‘Water, please. You’re usually so stiff and proper in the city,’ she went on as he handed over a crystal glass of sparkling water.
He drew his head back. ‘Is that how you see me? Am I really so pompous?’
‘Not pompous,’ she argued, frowning. ‘More distant and aloof.’
‘Preoccupied,’ he allowed, ‘but this time, I’ve put a hold on my diary. As you pointed out, Annalisa needs a chance to sort out her life without my interference. I can see now that solutions that might work for me wouldn’t work for my sister.’
‘Like punching the Prince’s lights out?’ Sadie suggested with her tongue firmly planted in her cheek.
He laughed. ‘Don’t tempt me,’ he said as he opened the French doors onto the gardens.
‘This is beautiful,’ she said as she walked outside.
‘But it all lacks a magic touch,’ he said, coming up behind her. ‘And that’s where you come in.’
‘Do I have a free hand?’
‘I don’t know,’ he murmured, his gaze dropping to her lips. ‘Do you?’
She proved it, and within a few moments they were tangling on the sofa.
‘Oh, yes! Please,’ she begged as he stripped and arranged Sadie as he wanted her, on the very edge of the firm cushions. Kneeling between her legs, he spread her wide and took her deep. The first stroke was enough to take her over the edge, and he maintained a steady rhythm until she was ready to start again.
‘Don’t wait this time,’ she whispered. ‘Come with me.’
With her powerful inner muscles clenched around him, he had no option, and with a roar of satisfaction, he staked his claim to the only woman he had ever wanted with such a fierce and overwhelming love. When at last she was quiet, he kissed her deeply and tenderly, firm in the belief that the family he had always longed to recreate was at last within his grasp.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
IF MADRID WAS exciting at night, it was a goddess by day. Discovering the back streets, and understanding the majestic buildings with Alejandro as tour guide, was something else. Having promised to make good on his declaration of love by wooing her properly, his method of choice, to Sadie’s delight and surprise, was an open-top bus, and a sweet, crispy cone, dripping with a double scoop of chocolate ice cream. Making love came naturally, he had explained, it was just the rest of the process he was battling to get his head around.
‘Process?’ Sadie had demanded with a frown.
‘My romancing technique needs brushing up,’ Alejandro had admitted, ‘so I’m trying to make amends.’
While she was still trying to get over the fact he’d said he loved her. Her biggest fear was that Alejandro loved sex and the banter between them and had mistaken that for love. Well, today, her concern would be proved or disproved, and at least there were no billionaire trappings in sight to suggest he was trying to overwhelm her with material incentives.
‘Marks out of ten for this first idea?’ he enquired as the engine beneath her seat began to rumble.
‘Ten for the surprise factor,’ she exclaimed, licking the cone furiously as her ice cream began to melt. ‘Are you going to help me with this?’
Alejandro’s answer was to kiss the ice cream from her lips while the cone continued to drip. ‘Two for practical skills,’ she scolded as he grinned and kissed her again. ‘Though there are certain areas where I would award you several gold stars for your practical skills.’
If this was a lesson in ramping up sexual tension she should award him a gold star right now. ‘You score a one as a tour guide,’ she said as the bus stopped again. ‘This is the third stop, and I’m still waiting for your commentary.’
‘You taste great,’ he said, ‘but I prefer vanilla.’
‘Since when?’ she teased. Big mistake. The sexual heat that had been snapping between them now threatened to turn into an inferno.
‘Are you hungry?’ he asked.
‘A little,’ she murmured, her gaze drawn to the sharp black stubble already shading his face. And his lips...
‘Only a little?’ he queried, distracting her.
‘Where can we...?’
‘Be alone?’ Alejandro slanted a sideways smile as he anticipated her question. ‘Next stop.’
‘A walk through the park?’ Sadie queried, as they climbed down the stairs when the bus swayed to a juddering halt.
Her heart thumped with an irregular beat as Alejandro pushed his sunglasses back on his mop of black hair, revealing his thoughts quite clearly. There would be no informative commentaries on the city’s history, and this would be no ordinary walk in the park. Her pulse throbbed with anticipation as they set off, side by side, hands relaxed, but not touching. Their fingers were so tantalisingly close that it ramped up the sexual tension even more, and that expression on Alejandro’s face was decidedly sensual.
‘The sunsets here are legendary,’ he explained as they entered the park.
‘What a pity that we won’t be here to see it.’
When Alejandro said nothing, she prompted him. ‘Surely we won’t be staying in the park until sunset?’
‘Who knows? There’s an ancient temple, said to have a special energy. We should try it out.’
‘On our first date?’ she said, pretending to be scandalised.
‘Then, there’s no option but to go back to the house,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry. Our tour is merely postponed, not cancelled.’
* * *
He needed this time with Sadie, Alejandro mused as they returned to a building he had always thought impressive before, but which now seemed more like a museum than a comfortable home. They were learning so much about each other, and she was right in saying he was more relaxed than he had ever been in the city. Spending time with Sadie had given him the chance to look at things clearly, and to realise just how much was missing from his gilded life. His high-end property in a part of the city that housed some of the most expensive real estate in the world was a palace, not a home, and the old building was in desperate need of a beating heart. Sadie could provide that. He loved the fast-growing warmth and understanding between them. The question was, could he build on that?
‘There’s a swimming pool on the roof overlooking the city,’ he said, longing suddenly for shade and cooling water.
‘You’ve got everything here,’ she commented with amazement.
And nothing, he thought. Even in the short time she’d been in residence, Sadie had transferred some of her lustre to the building. Seeing it through her eyes only proved it needed more softening touches. Leaving everything to designers had left him with an impressive, though impersonal dwelling, when what he longed for more than anything else was a home.
‘No one could accuse you of doing anything by halves,’ she said, smiling as she turned to face him.
‘I try not to,’ he agreed, wondering how a long drawn-out wooing process suited anyone. It didn’t suit him. ‘I’ll show you around properly later,’ he said—much, much later.
‘Alejandro!’ Sadie gasped as he caught her around the waist when they were only halfway up the stairs.
‘Alejandro, what?’ he demanded as he carefully pressed her down.
She was laughing as she asked him, ‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m a patient man, but I’m not a saint, and I’ve given the staff the day off.’
Deftly stripping her, he nudged his thigh between her legs.
Sadie’s thoughts were lost in a noisy gasp of shock and pleasure. ‘You are impossible.’
‘But not unachievable.’
She laughed as she pulled him close. ‘Don’t ever stop being you,’ she said.
He did his best to fulfil this request, and they didn’t get dressed for a week.
* * *
Cooking for lovers would be her first cookbook, Sadie told him as they feasted on strawberries and p
izza in bed. ‘So, you’ll give up your work at El Gato Feroz?’ he queried.
‘No,’ she said in a tone of bemusement. ‘Of course not. It’s what I do.’
‘What about the baby?’
Tension reared its ugly head. Grabbing a robe, Sadie told him in no uncertain manner, ‘Like every other working mother, I’ll sort it out.’
‘But I can provide for you. You don’t have to work another day in your life, if you don’t want to.’
‘I could just ask you for money? Is that supposed to reassure me, entice me?’ Shaking her head, she sounded disappointed when she told him softly, ‘You don’t know me yet.’
‘Yes I do,’ he argued, swinging out of bed and tugging on his jeans. ‘You want to work. You have a career to pursue. No one understands a strong work ethic more than me. I’m suggesting a partnership. Marry me. Live with me. Love me. Let’s make a family together.’
‘Are you serious?’
‘Never more so,’ he said.
‘Is that a proposal?’
‘Sounded like one to me.’ And he had never been more certain about anything in his life.
She was quiet for quite a while, and he knew she was struggling with the fact that she had nothing happy to draw on when it came to the notion of family, while he had enjoyed everything possible to convince him that this was right...that they were right together.
‘Chef Sorollo invited you to take a sabbatical for a very good reason,’ he told Sadie gently. ‘He’s a family man, so he knows when you hold that baby in your arms for the first time you won’t want to rush back to work. But that doesn’t mean the end of your career. You’ll return refreshed with lots of new ideas. Why don’t you write that cookery book you mentioned? You could dedicate it to him. Wouldn’t a good book be a boost in your profession? You can still work, and tailor your responsibilities as a mother around that.’ Far from restricting Sadie’s future, he wanted her to see that in fact her life would be immeasurably improved.
‘It’s called balance, and I know how good you are at organisation, so getting it right should be a breeze for you.’
‘A successful family,’ she murmured. ‘Like your parents.’
‘Like my parents,’ he agreed. ‘You can live wherever you want to, in any one of my houses—on one condition,’ he said, acting stern.
‘Which is?’ she demanded.
‘You turn each one of them into a home. Will you do that for me?’
She stared at him for the longest time, as if she understood how lonely his gilded life had been before the woman with the flame-red hair came along to transform his thinking, and then she said, ‘I will.’
His heart was like a jackhammer in his chest. It was a moment as intense as any at the altar between a bride and groom. It was a pledge for the future, and a promise he knew she wouldn’t break. There was just one more thing he needed to hear her say. ‘Do you trust me, Sadie? Do you trust me enough to do this?’
‘I do,’ she said, staring steadily into his eyes.
* * *
They went out and took that tour around the city. What they’d shared in those few precious moments after almost a week of making love was too tender and special to change gear immediately by leaping back into bed. For now it was enough to wander through the city with their fingers linked, and have Alejandro share his love of Madrid, as Sadie made silent plans to enrich his life. What Alejandro had done for her was unquantifiable, and she wanted nothing more than to make him happy. He’d freed her from doubt and trust issues, which was like being reborn into a new, brighter world. Sharing everything, as he had suggested, was a dream come true, and what she wanted most of all was that Alejandro would have the chance to enjoy his family.
His family. Glancing up, she marvelled at the force of her love, for him, and for their child.
* * *
‘I’ve got something for you,’ he told Sadie, surprising her as they stopped at a pavement café for a cooling glass of water.
‘For me?’ she exclaimed.
‘This might not be the most romantic moment,’ he said, holding a chair for her to sit down, ‘but at least I’ve got your full attention.’
‘You’ve had that for the best part of a week,’ she admitted with a loving grin. ‘What is it?’ she asked as he offered his closed fist.
‘Why don’t you peel my fingers open and see?’
Sadie pulled a comic face as she did so and held up a key. ‘The key to your heart?’ she suggested lightly.
‘The key to my palacio in Madrid,’ he explained.
She looked shocked. ‘I don’t need this.’
‘I know you don’t,’ he said, closing her hand around the key. ‘But I want you to have it so you always feel secure.’
‘It’s too much.’
‘It isn’t enough. It could never be enough,’ he argued. ‘And the palacio is just your first project, by the way.’
‘I love a man who puts conditions on a contract.’
‘Then, you’ve found the right man.
‘So, you really want to marry me?’ she said.
‘Haven’t I already said so? I need someone to sort out those houses of mine.’
‘Then, I suppose I’d better give you a formal reply.’ Her grin was infectious.
‘You better had, because the palacio is my wedding gift to you. Did I mention that I’d like us to get married next month?’
‘So soon?’ Sadie queried with surprise.
‘What?’ he said, acting shocked. ‘Won’t you have time to organise the catering?’
Sadie frowned. ‘I suppose I—’
‘Chef Sorollo has it all in hand,’ he reassured her.
‘Chef Sorollo is in on this?’
He shrugged. ‘You, of all people, should know the best chefs are booked up months in advance.’
‘What about the best wives?’
‘They have to be snapped up. And it might interest you to know that Chef Sorollo has asked me to test the water when it comes to him giving you away.’
‘Really? He’d do that?’ Tears rushed to Sadie’s eyes.
‘Only giving you away temporarily, he told me, as he would like to offer you another position in his kitchens when you return from your sabbatical, that of planning the menus, and supervising the hiring of staff, as well as taking an interest in the new restaurant chain he plans to open...of which you will be an equal partner, of course.’
‘What?’
‘It gives you more time at home with the baby. You can work flexible hours to suit yourself, and it’s a big step up in your career.’
‘You did this,’ she accused, and as she stared at him he realised he’d gone too far. ‘How else could I become a partner?’ she said, tensing as she added, ‘I can’t take your money.’
He shook his head. ‘Billionaires must be allowed to lavish a few indulgences on the woman they love more than anything else in the world.’
‘A few indulgences?’ Sadie exclaimed. ‘A palacio and a share in a business, all in one and the same day?’
‘Fair exchange for a lifetime of love, I’d call it,’ he said.
‘What about the scandal when Don Alejandro, the most eligible bachelor in Spain, the infamous Duque de Alegon, marries Sadie Montgomery, a cook from a small town in England?’
‘Firstly, you’re not just a cook, you’re the most amazing woman, and I don’t care where you’re from, and neither should you, or anyone else, for that matter. I certainly don’t subscribe to the idea that inheriting a title grants me any special privileges or should command instant respect. Respect has to be earned, by dukes the same as anyone else, and from what I can see you’ve earned respect ten times over. And as for any so-called scandal...my father was said to have scandalised society when he married my mother, but that didn’t stop him living happily with the woman he loved. My p
arents proved everyone wrong. Even though my mother left the freedom of the mountains for the restrictions of political and court life in Madrid, she still took my father back to the mountains from time to time. And those who are impressed by my title might be interested to know that I was both conceived and born in a caravan. One thing’s for certain. Our children won’t be raised with narrow boundaries, or groundless preconceptions about other people.’
‘Children?’ Sadie queried.
‘Why not? We’ll bring them up with the broadest possible horizons, so they can benefit from all the variety the world has to offer. I love you, Sadie. I love you with all my heart.’ And he would reassure her every day of her life, if he had to, though something told him Sadie had turned a corner and was starting to trust him as he trusted her.
They’d both changed so much, he reflected as they kissed so tenderly and for so long that they got a round of applause from their fellow diners. He’d been accustomed to doing things his way for so many years, he couldn’t remember a challenge until Sadie came into his life. He’d taken privilege for granted and had barely appreciated the sacrifices his parents had made. His mother, giving up her freedom in the mountains to raise him as the son of a duke, and his father laying the foundations of a successful business that brought prosperity to countless families, and yet still finding time to be at home with his son. What a heritage to pass on to his children. His only wish was to continue that rich tradition of loyalty, support and love, and he was confident that with Sadie at his side the legacy would continue. Between them they would introduce their child to both sides of its heritage, and there was not one iota of doubt in his mind that Sadie would be the most wonderful mother.
‘Thankfully, I’ve come prepared,’ he said as they left the café.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked as he stopped beside one of Madrid’s most beautiful fountains. Dipping down onto one knee, he held up a diamond solitaire that glittered with all the colours of the rainbow. ‘Will you marry me, Sadie Montgomery? Will you make me the happiest man on earth?’
A Scandalous Midnight in Madrid Page 15