The Vasquez Baby

‘Nowhere in particular. Europe.’ She selected a piece of fish and tried it. ‘This is delicious. We just went on normal family holidays. My parents would have loved it here,’ she murmured, her eyes on the view as they lingered over dinner.

‘You’ve told me virtually nothing about your childhood, but it was obviously very happy.’

‘Why do you say that?’

He lifted his wine glass, a faint hint of mockery in his eyes. ‘You have such a ridiculous faith in love and marriage that your parents must have been happy.’

And his hadn’t been? She wanted to ask but she was afraid of spoiling the moment so instead she talked about herself.

‘My parents met when they were teenagers and then Mum became pregnant with me.’ Faith pulled a face. ‘Terrible shock and scandal, because this was years ago and things were different then. My grandmother thought she was far too young but my father and mother were adamant that it didn’t matter. “We’re in love and we were always going to have a family at some point,” my dad always said.’

And that, of course had been another reason why she hadn’t questioned the motivations behind their own hasty marriage. She’d fallen in love with Raul. She couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.

At first she’d been panicked that he wouldn’t be pleased but when he’d immediately proposed she’d assumed that he’d adjusted to the idea as easily as she had.

‘What you’ve just told me explains a great deal about you.’ He sat across from her, his dark eyes fixed on her face, and she had the distinct impression that he was about to tell her something.

She sat still, willing him to offer up the confidence that she sensed hovered on his lips, but after a moment he rose to his feet and walked across to the rail that skirted the balcony.

Having learned not to press him to talk when he didn’t want to, Faith resisted the temptation to prompt him and instead folded her napkin neatly and joined him by the rail. ‘So where are we going tomorrow?’

He turned to face her, his dark eyes filled with secrets and shadows. Instead of answering her he took her face in his hands and kissed her with hungry, desperate urgency, his mouth hard and demanding on hers.

The kiss went from nothing to out of control in less time than it took him to back her into the suite and kick the door closed behind him. And after that there was no more talking.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

AFTER four glorious days and nights, they flew back to the estancia and Faith was feeling more settled.

The pregnancy might have triggered the marriage, but they were happy together, she knew they were.

The only slight blot on the landscape for her was that there were still moments when she didn’t feel well physically, and that disappointed her because she could no longer attribute her lack of energy to the stress of their relationship or even lack of sleep. And it wasn’t just that she was tired. Occasionally she was overwhelmed by dizziness and sickness and even though the doctor had assured her that such a reaction was quite normal after a head injury, she still felt uneasy.

But she didn’t tell Raul because she knew that if she so much as mentioned that she didn’t feel well he would fly in an entire team of doctors from all over the world.

So she kept it to herself, hopeful that it would all fade in time.

They were happy together, and that was all that mattered.

‘Raul’s in a good mood because Pedro sold him the land!’ Mateo, a business associate of Raul’s, lifted his glass in a toast. ‘And Raul is always in a good mood when he wins.’

They were dining in the most elegant restaurant in Buenos Aires, surrounded by the city’s elite, their table giving them magnificent views over the vibrant city. Candles flickered on the tables and a jazz band played on the terrace outside.

‘Raul always wins.’ Julieta, Mateo’s wife, glanced up from her plate. ‘I thought you said he wanted to hang on to that land?’

‘Apparently he wanted my money more,’ Raul drawled, his long, strong fingers curled around the stem of his wine glass. ‘I think he was influenced by my wife. Apparently I’ve become more human since I married her.’

‘I wouldn’t say so.’ Mateo winked at Faith and Julieta chuckled and reached across the table to take her husband’s hand.

‘Marriage is good for a man. It teaches him to share.’ She frowned suddenly. ‘You’re quiet tonight, Faith. Are you all right? You’re very pale. Raul, do you think she’s pale?’

‘She’s English,’ Mateo said cheerfully, leaning back as the waiter removed their plates. ‘The English are always pale.’

‘I’m fine.’ Faith managed to smile, horribly aware of Raul’s disturbingly intent gaze. The truth was that she felt exhausted and she just didn’t understand the reason. Normally she was a very energetic person but at the moment she could have happily spent her life in bed. She just wanted to sleep and sleep.

It was probably just living with Raul, she concluded wryly. Too much sex. And she was worrying, of course, about where their relationship was going. Physically he was generous and demonstrative, but emotionally…

Reaching for her water, Faith took a sip. Emotionally he still locked everything away.