’

‘I bought you this...’ Reaching into the back pocket of his jeans, he brought out the most astonishing diamond ring. ‘Do you like it?’

She was too stupefied to speak. And when she did find her voice she could only blurt, ‘You kept that in your back pocket?’

‘The boxes were boring,’ Tiago said, frowning. ‘They were all the same. What’s the point of them? Everyone has them. I’m not everyone—and neither are you. If you don’t like it I’ll change it.’

She turned the fabulous ring over in her hand, hypnotised by the prisms of light flashing from it.

‘What?’ he said. ‘You don’t seem keen. Is it too big? Too small? Too sparkly?’

Relaxing at last, she laughed. ‘I’m sorry. I don’t seem very grateful, do I? It’s absolutely beautiful, Tiago, but I can’t accept it.’

‘Rubbish,’ he flashed. ‘But just in case...’ He reached into his jeans again. ‘I bought a few more, in case you didn’t like that one.’

She gasped as he tipped a selection of rings into her hand to join the first. Each was a fabulous jewel in its own right, and there was every possible style, colour of stone and variety of cut.

‘Take your time,’ he said with a shrug, as if he had given her a selection of candy to choose from. ‘Or keep them all, if you prefer.’

Wealth on this scale was incomprehensible to Danny. ‘But I don’t understand...’

‘What’s to understand?’ Tiago demanded. ‘We’re getting married. I want my wife to have the best.’

‘Yes, but...’ She hesitated, knowing she would rather have a tender word from him, or a teasing look like those they’d used to share in Brazil. This felt like another payment—a bonus to secure the deal.

‘This is a gift,’ Tiago said, as if reading her mind. ‘My gift to you.’

She still wasn’t convinced. Had all his mistresses received similar gifts? Suddenly the rings felt cold and heavy in her hand.

‘I can’t keep them.’

‘Of course you can.’ Tiago closed her hand around them. ‘Keep them all. Swap them round from day to day, and then you’ll never be tired of them.’

‘I can’t do that.’ She was genuinely shocked. ‘I can’t casually swap these rings around as I might change my clothes. Any ring you give me is going to be a precious keepsake and full of meaning. Its value will lie in more than the stone.’

He frowned. ‘So you don’t like my gift?’

‘I didn’t say that. I love them. But all these are too much. You don’t have to do this, Tiago. Under the circumstances, wouldn’t it be more appropriate if you gave me something simple? Or nothing at all. I don’t have to have a ring.’

‘I want you to have a ring,’ he insisted.

‘Because of what other people might think?’ she suggested.

‘I don’t give a damn what other people think,’ he flared. ‘Take the rings. Sell them if you don’t want to wear them—put the money towards stock for your new premises, if that’s what you want to do.’

His voice had turned cold. She could tell she had hurt him. Her heart shrank at the thought. They were so close, and yet miles apart.

‘You’re a very generous man, Tiago’ she said quietly, closing her hand around the rings. ‘Thank you.’

‘Good,’ he said briskly, as if he were glad to have the matter dealt with.