Page 78 of Modern Romance Collection March 2025 (1-4)

‘Must have been a bad one.’

She nodded and looked away, grateful when a member of the cabin crew stepped in and announced they would soon be landing.

CHAPTER FOUR

Forsomereason, Rose had imagined Diaz’s Spanish home would be an ultra-modern villa in the heart of a bustling city like his parents’ home. Instead, they were driven to a whitewashed layered Moorish-style villa framed by high palm trees, and cut into the rocks of a cove where the sea lapped up to the travertine marble steps that in turn led to sprawling lawns and the vast outdoor living areas.

‘What do you think?’ he asked when they were standing in the part-shaded outdoor dining area with its own bar, an industrial-sized barbecue and huge inbuilt pizza oven, gazing out over the sun slowly setting on the horizon of the calm sea. The babies were by their feet, sleeping in their carrycots.

Still unable to look properly at him after all the memories dredged up by the horrible dream that had been no dream but a replay of a time it hurt her heart to remember, she could only answer truthfully. ‘It’s beautiful.’

‘Inspiration to start taking photos again?’

The studio she’d created for her photography had been closed since Mrs Martinez’s stroke. Rose hadn’t picked up her camera since the night the twins were conceived. She’d taken hundreds of pictures of the girls on her phone but her camera remained stored away.

‘One day,’ she answered, before changing the subject. ‘Coincidence that you’re living in a private cove?’

‘Devon always felt more like home than Madrid. I always knew I wanted something with a similar feel to it.’

‘Even though I tainted the feel of it with my malign presence?’

‘Don’t say that.’

‘I didn’t. You did.’ The fog of the last five months had acted like a blanket on their history. The only time she’d vaguely shaken it off had been when she’d put a stop to Diaz sleeping over at the house, a scratching awareness that she must not allow herself to become accustomed to or reliant on his constant presence. He was the father of her children and proving himself an amazing father but she’d be a fool to think theentente cordialethey’d unspokenly entered could last. At some point, Diaz’s inherent loathing of her would resurface, even if he did temper it for their daughters’ sake.

That’s what her dream had been about. A needed reminder and warning.

‘Then I apologise.’

So shocked was Rose at this unexpected apology that she whipped her gaze to him.

His stare continued to take in the horizon before he gave a brief nod. ‘Let me introduce you to the staff.’

As unnerved by the apology as the dream, she tautly quipped, ‘Do they know I’m the daughter of your grandmother’s housekeeper? Or shall I tell them I belong downstairs too, so to speak?’

‘Rose, stop it,’ he said quietly. ‘You know I never thought that.’

‘Do I?’ Lifting Amelia’s carrycot, she gave a quick smile. ‘Not that it matters any more. The only thing that does matter is our girls, so make the introductions and then you can show me to our room. I want to get their stuff unpacked before they wake for their bottle.’ If she’d known travelling was a sure-fire bet to make them fall asleep, she’d have taken them out for evening drives before bed.

She headed inside the way she’d come, into the magnificent living area, chiding herself for letting emotions surface when she needed to keep them locked away, especially from him.

But her resolve lasted only until they reached the bedrooms.

‘Where’s the cot?’ she asked as she scanned her appointed room, uncaring of its feminine beauty when all she could see was what wasn’t there. Diaz had assured her he’d had the same cot commissioned for the Devon house installed here.

‘In the adjoining room.’

‘Can you get it brought in here please?’

She heard him take a deep breath. ‘No.’

‘But there’s plenty of room in here for it.’

Diaz folded his arms across his chest and braced himself for what must come. ‘It is time for them to move into a room of their own. You need to sleep.’

She rounded on him, her captivating beauty dark with anger. ‘That is not a decision for you to make. Bring the cot in here, right now.’

‘No. I’m sorry, Rose, but we need to start as we mean to go on. They will only be in the room next to you and—’

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