Once they were isolated on his fazenda could she lie to him? Or would she tell him the truth and face the consequences?
* * *
As Dante’s sleek executive jet descended to a smooth landing on the narrow airstrip, Karina was both apprehensive and excited, as well as interested in what she’d find at his home. How would the world-famous barbarian live? She knew so little about him these days. Her brother didn’t dabble in gossip of any kind. Bottom line. She really didn’t know anything about him. He might as well be a stranger she was visiting. And she shouldn’t be remotely interested. Staring out at the endless swathes of emerald green and gold pampas, she reassured herself that it wasn’t necessary to understand the ins and outs of a client’s private life in order to do business with them.
‘We are here, senhorita...’
She glanced up into the smiling eyes of the cabin attendant. Gathering her belongings, she unfastened her seat belt and got ready to disembark.
She must stop thinking about Dante, she warned herself as the jet engine died to a petulant whine. Her glance had flashed instantly to the cockpit door. She would see him soon enough. They’d be working together, remember?
‘Senhorita?’
She followed the flight attendant to the exit door. And blinked as she inhaled her first lungful of warm, herby air. Even laced with aviation fuel, it was familiar and intoxicating. She’d been away too long. But now she was home. Closing her eyes, she lifted her face to the sun. If it was possible to be changed in a moment, she was changed. But not so changed that she had forgotten why she was here. She ran through a quick mental checklist of everything she’d brought with her. She was still a professional, even if the lure of the pampas was strong in her blood. And she was still determined to handle Dante a lot better than she had at eighteen.
‘Senhorita?’
‘Sorry.’ She smiled as the flight attendant indicated that she might like to exit the aircraft—preferably some time this year, Karina guessed with a rueful grin.
Reality hit as she walked down the steps. She smoothed an imaginary crease in her jeans with damp palms as she took in the fact that this wasn’t her land, this was Dante’s land. He lived his unknown life here. She wished she’d dressed up a bit more, to add to her confidence and to reinforce her professional image. She had chosen to dress casually for the flight, as it wouldn’t have been a surprise to find that Dante had two wild horses waiting to transport them bareback to his ranch. She’d got that badly wrong. There was no sign of Dante, but there were two top-of-the-range off-road vehicles waiting on the tarmac. The one closest to the aircraft had a young gaucho standing by the passenger door, who nodded to her as she hesitated.
‘Welcome to Fazenda Baracca, Senhorita Marcelos.’
‘Karina, please,’ she replied with a smile.
‘Gabe. Ranch manager.’
Gabe’s handshake was brisk and firm, and he was about a foot taller than she was, though not as tall as Dante.
‘Senhor Baracca sends his apologies, but he may not join you today.’
From this she assumed Dante meant to keep her on tenterhooks. Good luck with that, she thought, firming her chin. She was here to work, not to idle her time away, waiting for him.
‘He has his usual checks to carry out,’ Gabe explained, seeing her expression change. ‘He asks that you make plans to tour the ranch tomorrow, and meanwhile he asks that you make yourself at home and get to work on your plans for the cup.’
Was that a rain check or a reprieve?
Thanking Gabe, she settled into the passenger seat and he closed the door. She stared around with interest. Dante’s land radiated order and care. From the pristine fencing around the paddocks stretching away towards the horizon to the impeccable airstrip, where his private jet sat like a gleaming white bird, it was obvious that no expense had been spared. This was gaucho polo in a diamond-studded frame. She was already excited at the thought of organising an event here. She’d known Dante was rich—all the polo guys were wealthy—but this was money on a vast scale.
Inevitably, she began to brood. Where had the money come from? Dante’s parents had lived beyond their means, as far as she could remember. Her parents’ ranch had enjoyed much better facilities, which was why Dante and all the other young polo hopefuls had come there to train. Dante held several valuable franchises now he was so successful, but was that enough for a private jet, this ranch and his glittering lifestyle?
She jolted alert, as Gabe called out through his open window. Dante was just climbing behind the wheel of the second off-road vehicle. His eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, but he raised a hand when he saw her looking. Then he started the engine and drove away. His interest in her was as fleeting as it got, as if it was enough for him to check her transfer from jet to ranch was going smoothly.