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‘Before you go...’
She paused in the doorway, partly glad he’d halted her exit. She wasn’t looking forward to spending hours with her thoughts spinning around in circles. And, she suspected, not even the usual thrill of coding would grab her attention.
She turned to face Seve, who’d crossed the room to lean against the giant stone-hewn mantel, one ankle crossed casually over the other. ‘The doctor is coming in the morning for a check-up. Unless you have a particular objection?’
Her first check-up as an expectant mother. With the father of her child in attendance. Not how she’d expected any of this to unravel. But she could hardly say no, could she?
Her hand trailed to her stomach, the thought of seeing her baby for the first time, if only in sonogram, a touch overwhelming. ‘Not at all.’
It wasn’t until his shoulders relaxed fractionally that she realised he’d been tense awaiting her answer. Perhaps thought she might object.
Because that was all she’d done so far, wasn’t it? She stiffened at the censorious voice.
‘Good. Sleep well,querida.’
Another casual, terribly affecting endearment, which sizzled right through her.
Which made his grandmother produce a small, indulgent smile as she added her own goodnight wishes.
Genie nodded and fled. Then spent the better part of the night tossing and turning. Her mind whirling back to Seve Valente. And his proposal.
She woke at the crack of dawn no closer to escaping her churning thoughts. In a bid to quiet them, she grabbed her laptop and, going out onto the stunning terrace, lost herself in writing code until the sun kissed the horizon.
When birdsong replaced the chirping of cicadas and sunshine beamed down on her face in warming welcome, her fingers slowed on the keyboard.
Around her the estate was coming to life and, for the first time ever, Genie felt the all-encompassing loneliness recede a touch. Distant laughter and horses neighing lured her to the low wall. She leaned on it, taking in the sights and sounds of the estate.
It was breathtaking...for a prison?
No. She had several hours left before she found out if Seve would truly let her go or if, indeed, he was humouring her. Several hours she could use to progress her initial plans in Norway.
And yet she lingered, breathing in the incredible air and basking in the South American sun. Several minutes later, when she realised she didn’t want to move from the perfect spot, Genie forced herself to do just that.
She couldn’t afford to get attached to Seve or his beautiful home.
Back inside she took a shower, attempting to ignore the way her senses leapt and shimmered in anticipation the closer the breakfast hour approached. The clothes she’d packed for a temperate Norwegian summer were just as good for what passed for a Cardosian winter, so she dressed in a wispy light cotton shamrock-green sundress and a pair of flat mules and left her hair flowing free. Smoothing on a sun-blocking moisturiser, she grabbed her mobile phone and left the room.
To find Seve stepping out of his own suite halfway down the corridor.
His unapologetic stare made the already excitable butterflies flutter even more frenziedly, and, for the life of her, Genie couldn’t stop scrutinising him as intently as he was watching her.
God, it was almost as if it was a silent competition to see who could stare the longest.
Her breath caught when he sauntered towards her.‘Buenos días, pequeña. Dormiste bien?’
‘Realmente, no,’she replied, before it dawned on her that she’d responded in his mother tongue. There was no taking it back.
Nor was there stopping that smug glint in his eyes or the whisper of amusement curving his lips as he stopped before her. ‘You should’ve come to find me. We would’ve found a cure for your restlessness together.’
‘There was no need. I knew exactly what caused it.’
Her accusation bounced off his white linen-shirted shoulders. Combined with the loose palazzo pants, he looked the picture of indolent virility and she was irritated by the effort it took to drag her gaze from his chiselled jaw and bronzed perfection. For the way her fingers itched to comb back the damp lock of hair kissing his forehead.
‘The doctor will be here in an hour. Hopefully by that time, breakfast and a walk in the sun would have put you in a better disposition?’
She wanted to say there was nothing wrong with her disposition. But he was holding out his arm and her brain was short-circuiting at the thought of the sustained stimulation of their skin touching.
Get yourself together, Genie.
