by Maggie Cox
Yet as she tackled her deliciously light starter she began to feel queasy again. This time it wasn’t due to her hormones. Why did he seem to be deliberately avoiding the topic of her pregnancy? He had asked her to give him time, but was that fair? What if he decided that he still didn’t want to be with her, despite the fact they were going to have a child together? Now she didn’t know if she could wait to have his verdict. It seemed that she’d already waited a long time for what she wanted in life.
Somewhere outside, the sound of a child’s distressed crying highlighted her apprehension about the fact that her own baby’s father had still not made a decision about their future.
‘Rodrigo?’
‘Yes, querida?’
‘I need to talk about our situation…about what’s going to happen?’
His fingers twirled the stem of his wine glass. With a brooding expression, he lifted his gaze. ‘I asked you to give me some time, did I not?’
‘We don’t have to get married again, if that’s what you’re worried about. We can still raise a child together unwed.’
But even as the words left her lips Jenny’s acute sense of distress pressed in on her, like a claustrophobic bubble about to swallow her up. More than anything she’d always yearned for a family of her own. She’d waited so long to have her dream come true—had endured enough disappointment and hurt to last a lifetime. From across the table she observed Rodrigo’s shuttered expression, and she couldn’t help wondering if she was about to endure more.
‘This is not easy for me,’ he breathed.
‘I can see that.’
His mobile phone rang. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he didn’t ignore it, as Jenny had hoped he might. He spoke entirely in Spanish to the caller. She was completely excluded from the animated conversation.
When it came to an end Rodrigo leaned towards her, his air definitely distracted. ‘I apologise for interrupting our meal with that call, but something has come up at the hotel that needs my attention. In fact…’ he glanced down at the solid gold diver’s watch that so expensively circled his tanned wrist ‘…I’m going to have to leave you for a while, I’m afraid. Would you mind very much if I arranged for my driver to take you back to the apartment when you’ve finished eating? All your needs will be catered for—you only have to ask. It’s vital that I get back to the hotel for a meeting as quickly as possible.’
‘You mean you’re not even going to have lunch with me?’
‘I’m sorry, Jenny. But this is very important.’
‘And what we were just discussing isn’t?’ Crushed that he was proposing to abandon her in the restaurant to finish her lunch alone, Jenny picked up her linen napkin and threw it onto her side-plate. Searing colour scorched her cheeks as she faced him.
‘Of course it’s important.’ Scowling in frustration, Rodrigo drummed his fingers on the table. ‘But I have responsibilities—’
‘Don’t we all? I understand you’re committed and dedicated to your job, Rodrigo—you wouldn’t be such a resounding success at it if you weren’t. But sometimes we have to balance our priorities, don’t you think? Sometimes there are other forms of success besides work. And if the fact that in a few months’ time you’re going to be a father isn’t a priority, then I honestly don’t know what is!’
She pushed to her feet, forgetting about her still bandaged ankle, and almost lost her footing. Immediately Rodrigo came round to her side. But when he circled Jenny’s waist with his arm she angrily threw him off. Right then she didn’t even care if they had an audience.
‘If you’re leaving to go back to the hotel then I’ll leave now too,’ she told him, mentally garnering every bit of resolve not to cry. ‘To tell you the truth, Rodrigo, I don’t think I’m so keen to stay with a man who’ll always put work before his personal life anyway—especially when he has a child to consider. What if our baby was ill and I needed you with me as his father, to be supportive? Would you say Sorry, but I’ve got to get back to work? Don’t bother with a reply…Going by past experience I think I already know your answer.’
* * *
The Black Mercedes drew up in the private car park of the spectacular glass and chrome hotel. In the elegant, luxurious confines that separated them from the driver, Rodrigo tugged Jenny’s pale slim hand onto his lap. His expression was racked and conflicted, she saw.
‘Do you know how bad I feel about leaving you like this?’
‘If you feel so bad then you’ll postpone your meeting…at least for a couple of hours…so we can talk,’ Jenny returned reasonably.
Scraping his fingers through his ebony mane, Rodrigo emitted a long frustrated sigh. ‘I’m afraid that’s impossible.’
‘Impossible meaning you can’t postpone it, or you won’t?’
‘Dios mio! An extraordinary meeting has been urgently called, with half a dozen shareholders waiting on my decision about a considerable financial undertaking for the hotel, and I absolutely cannot postpone it. Initially I instructed my second-in-command to stand in for me, but when I spoke to him at lunch I realised he was not as fully informed about the deal as I am. I’m genuinely sorry about this, querida, but we will talk as long as you want when I return. I promise you.’
With a quick kiss on her cheek, and the drift of his tantalising cologne lingering in the space he’d left behind, Rodrigo knocked on the glass partition to give some instructions to his driver and in a flash…was gone.
* * *
Never before had he endured such hard-to-bear impatience. It was like torture. As his driver weaved the car through the converging traffic, with furious horns being honked loudly and drivers gesticulating wildly, Rodrigo almost…almost wanted to get out and walk back to the apartment.
For about the hundredth time he checked the time on his watch. Leaving his delighted shareholders toasting him with champagne after the mutually satisfying outcome of the meeting—as well as the extremely healthy financial report his accountant had given them—he’d all but knocked them over to get out of the boardroom.
Dragging his tie away from his shirt collar, he glanced out of the tinted car windows and gritted his teeth. All he wanted to do now was get back to Jenny. He should have postponed the meeting. His portfolio and kudos were such that he could have easily put it off until it was more convenient. Now, remembering Jenny’s disbelieving face and angry declaration that she wasn’t so keen any more to be with a man who put his work first, Rodrigo wished he had. Oh, why had he messed up again when he’d been given an incredible second chance to make things right?
A sight suddenly transfixed him. The car had purred to a stop to let a small family cross the road in front of them. There was an older woman, with a red tint in her hair, and a pretty young couple with a baby. All three of them were fussing and cooing over the infant, until Rodrigo’s driver beeped on his horn to indicate to them that they could safely cross, and suddenly Rodrigo was deluged by his need to hold Jenny close and confess his adoration and love for her—to make her see how sorry he was for being such an idiot.
Why on earth had it taken him so long to realise what a precious jewel he had in his grasp? Had he been blind? What if after this new disappointment she completely gave up on him and left him for good? Although it was totally his own fault, he didn’t think he could bear it. She was carrying his baby, and—given the chance—he would be the supportive father she yearned for him to be. Never again would he put some damn board meeting before her. Somewhere along the line he’d lost perspective. Being a success in business had become like a runaway train.
Rapping on the glass partition, he spoke rapidly to his driver, opened the passenger door and leapt out. With his heart pounding and the sweat sticking his shirt like glue to his back in the sultry afternoon sun he sprinted hard all the way back to the apartment.
* * *
She was gone. With mounting shock Rodrigo found the bedroom empty of all her baggage and belongings. The luxurious apartment had never felt so lonely or so empty�
��apart from the first time Jenny had left, that was.
With a despairing oath he prowled the rooms, searching for clues that might tell him where she’d gone. There wasn’t even a note. However, he did find a scrap of paper with her address and telephone number back in the UK written hastily on it, left poignantly on his pillow.
Hardly daring even to mentally articulate the conclusion that was rapidly forming in his mind, he rang the concierge to have his worst fears confirmed: Jenny had indeed ordered a cab to take her to the airport…
* * *
Thankfully the airport manager had been a fantastic help. He’d had to waive quite a few airport regulations to get Rodrigo as far as the passenger lounge where customers waited before boarding their flights. Now, with his impatient gaze scanning the sea of heads, he felt his heartbeat almost careen to a standstill when he spied Jenny on a seat at the back, in deep conversation with a young, curly-haired youth dressed very casually in baggy denims and an equally baggy sweatshirt.
Rodrigo straightened his silk tie and stole a couple of moments in which to compose himself. His heart was still pounding. Suddenly, as if she’d sensed his presence, Jenny glanced up, her gaze colliding in astonishment with his.
Moving to stand in front of her, he felt the words he so desperately wanted to say die on his lips as he glanced avidly into her stunning summer-blue eyes.
‘Forgive me,’ he finally breathed. ‘I’ve been such an idiot! I should never have gone to that meeting instead of staying and talking to you.’
‘What are you—what are you doing here, Rodrigo?’
He grimaced. ‘More to the point, mi angel…what are you doing here?’
She dipped her head. ‘I’m flying home. I would willingly walk through fire for you, Rodrigo, but I won’t stay around where I’m not wanted. When I saw that you were quite willing to leave me alone at lunch and go to a meeting, I realised that it was no different from the first time we were together. It’s your business that means the world to you…not me or our baby. I’m afraid that Barcelona suddenly lost its charm.’ She swallowed hard. ‘When I get home we can discuss things on the phone. I left my number on your pillow.’
‘You would walk through fire for me, you said?’
‘I love you. Didn’t you know that?’
With a racing heart, Rodrigo dropped down into the shiny hard chair next to her. When the curly-haired young man Jenny had been talking to openly stared at him he pierced him with a steely gaze and said, ‘Do you mind? I’m having a private conversation with my fiancée.’
Jenny gulped, pressing her hand against her heart. ‘What did you say?’
‘Wait a moment. I want to do this properly, Jenny Wren.’
To her utter amazement, Rodrigo dropped down onto his bended knee in front of her. Several heads in the lounge’s vicinity swivelled interestedly. Reaching for her hand, he raised it to his lips. The warmth of his mouth made her insides dissolve as surely as ice cream beneath a blazing sun. ‘Will you marry me Jenny—and this time for good? Marry me and make me happier than I’m sure I deserve.’ Removing the solid gold signet ring from the little finger on his left hand, he slid it onto Jenny’s wedding finger.
‘Are you serious, Rodrigo?’ She couldn’t help the husky catch in her voice. The whole scenario was overwhelming…surreal, even.
‘More serious than I’ve ever been about anything in my life,’ he answered, grinning. ‘The business has always meant a lot to me…I don’t deny that. My father drummed it into me from a young age that I should strive to make a name for myself in business…that I should work hard and not be distracted from my focus. Not even if I fell in love. But the dream of success he sold to me was his, not mine. My mother was the wise one, but it took me until today to realize just how wise. She wanted me to have a family, Jenny. She told me it was the most important thing and she was right. And even though her relationship with my father was not exactly made in heaven she believed in the legacy of a loving family with all her heart. Now my own feelings echo that. You and our baby mean the world to me and I will always endeavour to put you both first…I swear it.’
‘Do you mean that?’ As she bent down to whisper the question, Jenny found her lips captured eagerly and hungrily, and for long moments she forgot everything but the sensation of the delicious pressure of Rodrigo’s passionate mouth on hers.
Drawing away from him after a while, she was shocked to hear the steady resounding echo of applause in her ears. Several people were on their feet in support, and when Rodrigo also got to his feet he winked at Jenny, then turned to give their audience a highly theatrical bow.
As he pulled her back into his arms she gazed up eagerly into his loving dark eyes and smiled. ‘I reckon that wild storm did bring you to me that night, Rodrigo. It took me a while to believe that fate had brought you back…given us a second chance…but now I don’t doubt it. I’m just so grateful, my love.’
‘And I echo the words I told you then…My body, my heart and my soul are yours for ever, my bewitching Jenny Wren. I pray you never have cause to doubt it, but I swear I will spend the rest of my life showing you how ardent I am!’
ISBN-13: 9781460346402
© Maggie Cox 2010
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