AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘We can definitely walk if you’d prefer,’ he grinned, leaning back a little so it was the most natural thing in the world for Alicia to lean back into Graciano’s chest, to rest her head on his shoulder and sigh as she looked overhead. It was only their third date, but she already knew that her heart belonged to him, just as his did to her.
‘Maybe,’ she said, happy right where she was. ‘We’ll see.’
Stars shimmered overhead, more visible here in the Spanish countryside than London. She looked up at them, remembering a long-ago version of herself and the stars that had blanketed the sky the night they made love.
He’d recreated so much of that evening, from the strawberries to the birthday cupcakes to the weather—though she suspected that wasn’t in Graciano’s control. He’d added a bottle of delightful champagne to the mix, and some Belgian chocolates.
Plus, the property they were on was his—all his. They’d spent the afternoon touring it, from the grand old house to the farm surrounds, seeing the chickens and llamas, the goats, meeting his manager.
‘I had no idea you were into all this,’ she said, shaking her head.
‘As a child, I loved animals,’ he said. ‘I wanted to be a vet.’
‘You’re kidding?’
‘No.’ His eyes roamed her face. ‘We had a dog, Brisa. She never stopped—hence the name.’
‘Breeze?’
‘Yes.’ He kissed the tip of her nose. ‘We could not contain her, no matter how hard we tried. One day, she got out. A car hit her.’
Alicia turned to face him, sadness softening her features.
‘I found her first. I was powerless to save her. I wanted to. Only six months later, there came the accident. I watched my parents die. All I could think of was that I wanted to grow up to be strong, to be knowledgeable.’ He shook his head. ‘A child’s whim.’
‘I don’t know,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘The money you donated to McGiven House has saved a lot of people from fates worse than death.’
He squeezed her hand. ‘It is a worthy charity.’
She lifted her shoulders. ‘They help people who need it most.’
‘People like you were, at one time?’
She nodded slowly. ‘I don’t know what I would have done without my grandmother’s generosity.’
It was a sore point and she felt Graciano flinch. She understood. She lifted up, kissing him gently. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.
‘I know what I would like to do, for our next date.’
‘Oh? What’s that?’
‘It’s a surprise.’
Three days later, during Annie’s school hours, Graciano flew Alicia back to Spain—this time, to his charity headquarters.
‘I had no idea you did all this,’ she said, shocked.
‘By design. I don’t need people to see this side of me.’
‘The secret philanthropist?’
‘Money is a burden,’ he said after a pause. ‘I have more than I could ever spend. More than I could spend in a thousand lifetimes, in fact. There are some people who cannot afford to feed their children.’
Alicia sighed. ‘Your heart is big.’
‘My heart is yours.’
‘I know.’
