She looked out of the window for a second before her gaze met his.
A little apprehensive. A lot alluring, with a swathe of hair falling over one eye. The urge to reach out and slide the wavy silk through his fingers raked through him. He settled for securing her seat belt as the car moved off.
Either she was too tired to protest or his idea wasn’t unwelcome, but the yawn that overtook her superseded everything else. Kicking off her shoes, she rested her head against the seat. ‘Okay,’ she said simply, before her eyes drifted shut.
Her easy acquiescence kicked a pulse of worry down his spine that lingered all the way to the airport. Once he had confirmation that his instructions had been carried out, he allowed himself to relax a touch.
She awakened long enough to get out of the car when they arrived at his plane. Swinging her into his arms, he strode up the stairs. Felt more tension leave him again as she curled into his chest. His plan was the right one.
In his grief and anger, he’d only seen things short term, a quick way to stop the agony of his loss. It was time to think long term.
Take-off was smooth, and they were halfway over the Atlantic by the time she woke up. From his armchair in the large cabin bedroom, he watched her sit up, push her silky hair back from her face. Warm, sleepy, beautiful, she blinked in the soft lamplight for a minute before she spotted him.
Her hand dropped from her hair, the deliberate action obscuring her face from him. Ramon forced himself to stay put. ‘Did you sleep well, belleza?’
‘I slept well.’ She looked down at herself, saw the half-slip she wore and tensed. ‘You undressed me?’ Her voice held the guardedness he’d been subjected to in varying forms for
the last two weeks.
‘Sí, your dress was too restricting. I wanted to make you more comfortable.’
She nodded, still not looking at him. The tension he’d thought he’d talked himself out of ramped up his spine. Leaning forward on his elbows, he took a breath.
‘Suki, we need to talk.’
Her slim shoulders stiffened, the square inch of coverlet caught in her fingers twisting over and over. ‘So talk,’ she invited. But her voice lacked warmth, her throat working as she swallowed.
Dios, this was insane.
He’d faced some of the toughest negotiators in the world and hadn’t felt as nervous and out of his depth as he did right now. ‘It’s time to discuss our baby’s future. Our future,’ he said.
Her head snapped up, her eyes finding his. A deep, bruised wariness lurked in the blue depths and that drowning pain was back in his chest. Expanding.
‘We agreed we would discuss it after the baby was born. That’s months from now.’
He nodded. ‘I know, but—’
‘I won’t give up my baby!’ She was leaning forward, her chin jutting out in challenge as she placed one protective hand over her stomach. ‘You should know that right now. It’s non-negotiable. I will fight you in court for as long as I live, if need be.’
Her fierceness lit a fire in the cold, hard places in him. But that jealousy he’d felt earlier tonight reared its head. The knowledge that this time it was directed at his own child was shameful. But, sí, he wasn’t perfect. He wanted that fierceness for himself.
‘I’m not asking you to give him up. I’m asking that we join forces. That whatever platform we launch from, we do it together.’
She frowned, her fingers twisting even more frantically. He wanted to go to her, take those hands in his. Kiss her. Tell her about every insane emotion that prowled within him. But how could he, when he didn’t know it himself?
‘I’m sorry, Ramon. You lost me.’
He took a deep breath and rose. Partly because he couldn’t sit still any longer. Partly because he needed to be near her when he said the words. ‘I want to make this permanent. I want you to marry me.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
SUKI WAS GLAD she was sitting down because she was sure his words—and the sudden bolt of turbulence that hit the plane—would’ve flattened her.
‘What?’
He opened his mouth, but she shook her head quickly, holding up her hands, needing time to absorb what he’d said.
‘It’s okay, you don’t need to repeat it. I heard you. What I meant was why?’