THE VALQUEZ SEDUCTION(74)

                He swore as he kicked his boot against the bench seat. What was the point of playing when the one person he was playing for wasn’t here? Wasn’t this for Daisy? Everything he had worked for he now wanted for her. She had shown him the shallowness of his life. His endless pursuit of pleasure without strings had all but strangled everything that was good in him.

                Could he be wrong about her motives? Hadn’t she made him see how much richer life could be when you lived it for others? Like she did. Devoting her life to the education of children. Sacrificing what she wanted so they could have what they needed. So different from his mother, who hadn’t bothered to sacrifice anything for anyone.

                Was he foolish to think he could try again with her? That this time he could ask her—beg her—to see him instead of assuming she would drop everything? She was proud and defiant. Hadn’t he loved that about her from the moment he’d met her? She wasn’t a pushover. She wasn’t yet another sycophant. She was a genuine girl with a big heart who wanted the fairy tale. A fairy tale she deserved.

                She had spent most of her life being controlled by her father. Why hadn’t he realised his approach was exactly the same? He hadn’t given her a choice. He had told her what he wanted as if she had no say in the matter. Of course she would cut him loose. Why would she sign up for more of the bulldozing tactics of her overbearing father?

                Alejandro suddenly appeared in the doorway. ‘There’s someone here to see you.’

                Luiz turned his back as he leaned his hands on the washbasin. He couldn’t give a press interview now. Not now. Not while his emotions were so churned up inside his chest he couldn’t breathe without it hurting. ‘Tell them to go away.’

                ‘I’m not sure she’ll appreciate being told what to do.’

                She?

                His heart skipped a beat as he whipped back around. ‘Who is it?’

                ‘It’s me,’ Daisy said, stepping forward.

                Luiz stared at her. He opened his mouth to speak but he couldn’t get his vocal cords to respond. They were jammed by emotion so thick it paralysed his throat.

                She was here?

                He blinked to make sure he wasn’t imagining her standing there. Like all those times as a kid, pressing his nose to the glass as he waited for his mother, only to have his heart plummet in disappointment when she didn’t show up.

                His mouth was dry. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel the echo of it beating in his fingertips.

                ‘Aren’t you going to say something?’ Daisy said.

                ‘Hello.’ Hello? Is that the best you could do?

                ‘I liked it when you said it in Argentinian.’

                Luiz cleared his throat. ‘Hola.’

                ‘I really like your brother.’

                ‘He’s married.’

                ‘I know. I like his wife too. She’s awfully sweet. You didn’t tell me she was Theodora Marlstone, the brilliantly talented children’s book illustrator. I’ve got all of her books. I use them in my class. My kids love them.’

                Luiz swallowed again. Best not to get too ahead of himself. He wasn’t going to let her rip his heart out again. ‘Why are you here?’