A Scandalous Midnight in Madrid Page 13

  Alejandro frowned and said nothing. ‘You’ll have to see how you’re feeling at the time,’ he finally conceded.

  ‘Of course I will,’ she said as he kissed her again.

  This kiss was so long and lingering, she shivered involuntarily because it felt like goodbye. ‘Are you going somewhere again?’ she asked when he released her.

  ‘Would you miss me?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘And you wouldn’t do anything silly while I’m away?’

  ‘You are going,’ she said with certainty. ‘So, how long is it this time?’ She had no right to ask, but the words had shot out of her mouth before she could stop them, and now she regretted each and every syllable, because they made her sound desperate, when she relied on no one and never had.

  ‘I can’t tell you how long I’m going to be exactly,’ Alejandro admitted, ‘but I’m always on the other end of the phone, so don’t turn yours off this time.’

  Nothing had changed, Sadie reflected, feeling as if a big black hole had just opened up in her stomach. Alejandro continued to live as if he was accountable to no one, and the truth of it was he was right. She had no call on him, though she felt sick to the stomach at the thought of him leaving. In fairness, she had needed space to get used to the idea of a baby, but what if Alejandro needed space from her? Glibly promising that she would forget the past was one thing, but someone should tell that wretched worm of doubt inside her to stop twisting and turning.

  ‘Go get some sleep. You must be exhausted. I’ll be leaving in a few hours’ time, so I won’t disturb you.’

  So not even the prospect of one last night, wrapped in each other’s arms.

  ‘Sadie...’ Dipping his head, Alejandro stared into her eyes. ‘I am coming back, and until I do I want you to rest here. With Maria to look after you, you couldn’t be in a better place.’

  ‘I can’t stay here. What about my job in Madrid?’

  ‘Resign.’

  ‘That isn’t an option for me.’

  ‘And when the baby’s born?’

  ‘I’ll sort something out.’

  They stared at each other in silence before finally accepting that neither of them was about to give way, and then Sadie dragged her gaze away from Alejandro’s and returned alone to her room.

  After a restless few hours’ dozing, she heard the helicopter taking off. Rushing to the window, she stared out as the powerful machine soared overhead and wheeled away. Alejandro was giving her space she had thought she needed, but she didn’t want it now; she wanted him. They still had to talk about the baby and plan the future...unless Alejandro didn’t think it necessary to consider the future, because he would decide, he would plan, he would instruct—No! The baby joined them, but everything was going to be different from Sadie’s experience as a child. She’d make sure of it.

  To anchor herself, she called Chef Sorollo to tell him the news, and as soon as he heard about the baby he insisted she must take a sabbatical to coincide with her pregnancy. She agreed that it was time to step out of her insular existence in Madrid, to discover more about the other side of her baby’s heritage, and she didn’t have to wait for Alejandro to help her do that. She’d always been strong, and now it was time to use that strength.

  As Marissa and Annalisa were spending time together in Madrid, Sadie’s obvious destination was the flamenco camp. She wasn’t interested in resting, as Alejandro had suggested. She felt fit and well, and there was no reason why she couldn’t carry on researching recipes and traditions in the mountains. Her body would tell her when she’d done enough, and she would rest when that time came. She wasn’t worried about arriving unannounced at the camp, or being without her friends Annalisa and Marissa, because cooking, like music, brought people together across the world, and this was the best chance she’d get to learn more about the customs of the people that through Alejandro’s mother had enriched the de Alegon line.

  Telling Maria where she was going, she packed her bags. Taking one last look around her fabulous suite of rooms, she left the building to hitch a lift up to the flamenco camp with a group of gardeners who were heading there within the hour. Returning to the community she loved was something she looked forward to, though whether it would take her mind off Alejandro... Staring up at the sky, she wished she didn’t miss him quite so much already.

  * * *

  The call shocked him out of bed at two in the morning. Like all middle-of-the-night calls, it had far more impact than if he’d received the same news at two in the afternoon, when the world was a livelier, brighter place, and his brain was firing on all cylinders. Receiver jammed between ear and shoulder, he logged the vital information as he tugged on his jeans. A disaster had struck the flamenco camp.

  And Sadie was there! Pregnant Sadie. Sadie, pregnant with his baby!

  What the hell was she doing at the flamenco camp? Why wasn’t she resting at his house in the mountains as he had instructed? He’d planned on her relaxing until he returned, and in a safe and secure place where she would be well looked after by Maria. He’d only had a couple of hours’ sleep, and his business was nowhere near concluded, but he’d meant it when he’d told Sadie that she wasn’t alone. Buckling his belt, he called to file an emergency flight plan. With any luck he’d arrive at the flamenco camp before dawn.

  * * *

  An avalanche in the height of summer wasn’t unusual in this part of Spain, Sadie learned as she checked on the well-being of a huddle of people who were sheltering beneath an overhang in the cliff. The rapid rise in temperature had melted the snow at the summit, and high winds had added to the problem, making the surface snow unstable.

  The first Sadie had known of impending disaster was when the whisper of trouble she had thought was merely a change in the direction of the wind became a roar that tipped the guest caravan where she was sleeping onto its side, spilling Sadie out of bed onto a cold, hard floor. Once she was over the shock, she checked herself over and gave herself a moment to be sure that her tumble hadn’t harmed the baby. Then, finding her clothes amidst the jumble of assorted belongings that had hit the floor, which wasn’t hard, as most of them had fallen on top of her, she dressed quickly and forced a window open so she could climb out and see who needed help.

  Slithering down the side of the upturned caravan, Sadie scrambled to her feet and looked around. A scene of complete devastation greeted her. The usually sun-drenched plateau had been transformed into a winter wonderland, but there was nothing funny or entertaining about this snow-covered scene, because people’s homes had been wrecked, and both children and adults were moving slowly around the site in a daze. If there was one thing she was good at, it was organisation. Without it, the most talented chefs would soon crash and burn. Having alerted the authorities and left a text on Alejandro’s phone when he didn’t pick up, she set to work. Discovering the extent of the damage to people and property was the first priority. Setting up a triage station manned by those with nursing skills was the next. Reuniting families was crucial, and, for the sake of children, the elderly and the injured, it needed to happen fast.

  Delegating where possible, she liaised with the surprising number of people who had stepped up to help, issuing each of them with precise instructions as to where their help could best be utilised. Previously, her welcome at the camp had been friendly and polite, but now she was made to feel that she belonged.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  HE ARRIVED WITH not one, but three helicopters, ready to evacuate the camp. As the aircraft he was piloting swooped lower, he spotted a young woman, red hair flying as she gestured to those who’d marked out a safe landing site in the snow to stand clear.

  ‘Sadie?’

  He was astounded to find her apparently directing the start of a clear-up operation. What the hell? She was pregnant and should be resting. Calling up his PA, he asked him to alert the best obstetrician in Madrid to
expect a new patient. Mountain rescue had already confirmed they were on their way with a fleet of service aircraft, and his fleet of private helicopters was in the air. Hovering over the landing cross, which the indomitable Sadie no doubt had marked out clearly on top of the snow, he brought the aircraft down and switched off the engine.

  Appearing totally in control of the situation, she strode to meet him. The scolding he’d intended to give her was lost in the briefing she gave him as briskly as she might any other emergency professional in the field. ‘Initial stages of the rescue are well under way,’ she said when she’d finished the update, meeting his stern stare levelly.

  Having reassured himself that she did look in the best of health, and had possibly never looked better, he replied in the same brisk tone, ‘Good job. Command centre?’

  ‘Your caravan, I’m afraid. It was one of the few structures left undamaged, thanks to its sheltered position in the encampment.’

  ‘No problem. How are you?’ he said, asking the question at the forefront of his mind. He stared at her intently as they strode along.

  She glanced at him briefly. ‘I’m fine. The baby’s fine. I can assure you that I haven’t overdone it or taken any risks.’

  ‘You just initiated a full-scale rescue operation,’ he argued. ‘Was that safe, in your opinion?’

  ‘Would you rather I had sat it out?’

  ‘In your condition? Yes.’

  Her glance this time was full of steel. ‘I’m okay, Alejandro.’

  ‘I guess you are,’ he conceded grimly.

  ‘This is what I’ve arranged so far,’ she said, turning the spotlight away from herself.

  It was hard to believe quite how comprehensive Sadie’s report was. He had never admired her more, though she was one infuriatingly self-willed woman.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind,’ she said as they arrived at his caravan. ‘It’s also bigger than the rest of the homes, so requisitioning this particular van was the obvious choice.’

  ‘I don’t mind at all. It couldn’t have been put to a better use. Just tell me you haven’t done any of the heavy lifting,’ he ground out as he glanced at the piles of supplies that had already been air-dropped into camp.

  ‘You can trust me to do what’s right,’ she said firmly.

  But could she trust him, and what would it take to make that happen?

  ‘Come and meet the team,’ she said, opening the door to his caravan.

  It was almost as if they were partners, he thought as the rest of the team greeted them and offered seats to him and Sadie so they sat side by side at the head of the table. This was most definitely a partnership like no other he’d ever known, and he welcomed Sadie’s robust manner because it got things done. She wasn’t afraid to challenge him, and, apart from all the good ideas that she’d put into operation, she’d proved herself to be more than level-headed in a crisis.

  She was a mass of contradictions, he concluded. When it came to anything personal, Sadie’s illogical side could so easily kick in. Maybe that would always be part of her persona. And maybe that was what made her so interesting, and such a challenge. Would he change her? Probably not, he conceded as the meeting ended and they stepped outside. All he could do was love her and make her feel safe. There was nothing in the world he wanted more than a stand-up woman who could, and who would, take him on, as Sadie did.

  * * *

  They had slept on their feet, or that was what it felt like, Sadie thought as she boiled up some water for coffee on the campfire she’d built outside the caravan. The army rescue team had set up a feeding station, and they all greeted Alejandro with enthusiasm, having remembered him from his time in Special Forces, which was another thing she’d just learned about him. The level of testosterone swirling around that tent had been too much to deal with, so she’d slipped away to make a campfire of her own.

  ‘Enough for two?’

  Whirling around, she discovered Alejandro standing behind her. That was enough to send her senses rioting. In full, tough work gear, with his thick black hair tangled and powdered with snow, and his stubble so sharp and black he looked like a pirate, it was unfair to look so good in this type of situation.

  ‘You look great, considering the work you’ve put in since you arrived,’ she said with her customary frankness. ‘And there’s plenty for two.’

  ‘Then, coffee would be good,’ he said as he hunkered down beside her.

  He was way too much of a distraction when there was still so much work to do. ‘I can only take a short break,’ she explained.

  ‘Long enough, I hope?’ As he said this Alejandro’s stare levelled on her face. When she chose not to answer, he pulled her close. ‘You’ve done a great job, but now it’s time for you to step back, and let others take over.’

  ‘Are you patronising me?’

  ‘No. I’m being properly careful with your health,’ he argued. ‘What you’ve done here won’t be forgotten by anyone.’

  ‘I’ll go down in myth and legend?’ she suggested wryly, stifling a yawn. ‘Seriously, I’m just one of many. Everyone helped out.’

  ‘But you helped them over the initial shock by giving direction. They needed something to do to feel they were working towards the recovery of the camp, and you did that.’

  ‘They still need me around,’ Sadie insisted, feeling she’d taken too much time out already.

  ‘I need you around.’

  Her glance flew to his mouth. He had a very sexy mouth, and, though she was loath to admit it, pregnancy had made her mad for sex; whatever their differences, Alejandro had taught her the difference between sex with him and no sex with him.

  ‘Sit,’ he insisted when she cancelled her disturbing thoughts in favour of action of a far more practical type. ‘Really—I mean it—sit down. The next shift’s taken over, and they’ve got everything under control.’

  She hesitated for a few moments, and then sat down again.

  They were sitting on hessian sacks in the snow in front of the campfire she’d built. It was warm in front of the fire, and things were starting to return to normal in the camp. In addition to the staff and equipment Alejandro and the army had provided, dozens of volunteers from neighbouring villages had rallied round with tents and blankets, food and a seemingly endless supply of strong, hot coffee.

  ‘I’ve opened up Castillo Fuego,’ Alejandro told her, ‘so until they get their lives in order again, all the people here will have a home.’

  ‘That’s a fantastic thing to do.’

  ‘You’re fantastic,’ he said.

  Helicopters buzzed overhead like a never-ending swarm of noisy insects as they ferried in fresh supplies. A more romantic setting would be hard to find, Sadie reflected dryly as Alejandro smoothed her hair.

  ‘Seriously, you must take a break,’ he said. ‘You held the fort until everyone got here, and you’ve done a fantastic job. Please, take some of the praise,’ he insisted when Sadie shook her head. ‘Or must I persuade you?’

  ‘Oh, persuade me, I think,’ she said.

  Alejandro had never needed much encouragement, and neither had she. Moving into his arms, she thrust her fingers through his hair to bind him close. When he brushed her lips with his, then teased them apart to deepen the kiss, she was lost, and so was he. Hunger consumed them. How they didn’t make love on the snow, with any passer-by who cared to do so watching them, would remain one of life’s mysteries for ever. Relief that they were both safe and unharmed, and full of determination to carry on and help out, help each other, only added fuel to a fierce, raging fire.

  ‘You take far too much for granted,’ she teased when finally they came up for air.

  ‘You think?’ Alejandro demanded softly.

  ‘You are a very bad man,’ she said.

  ‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Alejandro told her as he dragged her close for another
kiss.

  * * *

  With the resilience typical of Alejandro’s people, the flamenco camp was soon up and running again with music playing and people dancing, while others took it in turns to shovel snow. Sadie and Alejandro were amongst the shovellers. Whether he approved or not, she knew what she could do and what she mustn’t attempt, and she was determined to listen to her body where that was concerned.

  ‘Dance?’ he suggested, his energy seemingly not even dented by the exercise.

  Resting on her shovel, Sadie glanced around. ‘How can we?’

  ‘Put one foot in front of the other—preferably in time to the music,’ he suggested dryly. ‘We’ve nearly cleared the snow, and there’ve been no serious injuries. Everyone knows how lucky the encampment has been. They want to celebrate, and we should too. You’ve done enough work for today,’ he added, taking the shovel from her hands.

  Planting her hands on her hips, Sadie angled her chin to challenge him with a look, but Alejandro’s macho expression made her laugh. ‘What do I have to do,’ she asked him, ‘to train you in the gentle art of letting go of the reins from time to time?’

  ‘Says you,’ he exclaimed with incredulity.

  ‘I guess we’re as bad as each other,’ she admitted, standing down.

  ‘So we dance,’ he said.

  There would be no miraculous changes in Don Alejandro de Alegon just yet, Sadie reflected with amusement as Alejandro drew her into his arms, but they did have a lot to celebrate. And, having attended some beginner’s flamenco classes while she was living in the encampment, she had a few new moves to try out.

  ‘Nothing too vigorous,’ Alejandro warned as she headed for the stage.

  ‘I’m sure I can rely on you to curb my wilder instincts,’ she teased. ‘Or maybe not,’ she added, flashing a glance at Alejandro.

  Every part of her was pressed up against him, and, when he swung her around, his hands were firm on her body. ‘I’m not letting you go,’ he said as a couple next to them performed an intricate move that saw the woman bent over the man’s arm until her long hair dusted the ground. ‘Who knows what you might get up to?’