“How well?” she asked as she stole her fingers into his hair. “Teach me a lesson.”
“That would be my pleasure.” He claimed her mouth with his own and reached past her to yank the curtain back into place.
Chapter Fifteen
I want this, Siobhan had said of the big family and the endearing chaos they created.
As the day wore on, Joaquin began to see the appeal. There was a lot of laughter and teasing and children scooped up by loving arms that belonged to the nearest adult.
He also caught a glimpse of the indulgent mother Siobhan would become. It did something to his heart when he saw her with the youngest princes of Zhamair, cooing and cradling the identical twins. It caused a stretching sensation in his chest that stole his breath.
The princes were five months, he was told. Both were strong, determined little wrestlers. They smiled at her, chewed their fists, batted clumsily at each other, then dug their toes into her while trying to scale her shoulders.
“Do you need me to hold one of them?” Joaquin was compelled to ask, experiencing the strangest impatience to see her cradle their own baby. To hold it himself.
“Don’t you dare.” She expertly firmed her arms around them. “The only thing better than holding one baby is holding two.”
“Auntie Dorry is our baby whisperer,” their father, Kasim, told him. “That’s why Gili and I had twins. I was assured Dorry could be persuaded to come live with us.”
“Oy, you did this on purpose, did you?” she teased. “Well, I’m tempted.” She dipped her chin to nuzzle one round cheek, expression tender. “Maybe I’ll take them home with me. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”
“I think you’re finally old enough for me to say this to you, little one, butmake your own.” Kasim stole one of his sons and held him over his head, pretending to eat the boy’s guts and making the boy giggle.
Siobhan sent Joaquin a look of amusement at their shared secret. Job done.
An electric sensation struck Joaquin. It was a primal desire that went far beyond sexual want. Beyond his desire for her and their baby to be safe and comfortable. Beyond anything he had ever wanted for himself. He wanted this forher.
Which made it imperative to remove any threat from his father, once and for all.
He brought that up when he finished battling Henri on the tennis court the following morning.
Joaquin had won, but not easily. They sat down to orange juice and toasted bread smeared with olive oil, crushed tomatoes and slices of dry-cured jamón, watching Ramon and Isabella play Trella and Xavier.
“I presume Ramon relayed everything I told him in Madrid about my conflict with my father over LVG?” Joaquin asked.
“He did.” Henri brushed his fingers on his napkin.
“I’m taking off the gloves with him. There could be blowback against Siobhan. And your family, once her connection to you is known.”
“Then stop seeing her,” Henri said.
I can’t, Joaquin almost said, thinking of the baby, but that was Siobhan’s news to share when she was ready and the truth was, “I don’t want to.”
“This is serious, then?” Henri pressed. “You’re in love with her?”
With Henri’s astute gaze pinned on him, Joaquin felt as though he had his neck fully exposed, but he hated to show hishand—or his heart. Especially when he was so unsure of his ability to give it.
“My intentions are honorable, yes.” He wanted to spend his life with her. He had known that from the moment he’d seen the pulse of their baby’s heartbeat on the screen. No, the glimmer of a future with her had first flickered to life within him when she’d asked,What will we do if…Before that, even, when he had wished for more time than a single night in San Francisco.
“Having said that,” Joaquin continued gravely, “I’d like to prevail on you for a favor, in the interest of time. I know how this request looks, or would in Siobhan’s eyes. Hear me out.”
Henri nodded curtly.
“I’m working at buying up my father’s debts. Some of his creditors feel enough loyalty to him that they’re refusing to sell to me, but if you were to approach them through your channels, he wouldn’t know I was pulling the strings. I’m not asking you to be out of pocket. I’ll cover everything.”
Henri waved off that detail, even though they both knew they were talking eight and nine figures.
“It’s a delicate situation. I need to keep Siobhan’s true identity off my father’s radar until I’ve crippled him. Otherwise, he has a fresh and effective avenue to attack me.”
