Dreaming Of... Brazil

CHAPTER EIGHT

SHE WAS FALLING in love with this man, Danny realised as they rode out side by side later that day. But how could she ever relax totally with Tiago, the gaucho who made her laugh and who had taught her so many things about horses, when she had to handle his cold-blooded playboy side too?

That would have to be a problem for another day, she concluded as he looked at her.

He glanced at their horses. ‘Shall we test them?’

‘Why not?’

His dark force was irresistible. Tiago’s love of challenge and risk and danger was fast becoming her secret pleasure. The heat and passion of Brazil must have infected her, she realised as they urged their horses on. The sun was warm, the breeze was cool, and scent from the flowers they were trampling saturated the air she breathed. There surely could be nothing more exhilarating than this. Nothing that could release the tension inside her faster.

Except for one thing, she thought as she flashed a glance at Tiago, who looked so relaxed, and yet so dark and dangerous in the saddle—and that would have to wait until their wedding night.

Tiago reined in beside the river that watered his land, and for a moment she allowed herself to believe she needed nothing more out of life than this. She could work alongside Tiago for a year without wanting him to feel the same way she did.

Couldn’t she?

He had never looked better than here, where there were no pretensions, no dress shirts, no tailored suits—just Tiago in the raw, in ripped and faded jeans, with battered leather chaps over them, a faded top clinging to his hard-muscled torso, and a bandana tied carelessly around his wild black hair.

She was rapt as he pointed things out to her. The giant-sized Rhea bird, disappearing into the long grass, and a wild cat that surprised her by diving into the river as Tiago explained that this particular breed of cat ate frogs.

He turned to her. ‘This is a nature reserve. All the animals are safe here. My vets are responsible for them just as they are for my horses.’

She was learning a lot—and not just about the animals. Hearing about Tiago’s interests and his active concern for this land told her more about him than anyone could.

‘Last one to the house makes the coffee?’ he suggested as he turned his horse.

‘You don’t frighten me,’ she called back, laughing.

She went ahead, but Tiago caught up with her easily and for a few strides they rode side by side. But he couldn’t resist taking the lead. She let him go, just for the sheer pleasure of watching him with one hand on the reins and his hips working effortlessly to a lazy rhythm. Arousal lodged deep inside her at the sight of him, and she finally admitted to herself that Friday couldn’t come quickly enough.

Clattering into the yard after him, she dismounted.

Tiago’s dark eyes were wicked, and there was a smile on his lips as she started untacking her pony. ‘Make sure you sleep tonight. There won’t be much sleeping on Friday.’

Hefting his tack, he walked past her.

She stilled with her hand resting on the saddle. She had to take a deep breath before she could continue. She wanted him. His deep, husky voice had sent heat coursing through her. She wanted to marry Tiago. Worse, she wanted to live with him and share his life. But every time that thought slipped through she had to remind herself that theirs was a marriage of convenience, with a time limit of one year. Any fantasies on her part were just that: fantasies.

* * *

It seemed surreal to be standing in the middle of a dance floor at Tiago’s side. They were at the gauchos’ party and he was calling for silence with his arms raised.

Everything was moving at breakneck speed. In two days they would be married.

So? What was her problem? The wedding on Friday was no surprise, so why the jitters?

She was decked out in her one and only dress, with her hair neatly tied back and hardly any make-up, trying to make a good impression. She was at ease around these people in the corral, or in the kitchen, but here, at Tiago’s side, it all seemed so improbable. He was like a god to them, and she had just sprung out of nowhere. What must they think?

Never mind what anyone thought—for the sake of these people she had to make a go of this. Why cause problems when Tiago had worked so hard to save the ranch?

‘Danny?’

Tiago’s voice held a note of command and her eyes flashed open. How could she live with this man, love him, and then leave him without a backward glance?

She couldn’t.

Glancing round the smiling faces, she felt like the worst kind of confidence trickster. The only way she could get through this was by concentrating on the fact that her marriage to Tiago would secure the future of everyone here. Meanwhile, Brazil’s most eligible bachelor—the man she adored—was announcing their wedding to cries of excitement from the crowd.

‘I realise that Danny will have already told some of you, and you may think that this has all happened at the speed of light, but Danny and I have known each other for quite some time, and recently our friendship has turned into something more.’

Everyone cheered at this romantic interpretation of their cold-blooded contract, and when Tiago turned to look at her she could almost believe it too.

Putting his arm around her shoulder, he led her out of the spotlight to a crescendo of cheers, and then his men distracted him, coming up to shake his hand, while the women and children of the ranch clustered around Danny.

‘And now I have a special gift for my bride,’ he announced.

Taking hold of her hand, he led her through the crowd to the space beyond the dance floor.

‘Another gift?’ Danny stared up into Tiago’s rugged face. ‘You don’t have to.’

‘But I want to.’

His sharp whistle of command caused a commotion in the crowd, and everyone fell back at the sound of thundering hooves. Danny gasped as the young colt galloped towards them.

‘Is there anything else you’d rather have?’

‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘But—’

‘Then accept him and be gracious,’ Tiago advised. ‘You have to think like a businesswoman now, Danny. This colt will be a valuable stud one day.’

It would have been better if she could have thought like a businesswoman from the start, Danny reflected, stunned by Tiago’s gift. Her marriage was an advantageous merger for them both, nothing more—just as this young colt, Firefly, was an advantageous acquisition.

‘Thank you.’ She moved quickly to the young horse’s head, to soothe him and to speak to him gently, wanting him to focus on her and be calm, rather than focus on the noisy crowd.

‘I’m glad he gives you pleasure.’

‘There’s nothing you could have given me that I would treasure more.’ Nestling her face against the colt’s warm neck, she breathed in the familiar scent and wished, just for a moment, that one day she would ride him with Tiago at her side.

The colt was led away to a round of appreciative applause. Everyone on the ranch understood the significance of such a gift. It was a pledge from Tiago to his people that this marriage would be good for them.

But they didn’t know the ins and outs of it, Danny fretted as she smiled to show that she couldn’t have been happier with her gift. There could be no certainties in life, she told herself firmly as Tiago spoke to some of the men. Surely every bride-to-be felt this way—that to be so happy must come at a cost?

‘It’s official, Danny.’

She tried to close her heart to Tiago, but when he took hold of her hands to draw her close she failed miserably. Even when he dipped his head to kiss her she suspected it was for the sake of the crowd.

‘We’ve made everyone happy tonight,’ he said.

‘Yes,’ she agreed.

Sensing her unease, Tiago led her out of the crowd. ‘Is that all you have to say?’

He had every right to expect her to be bouncing with happiness after his announcement of their engagement, the upcoming wedding, and now his wonderful gift, but she couldn’t fake it.

Why must she always pick holes in perfection? Why wouldn’t the fairytale work for her?

* * *

He ground his jaw, seeing the tension in Danny’s back as she walked away with a group of women who were keen to help her organise their wedding. Nothing must go wrong now. His lawyers were standing by. Full ownership of the ranch was a matter of hours away.

He was as tense as he had ever been, Tiago realised as a group of his fellow gauchos encouraged him to stay and spend the night celebrating with them. His determination to build on what he’d started with these people had never been stronger than it was today.

And Danny?

Deus! A million things could go wrong between now and their wedding day. Suddenly Friday seemed an eternity away.

* * *

This could work, Danny thought on Thursday morning as she waved goodbye to the women who had helped her to design the menu for their wedding banquet. She had left them late last night, after discussing plans for the wedding, and had felt much calmer after spending time with them. She had slept well for the first time in ages.

Maybe because there had had been no sign of Tiago, she thought now with amusement, as he stood at her side in the middle of the courtyard, supposedly surveying the decorations when he was clearly itching to go on his morning ride.

‘Happy?’ Tiago asked as the lively group trooped home.

‘Yes,’ Danny said. ‘I am now I know that this is the type of wedding we’re having. I honestly couldn’t think of anything better.’

‘Everyone wants to help because they think a lot of you.’

‘I hope that’s true.’

‘Didn’t I tell you everything would be all right?’

‘Yes,’ she murmured, wondering if once they were married she’d even see him.

It was too late to worry about that now, Danny concluded, heading for the house as Tiago turned for the stables—or so she thought.

She hadn’t realised but he was coming after her, and she exclaimed with surprise.

‘Not long now.’ He cupped her chin, and his eyes blazed into her own. ‘Is there anything that could make this better for you, chica?’

If you loved me, she thought, that would make it better. If this marriage of ours were not a sham, that would make it better still.

‘Your friends from Rottingdean?’ he suggested.

‘Lizzie and Chico are still on honeymoon, and with Hamish and Annie in charge of the house in their absence—’

‘What about your mother?’

‘If you can find her.’ Danny’s mouth twisted with regret. ‘I’m afraid I don’t even know where she is. I keep trying to contact her, but—’

‘She’s in the South of France,’ Tiago revealed, shocking her.

‘What’s she doing there?’

‘Spending the last of the money you sent her, I imagine.’

‘Did you speak to her?’ she asked urgently.

Hope soared inside her. She’d always been a dream-weaver, and if there was the slightest chance she could speak to her mother, make her understand, reassure her about this marriage...

‘Yes. I’ve spoken to her,’ he confirmed. ‘I wanted everything to be perfect for you—or as perfect as it can be. You’re doing so much for me, Danny. I don’t think you even realise what you’re doing. I would have flown your mother out here for the wedding, but there are some things even I can’t control.’

‘What did she say to you?’ She couldn’t hide her eagerness. ‘Did she get my messages?’

‘She got all of them, apparently.’

Tiago’s grim look warned her to be brave.

‘What did she say?’

‘She said they were blocking up her phone, and could you please stop?’

CHAPTER NINE

‘OH.’ DANNY’S VOICE was flat. The shock of what Tiago had told her cut deep. She couldn’t blame him for his candour after she’d pressed him for an answer. She guessed he’d thought a clean cut would be the best. The news that her mother wasn’t interested in Danny was old, but it hurt all the same. The fact that her mother didn’t even care that she was getting married was brutal.

‘You tried, Danny. At least you tried.’

Yes, she was certainly a trier, Danny reflected dryly. How stupid she felt now, imagining her mother would want to wish her well.

‘I can’t honestly say I expected her to be here for the wedding,’ she admitted, pinning a smile to her face.

She glanced up to find Tiago staring down at her with concern. Maybe she was wrong about him. Maybe he did have feelings but, having spent a lifetime hiding them, now found them impossible to express.

‘Don’t feel sorry for me, Tiago. I’m not a child.’

‘Maybe not,’ he agreed, ‘but my people show you more affection than your own mother. If she had been born with a title, and then squandered an old man’s fortune, I would say that your mother and mine must have been twins.’

The bitterness in his voice told her that Tiago had experience of loving someone and being rejected. She knew that that could lead down one of two roads: the road she trod, where she never stopped trying, or the road Tiago had taken, where he simply turned his back. It was another thought to unsettle her.

‘I can’t bear to see you hurt like this,’ he raged.

‘I’m not hurt. I’m—’

‘Accustomed to it?’ he spat out. ‘Why should you be accustomed to it? This is wrong, Danny. You should cut her out of your life.’

‘She’s my mother. I can’t.’

‘She’s no mother to you.’

With an impatient gesture, Tiago ground his jaw, but thankfully said nothing more on the subject.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said at last. ‘Everyone on the ranch will be here to cheer you on.’

‘And that’s all that matters,’ she said with conviction.

She only had to remember how touched she’d been when a selection of treasured veils and wedding dresses had been brought out of lavender-scented storage for her to choose from to know how much Tiago’s people meant to her.

‘They’re your people now, Danny,’ he said, reading her.

‘Our people.’

That thought made her feel strong. Whatever happened in the future, the bond she was building here with the people of Fazenda Santos would support her as surely as any strong family could.

‘They’ve done so much in the short time they’ve known me to make me feel welcome,’ she said, glancing round the courtyard, which was already dressed for the wedding, ‘and I’m honoured to have been accepted here.’

‘You’ll be happy. I’ll make sure of it,’ he said.

But when Tiago put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close she thought, Yes, but for just one year.

She was certain that Tiago would do his best to make her time in Brazil trouble-free. It wasn’t in his interest to do otherwise. He would never risk this marriage of convenience being challenged by anyone.

‘One last drink before we part?’ he suggested.

‘Why not?’ She smiled.

Tomorrow was their wedding day. It hardly seemed possible. Closing her eyes briefly, she drank in his strength, wishing with all her heart that they were a normal couple, with a normal relationship. But what was normal? Could any couple enter into marriage with complete certainty?

Shaking off her doubts, she walked with him towards the outdoor area at the back of the ranch house, where Tiago loved to stand and look out across his property. She reminded herself that for some married couples it wasn’t even possible to guarantee a happy year.

* * *

The hunter had become the protector. His cold-blooded plan to marry Danny at all costs had been brought to its knees by the way she was treated by her mother. No one should be treated like that. Hot blood surged through his veins as Danny stood beside him. There was anger, and there was lust—and something else he refused to name. Twenty-four hours ago he had held her in his arms—and that seemed too long.

Glancing down, he saw how pale she was. The conversation he’d had with her about her mother had hit her hard. He should have found some gentler way to break it to her. He shouldn’t have been surprised by her resilience, but he was. He poured her a drink—orange juice, as she’d requested. She was determined to keep a clear head, he concluded, quelling his disappointment at the thought that temptation would have to be resisted for another night.

‘Why are you smiling?’ she asked him when he took the empty glass from her hand.

‘You’re wearing a dress, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen your legs before.’

‘Liar. You saw me at the wedding in a bridesmaid’s dress.’

‘Which trailed around your ankles.’ He tipped the neck of his bottle of beer in Danny’s direction.

She shook her head. ‘It did not trail.’ And then she said, ‘Shall we drink a toast to your grandfather?’

‘My grandfather? I’m surprised you’re even thinking about him.’

‘Why wouldn’t I? We wouldn’t be here without him,’ she pointed out.

His lips pressed down with amusement as he shook his head. She was right. His grandfather might have done a lot of things he disagreed with, but he had given Tiago the chance to change his life.

Easing onto one hip, he told her a little more about his history. ‘I never imagined my grandfather would deny me full ownership of the ranch, but he was cunning, and he never liked my playboy antics. He said it reminded him too much of my mother—the feckless socialite, as he called her. That’s why he constructed his will as he did. He knew how much I loved this place. He knew I wouldn’t let the people down.’

‘Whatever it took?’ Danny observed dryly.

‘Whatever it took,’ he agreed, meeting her stare head-on. The one thing he would never do was lie to her.

‘To your grandfather,’ she said softly, chinking her glass against his bottle. ‘Manuelo told me your parents were never around, and that when they were they only came here to beg for money from your grandfather. Once they got that, he said they left—sometimes without even seeing you. So what’s the sequel to this story, Tiago? I know there must be one, because Manuelo thinks the world of you—as does everyone else on this ranch.’

He was reluctant to get into it, but from the look in her eyes Danny wasn’t giving up. ‘My grandfather bailed me out of a juvenile correctional facility—said he’d give me a trial on the ranch. He said I could live with him if I worked for the privilege.’

‘And you fought him every step of the way?’ she guessed.

He didn’t deny it. ‘I didn’t want to work for anyone except myself. And when I saw this place in the middle of nowhere—’ He grimaced. ‘I didn’t feel as I do now about it, that’s for sure. It held no appeal for my teenage self.’

‘But you stayed?’ she pressed, her eyes filled with concern.

‘Yes, because I came to love the people. And now you’ve met them I’m sure you understand why.’

‘I do.’ She spoke softly and touched his arm.

He had to pause and hold himself in check for a moment, or he would have responded for sure.

‘I try never to be away from them for long,’ he went on then. ‘Because they and my grandfather opened my eyes to a different way of life—their way of life. And I could relate to it—to them. The passion they have for the country and their animals is the same as mine, and as soon as the gauchos discovered I had a way with horses, that was it—I was one of them. It was enough for me for a time, and then—like everyone else when they’re growing up—I had to get away. I was desperate to expand my horizons—to explore that other side of me, bequeathed to me by my mother.’

He laughed as he thought about it.

‘And then?’ Danny asked.

‘My grandfather was wise enough to back off and leave me to it.’

‘Where did you go?’

‘I hitched my wagon to whichever polo player was fashionable at the time.’ He shrugged. ‘By watching and learning I somehow managed to save up enough from my wages to buy my first pony. She was an old girl, on the point of retirement, but I was eager to try the game myself, and I made a passable polo pony out of her. Thanks to that mare I could take part in at least one chukka during amateur matches, where not every rider owned a string of ponies and we all did the best we could.’

‘Which brought your riding skills to the attention of those that mattered?’

‘Correct.’

She was standing close enough to touch, and that distracted him for another few moments.

‘Eventually I was entrusted with training a few medium-grade ponies.’ He cast his mind back to those uncertain days. ‘Then my grandfather became ill, but I was having too much of a good time to come home. I should have come. I owe everything I have to him. I just couldn’t see it at the time. Now do you understand why I am so committed to this place?’

‘Yes,’ she said quietly. ‘It explains a lot about you.’

‘Like why I’m such a selfish bastard?’ He laughed.

‘Like why you belong here,’ Danny argued. ‘And why you believe you can never do enough for this ranch or for the people who live here. You think you deserted your grandfather when he needed you most, but he had let you go, knowing you’d come back. He wanted you to see how wide your horizons could be. You haven’t let him down, Tiago—anything but.’

‘Some of the decisions I’ve had to make to keep this ranch haven’t been easy.’

She shook her head and laughed. ‘I think I know that.’ She looked into his eyes and hers darkened.

The pain in his groin increased. Taking hold of her wrist, he led her around the side of the house, and with the utmost self-control he held her away from him at the door.

‘Goodnight, Danny. The next time I see you will be at our wedding.’

* * *

Could there be anything more beautiful than his bride on their wedding day? He couldn’t hold back a smile as Danny walked slowly towards him down the petal-strewn aisle. She was coming to join him through packed rows of people whose smiling faces meant the world to him.

The fact that they were fast adopting Danny as one of their own was the icing on the cake for him, but he didn’t need anyone to tell him that he’d made a wonderful choice of bride. Danny had so much to offer the ranch and its people. When they were married he hoped she would play an even bigger role, adding the human touch he’d never had time to bring to the ranch.

The outdoor ceremony beneath an archway of flowers passed quickly, in a series of softly spoken words on Danny’s part and brisk assertions on his. He would take away a series of sensory memories, together with the relief of being married.

Danny was small and soft and fragrant—and so keyed-up, so alert she was almost trembling. Her close-fitting lace dress was rustling, though she wasn’t moving. It rustled when she breathed and her breasts rose above the confining fabric, and it rustled when she turned to him to speak her wedding vows, and through all this they were standing close, but not touching, and that tiny space keeping them apart was charged with electricity.

‘You may kiss the bride.’

At last he could breathe freely. He was married. He owned the ranch. The relief of having the caveat in his grandfather’s will fulfilled was indescribable. His people sensed it too and cheered wildly, standing to applaud as he cupped Danny’s face in his hands. The future security of everyone here was assured now. This was his gift to his guests. He had an aide on hand, waiting to make a copy of the wedding certificate, as well as a courier standing by to deliver a hard copy to the lawyers as soon as this ceremony was over.