They weren’t leads in a romcom where eleventh-hour revelations occurred and love was shouted from the rooftops. He might be attracted to her—and her body burned when she remembered just how heatedly he had proven that—but this was a practical matter for him. After the night they’d spent together at her house, he’d almost immediately reminded her that things would have to be set in motion.
And, since then, Rocco had been true to his word. He had stayed for the night and the following morning he told her he would have to return to London.
‘Come with me,’ he urged quietly, his dark eyes intent and serious. ‘Because we need to pin down timings and details of what happens next. Life for both of us is about to dramatically change, and I’m not a man to approach big changes in life without due diligence being done beforehand.’
He was standing fully dressed by the side of the bed at the crazily early hour of half-past six in the morning. It was still pitch-black outside. It could have been midnight. Ella was lying naked under the thick winter duvet, barely awake and still pleasurably indulging in drowsy thoughts of Rocco slowly beginning to love her the way she loved him. After the most wonderful and loving experience with him the night before, she was inclined to optimism.
She snapped out of that in a hurry.
‘London?’
‘I have a place there as well offices.’
Which brought home to her just how different his alter ego had been—the one with a small business concern in Madrid and an eye to elevating his position in life. The one who had rented a one-bed cottage to give her the illusion that that had been the most he could afford.
She knew it was stupid to dwell on those differences because the outward trappings didn’t reflect the inner man who was one and the same. At least, they didn’t most of the time. Right then, as he stood restlessly next to the bed, she could almost believe that man was morphing back into the autocratic businessman she had first encountered in that boardroom.
‘Before we marry—and incidentally I feel that marriage should be as soon as possible—documents will have to be signed, preparations put in place. The usual paraphernalia of two people getting hitched.’
‘Documents?’
She watched him hesitate, but only briefly. ‘Financial stipulations. A pre-nup being top of the agenda.’
‘A pre-nup? I wouldn’t call that “the usual paraphernalia of two people getting hitched”.’
‘It is in my world. Would you be…amenable to signing one?’
‘Of course.’ But the atmosphere had changed subtly, even though she acknowledged that this was no different from what anyone with his kind of wealth would have suggested.
Especially bearing in mind that she didn’t come from the same place as him; didn’t share the same social standing. The rules of the game were completely different.
He hadn’t dwelled on those differences. When he was with her, he was relaxed, as at home in her dad’s house and with her dad as anyone could be, but those differences existed. She justhad to think back to when he had described the sort of woman his parents would expect him to marry.
Love, though, overcame everything.
‘Rocco, I wouldn’t dream of trying to get money out of you if…if for some reason…No.I’m just not that kind of person.’
‘I’m not doubting you but…’
‘But rules are rules?’ She shrugged, choosing to give him the benefit of the doubt. ‘I get it. Just about. It’s a weird world you live in, but I suppose you always have to be on high alert for gold-diggers. Also, yes, I’ll come to London. When? And where do you want to meet?’
‘I thought you could come to my place.’ He moved towards her, leant over and kissed her gently on the forehead before pushing her hair back. ‘I’m looking forward to marrying you,’ he murmured. ‘I’m really glad you changed your mind. You’re doing the right thing—I know that—and so am I. The right thing for our baby. I realise you feel you’re making a sacrifice, perhaps in ways that I’m not, and don’t imagine that I don’t appreciate that. I do.’
Beautiful words. Her heart softened.
‘Okay. I’ll sort a train out.’
At which Rocco had looked at her with amusement. ‘Consider public transport a thing of the past,’ he said with surprise in his voice. ‘Too uncomfortable in your condition.’
‘Really?’ Ella smiled. ‘Maybe you should try telling that to the thousands of them heading here, there and everywhere on buses and trains and tubes.’
‘I could arrange for my helicopter to get you. A driver can collect you from here and—’
‘No!’ Her voice was terser than intended because she had a sudden vision of letting go of the sort of life she’d always had, floundering in a new world order in which she didn’t belong. ‘I’d die of fright in a helicopter.’
‘I also have a private jet at my disposal.’
‘Rocco, a commercial flight will suit me just fine.’
