Alison Roberts - Christmas Kisses - The Spanish Billionaire's Christmas Bride / Christmas Bride-To-Be / Christmas Wishes, Mistletoe Kisses

Dominique’s big blue eyes were round with wonder. Gratified, Cristiano could see that he’d captivated her with the inviting picture his words had conjured up.

‘My mother has never believed in making a big fuss at Christmas,’ she sighed, her slender shoulders drooping a little in the plain black dress. ‘In fact she’s always dreaded it rather than looked forward to it. A “commercial rip-off”, she calls it. That’s why she prefers to go away rather than stay at home.’

‘Your mother has her view on the matter and I have mine. But one thing is for certain … you and the little one cannot spend Christmas alone. Consuela would be beside herself if she heard such a thing!’

‘Consuela?’

‘Ramón’s mother.’ Cristiano leant towards her, renewed determination in his heart as he thought of the aunt he loved and adored as much as his own mother. ‘Come back with me to Spain, Dominique. You will not regret it, I promise.’

‘You mean for Christmas? What about my job at the restaurant? I might lose it if I don’t work.’

He shook his head impatiently. ‘If it comes to it, I will ensure it will not be a problem. I told you … from now on I see it as my duty and responsibility to provide for you, and instead of worrying about how to make ends meet if you stay in the UK you will be able to concentrate on the most important job of all in Spain … that of raising your child.’

‘And if I decide to accept your offer and stay … what about your own immediate family?’ she asked him reasonably. ‘Do you have a wife and children? If so, won’t they mind you inviting a complete stranger and her baby into your home?’

His body tensing, Cristiano waited for the inevitable feeling of sorrow and regret that pierced him to subside a little. The symptoms were like an illness that persisted, as raw as they had ever been, and he suspected he would never be free of them.

‘I have neither wife nor child,’ he replied, his jaw tightening. ‘So the problem would hardly arise. In any case, I am head of the Cordova family and I am entrusted to make decisions that are best for all.’

‘You mean … whatever you say goes?’

‘If you want to put it like that … yes.’

‘I see.’

‘Was there anything else you wanted to know?’

She pursed her lips and gazed straight ahead of her.

Cristiano’s brow furrowed. ‘Dominique?’

‘It’s just that … Well, is it right that I should contemplate going to live with Ramón’s family under the circumstances? I mean, when we’d already broken up and everything? It might have been different if we had been engaged to be married, but we weren’t.’

‘Did you want to marry him?’

‘No. That was something I never fooled myself about. Even when he was with me he never stopped admiring other girls. I was well aware he craved his freedom and detested the idea of a long-term commitment. A marriage between us wouldn’t have lasted five minutes!”

‘That may unfortunately have been the case, but I have to tell you that you have every right to expect the support of his family, Dominique. It is Matilde’s birthright we are talking about here! As well as my own responsibility towards her, Ramón had money and property that will naturally go to his daughter now that he is dead. Once you are established in Spain everything will be arranged legally.’

‘Assuming I agree to go, of course!’

Assessing the proud lift of her head and the continued defiance etched into her small, perfect jaw, Cristiano could not help but smile. Victory was close, he sensed, but he would not risk jeopardising it by displaying arrogance at such a crucial juncture.

‘I understand your concerns—it is unknown territory for you, and your fears about going to people you do not yet know are only natural. But you are an intelligent girl, and I think you are already aware that returning to Spain with me and the opportunities that would afford you if you decide to stay—as well as the family support you would receive—would surely make for a much better future than you could ever hope to enjoy here!’

She glanced away from him for a moment, chewing on her lip, her gaze reflective. ‘It’s a big step … moving to another country. All right. I’ll agree to go with you for Christmas, but after that … well, we’ll see. My main concern is that I make the right choices for my child. Naturally I want her to be with people who’ll love her as much as I do. And I’m well aware she probably won’t have that if I stay here. My mother is too bitter and disappointed in me to ever be the kind of grandmother I would wish for Matilde … I realise that.’

‘That is her loss—of that I have no doubt.’

Equal parts of anger and dismay clutched at Cristiano’s vitals when he thought about Dominique’s mother and her unforgiving, unnatural attitude towards her daughter. But he was also eager to ring home and give them some good news for a change. To let them know that Dominique and the baby would be coming back with him for Christmas would fill them with joy instead of the numbing sadness and grief they had been living with these past few weeks. A baby in the house would signify new life and a new beginning. New hope.

The thought laid a soft blanket over his own grief and despair, and he glanced at Dominique with genuine concern, seeing a young woman who clearly needed his protection and guidance. He could not let her down.

‘When can you be ready to leave?’ he asked her, stirring his coffee and taking a satisfying sip of the dark sweet brew.

Her cup rattling a little in its saucer as she placed it on the table, Dominique sank further back into her chair and folded her arms. ‘Well … I’ll have to discuss it with my manager at work, but I’d say the earliest I could go would be in about two weeks’ time. If I’m not going to be there over Christmas I’ll probably have to put in some extra hours to make up for my absence. There’ll be other things to arrange too … a medical check for Matilde, packing, and I’ll have to ask my neighbour to keep an eye on my place for me while I’m away.’

‘Two weeks is out of the question! I aim to be back in Spain in no more than a week, and I am not going back without you! You can arrange the little one’s medical check, but as for your work—I will be only too happy to speak to your manager and put him in the picture. You should be entitled to compassionate leave at the very least!’

Once again Dominique was made aware of the iron resolve of the man sitting opposite her. She recognised his natural proclivity for taking charge of both situations and people—and could not help feeling resentful. She had had a bellyful of being told what to do! Her teachers, her mother … everyone pushing and prodding her to achieve their own ends, not hers. If she was going to become part of this new Spanish family that her daughter had inherited then she had to establish for Cristiano Cordova the fact that she had a mind and a will of her own, and would not be backed into a corner by anyone.

‘That won’t be necessary. I’m quite capable of speaking to my manager myself, thank you! And if you can’t wait as long as two weeks, then why don’t you go back as planned and let me follow on later?’

‘No.’

Dominique had never heard such an intractable no in her life. Getting to his feet, Cristiano appeared suddenly restless, as if he had sat too long and was unused to such enforced inactivity.

‘We will return to Spain together and I will not hear of any other arrangement than that! Over the coming week I will be totally at your disposal to help you with whatever has to be done—and it will be done, rest assured. And, talking of travelling, you have an up-to-date passport, I presume?’