The furrow between his ebony brows deepened as he closed down the inner dialogue. Not being in a relationship didn’t meant that he hadn’t moved on from Gwen; not being in a relationship meant he was doing something right. Living his life the way he always did.
A fleeting image of his brother’s ex-lover floated into his head. Despite his initial natural inclination to side with his twin, Marisa’s story and her genuine desperation had touched him, and brought home how far he and his twin had grown apart. There had been a time when they discussed everything.
He asked himself what would be achieved by telling Roman now. At the time, he couldn’t for the life of him see anything positive in doing so. But his eyes drifted to the half-open door behind which his own child lay asleep and he realised that now his reaction might have been very different. But that had been then, he told himself, once more squashing down his guilt. Marisa’s child had got the bone marrow he’d so desperately needed to save his life and that was what mattered the most.
‘And every child deserves a father?’
He arched a brow, wondering if he had imagined the tense undercurrent in her question. ‘You don’t think so?’
‘It depends on the father. If I think that you’re not good for Ellie, I will cut off all access and I don’t care if you have a tribe of lawyers throwing money at it.’ Her eyes shot blue warning fire at him.
His lips twitched at her ferocious tigress act, except of course it wasn’t an act. He was pretty sure she’d make anyone who hurt her child regret living. ‘That seems reasonable.’
Suspicious of Rio’s sudden, easy capitulation, Gwen folded her arms across her heaving breasts. ‘So how do you envisage this working?’ She was pleased she sounded calm and businesslike, and glad he couldn’t hear the panicked thud of her heart. Although maybe he could—it was pretty much all she could hear.
Gwen couldn’t help wondering if Rio was secretly regretting having no contact with his son and whether Ellie was going to be some sort of consolation prize. But as much as she hated the idea, Gwen knew that he was right to ask for the opportunity to get to know his daughter. Sheowedhim a chance, at least, to establish some sort of paternal relationship with Ellie.
‘I understand there is a week left of term and then you have a long summer vacation?’
She nodded cautiously. Even the most devoted staff were counting down the days.
‘You have any plans?’
Gwen was not fooled for a moment by the seeming casualness of the question. ‘I thought we might take a few trips to the beach. I might even buy a tent when Ellie is a bit older and try camping.’ She had always wanted to camp when she was a child but her father had been too busy for family holidays and her mother came out in a rash at the idea of being that close to nature.
‘That sounds enjoyable, but I have another idea, although I’m afraid it does not involve canvas. Come to Spain with me. I have a place with a private beach where you can relax and I can get to know my...ourdaughter,’ he swiftly corrected in response to the warning flash from her eyes. ‘And you can get used to me being part of your life.’
‘You can’t be a part ofmylife!’ she snapped.
He arched a brow. ‘Isn’t that inevitable when we have a child together? Don’t make me fight you on this, Gwen.’
She found the absence of anything in his expression or voice more intimidating than if he’d yelled at her.
She swallowed, but her chin stayed lifted to a defiant angle. ‘Are you threatening me?’
He gave an impatient shake of his head. ‘Don’t be so dramatic. I am simply telling you that I intend to be part of my child’s life.’
‘Ourchild’s life.’
He smiled, all silky confidence and even white teeth. ‘Exactly the point I have been trying to make.’
‘I could send you reports...photos or—’ Under the relentless unblinking gaze of his deep-set eyes her voice trailed off as she felt like a drowning man going under for the last time. ‘Spain in the summer might be a little hot for Ellie and she can be quite fussy about her food.’ The former was a relevant concern; the latter was a downright lie. Ellie happily munched through everything that was set in front of her.
‘We have air conditioning and adequate sunscreen, plus she appears to have inherited my colouring...’
Her attention was immediately drawn to the vibrant deep gold of his skin. She shrugged while her treacherous hormones went wild as she struggled to dispel the image that seemed imprinted on her retinas of him standing in front of her naked, the formation of long bone and deep muscle giving him the look of a classic statue brought to warm, rampant life.
‘It’s hard to tell at this stage,’ she mumbled.
‘I have read that introducing children to new tastes early on influences healthy food preferences later on in life.’
Gwen wasn’t sure that was completely true but it certainly sounded plausible, and while she was thinking about it, he added smoothly, ‘So I will make the necessary arrangements and pick you both up on the last day of term. I’ll be in touch soon to let you know what time.’
CHAPTER SIX
RIOTRAVELLEDLIGHT. Packing was not something that he wasted time and energy on. Like most things in life it all came down to good organisation.
That morning it had taken him five minutes between returning from his run, getting out of the shower and sliding suited and booted behind the wheel of his car, coffee cup in hand. His laptop and his bag containing all the essentials was slung in the boot of his car, a boot that up until about fifteen minutes ago had seemed capacious enough for his needs.