Free The Buenos Aires Marriage Deal by Maggie Cox Page A

shrug. ‘It is the truth.’
    ‘First I’ll have to ring my mother to tell her we’re coming. She’s been looking after Adán for me while I’ve been away this weekend.’
    ‘Do that—and then arrange for a car. I am anxious to get going as soon as possible.’
    ‘I have my own car here. I can drive us.’
    ‘Good. Then go and make your phone call and let us not waste any more time, hmm?’
    Clearly dismissing her, Pascual turned away to reach for the water jug and glass on the coffee table to pour a drink. Feeling as if her limbs had turned as fluid as the water in the jug, Briana moved towards the door and silently exited the room.
    Once outside, in the monastic quiet of the corridor, she briefly leant against the panelled wall, trying hard to stem the sudden onrush of fear and doubt that had overtaken her about the impending visit home. How would it be, she wondered, when father and son came face to face for the very first time? Her little son could be shy and uncommunicative even with people he knew—let alone strangers. How would Pascual react if his child appeared to reject him?
    Feeling for them both, she felt hot tears well helplessly behind her eyes and spill over onto her cheeks. Impatiently scrubbing at them with the heel of her hand, she pushed away from the wall and returned to her room to make the phone call…
    The house was situated down a pleasant tree-lined street in one of London’s less busy boroughs. It was a neat terraced property, painted white, and next to the other less bright edifices on either side of it easily stood out. As Pascual followed a definitely subdued Briana up the short path that led to the front door, with its pretty stained glass panelling, adrenaline shot through him like rapids at the prospect of meeting his little son.
    He’d quizzed her on the way about him, but she’d seemed almost reluctant to give him answers—just as if she was preserving the right to hold onto that information…as if she feared that if Pascual knew too much he would make it even harder for her to keep the boy to herself. It infuriated him that Briana was still reluctant to let him into their lives when all he wanted was the chance to be a proper father. Every bit of trust between them was gone. It had all been smashed into the dirt five years ago. And now they stood on either side of the ground they were both determined to capture—like warring factions in a souldestroying battle instead of the passionate lovers they had once been.
    As Briana let herself into the narrow hallway with her key, along with his great anticipation at meeting his son Pascual sensed the full extent of her betrayal of his heart as he had never sensed it before—and right then his soul had never felt bleaker…

CHAPTER SIX
    H ER mother was the first person to greet them. Her usually calm and attractive features looking strained, Frances Douglas glanced behind her daughter at the tall, startlingly good-looking man behind her and frowned. When Briana had told her that she was unexpectedly returning home early, and bringing Adán’s father back with her to visit, her ensuing soft intake of breath had spoken volumes.
    Whilst knowing that her mother wouldn’t unfairly judge any decision she made—and indeed had never judged her for leaving Buenos Aires so abruptly, calling off her planned marriage and returning home pregnant—Briana realised that this impromptu visit by Pascual would naturally fill her with anxiety about her daughter and grandson’s future…as it did Briana herself. But right this minute her heart was thumping like a full-blown percussion band inside her chest at the knowledge that Adán might run out into the hallway at any moment to set eyes on his father for the very first time…
    ‘Hi, Mum.’ Her gaze was quizzical as she kissed the older woman’s scented, powdered cheek. ‘Where’s Adán?’
    ‘Asleep on the couch. I took him swimming. They had all the inflatable toys out in the pool, and