But he'd waited for her this long and he could wait a little longer. What was pain?
He rejoiced in her strength, and in the fact that she had built a life for herself here. He even, however begrudgingly, had to admit that she was doing very well without him. So whatever she wanted from him tonight would have to wait until tomorrow morning.
* * *
The air was blue by the time Danny had pulled the bedcovers up to her chin. How dared Tiago come back into her life and interfere?
Had he found someone else?
Why else would he be so distant with her?
Had he lost all feeling for her?
Clearly he had.
How dared he refuse to take her call? She had wanted to warn him off one last time.
She had wanted to hear his voice before falling asleep.
How dared he speak to her employer without her express permission?
She took out her frustration on the pillow.
And how was everyone on the ranch?
Why hadn't he told her? Did that mean she was never going to see them again?
She picked up the phone to call him again but it went straight to voicemail. Again!
Damn the man! She didn't need him anyway!
She didn't need anyone!
Burying her head between the pillows, as if Tiago might hear her noisy sobs of anger and frustration, failure, longing and loneliness all the way over at the big house at Lochmaglen, she dragged the jacket of her flannelette pyjamas a little closer and curled up tightly in a ball.
She must have fallen asleep almost immediately, but woke feeling as if she hadn't slept at all. She had been dreaming about Tiago all night, Danny realised groggily. She'd been telling him how glad she was that he was back. And then they'd made love. She would never forget that dream. Her body would never forget that dream. She would always remember Tiago kissing her as if they'd spent a lifetime apart, rather than a matter of weeks. And then, when they had been resting, she'd told him she loved him, and Tiago had said he loved her too.
Dreams!
And now she had work to do. But first she had to speak to her employer and reassure him that she wouldn't be taking any time off-contrary to whatever he might have been told by their new and forceful neighbour.
She showered and dressed, and then ate breakfast. With a piece of buttered toast clamped between her teeth she hurried over to the stable block, and soon she was immersed in the work she loved.
But not for long.
Hooves clattering across the cobblestones reminded her that Tiago still expected them to ride out together this morning.
And what Tiago wants, Tiago gets...
Not on her watch.
That thought couldn't stop her heart going crazy. Whatever she thought of him-or of herself, or of the way she had handled their relationship up to now-Tiago would always make her world a brighter place. Just more annoying, she reflected with amusement as he rode into the yard.
‘Nice horse,' she commented mildly.
Colossal understatement. Tiago was riding a fancy stallion that must have cost a king's ransom, and he was leading an equally fine grey at his side.
‘Good morning, Danny.'
His voice played her like a violin, reverberating all the way through her.
‘I trust you slept well?'
As well as he had, apparently. He had dark circles under his eyes too.
‘Very well, thank you,' she said primly, while her body went on a rampage of lust.
With his swarthy skin, his unshaven face, and a bandana barely keeping his wild black hair under control, Tiago looked like every woman's answer to lonely nights. His relaxed way of riding suggested the master of the sexual universe had arrived. He was dressed in jeans and boots, and a rugged black jacket with the collar turned up against the wind, but it was his dark eyes that held her.
This was ridiculous. She was in no mood for his nonsense this morning. Planting her hands on her hips, she confronted him. ‘Have you forgotten that I told you I was working this morning?'
‘I remembered.'
Dismounting, he secured both horses to a post, while she tried very hard not to notice the width of his shoulders, his lean frame... And she definitely refused to notice his tight butt, along with the familiar bulge in his jeans.
‘I left a message for my employer to let him know I will be working as usual this morning,' she announced crisply.
‘I know you did.'
‘You know?'
Tiago turned to face her and his expression was distinctly amused.
It took her a moment, and then the penny finally dropped. ‘You!'
He shrugged. ‘Had you forgotten that this farm belongs to the Lochmaglen estate? Don't look so horrified, Danny. I made a very generous offer. Your ex-employer had no difficulty accepting it.'
‘So you've bought up everything in sight?'
‘Not quite. Chico and Lizzie still own Rottingdean.'
‘So between you and Chico you've bought up half the Highlands?' She shook her head. ‘You're incredible!'
‘Glad you think so,' Tiago observed wryly, utterly unfazed.
‘This isn't funny, Tiago. You could have told me last night, but instead you chose to dangle me on the end of your line. I won't let that happen again.'
‘Mount up,' he suggested calmly. ‘We can discuss this on the ride. And don't pretend you can resist checking out such a fabulous horse.'
True. He'd caught her looking at the mare. ‘You've got a damn cheek.'
‘I'm still trialling her,' he said, ignoring this, ‘and I'd like to know what you think. I value your opinion, Danny. Is that so strange? You have had the best training in the world, after all.'
‘And you can stop mocking me, and smiling like that, right now.'
Narrowing her eyes, she'd made the mistake of meeting Tiago's dark stare to say this, and now it was impossible to look away. His eyes held far too many wicked messages-messages that her body was all too eager to receive.
Tearing herself away from that distraction, she checked the tack and mounted up. ‘You could have told me all of this last night.'
‘I never show my hand on a first date.'
‘A first date?' she queried, bending to flick the latch on the gate with her crop. ‘Is that what you'd call it?'
‘What would you call it?'
‘You don't want to know.'
Tiago shrugged and then followed her through. ‘Shall we just enjoy the ride and find out where it takes us?' he suggested, closing the gate behind them.
‘I would need to erase the past for that.'
Danny urged her horse into a relaxed canter, but as Tiago rode alongside all the hurt came welling back.
‘I would need to forget that you persuaded me to marry you without telling me what was involved. I would have to blank out the fact that you arranged a wonderful evening for us last night at a house you forgot to tell me you owned. And you even drew Annie into it-'
‘Stop.' Tiago shifted position in the saddle so he could stare directly at her. ‘Annie was eager to be part of last night, and I thought you were eager to be there. You were obviously pleased to see Annie-and you were eager to marry me, I seem to recall.'
‘I was eager,' Danny admitted. ‘I was eager and stupid and gullible. But not now. I gave you my heart and my trust in Brazil, but that was before I woke up. And I thought you knew me better than to imagine I could ever, ever involve a child.'
‘Danny-'
‘No,' she flashed, and with a click of her tongue she urged the grey mare to gallop away from him.
* * *
He wasn't staying back this time. This time he gave chase. They rode neck and neck at a flat-out gallop across the purple heather before finally reining in on the riverbank.
‘What do you think of her?' he asked.
Danny looked at him as if she couldn't believe he could change tack so easily.
‘The horse?' he prompted.
‘I know what you're talking about,' she assured him. ‘The horse is great.'
‘She's great-but we're not?' he suggested, raising a brow.
Danny's face reflected her conflicting emotions. ‘You had to find a wife-any wife-and there I was.'
‘Yes,' he admitted. ‘But I fell in love with you.'
‘You fell in love with me?' she said. Her mouth slanted. ‘If you'd loved me you would have told me the truth.'
‘Maybe I didn't know what love was, but you taught me. I married you for the worst of reasons, but graças a Deus I saved the ranch. I'll make no apologies for that. Do I love you now? God help me, yes. Now more than ever.'
Swinging his leg over the horse, he dismounted. Running up his stirrups, he turned to stare at her.
‘Do I ask you to forgive me? No. There's nothing for you to forgive. I will always love you, and I have never lied to you-'