that they were waiting anxiously to hear about the success of his trip so that they could make preparations for welcoming Dominique and the baby into their home. Despite Dominique’s reservations about returning to Spain with him, Cristiano had no intention of disappointing them.
‘It is getting late.’ Glancing down at the gold Cartier watch that glinted expensively against his tanned wrist, he deliberately assumed a more businesslike manner to help put things back on an even keel. ‘I need to book into my hotel and get a shower and some dinner. Tomorrow I will send a car for you, and we can meet to discuss the situation further when we are both feeling a little less emotional and overwrought. Do you agree?’
‘I’ll agree for Ramón’s mother’s sake,’ Dominique replied, moving stiffly towards the door. ‘But I’m not promising anything more than that.
Biting back his frustration, Cristiano reached inside his jacket pocket, withdrew his wallet, and then a small embossed card. ‘This is the name and telephone number of where I am staying. If you should think of anything you need before we meet tomorrow…anything at all…I want you to ring me. I will send the car at around ten a.m. Will that suit? The sooner we can talk again the better.’
‘Ten is fine. I’m always up early with Matilde.’
‘So…I will say goodbye for now, and look forward to seeing you again tomorrow, Dominique.’
He extended his hand to her and she took it reluctantly, slipping her palm away from contact with his as soon as she could, as if she was wary of his touch and his promises. Cristiano’s shoulders stiffened. He nodded towards her rather curtly, to show his displeasure at this small act of rebellion, and ruefully made his exit.
Dominique asked for Cristiano at the desk and was stunned by the deferential response she received. No sooner did she mention his name than a smartly suited concierge arrived to whisk her personally up to the top floor in the spacious lift of the glamorous Mayfair hotel. He left her outside the door of his suite with all the respectful attention that any visiting VIP might receive.
Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Dominique waited until her escort departed before she touched her knuckles to the walnut panelling and knocked. As she did so, she would have sworn that her heartbeat was far louder than the answering echo that seemed to bounce ominously round the wide, softly carpeted corridor. She had never set foot in such a smart, exclusive hotel before, and couldn’t help but feel like an impostor. And the prospect of seeing Cristiano again after the turbulent encounter of last night was growing ever more daunting.
When the shiny black chauffeur-driven Jaguar had arrived to pick her up and bring her here it had sent Dominique’s fears spiralling almost out of control. Now here, in these luxurious, opulent surroundings, her concerns about the power the Cordovas might potentially have over her were frighteningly confirmed. She’d hardly slept a wink for thinking about the Spaniard’s visit. Had Cristiano been telling her the truth when he’d said that Ramón’s family would welcome her and Matilde with open arms? What if it had just been a ruse to get her on Spanish soil where, with their money and power, they could bring the full force of the legal system to bear to ensure that Matilde stayed with them for ever?
‘Dominique.’
Suddenly the man she’d come to visit was in the open doorway before her—a tall, dark clothed figure, lean-hipped and hard-muscled, the suggestion of reined-in power very much evident despite his casual stance. Like a cat ready to pounce at the first hint of danger. Glancing up into his compelling face, she saw that his eyes were as fathomless as a black night studded with stars, and his jet hair gleamed like a dark moonlit sea. Dominique’s mouth seemed to instantly dry up at the sight of him.
‘Where is Matilde?’
‘I left her with my friend for a couple of hours…I thought it would make it easier for us to talk.’
‘That is a shame. I was looking forward to seeing her again.’
Dominique felt both guilty and chastised. ‘I’m not trying to stop you seeing her. I just thought—’
‘It is early yet. Perhaps I can see her later on in the day?’
Cristiano studied her face intently for a moment, as though needing to discern whether he could trust her or not, and Dominique sensed he knew she had not brought Matilde along because her fears about the outcome of this meeting had not yet been allayed.
‘You had better come in.’
The elegant drawing room she entered was decorated in a tasteful quintessentially English style, with antique furniture, inviting luxurious sofas and armchairs, and plush red velvet curtains finished with opulent swags at the windows. There was even a baby grand piano in residence, its polished ebony wood gleaming. Dominique felt like the little match girl, wandering in from the cold in her nondescript black woollen dress and slightly oversized tweed coat. A room like this, she mused, called for nothing less than a tall elegant blonde clad in haute couture and diamonds—the kind that graced billboards, not a five-foot-five unconfident girl with nondescript brown hair and a deepening sense of dread.
‘I’ve ordered us some coffee. It should be with us shortly. Please…let me take your coat.’
Embarrassed and then angry at the idea that Cristiano must guess that her well worn, less-than-elegant coat was a charity shop buy, Dominique handed it to him with an air of defiance.
‘Sit down,’ he told her, his dark gaze briefly skimming her figure in the unremarkable black dress…another cast-off from a charity shop.
It was impossible to know what was going on behind those extraordinary dark eyes of his, but everything about Cristiano Cordova reeked of class and money. Standing there in that elegant drawing room with him, Dominique was painfully aware of the discrepancy in their backgrounds. It was funny, but she hadn’t felt that way with Ramón. Maybe it was because he had been younger and a little less sure of himself? There had been times in their short-lived relationship when he had definitely displayed what had seemed like vulnerability to her. In contrast, she had never met a man who appeared more certain of his place in the world than Cristiano Cordova. No doubt he already had a tall elegant blonde in his life, Dominique mused.
‘Make yourself comfortable,’ he suggested. ‘It is cold outside today, no?’
He didn’t seem the type to casually discuss the weather, and she guessed that maybe he was doing it to try and help her feel less overwhelmed. But would a man like him be that considerate? A man who clearly knew what he wanted and would not let a little thing like somebody else’s conflicting desires get in the way?
As she sank into one of the inviting armchairs, Dominique watched Cristiano take up residence at the end of the sofa nearest to her—which was far too close for comfort, if she was honest—and she swallowed hard.
‘Yes, it is cold.’
‘I can see that you are somewhat tense about this meeting, Dominique. I want to reassure you that I have asked you here only because I want the very best for you and your daughter.’
‘That’s all well and good, but I’m a little tired of everybody else being convinced they know what’s best for me and Matilde!’ she snapped, feeling her throat threatening to close.
‘How old are you?’
‘Twenty-one… Why? I suppose now you’re going to tell me that I’m far too young and irresponsible
