Page 67 of Virgin's Stolen Nights with the Boss

‘I am meeting with my lawyer in the morning,’ Maria said directly. ‘He agrees that you have no right to remove me from the home where I had my babies...where my husband died by my side—’

‘Mamá,’ Carmen interrupted. ‘I’m not going to fight you.’ She looked out at the starry night. ‘Papá made his wishes clear. He wanted you in Jerez, with your family.’ She heard her mother gasp. ‘I am going to call Sebastián and tell him to instruct our lawyers to desist.’ Carmen took a breath. ‘I know things haven’t been great between us, but maybe as adults we can do better?’

‘Carmen!’

She looked again at the stars, and the beautiful ranch, and thought of Elias and Venice Beach and how cleansed she’d felt having cried. She knew who she was and what she wanted. America had shown her that. No, she thought, Elias had shown her that. It had been absolutely the best night and day of her life.

No regrets...

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

PERHAPSATINGEof regret...

She didn’t see him at all on Monday, and that was actually a relief. Carmen didn’t know if she could manage not to blush, or light up in his presence. Could she really play it casual?

As well as that, she was fielding irate calls from Sebastián and Alejandro, who clearly thought she had lost her mind.

‘It’s my decision,’ Carmen said. ‘I have to listen to my heart.’

‘Use your head instead!’ Sebastián snapped.

She did not need to be warned, because where Elias was concerned she was frantically trying to do exactly that.

He was a playboy, and he had outright told her he did not want to get involved with anyone...

So why was she regretting not accepting his invitation last night? Why, when she finished early in order to cook dinner for everyone, was she looking towards the ranch and wishing she was there tonight instead?

Why did she droop a little in disappointment when she saw there were no flowers waiting for her...not even a little note pushed under the door?

Anything to show her that their time together had meant something to him too...

But then Maria called, and her heart felt happy. Carmen was confident she was making good decisions in her life, and that made her feel that running away to America had been the best thing she could have done—so much so that she was actually relaxing in her room when Laura came flying through the door.

‘We’re getting mattresses delivered. Now! You just have to give your permission.’

‘Of course!’ Carmen nodded, flustered.

‘And strip your bed,’ Laura said. ‘Don’t forget to hide anything...’ She waggled her eyebrows. ‘You know...’

‘Like what?’

‘Anything you don’t want the delivery guys to see!’

Carmen had no idea what she was talking about. Her only concern was getting Laura and the rest of the grooms out of the way before the restaurant delivery arrived...

‘Wait a second... I thought you were cooking tonight?’ Laura said, pausing before she went down the stairs.

‘I’m just about to start,’ Carmen replied as she hastily stripped her bed. ‘Do I have to do any of the other beds?’

‘Of course not.’

The other grooms arrived in dribs and drabs to strip their beds, but finally Carmen had the place to herself—apart from the burly men bringing mattresses...and, better still, new bedlinen for everyone.

Carmen smiled as she peeled the lids off the many boxes ofalbondigasshe had ordered, which had just been delivered. She hoped no one would notice the delivery van amidst the confusion of the mattress delivery. She tipped the Spanish meatballs into the huge pot they all used to cook for everyone, then turned the stove to low, and popped the herbed bread into the oven to warm up.

Elias’s cell phone number was on the chalkboard, along with Blake’s, for any horse emergency. Carmen tried to ignore it, but it kept flashing at her like a beacon.

While the food was warming up she went to peek at her gorgeous new bed, which was now made up with gorgeous sand-coloured linen. It wasn’t exactly flowers, or a note pushed under her door, but she knew it was a little message for her all the same.

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