But another child...with Ramon? Her insides clenched with apprehension at the thought of creating another child, this time deliberately with him. But next to that apprehension, a tiny quiver she refused to label as hope and excitement began to unfurl. She pushed it back down, unwilling to let it spring forth when there was so much more to consider.
‘How will we manage this? You work and travel all over the world. I live in England. You know I’m not about to hand over my child to you the moment it’s born. So how is this going to work?’
‘Our child will be born here in Cuba. Once he or she is old enough, relocating my offices anywhere in the world will not be a problem. We will decide when the time comes how that will be handled.’
She frowned. ‘I have a job, Ramon. You expect me to what...just give it up to sit around while waiting to have your baby?’
‘I would prefer that you do not work while you’re pregnant and of course in the first few years of the baby’s life—’
Her stunned laughter stopped him. ‘You’re joking, aren’t you? That’s not how the real world works. I have bills to pay, my mother to look after once her treatment is over.’
‘How do you intend to do that when your latest request to return to work was denied?’
Her mouth dropped open. ‘Is there any part of my life that you haven’t dug up yet?’
‘I don’t know what your favourite colour is or which brand of toothpaste you prefer. But we have time for that.’ He picked up the agreement and held it out to her. ‘Read the agreement, a little more carefully this time. Pay attention to clause five.’
She eyed him for a few seconds before she accepted the papers. The clause he mentioned was on the third page. Shock bolted through her, blurring her vision after she’d counted six zeros. ‘You can’t...this is another joke, right?’
‘This is to ensure that our child remains your number one priority. To ensure you don’t have to think about bills or work or anything beyond our baby’s welfare. Your mother too will be well taken care of.’
‘I hadn’t planned on anything else superseding my child’s well-being but...this is an absurd amount of money.’
His sensual mouth pursed. ‘You seem to have trouble grasping that nothing about this discussion is humorous, Suki.’
‘Probably because I’m still finding it hard to believe that you truly want this.’
He grabbed the papers from her and once again shoved them aside. His hands cupped her shoulders, bringing her close enough so she didn’t miss every flicker of emotion that crossed his face.
‘I want a child, Suki. You will be the woman who bears me that child. Is there some other way you wish me to say that before you believe that I mean it?’ he rasped in a deep, fervid voice.
Perhaps it was the electric burn of his hands on her bare skin. Or the minute tremble in his voice that spoke of soul-deep intent and yearning. Whatever it was, it cut through the fog of her remaining indecision. Even before her head had fully grasped her intent, her heart had accepted that this was what she would do.
For her mother.
For herself.
Perhaps most of all for Luis. The knowledge that she would play a hand in ensuring her friend’s bloodline lived on filled her with the same sense of joy she’d been honoured to receive from Luis. Through her child, she would always have a piece of her friend.
‘No, you don’t need to say anything else,’ she whispered.
‘So you agree?’
She nodded again. ‘Yes.’
He stared down at her for another long spell, his thumbs absently sliding back and forth on her skin before his gaze dropped to her lips. As if he’d touched them, they tingled wildly, the blood plumping them until she slicked her tongue over her lower lip to alleviate the sting.
‘What time frame do we have to work with?’
She frowned. ‘I...what?’
‘Is the window closing on this month’s cycle?’ he demanded.
That wasn’t a question she’d expected. Because those weren’t questions near strangers asked each other.
She closed her eyes as heat flared up her face. ‘I... I’m... God, I can’t believe I’m discussing my menstrual cycle with you.’
‘It’s a naturally occurring event and nothing to be embarrassed about,’ he replied.