“So go.”
He briefly considered the idea of dragging her forcibly down the aisle. But she was surrounded by farmers and ranchers and strong neighbors with guns, while to their eyes he was just some stranger who was taking her and Robby away.
But he wasn’t just a stranger. He was Robby’s father.
Gabriel sucked in a deep breath, overwhelmed by the flood of emotion in his heart. He couldn’t give in to the feeling. Couldn’t…
Grabbing her wrist, he started to pull her towards the door. “We will marry, then leave for Rio—”
She ripped her arm out of his grasp. “I’m not going.”
“You’re being ridiculous. Don’t you understand? Oliveira is backing out of the contract! If I don’t change his mind, I’ll lose everything!”
“I understand,” she said softly. “You should go.”
“I’m not leaving the country without you and our son.”
“I’m not marrying you. Not like this.”
“You’re being selfish!”
Laura swallowed, her cheeks pink. He could see he’d hurt her with the accusation. But she wasn’t going to let him manipulate her so easily. “I’ll never try to stop you from seeing Robby whenever you want. Our lawyers can work out some arrangement. But I won’t marry you, and I won’t leave the people who love us for someone who doesn’t.”
“So that’s it?” he said incredulously. “You’re giving me an ultimatum?”
“Yes.” Her eyes filled with tears as she gave him a trembling smile. “I guess I am.”
Gabriel swallowed against the sudden lump in his throat. He couldn’t force her to marry him. He couldn’t seduce or charm or bully her into it. When did she get so steady? When did she get so strong?
Raking his hair back, he looked at her. “Laura,” he said slowly. He exhaled a deep breath. “I can’t do it. What you’re asking. I wish I could, but I can’t. I can’t…love you.”
Pain flashed across her face, raw and sharp. Then she straightened her shoulders in her wedding gown. Reaching up, she pulled the vintage lace veil off her elegant blonde chignon. Her blue eyes were stricken but steady.
“Then I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “But if you can’t love us…you can’t have us.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
GABRIEL had to hurry. Every second he wasted with Laura was like a grain of sand falling through a fatal hourglass. He had to leave at once.
And yet he couldn’t.
Leaving her felt like a death. He took a deep, shuddering breath. “This isn’t over,” he said hoarsely. “I’ll be back after I close the deal in Rio.”
“Of course.” Laura’s shoulders straightened, even as her lower lip trembled. “I will never stop you from seeing Robby. I hope…I hope you’ll see him often. He needs his father.”
Gabriel heard the music start to play downstairs and thought of the guests surrounded by white roses and candlelight, waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin. He clenched his hands, feeling that same strange spinning, sinking feeling in the region of his chest.
“Remember,” he said tersely, looking at her. “This was your choice. I wanted to marry you.”
She swallowed as tears streamed unchecked down her pale cheeks. “I’ll never forget that.”
No, he thought suddenly. It couldn’t end like this. Not like this!
With a sudden, ragged breath, he seized her in his arms. Pressing his lips against hers, he kissed her with every ounce of passion and persuasion he possessed. He never wanted to let her go.
She was the one to pull away. He saw tears falling down her cheeks as she stepped back, out of his reach. “Goodbye.”
He sucked in his breath. But there was nothing he could do. Nothing to be done. “I’ll be back,” he said heavily. “In a few days.”