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“No.”

“Wereyou?”

“No.”

“Really?” Her eyes flared wide with surprise. “Then why were you planning to spend your life with her?”

“Compatibility?” He shrugged.

“You mean…in bed?” she asked warily.

Dios, she was persistent.

“She didn’t want children,” he said flatly.

Siobhan took a sharp breath, staggering back a step.

“I’m being frank so you don’t think I’m harboring secrets.” The doors opened and he held them for her. “Esperanza has a likable personality and she’s very career focused. Marriage was never a goal for me, but after we’d been seeing each other for a year, she asked if I intended to propose. We were comfortable, so I did.”

“She wasn’t in love, either?”

Here he vacillated before telling the truth. “She said she was,” he admitted. “That’s another reason I didn’t fight her leaving. I didn’t want to lead her on.”

Siobhan stopped at her door, expression deeply vulnerable.

“I’m not built for that sort of depth,” he admitted with a wince, feeling as though he stood on quicksand. He feltinadequate. But it was best to make that clear to her now. “I promise to be a good partner to you, though. I will support you. I will protect you.”

Her brows pulled with uncertainty as she took back her fob and opened her door, striding in ahead of him.

He followed, coming up short as he saw her flat had been overturned.

As she reached for the door on the closet, Joaquin caught her arm and scooped her behind him, corralling her against the door to the hall.

“What—?”

“Leave. Go to your neighbor’s. He might still be here.”

“Who?” Her fists instinctively closed in the folds of his coat.

“Whoever searched the place. I’m calling the police!” he called out, reaching into his pocket. “He’s gone too far this time,” he added in a mutter of barely contained rage.

She peered around him into her silent flat, glimpsing the chaos of wrapping paper, ribbons and unwrapped toys. Nothing else looked amiss.

“Wait,” she said sheepishly. “I left it like this.”

His shoulders dropped. He angled to look down on her, astounded.

“I’ve been trying to do the wrapping all week.” Acute embarrassment rose in her. She walked into the mess and discarded her coat over a chair, kicking off her shoes. “I told you it was Christmas when Ramon told me what Gilbert had done. I was actually wrapping gifts.” She waved hopelessly at the wrapping paper she had unrolled across her dining table. A train set was centered on it. Tape, scissors, ribbons and labels were scattered next to it. “I used to love this time of year. Now it stresses me out. That’s the real reason I don’t have a tree. Christmas is ruined for me.”

He frowned. “What have you been doing since it happened?”

“Asking Mom and my sisters to join me in Australia.” She pulled her shoulders up defensively. “It feels different there. It’s summer. We kept it no gifts and went snorkeling or had abarbecue. I didn’t have to face it. But Cinnia will have all the children there this year. I couldn’t say no. Iwantto be there, but also…” She clutched her stomach. Her chest felt tight.

“This is genuinely difficult for you.” He came across to rub her arms and frown at her.

“It is.” She grimaced at the sheer volume of the task ahead. “I feel so silly for reacting like this, but each time I try to do it, I justcan’t.”

“I’ll do it.” He wasn’t laughing at her, which kind of made her feel extra wobbly inside. “Remove your contacts or whatever it was you needed to do.”