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He turned from her, striding to the electric buggy they’d used for their tour. ‘Get in, Genie. We’ll talk inside.’
From the corner of his eye, he watched her hesitate, then walk to the vehicle.
She remained silent for a full minute before sending a searing glance his way. ‘You can’t keep me here. I have plans for my future that don’t include...whatever it is you’ve got up your sleeve for me.’
Seve nodded. ‘You’ll have a chance to tell me what those plans are when we get inside.’
He sensed her surprise, then her wariness. ‘Is this a trick?’
‘I promised you a discussion when you woke up. We’re going to have it now.’
Minutes later, he watched her march into his study as if she owned the room. And, hell, if he wasn’t captivated by her fighting spirit. When she went to speak, he stopped her. Crossing the room, he poured her a glass of blended juice Lita had sent Sofia with when she saw them returning. No doubt his grandmother would be monitoring Genie’s food and drink intake with the fervour of a brooding hen.
‘Drink this or Lita will have both our heads.’
She accepted the glass from him, her breathing wavering a little when their fingers touched. She took a sip, no doubt to be polite, then, eyes widening a fraction at the delicious taste, she gulped down the refreshing juice. A little self-consciously, she licked her lips and set the glass down.
‘These plans of yours. Tell me about them,’ he said.
‘Bring me a laptop and I will.’
He crossed the room and returned with a sleek, brand-new device. Taking a seat next to her on the wide sofa, he watched her fingers fly across the keys with mesmerising efficiency. Ninety seconds later, she turned the screen to him.
It showed a sizeable piece of land about the size of his west paddock. In the pages that followed were elaborate plans of her intentions for the land. The more he read, the more the mixture of pride and fury stirred faster through him. Perhaps he was searching for a conclusive excuse, one she’d just handed him on a platter. But he took it and let it erode the last of his guilt.
‘Everything on there is self-sustaining. Even the electricity.’ Her tone was prideful. A touch defensive.
‘You planned all of this?’ he asked, even though he knew she did.
‘Yes. It’s been a year in the planning. The only thing keeping me from making it a reality is this imposed prison sentence.’
‘Impressive. Your plan for one hundred per cent sustainability is highly commendable. But it’s still not good enough. You’re yet to put this all together and it’s not advisable to take on such a project in your condition. Besides, it’s too isolated. There are no medical facilities for hundreds of miles. What if something happens to you or the baby?’
She gritted her teeth. ‘I had contingencies in place for that.’
‘You don’t need to have them here. You’re surrounded by staff, some of whom have medical experience. And a doctor can be summoned within minutes. All that aside, our goals might just align in theory if not geographically.’
Against her will, curiosity bit her. ‘What do you mean?’
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he went to the laptop he’d been using on the plane and activated it. A few clicks later, he turned it towards her.
The file was detailed, with long pages of enticing offers that made her eyes widen.
Doctor’s appointments, an elaborate diet plan she could approve or alter at her whim, a workspace of her choice. Yoga or Pilates instructors to attend her in person or remotely, the use of his Olympic-size swimming pool any time she wished. In fact, the whole estate was at her disposal. She would want for nothing and she could work as much or as little as she chose.
In essence, it was eerily similar to the plans she’d made for herself, the only difference being the location. And her freedom. ‘It’s my turn to ask ifyouplanned all this all along.’
He answered without an ounce of guilt. ‘Oh, yes. Everything down to the last detail. While you’ve been counting down the time until you leave to become an eco-warrior while pregnant with my child, I turned my life inside out. Not for me but for the baby. And therefore for you. You’re the vessel keeping him warm and healthy. For now, you’re important too. And this is the best place for you to remain. Nothing you’ve shown me convinces me otherwise.’
For now.
He couldn’t have spelled out more explicitly how expendable she’d eventually come to be to him if he’d tried.
‘Except it’s not what I want,’ she said. Then watched as his eyes gleamed with the fire of determination that announced that he was about to bring out the big guns.
‘You see me letting you go as the only viable solution when I’ve presented you with several ways we could make this work,’ he drawled. Whether he kept his voice low because it was a prelude to pouncing or not was neither here nor there.
It affected Genie as strongly in sending tremors through her body.
