‘When you asked me about getting married I taunted you because I couldn’t bear the fact that you’d put a seed of something incredibly fragile in my head. A hope for the future I’d never even allowed myself t
o think about or imagine.’
Emotion was blooming inside Lexie’s chest, making it expand, making her dizzy. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. But then she remembered his stark non-reaction that day at the castillo. The way he’d let her go so easily.
One of her hands on Cesar’s chest curled into a fist and she hit him ineffectually. Her voice was choked. ‘You hurt me. I thought you didn’t care.’
Cesar looked pained. ‘I’m so sorry—my response was...pathetic. I cared so much I shut down. I literally didn’t know what to do or say. You were telling me those things...and all I could feel was my own pain. I couldn’t begin to understand the horror of what had happened to you. I wanted to go out and find that man and kill him with my bare hands.’
Lexie paled.
‘For the last week I’ve kept imagining you as a young girl, alone and scared, going through pregnancy and birth without any support.’ He shook his head, his eyes glittering a little too brightly. ‘You’re the bravest person I know. You humble me.’
‘I thought...’ Lexie was whispering now ‘...that you hated what I’d told you because it was too personal. And that you didn’t understand why I had to do what I did. I thought afterwards that it must have reminded you of your mother.’
Cesar’s thumb caressed her cheek. ‘If anything it’s helped me to understand her a little better, because it’s not so black and white any more. She wouldn’t have been human if she hadn’t felt some pain on leaving me behind—and God knows what nefarious bargain my grandparents struck with her to make her stay away.’
Feeling absurdly shy, Lexie said, ‘I thought you resented the fact that I’d told you those things because our relationship wasn’t about anything but...sex.’
Cesar grimaced. ‘At first I did. I was angry because you’d forced me to acknowledge that what I felt for you went a lot deeper than I’d admitted to myself.’
Lexie could see it on his face now—in his eyes. Love. Blasting her doubts and fears. But it was huge. She was scared.
As if he could tell, he moved even closer and said throatily, ‘What is it?’
‘I’m scared,’ she whispered, baring herself in a way she’d never done with anyone before. ‘I’m scared because my own family turned their backs on me. Betrayed me in the worst possible way. I couldn’t survive that again.’
Lexie could feel the tension in Cesar’s body, see the ferocity in his expression.
‘I vow to you with every breath in my body that I will spend my life protecting you from hurt and harm. I love you, Lexie. You’re as much a part of my soul as I am myself. A betrayal of you is a betrayal of me...and whatever the future brings I’m going to be right by your side to deal with it. Including Connor.’
Lexie’s eyes filled with tears. The fact that he’d acknowledged her son dissolved the last of her defences.
Cesar was blurry in her vision as she came up on tiptoe and slid her arms around his neck. ‘I love you, Cesar...so much.’
He groaned softly and covered her mouth with his. The kiss was searing and passionate.
Lexie broke free and looked up. ‘Take me home, please?’
Cesar smiled and his thumbs wiped away the tracks of her tears on her cheeks. ‘Espere querida...wait... There’s just one thing I have to do first.’
Suddenly Cesar disappeared, and Lexie gave a little surprised yelp to see him kneeling at her feet, her huge skirt between them. He was holding out a black box which he then opened. He looked up, his slightly nervous smile making Lexie’s heart flip-flop.
‘Lexie Anderson...will you marry me?’
More tears filled Lexie’s eyes. Pure joy bubbled up inside her. Her heart was in her voice when she said simply, ‘Yes!’
Cesar took her hand and slid a stunning antique gold and diamond ring on her finger. The fact that she’d barely looked at it didn’t seem to bother either of them, because he stood up and swept her and her voluminous dress into his arms before kissing her senseless—much to the entertainment of the security guards, who were the only people left on the set.
* * *
A week later Cesar had arranged to have his private jet standing by at a nearby private airfield. As soon as Lexie was wrapped after her final scene later that day they were going back to Spain.
Cesar’s mobile phone beeped with a message and he read it.
Congratulations on your engagement. Alexio and I would like to meet you, if you’re ready. Call me any time. Rafaele.
Cesar showed the message to Lexie later, when they were on the plane, and she was sitting in his lap. She looked at him and he saw the way her eyes grew suspiciously bright.