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“If you show up in person, who knows how they’ll react? What if they shut the door in your face? Do you really want to risk it?”
Callie looked pale, staring at him.
“Write first,” he said smoothly. “It’s the best way to gather your thoughts. And give them time to consider theirs.”
“Well.” She took a deep breath, her expression crestfallen. “Maybe you’re right.” She looked down at her feet. “I would die if they shut the door in my face. Or if they refused to see Marisol. I can’t even imagine it. But then,” she said unhappily, “I thought they would call me before now….”
He put his hands around her shoulders. “Write to them.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely.”
She bit her lip. “Even Brandon?”
Exhaling, jaw tight, he gave a single nod.
She sighed. “All right.”
“All right?”
She looked up. Her green eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed. “Thank you,” she said haltingly, “for helping me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Eduardo had never seen her look so beautiful. Mesmerized, he reached down to stroke her cheek then pulled her into his arms. He felt her soft breasts press against his chest, and breathed in the floral and vanilla scent of her hair. He felt the warm whisper of her breath against his bare chest, and his drawstring pajamas suddenly felt three sizes too tight. “I told you,” he said hoarsely. “I don’t want your thanks.”
“But—”
“Don’t.” Especially since he had no intention of allowing her letters to reach her family—or McLinn. He put his palm against her cheek, his fingers threading through her hair. “You are my woman, Callie. I would do anything to keep you safe and happy.”
Looking up at him, she suddenly blurted out, “Who were you talking to on the phone?”
He stared at her. “What?”
Looking grumpy, she folded her arms. “I wasn’t going to ask,” she sighed. “I was going to be totally stoic and silent about it.”
“Oh, querida.” Smiling, Eduardo stroked her cheek. She was so transparent. He loved that about her. “You wondered if I was talking to some woman?”
“The thought crossed my mind. Every woman wants you….”
“And I want only one woman in the world.” Lifting her chin, he looked straight into her eyes. “I am yours and only yours, my beautiful wife. I will never betray you, Callie.”
“You won’t?”
“I was just talking to a rival … who lives far away.”
“Oh,” she said. With a sigh of relief, she hugged him, pressing her face against his bare chest.
Stroking her back through the soft chenille robe, Eduardo exhaled at how close it had been. She must have heard the end of his phone call. If she’d heard the whole conversation, she wouldn’t have been worried about some imaginary woman. No, it would have been far more dire.
“Try to contact my wife again,” Eduardo had growled, “and you’ll regret it.”
“You can’t keep me from her. We both know you’re not good enough. You’ll never make her happy.” McLinn’s voice had been angry, and with an edge of desperation that had grown over the months Eduardo had blocked the man’s letters and phone calls. Yesterday, there had even been an attempted delivery of a cell phone in a padded envelope. His bodyguard had opened the package while Callie was upstairs getting ready for the Winter Ball.
An hour ago, Eduardo’s anger had finally boiled over. Rising from their bed as Callie slept, he’d used the number from his investigator, and called McLinn’s cell phone in the middle of the night.
The young farmer had actually threatened him, saying he was going to call the police and claim Callie was being held against her will. Against her will!
Eduardo narrowed his eyes. The police he could deal with. But McLinn had threatened to return to New York. He could not guard Callie at every moment in the city, keeping her from any unexpected meeting. Nor could he risk letting her talk to McLinn. He could only imagine what the man would tell her.
