seemed to believe, the fact that Gabriel was very wealthy wasn’t all that important to her. And until they were married—if that day ever came—she refused to let him spoil her. Not that he hadn’t tried.
The wining and dining was one thing, but on their third date he bought her a pair of stunning diamond earrings to show his appreciation for her professional services at the hotel. She had refused to take them. She had drooled over a similar pair in the jewelry boutique at the hotel with a price tag that amounted to a year’s salary.
Then there had been the lush flower arrangements that began arriving at her office every morning like clockwork after he’d flown back home, and the toys for Mia from local shops. She’d had to gently but firmly tell him, no more. There was no need to buy her affections.
“I’ll wait for you,” she told Gabriel. Even if she did have a place to go home to, the idea of making that miserably long flight two more times with Mia in tow was motivation enough to stay.
“I promise we’ll chat daily. You brought your laptop?”
“Yes, but I can’t get on the network. And I’ll need plug adaptors since the outlets are different.”
“Just ask Marcus. I’ve instructed him to get you anything that you need. He was there to greet you, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, he was there.”
“And he was respectful?”
She could tell Gabriel the truth, but what would that accomplish, other than to make Gabriel feel bad, and Marcus resent her even more. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a rift between father and son.
“He made me feel very welcome.”
“I’m relieved. He took losing his mother very hard.”
“And it’s difficult for him to imagine you with someone new.”
“Exactly. I’m proud of him for taking the change so well.”
He wouldn’t be proud if he knew how Marcus had really acted, but that would remain hers and Marcus’s secret.
“Your room is satisfactory?”
“Beyond satisfactory, and the palace is amazing. I plan to take Mia for a walk on the grounds tomorrow, and I can hardly wait to visit the village.”
“I’m sure Marcus would be happy to take you. You should ask him.”
When hell froze over, maybe. Besides, she would much rather go exploring on her own, just her and Mia.
“Maybe I will,” she said, knowing she would do no such thing.
“I know that when you get to know one another, you’ll become friends.”
Somehow she doubted that. Even if she wanted to, Marcus clearly wanted nothing to do with her.
“I left a surprise for you,” Gabriel said. “It’s in the top drawer of the desk.”
“What sort of surprise?” she asked, already heading in that direction.
“Well, it won’t be a surprise if I tell you,” he teased. “Look and see.”
She was already opening the drawer. Inside was a credit card with her name on it. She picked it up and sighed. “Gabriel, I appreciate the gesture, but—”
“I know, I know. You’re too proud to take anything from me. But I want to do this for you.”
“I just don’t feel comfortable spending your money. You’re doing enough already.”
“Suppose you see something in the village that you like? I know you have limited funds. I want you to have nice things.”
“I have you, that’s all I need.”
“And that, my dear, is why you are such an amazing woman. And why I love you. Promise me you’ll keep it with you, just in case. I don’t care if it’s five euros or five thousand. If you see something you really want, please buy it.”
“I’ll keep it handy,” she said, dropping it back in the drawer, knowing she would never spend a penny.
“I’ve missed you, Vanessa. I’m eager to start our life together.”
“If I stay,” she reminded him, so he knew that nothing was set in stone yet.
“You will,” he said, as confident and certain as the day he’d asked her to marry him. Then there was the sound of voices in the background. “Vanessa, I have to go. The doctor is here and I need to speak with him.”
“Of course.”
“We’ll chat tomorrow, yes?”
“Yes.”
“I love you, my sweet Vanessa.”
“I love you, too,” she said, then the call disconnected.
She sighed and set her phone on the desk, hoping there would come a day when she could say those words, and mean them the way that Gabriel did. That there would be a time when the sort of love she felt for him extended past friendship.
It wasn’t that she didn’t find him attractive. There was no doubt that he was an exceptionally good-looking man. Maybe his jaw wasn’t as tight as it used to be, and there was gray at his temples, and he wasn’t as fit as he’d been in his younger years, but those things didn’t bother her. It was what was on the inside that counted. And her affection for him felt warm and comfortable. What was missing was that … zing.
Like the one you felt when you took Marcus’s hand?
She shook away the thought. Yes, Marcus was an attractive man, too, plus he didn’t have the sagging skin, graying hair and expanding waist. He also didn’t have his father’s sweet disposition and generous heart.
When Gabriel held her, when he’d brushed his lips across her cheek, she felt respected and cherished and safe. And okay, maybe those things didn’t make for steamy hot sex, but she knew from personal experience that sex could be highly overrated. What really mattered was respect, and friendship. That’s what was left when the zing disappeared. And it always did.
Men like Marcus thrilled, then they bailed. Usually leaving a substantial mess in their wake. She could just imagine the string of broken hearts he’d caused. But Gabriel was dependable and trustworthy, and that’s exactly what she was looking for in a man now. She’d had her thrills, now she wanted a mature, lasting relationship. Gabriel could give her that. That and so much more, if she was smart enough, and strong enough, to let him.
Four
Marcus was halfway through his second set of laps that evening, the burn in his muscles shaking off the stress that hung on his shoulders like an iron cloak, when he heard his cell phone start to ring. He swam to the side of the pool, hoisted himself up onto the deck and walked to the table where he’d left his phone, the hot tile scorching his feet. It was his father.
He
