Page 50 of The Tycoon's Ultimate Conquest
‘How could I,’ Art asked wryly, ‘when I didn’t recognise the symptoms?’
Symptoms?Never had that single word held such thrilling promise.
‘Please tell me about the land.’ Everything should have been perfect. The man of her dreams had just declared his love for her and yet the rest of his story cast a long shadow, even though she couldn’t see what could possibly spoil the moment. She just knew that a fly in the ointment could turn out to be a lot more toxic than it might first appear. If she was going to get toxic, then she wanted to get it straight away.
‘I targeted that land because I want to build an equestrian centre there,’ Art said heavily. ‘And not just an equestrian centre, but something of a farming complex. You won’t be getting the neat arrangement of polite, high-spec houses you signed up for and there’s no other way of putting it but to tell it like it is.’ His mouth twisted crookedly. ‘In hindsight, if I could have predicted how circumstances would unravel, I would have taken the plunge from the very start but hindsight, as I’ve discovered to my cost, is a wonderful thing. And, like I’ve said—’ he smiled with self-mockery ‘—hindsight isn’t something I’ve ever had time for. My predictive talents had never been challenged and when you know what’s coming you’re not glancing over your shoulder and shaking your head because you took the wrong turning.’
‘Sorry? You want to builda farm?’ Rose was finding it hard to get past that stark announcement.
‘Long story, but... I have a stepbrother, José. He’s severely autistic and currently in a home in the New Forest. He’s not yet twenty-two but the home, good as it is, really can’t deal with the needs of a young adult.’
‘You have a brother...’
‘Stepbrother. And the only step-sibling I’ve ever had time for. Ironic, given his mother had verylittletime for him. In fact, my father had no idea he existed at all until after the marriage had ended. Eliza kept her son’s existence under wraps, just in case it jeopardised the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. At the time, José had been shoved in a mixed bag home and practically forgotten. I met him and felt sorry for him. No, more than that. I wanted to protect him and then I grew to love him. He was honest and trusting and incredibly talented in certain areas but he’d been hung out to dry by his scheming mother, who had no time for him. To her credit, she did pop her head into the home now and again but where she left off, I found that I was taking over. Years after she disappeared from my father’s life, she was killed in a road accident, at which point I took José under my wing. I was climbing the ladder of success. It became my mission to ensure that he got the best that money could buy. I saved José but, in a strange way, I think José also saved me.’
‘Art, my head is spinning.’
‘There’s no concise way to explain all of this. I just need you to understand that my dilemma was finding a place where I could develop a centre for José and for other kids like him. A handful. He is soothed by horses and enjoys being outdoors. He has a way with them. The farm would be something of a therapeutic centre. Some arts and crafts could be incorporated. You’d be surprised at how talented some of these kids are.’
‘But why on earth didn’t you say anything about this?’
‘To the council?’ His eyebrows shot up. ‘People can be strange when it comes to having anyone different as their neighbours. It took a long time to find a suitable location, somewhere commutable for me, a convenient middle ground for other occupants. I wasn’t going to risk jeopardising the project by introducing it from the beginning. I thought that by the time the community got accustomed to the notion of the land being developed they would be more open to my future plans for the place.’
‘I love you,’ Rose said simply, because all of this showed her a side to him that she’d known was there, a caring, thoughtful side lurking underneath the ruthless billionaire exterior.
It was the side that had sucked her in and, even when he’d confessed to his deception, had kept her sucked in because deep down she had known him for the good guy he was. She’d seen the moral integrity underneath the toughlove is for the birdsexterior.
‘You’re not upset that I lied to you yet again?’ Art looked as though his heart was soaring.
‘I’d like to meet your stepbrother one day.’
Art reached out but he didn’t tug her towards him. Instead, he held her hands in his. It was a chaste gesture that made her smile.
‘You will,’ he said gruffly. ‘But first you have to promise me one thing.’
‘What?’ She nudged closer to him and played with his fingers. She couldn’t help herself. She reached out and stroked the side of his face with the back of her hand, then she traced the contours of his mouth.
She leaned into him and kissed him, a slow, tender, melting kiss and it felt good to have her love out in the open, to be as vulnerable as he was.
‘Promise me that you’ll marry me,’ Art said in a muffled voice. ‘Because I can’t imagine a life without you in it. I want to go to sleep with you and wake up to you. I don’t want to ever let you go.’
‘Yes.’ Rose smiled. ‘A thousand timesyes.’
* * *
They were married just as the finishing touches were being put to the local library.
It had been planned as a quiet wedding but it turned out to be rather larger than either of them had expected. Once one person had been invited others had to be included, and Rose discovered that she had done a lot more for the residents of her quiet community than she had ever dreamed.
Everyone wanted to come.
Everyone knew her story and the wedding was almost as much of a fairy tale for them as for her.
She wore a simple cream dress and little silk buds were woven into her long hair, and the look on Art’s face when he turned to look at her as she walked up the aisle of the little country church was something she would take with her for as long as she lived.
* * *
And now...
