‘Says the man who never reveals a single detail about his life?’
Luc shrugged. ‘I asked first.’
‘Okay,’ she agreed. ‘You asked for it, so here’s one. What happened to my horse? What happened to Ludo?’
He sat back.
‘Don’t pretend you don’t know. And don’t keep me waiting for your answer, or I’ll know it’s bad news. That horse meant the world to me. He was the only friend I—’ She broke off. ‘Well?’ she demanded after a few seconds of silence had passed. ‘Tell me.’ She braced herself.
‘Ludo,’ Luc murmured.
‘Well, at least you remember his name.’
He frowned. ‘Of course I remember his name.’
‘So?’ she pressed.
‘Your pony is having a very happy retirement.’
Tension flooded out of her. ‘Go on…’ She sat forward eagerly.
‘He’s at stud siring some of the finest foals in the world. You don’t need to worry about Ludo. If you asked him, I doubt he’d want to be anywhere but with his harem on my estancia.’
‘I’ll ask him to confirm that the next time I see him,’ she teased, and then she thought of something else. ‘Do you still ride him?’
‘All the time,’ Luc confirmed.
‘Good. I can imagine the two of you together.’ One so fiery, and one so deep. They belonged together; deserved each other for all the right reasons, and she could see now that something that had hurt her at the time had done Luc and her beloved horse the world of good. ‘Ludo would be lost without regular exercise.’
‘As would I,’ Luc assured her, not troubling to hide the wicked glint in his eyes.
‘I wouldn’t know about that,’ she said, and before he had the chance to speak she put her hand up to stop him. ‘And I don’t want to know. Just so long as Ludo’s happy, that’s okay with me.’
They fell silent after that, reminding Stacey that, however much she longed for things to be easier between them, Lucas would always be intractably welded to honour and dignity, and, though he would quite happily talk about the horses they both loved, or the parties Stacey arranged for him, their encounter in Barcelona had been a one-off that he almost certainly regretted.
And yet…
When their glances clashed and he didn’t look away, she got the feeling that he would like to kiss her. Whether it was another of her fantasies, she couldn’t tell. And if he did kiss her, she guessed it would be a reassuring kiss and not the way he’d kissed her in Barcelona.
‘Food,’ he reminded her. ‘You must be hungry by now?’
‘Starving,’ she confirmed.
The tension between them released as he asked what she’d like and they talked easily about what to eat. ‘When we’ve finished you can go straight to bed.’
‘Yes, sir.’ She gave him a mock salute. ‘Any more instructions?’
‘That covers it,’ he said.
And…was she mistaken, or was that a glint of humour in his eyes? Either that or a reflection of the fire. Why couldn’t Luc get it through his head that she was a grown woman with feelings and emotions? Just because he was an emotion-free zone… Or was he? Sometimes she suspected that his feelings, long since bottled up inside him, were longing for a trigger to let them out.
DIOS! EACH TIME he saw her he wanted to do a lot more than kiss her. When he’d found her in the snow his world had tilted on its axis. The thought of losing her was insupportable.
‘Lucas?’
‘What?’ Her voice held a concerned note that made him feel bad for locking her out. If there was one person who could undo him it was Stacey, and those memories were better where they were, buried deep. Easing back on the sofa, he spread his arms across the back in an attitude of apparent unconcern.
‘You looked so tense,’ she remarked, frowning. ‘You were actually scowling—not that I haven’t seen that expression before. Is something wrong?’
Yes, you’re wrong, he thought. He should be looking to settle down and start a dynasty to perpetuate Da Silva Inc, but when that time came he’d choose a woman bred for the role, someone sparkling and superficial who he couldn’t hurt.
‘I’m hungry,’ he said with a shrug. ‘And you know what I’m like when I’m hungry.’
‘Bear? Sore head?’ she suggested. And then, without warning, she sprang off the sofa. ‘Come on, then…’ She held out her hand to take his. ‘Let’s eat. I’ll get no sense out of you until we do.’
He stood, but he didn’t make any attempt to hold her outstretched hand. Any contact between them was dangerous. He’d learned there was no such thing as an innocent kiss between him and Stacey, and she deserved a lot more than he could offer.
It was a relief to find himself at the breakfast bar where he could occupy himself with the business of eating rather than dwell on the prospect of sex with Stacey. She helped by chatting about details for the upcoming party, but every now and then she’d look at him with eyes full of compassion, and that wasn’t very helpful. She was waiting for him to confide in her, tell her things he’d never told anyone, things he hadn’t even confronted himself. Neither of them made any reference to their recent kiss, though, while she might have found it easy to put that behind her, he still brooded on it.
Eventually she sighed, as if she’d given up on him. ‘Sorry, but I have to get some sleep,’ she said, standing up to go. ‘You’ve been amazing. You saved my life.’ And before he knew what she was doing, she leaned forward to brush a kiss against his cheek. It was such a little thing, but long-hidden feelings squirmed inside him. No one kissed him like that. No one had for a long time.
‘Okay, goodnight,’ she said. ‘Try and get some sleep.’
‘You too,’ he encouraged. Before I yank you close and kiss the breath out of your body. ‘You’ve had quite an ordeal today.’
‘Not as bad as the cat,’ she said dryly.
‘Ah, the cat,’ he murmured, remembering how tender she’d been with the animal. That memory dredged up more. His parents, his siblings. It was definitely time for Stacey to go. Carrying their plates to the counter, he kept his back turned. ‘We both need sleep,’ he agreed, but more sharply than he had intended. He felt bad for snapping, but memories were dangerous things. His were better left undisturbed.
When her footsteps faded, he stood in the great room surveying what he could see of the village. Snow had stopped falling, though it had left everything cloaked in white. His best guess was that they would be cut off from the village for a few days. A lot could happen in that time. Yes, a party could be held, and guests entertained. Anything beyond that he would put from his mind.
Rest? Rest was unlikely with Stacey in the next room. If the hotels hadn’t been full he’d have shipped her out, but they were where they were. He’d be shovelling snow in the morning, too busy to think of anything else, he reassured himself. Then he would liaise with his people to make sure they had everything covered for the party. The last he’d heard there were no more supplies getting through to the village. He could only be glad Stacey was so well organised.
Stacey…
There she was again. Each time he thought it was possible to stop thinking about her, she invaded his mind. He just had to face facts.