If Rafael were as good at this as Santos, it was no wonder Maggie had fallen for him so fast.
She leaned back and caught a glimpse of the magnificent painting of Miguel sailing his cape over a charging bull. It dominated the room and was a stark reminder she was in a foreign world, where she’d only meant to be a tourist. She fought to get a hold of herself. When she wanted so much more, it was a struggle. “I’m concerned about Maggie, but I need to take care of myself too,” she announced too loudly. She slid off his lap and straightened her dress over her thighs. “You’re awfully good, but we need to concentrate on our mission.”
Santos regarded her with a confused gaze. “What mission?”
She had to swallow hard so her voice wouldn’t shake. “Convincing our sister not to marry Rafael.”
Santos shoved off the couch. His shirt was unbuttoned and pulled out of his pants. “I’ll try, as long as you promise to remember we’re not related.”
His voice was low and emphatic, but he’d been too charming tonight for her to turn wary again. She also knew enough about men’s fragile egos not to laugh. “You made that point earlier, and we just proved it. What time do you want to go sailing?”
He walked her to the bottom of the front stairs. “Is six thirty too early for you?”
“No. They say the best way to beat jet lag is to adjust your schedule to the local time. I’ll meet you on the patio.”
She was already upstairs when she began to wonder if any of the servants lived in. If not, then she and Santos were alone in a very large, strange and dark house. Finally she understood how it felt to be swept off her feet, but she’d caught herself in time, or so she hoped. Closing her door, she locked it with the big, old-fashioned key, keeping herself in as much as keeping him out.
Rafael’s apartment was small, but Maggie had so many cherished memories of the time they’d spent there, she didn’t worry over the fact they really needed to find a larger place. She kicked off her shoes and walked into Rafael’s arms. “Now that we’re alone, please tell me you wouldn’t leave me no matter what my parents say.”
He slid his arms around her waist. “I want to be a gentleman, but you have that dangerous gleam in your eyes.”
“Don’t you dare try and distract me.”
He drew her closer. “I don’t want you to have any regrets. What should I have said?”
“Don’t you know? You could have threatened to find a horse and ride away with me.”
He smothered a deep chuckle in her hair. “I’ve never ridden a horse. How about just tossing you over my shoulder?”
“Rafael, I’m serious.”
He kissed her with the soft slow magic he did so well. “I am being serious. I’d never leave you, unless you sent me away.”
She grabbed hold of his arms to stay on her feet. “That’s better. If my parents pose any objection to our marriage, I’ll just thank them for coming to meet you and wait until we have children to see them again.”
“Children?” He kissed the sweet curve of her jaw. “Isn’t it too soon to begin a family?”
She looped her arms around his neck. “We shouldn’t wait too long.”
He looked around. “All right, but where would we put them?”
“We can find a larger home, and they won’t all arrive at once.”
He tugged her earlobe through his teeth. “How many babies do you want?”
Now that he had left the bullring, she wasn’t terrified she’d have a son who’d run after him, waving a cape. “A couple, maybe three.”
“We’re young. We can wait until I finish med school.”
She reached up to kiss him. “What happened to living in the present?”
“I still want to enjoy the moment, but now we’ll have a future I couldn’t promise you before.”
A ripple of unease slid down her spine. “I don’t want to wait. Babies sleep a lot, and I’ll keep them quiet while you’re studying.”
He hugged her and lifted her off her feet. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. We could be together for fifty years.”
“I hope so too, but this is the time to have babies, not when we’re in our seventies. You’ll probably cover that in med school.”