Mutely, Rocco shook his head. He wasn’t looking at Claire, though; he was gazing at Giselle. Worry coiled in her stomach, making her uneasy. This wasn’t the same man who’d stormed out of the studio just now. This man appeared to have the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Claire hesitated, then shrugged and sashayed off.
Rocco slumped, and the worry in Giselle’s tummy transformed into dread. ‘What’s wrong?’
With a stricken expression, he ushered her into the parlour, then leant against the door and rubbed a hand across his face. ‘It seems I have to sell the castle after all.’
‘But I thought—?’ Giselle stopped, confused.
‘Inheritance tax,’ he stated shortly. ‘I can’t pay forty per cent, not without selling it.’
‘Hadn’t you…?’ She trailed off.
‘Factored it in? Yes, and I had a plan in place, but I underestimated how much the estate is worth.’ He laughed, a bitter sound. ‘And to think I’m supposed to be an expert in asset management when I can’t even manage my own assets. Bloody hell.’ He gazed at the ceiling and raked his fingers through his hair.
Giselle reached for him, hesitated, then let her hand fall to her side. She loved him and she’d been as intimate as one person can be with another, yet she felt powerless to comfort him.
He said, ‘I had it all worked out. I was going to live here and carry on running the castle and the craft centre. I even had a couple of ideas to generate more income.’ He bit his lip and screwed up his face. ‘I’m sorry, Giselle.’
So was she, but although the news wasn’t good, it wasn’t the end of the world. She’d already accepted that the craft centre would probably be no more, so she wasn’t as upset as she might have been. Especially since…
‘I love you, too,’ she said.
Rocco froze. She watched him carefully, waiting for a reaction.
It was a long time coming and she was starting to shrivel inside, when he asked, ‘Do you mean that?’
‘Yes.’
‘You’re not just saying it?’
‘To make you feel better? No.’
‘I didn’t think— I didn’t dare—’ He exhaled loudly. ‘Youloveme?’
A smile spread across her face. ‘Yes.’
‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Is there any need to say anything when you can kiss me instead?’
His mouth was hot and urgent, his arms holding her so tightly she feared he’d crush her, but to Giselle, being in his embrace felt like being home, and she kissed him for several delicious minutes.
‘What happens now?’ she asked, when she finally dragged her lips away from his. She laid a cheek on his chest and listened to the thud of his heart, his arms still tight around her.
‘I honestly don’t know.’
‘You’ll have to go back, won’t you?’
‘I’m afraid so.’ She could hear the pain in his voice. ‘I want to stay on Skye, but without a job…’
‘Could you work remotely?’
‘Not a chance.’ He groaned and buried his face in her hair. ‘I don’t want to lose you, Giselle,’ he said, his breath warm on her temple, and she hugged him fiercely.
‘You won’t.’
‘I can’t stay here, without a job. I—’ He broke off, the rest of the sentence unspoken.
