One-Click Buy: September 2010 Silhouette Desire

by Brenda Jackson

  Honor. Truth. Love.

  She swallowed. If the man she was coming to see lived by the ancient code of his family, then she was definitely doing the right thing by coming here and telling him the truth. It was the only thing she could do.

  Rina pushed against the brass doorplate at the very same moment the door in question swung abruptly away from her. With all her energy moving forward, she stumbled and suddenly fell against an immovable rock of a hard male body clad in a perfectly tailored charcoal gray suit.

  Large, warm hands swiftly cupped her elbows and steadied her. Balanced on her feet now, Rina summoned a smile and looked up. Instantly, her heart skittered in her chest as she took in the perfection of male beauty in the face above hers.

  A broad, tanned forehead, strong dark brows over clear hazel eyes edged with short, dark lashes. A perfectly balanced face bisected by a straight nose that had obviously never been on the wrong end of a tackle in a rugby game, and finely chiseled lips that were even now curving in a smile that held a strange combination of recognition and relief.

  “Thank God you’re here,” he murmured, his voice a deep caress that she felt as though it was a stroke of velvet across her skin.

  “Mr. del Castillo. Your brother says he’ll meet you at the hospital,” the receptionist at the vast modern desk behind him said.

  The young woman’s words sank slowly into Rina’s mind. Mr. del Castillo? This man, who looked like he’d be better suited to the cover of GQ magazine than a conference room, was her sister’s fiancé, Reynard del Castillo?

  Two

  Before she realized what was happening, Rina found herself spun around and, her hand firmly locked in his, was marched swiftly toward the elevators.

  “Sara! I’ve been trying to reach you for the past hour! I tried both your cell and your home phone because I wasn’t sure you were back on the island. I don’t know why you refused to tell me the details on your flight information. I could have picked you up from the airport. Why didn’t you call me?”

  “I—” she began. Her mind raced to catch up with him. Cell phone. Of course, Sara must be ignoring his calls. With her own number being New Zealand based, on global roaming, she knew she couldn’t just say she’d changed numbers. Think, she told herself, what would Sara do or say? Rina latched onto the easiest response. “I’m sorry—I lost my phone while I was away. You know what I’m like.”

  “It doesn’t matter now. I’m just glad you’re here.”

  “But I—”

  The look on his face sent a chill down through her. His eyes, which only a moment ago had been warm and welcoming, were suddenly bleak—a small frown creasing the smooth skin between his brows.

  “I’ve got bad news. Benedict’s been involved in an accident. Alex just called me. We’re meeting him and Abuelo at the hospital. Thank goodness you came here, saves time for us both.”

  “Benedict?”

  “The idiot.” Reynard shook his head slowly. “You know how he drives. Seems the coast road out to the vineyard got the better of him, and that high performance pile of metal he calls a car.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “No, he’s not. We’re not sure how long he was trapped in the car but it took emergency services nearly an hour to free him from the wreck. He’s in surgery now.”

  Reynard’s voice broke on the words and Rina instinctively curled her fingers tighter around his.

  “I’m sure he’ll be okay,” she said with as much calm encouragement as she could muster.

  Inside, though, her stomach knotted on the news. How on earth could she tell Reynard that she wasn’t who he thought she was now? Benedict was the younger of the del Castillo brothers; she remembered that much from one of Sara’s e-mails. She also remembered Sara mentioning that Benedict ran the winery division of the family business.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Reynard said, his hand all but squeezing hers now.

  “I’m glad I’m here, too,” she whispered in response, and in a strange way she really was.

  The last thing he needed right now was an absentee fiancée. Tomorrow would be soon enough to tell him the truth, once they knew that Benedict would be all right.

  Reynard fell silent for the balance of the journey in the elevator. Rina could feel the tension and worry radiating off him in tangible waves and her heart twisted. She knew how she’d be feeling right now if it was Sara in the same position as Benedict. She’d barely be able to function.

  Finally, the elevator doors sprang open to reveal a basement parking garage. Reynard reached into a trouser pocket and she saw the lights flash on a vehicle across the way. Even in the basement lighting, the low sleek car shone as if its surface was mirror finished. The rearing horse symbol on the front grill spoke to its expensive origins.

  Confusion swirled around her. So far Reynard del Castillo hit every one of her sister’s hot buttons. He was deliciously tall, exquisitely handsome and clearly money was no object. Rina had been unable to detect a single thing about him that wouldn’t appeal to her sister on any level. So why was Sara wondering if she’d made a mistake? And why did she feel she had to leave to figure things out? It wasn’t like Sara to run away from anything, either. She was usually more up-front about things than this. So why had she done so?

  Despite his obvious anxiety about his brother, and his eagerness to get to the hospital, Reynard took the time to open the passenger door for her and waited until she was settled before closing her door and coming around to the driver’s side. It took her by surprise. She was staunchly independent, and more than used to taking care of herself. She expected and administered equality in all the spheres of her life. However, the old-fashioned courtesy was strangely appealing.

  And that wasn’t all that was appealing about the man. In the close confines of the car, her senses became finely tuned to everything about him. The warmth that emanated from his body despite the car’s air-conditioning, the capable movement of his hands on the steering wheel and the gear stick as he maneuvered out of the car park and into the blinding sunlight outdoors—not to mention the subtle blend of his fragrance.

  She closed her eyes and slowly inhaled, mentally picking apart the different layers of the scent. It reminded her of the decadence of consuming a succulent mango, slice by luscious slice, and underlying that sensual fruitiness was another scent. Something spicy. Patchouli, maybe? Whatever it was, it was doing crazy things to her insides. Things that her insides shouldn’t be doing given that she’d just been cast off by her own fiancé and was thinking these thoughts about her sister’s!

  Rina forced her eyes open. This was ridiculous. She’d never been the type to be so easily swayed by a man’s appearance and presence. Passionate attraction went against every reasonable, logical instinct she had—and it scared her a little. Even at the height of her relationship with Jacob, when she’d agreed to spend the rest of her life with him, she’d never felt as drawn to him as she now did to the stranger sitting beside her.

  She tried to shake it off. She was just overtired…and maybe a little emotionally vulnerable, after everything that had happened. Yes, that was definitely what was wrong with her. She’d get some sleep tonight and tell Reynard the truth tomorrow, and everything would go back to normal. She allowed her lips to part and forced herself to breathe lightly through her mouth in a vain attempt to rid herself of the disquieting sensation burgeoning to life deep inside her. Suddenly, telling him the truth tomorrow seemed a long, long time away.

  When they pulled up outside the hospital, Rina alighted from the car before Reynard could come around to her side and open the door for her. He did, however, ensure her hand was tucked in the corner of his arm as they walked toward the hospital doors.

  It was all too easy to see why her sister had fallen so quickly for this man. He was what they’d always referred to between them as the whole package. She was no shortie, standing at five feet ten inches in bare feet, but he topped that by almost half a foot and had an air of command in
triguingly entwined with an aura of sophisticated sexuality. It was enough to make a grown woman’s mouth water.

  Focus, Rina growled to herself, as they entered the pristine hospital reception area and Reynard made straight for the elevators. All the signs here were in three languages—Spanish, French and English—so she knew they were headed for the surgical floor.

  Sudden nerves assailed her. What if another member of the family recognized her for a fraud? What would she do then? She forced herself to breathe calmly. Why should anyone suspect anything? she rationalized. If Reynard himself, supposedly Sara’s fiancé, didn’t immediately see the difference, then it made sense that no one else would, either.

  On the surgical floor they were shown to a private waiting room. Immediately Rina spotted another handsome man who she assumed was Reynard’s elder brother, Alexander. He stood near a window, his arm around a slender woman of average height, offering her comfort even as his own face bore the ravages of the worry they were all going through. Although his hair was darker than Reynard’s, the family resemblance was still incredibly strong. On closer inspection, Rina realized that, converse to her original impression, the woman at his side was supporting him, rather than the other way around.

  As soon as Alex saw his younger brother, he pulled away from his wife and came across the room. The affection the del Castillo brothers bore for each other was evident in the way they clasped in a long and silent embrace.

  “Any news?” Reynard said as they pulled apart.

  “Nothing,” Alex said, his voice hoarse.

  “The doctor said it could be a few hours,” the other woman volunteered gently. Suddenly, she seemed to notice Rina standing near the door and crossed the room toward her. “You must be Sara. I’m so sorry our first meeting should be under these circumstances.”

  First meeting? Had Sara never met Reynard’s family?

  “She’s only just returned from visiting friends in France. I haven’t even given her time to take a breath yet.” Reynard turned to Rina and pulled her to his side. “Alex, Loren, this is Sara Woodville, my fiancée.”

  “Welcome to the family,” Alex said, taking her hand and leaning in to kiss her on the cheeks in European fashion. “As Loren said, I’m sorry we had to meet you like this, but I am glad you are here for Reynard.”

  “Thank you,” she answered, but before she could say any more a commotion outside the waiting room distracted them.

  A volley of voluble Spanish rent the air as the door opened. The del Castillo imprint was obvious on the face of the elderly gentleman who pushed into the room, leaning heavily on a highly polished wooden cane, soon followed by a middle-aged man who looked both worried and apologetic at the same time.

  “I went to visit him at the nursing home to tell him the news in person, and he took my car keys and tried to hijack my car. I tried to stop him, señors, but he would not listen,” the younger man said. “He said he would drive himself here if I did not bring him.”

  “Listen? Pah!” the white haired gentleman spat. “You think I am too old to give support to my grandchildren when they need me?”

  “Don’t worry, Javier, Abuelo will be fine with us. Why don’t you see if you can find us all some decent coffee to drink, hmm?” Reynard suggested while smoothly stepping forward and taking his grandfather’s arm.

  “I know everyone else’s preferences but, señorita, how do you take your coffee?” Javier asked.

  “Strong and milky, thank you,” Rina replied with a smile.

  “You are forgetting your manners,” the old man chastised his grandson. “Who is this young lady?”

  His slightly quavering voice in heavily accented English belied the sharply inquisitive gleam in his eyes as he assessed Rina. For a moment she wondered if he could see right through her, see the falsehood she was perpetrating by masquerading as her twin.

  “This is Sara Woodville, my fiancée,” Reynard responded smoothly.

  “It’s about time she came back. I was beginning to think she was a figment of your imagination. The governess, she won’t wait, you know. You mark my words. This accident of Benedict’s,” he stated as he waved a mottled hand through the air, “it is no accident, I tell you.”

  “Abuelo, enough!” Alex’s voice was sharp. “Benedict endangered his own life every time he got behind the wheel of a car. It was bound to catch up with him sooner or later. It had nothing to do with—”

  “You can deny it all you wish, my boy, but the facts remain in front of your face as clear as your nose. Now, where is my grandson? I wish to see him.”

  He imperiously stamped the cane he clutched in one gnarled hand on the vinyl floor, and Rina suddenly realized why the brothers had not wanted him at the hospital. He had no idea just how seriously hurt Benedict was.

  She looked from the elderly man to his two grandsons, especially Reynard. His face was a mask of concern, his hazel eyes clouded. Clearly Benedict’s injuries were life threatening. Why else would he and Alex be so determined to keep the information from their grandfather? And now, with him demanding to see his youngest grandson, and with the obvious respect they had for him so apparent in their demeanor, how could they tell him the truth?

  Without a second thought, Rina stepped forward and tucked her hand in the crook of the older man’s arm.

  “Mr. del Castillo, I’ve been traveling all day and I’m exhausted. I need to sit down. Why don’t you come and sit with me over here on one of these chairs and we’ll get to know one another a little better?”

  It wasn’t an exaggeration. She was exhausted, and she’d been traveling, or on her feet now, for the better part of two days.

  “What is this?” he bristled.

  Rina immediately threw a worried glance toward Reynard who merely lifted his eyebrows a fraction.

  “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?” she apologized.

  “Rey, explain the meaning of this. Why does your fiancée call me Meester del Castillo?”

  A small smile pulled at the sensual curve of Reynard’s lips, giving Rina little insight into what had upset his grandfather.

  “Should I have said señor? I’m sorry, my Spanish is—” she broke off. What if Sara’s Spanish had improved past the basic minimum they’d both learned in their late teens on their big overseas experience?

  “It is my mistake—I should have introduced the two of you properly instead of only doing half a job. Sara, this is my grandfather, Aston del Castillo,” Reynard interjected.

  “You must call me Abuelo,” the old man replied, with a sudden twinkle in his eye. “If you’re serious about marrying my grandson, that is.”

  Across the room Rey watched Sara blanch at his grandfather’s words, and felt a brief surge of panic. Surely she wouldn’t expose the capricious nature of their engagement now. He knew they’d entered into the thing as a bit of a lark, neither of them serious about it for now. Even Sara had said they should see where the wind blew them.

  Her attitude had been what had made her perfect for the role as his fiancée. He’d needed an engagement that would require little true commitment from him while still keeping his grandfather off his back about getting married. He doubted that Sara had any more intention of them actually getting married right now than he did, himself. If Abuelo would just stop harping on about that wretched curse, they could all get back to normal again. And then, in a few months, he and Sara could part ways gracefully and without any hard feelings. Of course, Abuelo was arguing even harder in favor of the curse now in light of the success of Alex and Loren’s marriage. There was no denying that things had improved financially for the family business and economically on Isla Sagrado as a whole, even in the short time since the two had married, supporting Abuelo’s claims that marriage for all three of the brothers would break the curse, and bring prosperity back to the family.

  Reynard still had his doubts though, about the curse of the governess. Abuelo had become unhealthily obsessed with the subject in recent months, even claimin
g to see her ghost. If the old man were to be believed, the scorned woman’s final words to her del Castillo lover were solely responsible for every sudden death in the family, not to mention the downturn in the economy of Isla Sagrado. In itself, the thought was ridiculous, but Reynard and his brothers loved their grandfather deeply and had been prepared to do whatever it took to ensure his final years remained happy. Even if, on Reynard’s part, it meant faking an engagement.

  Suddenly Rey became aware of the extended silence in the room. He stepped forward to Sara’s other side and kissed the tip of her lightly freckled nose, and was amused to see a faint flush of color flood her cheeks.

  “Of course she’s serious about marrying me, Abuelo. Who wouldn’t want to be a del Castillo bride?”

  “Bueno,” the old man said then nodded and allowed himself to be drawn over to a bank of chairs in the room where he pulled Sara down alongside him.

  Before long, their heads were together and Rey felt a sense of reprieve that his grandfather was distracted, at least for now. He moved over to Alex and Loren.

  “She did that well,” Alex commented, nodding to where Sara and their grandfather were conversing in a combination of Spanish and English.

  Rey nodded, “Thank goodness. What were you going to tell him?”

  Alex’s face grew bleak. “The truth?”

  “No,” Loren murmured. “You can’t. Not while he’s still recovering from his stroke. He’s not even well enough to be back home at the castillo yet. I’d be terrified he’d suffer a setback and never be allowed home—and you know what that would do to him.”

  “You’re right,” Rey agreed. “We don’t want a repeat of that night.”