After a handful of seconds Tomas turned to him. ‘Let her go, Gael,’ his father said to him in Spanish. ‘Emotions are too high right now. You can try and repair things later.’
Every instinct screamed against his taking his father’s advice. But Goldie’s raised chin and her aggressive stance spelled a no-go zone he would find impossible to breach. Still, his chest felt on fire with the idea of letting her go.
‘Amante, please...’ he tried again.
‘I’m leaving, Gael, and I don’t want you to come with me.’
He glanced at his father. Saw a tiny nod from Tomas.
His ragged sigh felt like a gasp of death. ‘I’ll tell the driver to take you home. I’ll be there in an hour, maybe two. Will...will that be enough time?’
Dios, please let her say yes. He couldn’t stand to be away longer than that.
Her mouth twisted. ‘More than enough.’
With those two words his wife turned on her spiky heels and walked away.
And with each step she took Gael’s senses screamed at him that he was making the biggest mistake of his life.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
GOLDIE HAD NO RECOLLECTION of what she’d packed or how long it had taken for the driver to deliver her to the airport. But somehow she’d managed to talk to a ticket agent and buy a ticket home.
She still had a couple of days before the last leg of filming commenced for Soul’s Triumph, for which she thanked God. Because the way she felt right now—the way her heart screamed as if it was being ripped out with each breath she took—she didn’t think she could utter one line, never mind a few hundred.
She needed the comfort of home, of her mother, even though she would need to turn around and come right back to Spain in two days to join the cast and crew. Even though Gael would most likely still be here.
She just couldn’t bear to be here right now. Because somewhere between his threats and his mockery and his smiles and his exceptional lovemaking she’d fallen in love with the man whose child she carried.
Goldie was too weary to pinpoint when exactly it had happened. It had happened. And even before she’d dared to hope that her fragile feelings might be returned he’d dashed hope in the most devastating way possible.
She only had herself to blame. Everything that had happened from the moment Gael had stepped into that alley six weeks ago had been her fault.
He’d made her no promises, save for telling her that he desired her and wanted the child she carried, and she’d foolishly chosen to let her heart loose in the frantic hope for love.
Squeezing her eyes shut and turning her head away from the curious passenger next to her, she pressed her fist to her mouth as tears fell.
Maybe the newness of her love meant she could salvage her heart?
Dream on, her shattered heart mocked.
She’d fallen hook, line and sinker.
There was no going back.
* * *
Gael tried to outstare his mother-in-law as she bodily barred her front door.
‘Sorry, son. She doesn’t want to see you.’
There was nothing remotely remorseful in her tone. In fact her body bristled with enough quiet fury for him to realise where Goldie got her strength from.
‘Gloria, I just want to talk to her for five minutes.’ He used his most reasonable negotiating tone, despite wanting to roar and plead and beg.
Gloria Beckett folded her arms. ‘She flew six thousand miles to get away from you. Hoping that a five-minute conversation will fix things is a touch foolish, don’t you think?’ she challenged.
Suitably chastised, he nodded. ‘I’m willing to do whatever it takes, however long it takes. Can you please tell her that?’