But what he saw there was not censure. It was sympathy. What must be written on his face to elicit that response from his housekeeper?
“I will fix you a new tray, Señor Ramirez. The one you left in your study is cold by now.”
He waved a hand. “I’m not hungry, señora.”
“Then I will fix some cold tapas and bring them. Eat when you feel like it.”
He nodded, unable to refuse her. Señora Flores was more motherly to him than his own mother had ever been. It’d been odd at first to accept her fussing over him, but he appreciated it now. She’d been with him since he’d married Caridad, and she’d weathered those storms to remain with him even after Caridad and Anya were gone.
“I’ll be in my study then.”
He had things to do and no time to waste. Whether or not Rebecca returned to him, he wanted her to know that his desire for revenge was gone. Layton International was part of Ramirez Enterprises but that didn’t mean he couldn’t sell it back to her like she’d asked him time and again. He would help her finance it, if she needed it, and he would help her build the company to the levels she wanted. If she wanted his help. She might not.
Alejandro didn’t know how long he worked at his desk when he heard the study door open. He assumed it was Señora Flores come to tell him she was headed for bed, so he didn’t look up when she entered.
“Good night, señora. Thank you for the tray. It was delicious.”
“Alejandro.”
His head snapped up. He shot to his feet at the sight of his wife standing there, looking at him with her pretty blue eyes. She was wearing a long black maxi skirt and a white blouse, and he’d never seen anyone so lovely in his life. His heart beat hard. He didn’t say anything, though. He couldn’t find the words.
“I forgive you,” she said, and his knees nearly buckled. He crossed the distance between them and swept her into his arms as hot emotion swirled inside him.
“Mi amor,” he whispered, his mouth against her hair, his fingers tunneling into the thick dark mass.
Her arms wrapped around his neck and she squeezed him tight. “I love you, Alejandro. I always have.”
“I did not deserve your love,” he said. “But I intend to do everything I can to prove to you that I deserve it now. I fought you so hard, but you have enslaved me body and soul.”
She caressed his cheek, and he thought how amazing it was to hold her like this. Just hold her. “Are you okay with being enslaved, Alejandro?”
He kissed her, his heart singing with joy. “I am your willing slave, mi corazón. Always.”
Epilogue
Rebecca emerged from the limo after her doctor’s appointment and headed into Ramirez Enterprises. The appointment was simply routine as she got closer to her due date. Genetic testing had revealed months ago that their baby would not be at any higher risk for heart defects than was usual.
The receptionist greeted her with a smile as she strode into the lobby. She stepped into the private elevator and let the operator send her to Alejandro’s office. She thought of all that had happened over the past few months. Ramirez Enterprises was as strong as ever. Once she had united with Alejandro for a joint statement to the press about her father, the speculation died down and the rumor disappeared. And it was only a rumor. Her father would have never crashed a plane with another soul onboard. A complete review of the evidence from the crash had only backed up the original conclusion that it was an accident.
Further, when Alejandro announced she was joining Ramirez Enterprises as the lead consultant to the hotel division, share prices took off. And she had no qualms about charging him an exorbitant fee for her expertise, husband or not. He’d laughed and said she was worth every penny.
When he’d initially told her of his intention to let her buy back Layton International and run it herself, she’d realized that it wasn’t what she truly wanted anymore. She didn’t want to be responsible for the day to day running of the business. She didn’t want the long hours and lonely nights in hotels as she traveled the world on behalf of her company. She especially didn’t want it with a baby on the way and a new husband.
She’d told him no and that Ramirez Enterprises was a good fit for the Layton brand. Together, they could build something bigger and better than either of them could achieve alone. He’d attacked that idea like the tycoon he was, and then he’d hired her as a consultant. He’d even torn up the pre-nuptial agreement, though she’d told him it wasn’t necessary. He’d insisted it was.
Alejandro looked up from his desk as the elevator opened. The smile on his face always made her heart thump. It was a smile just for her. “I thought you were working from home today, mi amor.”
She stepped out of the elevator and it closed behind her. “I have already completed the projections for your next big project. Besides, I wanted to see you.”
One eyebrow lifted. “Dare I hope why?”
“You may hope.”
He came around the desk and pulled her gently into his embrace. “I can hardly get my arms around you.”
Rebecca made a sound of mock outrage. “Alejandro, no woman likes to be called fat. Shame on you.”
He laughed. “You aren’t fat, mi amor. You are radiant.”
She lost herself in his kiss. A second later, he seated her in a cushy chair. He put his hands on either side of her chair, tilting her back. “So tell me,” he said, his lips ghosting over hers, down her neck, back up again. “What did the doctor say?”
“Veronica is perfectly healthy. I too am healthy as a
