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A sudden thought occurred to her.
She could tell him the truth. Rather than wait for him to find out what she’d done—rather than avoid conflict, as she always had—she could take the bull by the horns and tell him all about it.
But the thought terrified her. No. She couldn’t risk it!
Later that night, with their baby sleeping in his lavish nursery, a few hours after Louisa had gone to bed, she felt Rafael climb in beside her. She always slept naked, as he preferred. Before she was quite sure whether she was dreaming, he was kissing her. She felt him on top of her, felt his body hot and hard against hers. Within moments, she was crying out her pleasure, and she heard his shout as he collapsed on top of her.
Afterward, he held her close in his arms in the darkness.
“I have a gift for you,” he murmured against her skin.
She looked up at him in the shadows, her heart in her throat. “What is it?”
He purred in her ear, “Do you remember that private Greek island?”
How could she forget? Those were the happiest two days of her life. “Of course.”
He kissed her temple and whispered, “I bought it for you today.”
She sucked in her breath. “You—bought it?”
“Novros wasn’t sure he wanted to sell.” She heard his smile in the darkness. “But I convinced him.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. Her eyes filled with tears as she held him tightly to her.
His hand moved toward her naked breast. “Anything for you, querida.”
Anything?
Suddenly she knew she had to take the gamble. She wanted him to trust her. She didn’t want to lie to him.
She loved him. He gave her everything she could want when it came to money, but so little of himself except his lovemaking, which was very inventive and satisfying. Now he’d given her an entire island, but it was still not enough. Not nearly enough.
She wanted him.
She wanted him to be the man he was born to be. The good, kind, loyal man she knew he had inside him, beneath all the calloused armor.
She entwined her fingers in his. “I have…a favor to ask you.”
“A favor?”
Her teeth chattered. Was favor the right word to describe her request that he give up all thoughts of revenge, give up all his other women, and love her madly, as she loved him? “It’s bigger than a favor.”
“Ah. It takes more than a Greek island to impress you, does it?” He gave her a wicked half smile as he slowly moved his hand over her naked belly. “I will see what else I can do.”
Though he’d just barely brought her to gasping fulfillment, she could feel that he already wanted her again. She felt the same. But before his touch could utterly distract her from taking the risk she must take, she put her hand over his own, stopping him.
“I have to tell you something,” she whispered. “But I’m afraid.”
“You can tell me anything,” he said. “You’ve started to earn back my trust, querida,” he says softly. “I am glad of that.”
A huge jolt went through her.
“I brought your mother to Paris,” she blurted out. “I spoke with her at the café today.” Her teeth chattered as she looked up at him and whispered, “You have to forgive her.”
Rafael felt sucker-punched as he stared down at her.
“You brought my mother to Paris?” he said in a low voice. “You allowed her to see Noah?”
