A Diamond for Del Rio's Housekeeper

by Susan Stephens

  ‘And you are very good at what you do,’ Rosie admitted, groaning with satisfaction as she rested back.

  Xavier raised himself on one elbow to stare down at her. Dawn was peeping through the drapes, illuminating his face. He looked more disreputable than ever. Morning was kind to him. His wild hair was dishevelled, while his stubble was thicker, sharper, blacker, and, best of all, he was smiling lazily at her with that rare smile that meant so much to her. She leaned forward to plant a kiss on his lips.

  Xavier’s answer to that was to turn her beneath him. He had no need to prepare her. She was ready and groaned with contentment when he sank deep. He made no pretence of drawing things out this time, and they moved urgently towards the longed-for goal. When his warmth flooded her, she felt a great, almost primal sense of completion. She had never been so happy in all her life. Resting back on the pillows, she turned her wedding ring round and round, making it glitter in the growing light.

  ‘I think you like that ring,’ Xavier commented huskily.

  ‘I love it,’ Rosie admitted. The simple gold band seemed to represent everything that was right about them. The circle was complete—almost. It would be complete when they went back to the island and started to work there together.

  She turned with surprise as Xavier swung off the bed. Reaching out, she tried to catch hold of him, but he eluded her. ‘I have to work,’ he said. ‘Nothing’s changed where that’s concerned.’

  ‘What happened to the time you could always take off?’ she argued.

  ‘I can’t take time off today,’ he said, seeming preoccupied. ‘There’s plenty for you to do on board,’ he added, as if she were a child in need of entertainment.

  Was that it? He’d made efforts to impregnate her, not once, but many times. Did he consider the job done now? A wave of cold dread washed over her. She couldn’t pretend she wasn’t bewildered as she watched him stroll naked across the room, and she wasn’t sure how to respond.

  ‘Take a shower and then a swim, if you like,’ he added. ‘There are two pools, a cinema, and a gym—or a reading room, if you prefer. I’ll see you later—’

  ‘Later?’ She sat bolt upright in the bed. ‘When, later? Will I see you at lunch?’

  ‘I thought the idea was that we make no demands on each other,’ Xavier commented as he closed the door on his dressing room.

  True. But that didn’t make it any easier to accept.

  It was only later when she came out of the shower and heard the helicopter taking off, she realised that Xavier wasn’t just leaving her to go to his study, or to some other room on the vessel, he was actually taking a trip. She had no idea how long he’d be gone. He hadn’t given her an agenda. And this was supposed to be their honeymoon—

  Get over it, Rosie told herself impatiently as she towelled down after her shower. She hadn’t married a pipe-and-slippers man, and this wasn’t one of her fantasies that she could tailor to suit herself. She had to accept every facet of Xavier’s complicated life. But that didn’t mean she had to sit around on her backside, waiting to see what he might do next. She had a super-yacht to explore, and plans of her own to make, now that she had the means to do so.

  But this time the instruction from her can-do spirit had a very hollow ring to it.

  Gathering up her wedding dress from the floor, she spread it out carefully on the sofa. Her gaze lingered on the beautiful workmanship. Hours of work had gone into the exquisite dress. And for what?

  Stop that! She might be naïve in some things, but she had never been pathetic. She had to get used to the idea of being Xavier’s convenient wife.

  Her biggest problem now was what to wear. There were so many clothes in her dressing room. The rails were packed and the drawers were full. There was every accessory money could buy, and swimwear better suited to a supermodel. She chose one of the plainer costumes, and a sundress to wear over it. She was exploring the inside of a drawer when she came across a beautiful enamelled casket, decorated in shades of turquoise, jade green and violet, and gasped when she opened it to find a treasure trove of jewels. Rubies glistened against her skin like drops of blood, while sapphires sparkled as she held them up to the light. Emeralds flared and opals flashed fire, but for some reason they made her feel lonelier than ever. She didn’t need all this extravagance, and would have traded every jewel in the world to have breakfast with her husband on this, the first morning of their married life.

  Silence surrounded her as she ran the chains and bracelets through her fingers. The jewels were fabulous, but they couldn’t satisfy the practical woman she had become. Like the clothes and all the facilities on board, she felt, they were just toys to keep her happy. She looked at her simple wedding ring again, and turned it around her finger, knowing she would always love that best of all.

  But she wasn’t going to sit around feeling sorry for herself while Xavier was away. A sun hat and bare feet later, and she was ready to explore the ship.

  * * *

  He wasn’t flying to the mainland on business as Rosie probably thought. Xavier was flying to the coast, and from there, out to the island. She was right in saying he didn’t need to work on any particular day. His worldwide business was a well-oiled machine that allowed him to take time off whenever it suited him. What suited him now was space from Rosie. She’d really thrown him with the way she’d made him feel. He had shocked himself by wondering, when she’d stood beside him at the altar, if he loved her. It sure as hell wasn’t indigestion digging away at his heart, then or now.

  He landed the helicopter on the beach and then went for a walk, and after that a swim. He’d forgotten how good it felt to be on the island, free from the concerns of the outside world. It was therapeutic just sitting on the rocks, gazing out to sea. He rarely slowed down his pace of life these days, but the island demanded that he must.

  He was beginning to see Isla Del Rey as Rosie must have seen it on her first day here, though he guessed that after the orphanage her experience must have been magnified tenfold. The island was startlingly beautiful; something else he’d forgotten over the years. There were deep ravines and rushing rivers, placid lakes and thick forest. Yes, the old house and grounds were badly run-down, but it was definitely worth saving. Old friends from the island, whom he hadn’t seen for years, had opened his eyes at the wedding, clapping him on the back and complimenting him on his choice of bride. They told him that they had faith in Señorita Clifton, or Doña Rosa, as they had taken to calling Rosie on the island.

  He stood and turned his face to the sun. The island’s lush bounty was boundless. It was the perfect place to bring up a child. He had closed his mind to that possibility because of his own experience with parents who didn’t want him. He accepted now that that had left a bitter mark, but not an indelible mark, thanks to Rosie. He could see the island afresh because of her. Even the ocean was a contradiction that reminded him of her. The water was a clear, tranquil blue today, but it could so quickly turn to furious grey—

  He spun around as one of the elders of the island called to him.

  ‘Va a comer con nosotros, Xavier?’

  Would he care to eat with the family? He certainly would. It would be a great honour, he called back, pleased to think they still cared about him.

  He hadn’t wanted to come back to Isla Del Rey, but he had. He hadn’t wanted to care for the island, but he did. He hadn’t wanted to care for anyone, because his experience of love had been so negative, but he cared for Rosie. He smiled as he thought about her as he fell into step with his elderly host. He didn’t just care for Rosie Clifton—what was the point in denying it any longer? He loved her.

  Time passed quickly on the balcony of his old friend’s family home. Several generations had insisted on joining them, and they had laid out a feast to thank Xavier for inviting them to his wedding. He could hardly refuse their hospitality, and stayed until the screeching seagulls overhead in search of their supper reminded him that Rosie was still waiting for him on the ship.r />
  * * *

  She’d dressed for dinner. She’d never dressed for dinner in her life. She’d had no call to, but on one of her many exploratory missions around the ship she had spotted the stewards laying out a dining table beneath the stars. They were unfolding the finest white linen and adding a last polish to gleaming silver cutlery. Candles glowed in tall silver sconces, while beautiful flower arrangements had materialised seemingly out of nowhere, so she could hardly rock up in her jeans. The dress she had chosen from the vast selection in her dressing room was really beautiful. Made of soft ivory chiffon, it finished around knee length and had a nipped-in waist with quite a low neck. But the style was lovely, rather than obvious, and she had left her hair loose, as Xavier preferred it. She was still barefoot. He liked that too. She’d had a good day at sea, but had missed him, and however many times she told herself that she understood why he’d had to go, she really didn’t, though something told her they would both have to compromise in this most unusual marriage.

  She sat down to dinner. The stewards acknowledged her with polite smiles.

  One asked what she would like to drink, and then stood back in the shadows as another poured her a glass of water. She couldn’t think what else to say. She didn’t want to start eating in case Xavier arrived, so she had to ignore her stomach’s growls of complaint.

  As time wore on and the sky grew inky black, she began to feel embarrassed. The stewards were still standing motionless, waiting for their next instruction. She was a new bride, barely one day married. They must be wondering if Xavier had had enough of her already. He probably had, Rosie thought, her stomach clenching with concern. She was young, broke, and unsophisticated. She brought nothing but her passion to the marriage. Though Xavier hadn’t seemed disappointed last night, she reassured herself. He’d been so caring and sexy.

  She tapped her fingers on the table as more doubts set in. The candles were slowly burning down as she strained her ears for signs of the helicopter returning, and she almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the buzz of rotor blades approaching. Now she was angry with herself for being so self-obsessed. What if Xavier had had a problem, and that was why he was late?

  The stewards rushed to move her chair as she bolted from the table.

  ‘I’ll be back,’ she called out happily. One good thing that had resulted from her in-depth study of the vessel was that she could find her way to the helipad blindfolded.

  * * *

  He landed and saw Rosie at once. He wanted her with a madness that consumed him. He wanted to tell her about the things he’d been planning on his way back. ‘You waited for me,’ he said, embracing her.

  ‘Xavier, I—’

  Taking hold of her arm, he led her straight across the deck and down to their stateroom.

  ‘Xavier—’

  He slammed the door behind them. Pressing her back with the weight of his body, he silenced her with a hungry kiss.

  ‘Xavier, you can’t—’

  ‘What can’t I do?’ he demanded, brushing the wisp of a dress from her shoulders. There was no need to rip it, as it fell off at a touch. Her skin felt so smooth and warm beneath his hands. The memory of her body was still so fresh in his mind. She was so beautiful and desirable, and he was so painfully erect.

  ‘Xavier!’

  Something in her tone stopped him dead.

  ‘What’s wrong with you?’ she demanded in a tight, angry voice. ‘You left me alone all day, and now this? You have to work. I get it. I understand that your work might take longer than you thought, but couldn’t you have let me know you were safe? I was worried about you.’ She searched his face with frustration. ‘You could have contacted the ship,’ she insisted. ‘I’m not angry for myself, but your stewards have been hanging around all night, waiting for you.’ When he didn’t answer she got angry. ‘Don’t you care for anyone but yourself? This is the first full day of our honeymoon—’

  On top of his frustration, tension, and his monumental decision to turn both his plans and his life upside down, Rosie’s accusations were the straw that broke the camel’s back. ‘Ours is an arrangement—an arrangement!’ he roared. ‘I don’t have to explain my every move to you.’

  And now she had tears in her eyes, and he wasn’t proud of that. ‘I’m sorry.’ He had never asked another human being to forgive him in his life. There had never been any call for him to do so, and now he’d upset the one person he should protect to his last breath.

  Rosie was in no mood to forgive him. She was firing on all cylinders, chin raised, eyes blazing, ‘An arrangement to suit you,’ she accused him, ‘because a man as unfeeling as you could never get an heir any other way.’

  She hated saying words like that. The expression in Xavier’s eyes wounded her as much as she’d wounded him, but she had to get through to him somehow. Leaving her so soon after their passionate wedding night, with no proper explanation, had cut her to the bone. ‘Was that just part of our bargain when you made love to me last night?’ she asked him. ‘You did make love to me. Please tell me I’m not mistaken about that.’ She hated the note of desperation in her voice. ‘So, what am I to think?’ she demanded when Xavier said nothing. ‘You love having sex with me, and you love having me around for the challenge and the banter, but you’ll never be able to love me in the way I need to be loved.’

  ‘What way is that, Rosie?’ he asked quietly.

  She sucked in a breath as she searched her mind for the right words to express her feelings. ‘I want to be loved fiercely, wildly, passionately—I don’t even know,’ she admitted, raking her hair with frustration.

  ‘Do you think I’m so different from you?’ Xavier demanded. ‘Do I have different needs? Are you asking me to believe you entered into our agreement for anything less than one hundred per cent of the island? Or was it my finer qualities that tipped the balance for you? Perhaps the truth is, you would stop at nothing to get your share increased—and enjoy my lifestyle while you’re at it?’

  ‘That’s not fair,’ she exclaimed.

  ‘So I’m not entitled to have the same doubts as you? You dream because it’s safe—

  ‘That’s right, leave!’ he stormed as she turned for the door.

  Like his mother before her, Rosie thought, halting abruptly. ‘I’m not going anywhere,’ she said. ‘I don’t run away from anything. I never have. You have to bloom where you’re planted, I was told at the orphanage, and that’s what I’m going to do here.’

  Her heart ached for both of them. Xavier was right in saying that neither of them was prepared to risk expressing their feelings, but there was one thing she had to get straight. ‘I’ve never been interested in your money, or your lifestyle. From what I’ve seen, you’ve got everything and nothing. It doesn’t matter if you drink out of crystal glasses on your super-yacht, or a plastic beaker at the orphanage. Life is empty, if you shun love and go through it alone.’

  ‘You’re an expert on feelings now?’ he said, with a lift of his brow.

  ‘I only know what I feel in here.’ She touched her chest. ‘And you can say what you like about Doña Anna, but I think she threw us together in one last attempt to jolt both of us onto a better track.’

  ‘My aunt didn’t have a romantic bone in her body.’

  ‘That shows how little you knew her.’

  ‘Are you saying you knew her better than me?’ Xavier demanded with disbelief.

  ‘I did,’ she said bluntly. ‘Did you never wonder why Doña Anna lived alone?’

  ‘I was her nephew, not her agony aunt. Of course I didn’t know.’

  ‘Did it never occur to you that your aunt had a lot of love to give, or did you just see her as a grouchy old lady who brought you up because there was no one else who was prepared to step up and do that?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Xavier admitted, frowning. ‘But how does that change anything?’

  ‘Did you know that her fiancé was killed just before they were due to be married, or that he was the love of h
er life?’

  ‘I didn’t know.’ And he was shocked to learn that his aunt had been left alone and lonely, until Rosie had arrived on the island.

  ‘We grew close when I read to your aunt in the library—that was when she told me that books were her escape. She went on to explain why she felt the need to escape.’

  ‘Dios,’ Xavier murmured beneath his breath. ‘I had no idea.’

  ‘And no reason why you should. I doubt Doña Anna would have confided in her nephew, even if you had never left her side.’

  ‘So, what are you saying?’

  ‘She could only put the pieces into play. She couldn’t direct us from the grave.’

  ‘Couldn’t she?’ He huffed a humourless laugh. ‘This seems typical of her mischief to me.’

  ‘Was she ever malicious, as far as you know?’

  ‘Never,’ he admitted. ‘Not in all the time I knew her.’

  ‘Then why would she do this if she hadn’t wanted us to be together?’

  And now she’d said too much. Or maybe not...

  Rosie’s heart lifted as Xavier pulled away from the wall, but then it clenched with despair as he turned without another word and left the room.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  HE STOOD ON the deck, staring out to sea, wondering where they’d be now if their life experiences had been different. His best guess was that his aunt and Rosie would have found each other somehow, and that Rosie would be on the island right now, doing everything she could to help the islanders even with zero funds and only her eternal optimism driving her forward.

  He certainly wouldn’t have come up with the plan that he had. If his childhood had been different, he would have visited the island regularly and felt comfortable there, instead of harking back to the bitter memories of childhood disappointment. Rosie had made him confront things he hadn’t thought about for years, which was ironic when her childhood made his seem idyllic by comparison, and the wounds he lived with nothing more than an indulgence.