Page 27 of Midnight Surrender to the Spaniard

He must have become aware that he was still touching her arm, because he dropped contact and stepped back just a fraction.

Anna stood, her head spinning with the news.

What should she do?

Should she fly to Marbella, or would she only be in the way?

Should she change her flight and just turn around and go home?

‘She was there when I had Wi—’

Anna stopped, feeling the stinging hurt he had caused the last time she had mentioned her daughter return. She absolutely would not be discussing her daughter with this man.

‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘For coming to the airport and telling me.’

‘What do you want to do?’ he asked.

‘I’ll work it out.’

‘I don’t think I’m supposed to report back and say I left you hereworking it out.’

Anna looked up, and although he looked back at her he did not quite meet her eyes. She guessed this must be the very last place he wanted to be.

‘I’m driving up to Marbella,’ he informed her. ‘You’re welcome to join me. I’m getting my yacht moved and docked there, but in the meantime I’ll get my PA to sort out accommodation.’

Anna instantly shook her head, well aware that she couldn’t afford any hotel that a Romero would stay at. But surely she’d be able to find somewhere cheaper once she got there, as well as change her return flight. She couldn’t really deal with the logistics right now. All she could think of was that her best friend’s baby was possibly about to be born too soon.

‘I don’t know what to do,’ she admitted.

He made the decision for her.

‘Come on,’ he said. ‘You’ll drive up with me. You can change your return flight when we know more.’

His was the voice of reason, so she nodded and started to walk.

‘Your case,’ he reminded her, but didn’t retrieve it himself. The kid gloves were clearly off.

The silver car was familiar this time. ‘How far is it to Marbella?’ she asked.

‘A couple of hours,’ he said, and then amended the time frame. ‘Maybe two and a half if I have a tense passenger.’

Of course he had a tense passenger, after the way they had parted and now Emily’s situation was so precarious.

They drove in silence for a considerable while, during which Anna’s mind was going in every direction.

‘Anna, could we discuss—?’

‘No.’ She cut him off, because she could not discuss that horrible morning—especially as she was sure now that were it not for this emergency she wouldn’t even have seen him once on this trip.

Her phone buzzed and Anna quickly swiped to answer it. She saw it was Emily.

‘Em!’

Sebastián listened to the one-sided conversation and heard her calm, upbeat voice, though he could see that her knee was bobbing up and down.

‘That’s good. Give the medication some time to work...’

There was a pause while she listened.

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