Back in the Brazilian's Bed

‘Let it go, Dante. Our lives have moved on.’

He shook his head. ‘You carried my child. You’re my friend—or you used to be. You’re Luc’s sister. Choose any reason you like, but that makes you my concern whether you want to be or not. You can’t hold this poison inside you for ever or it will rot you from the inside out.’

‘Let the past be!’ she exclaimed. ‘I don’t need anyone to rescue me, especially not you. I’ve done okay and I’ll do even better in the future. Yes, I was wild and, yes, I got pregnant, but when I lost my baby I knew my wild days were over for good, and there was only one way back, which was to have a purpose in life. Only then could I find my way forward again. You’re wrong about me hiding away in Luc’s hotel. I went after a career with the same single-minded determination that I went after you that night.’ She dashed her tears away impatiently. ‘And if our baby had lived, I would have done everything I could to be a good mother.’

‘You don’t have to convince me. I know that’s true. But we’re talking about then, and this is now, Karina. Let me help you. It’s not a sign of weakness to reach out, and if you’re in trouble, please, trust me enough to help you make it right.’

‘You can’t,’ she said flatly, withdrawing like a wounded animal into her burrow.

‘Deus, Karina! How are we going to work together if we can’t communicate on any level?’

‘This conversation has nothing to do with my work, and my personal life has nothing to do with you.’

‘It has everything to do with me,’ Dante argued fiercely. ‘If someone I care about hurts, I won’t turn my back on them.’

She shook her head and stubbornly refused to change her mind. ‘In my case you’ll have to make an exception.’

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SHE GLANCED LONGINGLY towards the ranch house.

‘Yes, you should go,’ Dante agreed. ‘Why don’t you just give up and go home? I’m sure you can find a replacement to organise the polo cup.’ He shook his head with annoyance.

Karina was annoyed with herself. Luc had taught her not to be a victim. Her brother had instilled in her the necessity for a spine of steel. Was walking out now the way to repay him?

‘I’m not going anywhere until I’ve finished this job,’ she said firmly.

Dante shook his head. ‘It’s not that easy, Karina. That decision is no longer yours to make. Either you tell me what you’re hiding or you can leave.’

‘You’re threatening me?’

Dante remained silent.

‘I have one week left. In that time I’ll draw up my initial plans. The rest I can do from Rio. I’ll tell you everything you want to know—’

‘When will that be?’ Dante asked harshly. ‘Will you tell me to my face? Or will you text me on your way home? Perhaps you’ll remember to send me an email when you get back to the safety of Rio. Why should I believe anything you say, when you stun me with the news that you were a virgin that night—horrify me with the fact that you lost our baby, and then hold back on this? You’re not a woman I recognise, Karina. You’ve become a stranger to me.’

Stung and shocked by Dante’s coldness, she fired back at him, ‘And you’re a man without a heart—a man who pushes everyone away except strangers, because they never get too close, do they, Dante? You bring people to your ranch and do so much good work on the projects, but by your own admission you don’t know the name of a single person you help. You’re more damaged than I am. You were hurt as a child and you still bear the scars of your father’s contempt. You shy away from relationships. You’re frightened of love. You’re frightened to lay yourself open to hurt again.’

‘I’m not frightened of anything!’ His laughter was cruel as if he meant to hurt her.

‘Prove it!’ she challenged.

Driving his mouth down on hers, he did exactly that, kissing every rational thought from her head. Numb with shock for a moment, she felt his need as her own and kissed him back. Matching his passion, she fuelled it, knowing she had driven him to this. They had driven each other to the extremes of what it was possible for either of them to withstand.

And Dante’s wasn’t gentle with her, or playful, as he had been in the swimming pool. His kiss was the kiss of a man on the edge. She might have secrets but he had a whole world of hurt and bitter confusion inside him. Deep in his emotional core Dante Baracca, the hero of so many, was still trying to make sense of what he could have done to make his father hate him.