Page 34 of Brazilian Revenge

Goddamn lawyer brain. “Are you insane? Do you really expect me to live my whole life in a country that’s not mine just to give you the convenience of having your daughter close by?” And to depend on him at least in the beginning? Finding a job in Brazil with her skillset in the current economy would be beyond difficult. After she had set herself free from Harry, did she want to depend on a man? Harry hadn’t been her father, and as it turned out, he sucked as a father figure, too.

“Yes. And if you don’t think that’s important to her, to have her dad part of her life, then you disappoint me.”

Her breath caught. She could laugh at the irony, except she wasn’t the least bit amused. She believed a father was so important that she had tried and tried to keep Harry in her life, when she thought he was only mildly damaged. “So I’m supposed to sacrifice and all you do is write a check.”

He opened the door as if he needed some air, but continued inside the car. “What else do you want?”

I want you to get to know me. To care for me. Maybe if I’m lucky…to love me.“I want an intact family. I grew up without one, and I’d like to give my daughter that.”

“She will have a wonderful family. Only her mom and dad will live in different apartments.”

Okay, let’s play with that possibility. “What are you going to do if I decide to date someone? How will you react when Lyanna has a stepfather?”

A dark spark flickered in his eyes. “You are not going to bring some random man into her life.”

“That’s what I thought. So, again, how does any of this benefit me?”

He watched her in silence, and she wondered what was behind the confusion in his eyes. Did he really think he’d wave some cash and a contract and she would be more than willing to stay? “You’re not suggesting we get married, are you?” he finally asked. “We’re not even dating.”

Her pulse spiked, and dozens of ways to answer that question jumbled her mind, but she settled for the simplest one. The one she could understand. “Exactly. We’re much beyond dating, Leonardo. Don’t you see that? Your parents had a happy marriage, and that’s wonderful. But when my adoptive mother chose to believe my stepfather instead of me, I was the one hurt. Her emotions got the best of her.”

He snorted. “Are you implying I’ll be that dumb? That I will let anyone in my life and have access to my daughter?”

“We can’t keep our hands off each other for long. I don’t want this to turn into a years’ long unresolved downgraded version of a relationship while my daughter grows up watching us not committing to each other. Fighting. You should consider that, instead of wanting me to change my life around just so it can be convenient for you.”

“Convenient? Do you think it’ll be convenient to explain to my family and friends how irresponsible I was? The media will have a field day with this. They will play it like I left you when you were pregnant.”

“Not if you marry me. Then it’ll be a love story.”

“See, the problem is I do want a love story, and I don’t take shortcuts, Satyanna. The right decisions aren’t easy.”

Her stomach sank. She didn’t want to come across as a selfish bitch, but was agreeing to build a life in Brazil the right decision for her? Without any sort of commitment from him? What if he tried to control her life? What if one day he tired of the domestic-type agreement? She rubbed her eyes, willing those thoughts away. The last thing she needed was more drama.

He ran his hand down his face and sighed. “Look, I want what’s best for our daughter. I’m sure you do, too. Can we talk about it when we get in Rio? I still need to check out Jacinta’s place and come back.”

“Of course,” she said, but doubted they’d ever see things the same way.

…

Leonardo drew in a breath. Staring at the Spanish style mansion that his family owned in Rio, he smiled. When he had worked mostly in São Paulo, he usually stayed there while he visited for the weekends. When he moved to Rio, he had bought an exclusive duplex in one of the most expensive areas in the country.

This…was home. And that’s where he was bringing Satyanna. Until Harry Clemonte was found, he wanted her and the baby to be safe—and not only because the security was heightened at the upscale community, but also she would be surrounded by people he trusted whenever he couldn’t be around. With Addie pregnant and a few baby things already bought and delivered, it was the most practical thing to do. Besides, Clemonte didn’t know where they were if he wanted to go after them. Maybe they could buy some time.

“Who lives there?” she asked when the driver brought the car to a halt.

Leonardo slid out of the car and opened the door for her. “My sister, Camila, but she’s out of the country. She decided to finish her studies abroad. My brother Bruno has been staying with his wife Addie while they remodel their new home.”

“And do they know about our, er, situation? I mean, do I have to walk on eggshells?” she asked as she reached to grab Lyanna from the car seat.

“No,” he said, remembering the phone call he’d made to his brother the night before. “They know.” Which, of course, didn’t mean they would keep it to themselves and refrain from asking tons of questions. Maybe Bruno would tease him and stop, but Addie just loved getting her freckled nose into everyone’s business. Whatever. He wouldn’t lie to anyone or fake a relationship.

By the time they made their way to the entrance, Maria, the lovely longtime housekeeper, greeted them with a warm smile. She wore an apron over her blue uniform.

“This is Maria, the saint who has been putting up with us for a long time,” he told Satyanna.

Maria didn’t speak English, but she touched her salt-and-pepper hair as if she just knew he was raving about her.

“Muito prazer,” Satyanna greeted her with a warm smile, and Maria nodded, with a beam of approval.

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