Buch lesen: «The Texas Renegade Returns»

One

“I’m terribly sorry Mr. del Toro, but Miss Windsor is very busy right now. She can’t see you today.”

Alex stared at Cara’s assistant who didn’t sound sorry at all. She sat stiff-shouldered behind her Plexiglas desk in the austere offices of Windsor Energy like a mama bear protecting her cub. She was doing her job, so he couldn’t blame her for that, but that Wicked Witch of the West glare she was giving him had to go.

Now that the truth about his real identity was out, friendly faces in Royal, Texas, were a rare commodity. You’d think he’d sprouted gills and swam with piranha. Old man Windsor had probably alerted his security staff to usher him out of the building on sight. He’d deal with Paul Windsor another time. Today, he’d come for Cara and he wasn’t leaving Windsor Energy without her.

He darted his gaze at Cara’s office door. Dios, he was dying to see her. He had things to tell her that could not wait.

He aimed his best smile straight at the middle-aged assistant. As a boy in Mexico, his natural charm had served him well and he’d learned how to get around his schoolteachers and later, as a young man, he’d perfected the art of persuasion with the opposite sex. Now, the only woman he cared about persuading was Cara Windsor.

“Miss,” he said, verifying the woman’s name by her nameplate, “Miss Potter, you look like a reasonable woman and I would never want you to risk your job, so perhaps you can simply let Miss Windsor know I’m here. Or, I can take it upon myself to open her door unannounced. I don’t think Miss Windsor would appreciate the intrusion and I really don’t want to barge in, but one way or another,” he said, gesturing toward Cara’s door, “I will be seeing her today.” He kept his smile from wavering.

Miss Potter’s shoulders gave an inch. Her eyes begged for understanding. “I’m supposed to call Security if you should ever show up here.”

“You don’t want to do that, do you?”

“No, but Mr. Windsor issued the order. And everyone knows...”

“What do they know?”

Her gaze dipped to the desktop. “That you broke Cara’s heart.”

Ouch! Miss Potter didn’t mince words. This was just a taste of what he was up against.

“I can assure you, I am not going to hurt Cara, so rather than get you in trouble for not doing your job, let us just pretend I didn’t stop by your desk. I will just let myself into her—”

“Gayle? What’s going on here?”

Cara’s lilting voice drifted from the doorway. It smoothed all of his rough edges and calmed him down inside. He pivoted on his heels and turned around.

Seeing Cara’s beautiful face tore him up inside. She had one slender hand on the edge of the door, her body half in, half out of the doorway. The fluorescents shimmered over her straight blond hair and cascaded over her shoulders as smooth as golden honey. Memories came to mind of those soft silky locks teasing over his face as she made love to him right after he’d been released from the hospital.

Today, she wore a business suit of slate-gray, nothing special, nothing noteworthy, but on her, it looked like a Vogue fashion cover. His gaze drifted to her white blouse underneath, clinging to her skin and dipping into the valley between her breasts.

How he missed her.

Her eyes rounded on him and the sparkle in those blue gems faded. Breath rushed out of her like a hiss. “Alex, what are you doing here?” So much for smooth and lilting.

“I came for you.”

She began shaking her head and set her chin firmly. “You can’t be here.”

Gayle Potter rose from her seat. “I’m sorry, Miss Windsor. I tried to stop him.”

“She did. She tried to stop me. But as you know—”

“You’re not stoppable, when you want something.” Her mouth pulled down, sweeping away any welcome on her face.

He had a lot of making up to do.

“It’s okay, Gayle,” she said. “I understand.”

“Should I call S-Security?”

Cara’s chest rose and fell and she sighed. “No, I’ll handle this. If you could excuse us a moment and take your break, I’ll walk Mr. del Toro out.”

He cringed at the bitterness spewing from her lips. He was here to rectify his mistakes, not hurt her anymore.

Gayle darted a worried glance at both of them as she grabbed her bag and scooted out of the office. “Certainly, I’ll be in the lounge if you need me.”

“You shouldn’t even be in this building,” Cara was saying.

“Huh? Oh, what?” He found himself staring and following her every movement. His memories of her didn’t do her justice. He hadn’t seen her for weeks and he’d almost forgotten the blue sparkle in her pretty eyes, like the ocean when first touched by morning sun. He’d almost forgotten the round full shape of her breasts. And legs that made him want to weep when they wrapped around him.

She’d made him laugh, too. They’d do the silliest things together and act like kids without a care in the world. No wonder he’d fallen so hard and fast for her.

“I said...you need to leave.”

“I’ll leave as soon as you agree to come with me. We need to talk.”

Her expression hardened, and she gazed at him as if he were nothing more than a stranger. But he wasn’t a stranger. He was still the same man. If he could only convince her of that. He couldn’t accept that it was over between them. He’d explain and apologize, but first, he had one other thing to do.

“I don’t know you, Alex del Toro,” she said. “I thought I knew you, back when I was foolish and so naive. The Alex Santiago I fell in love with and planned to marry was sweet and caring. He and I clicked. But that’s not who you are, is it? You’re not Alex Santiago. It was all a lie. Everything about you is a lie. You used me and, what’s saddest of all, you don’t remember any of it. If you did, you wouldn’t be standing here today asking to see me. You’d know it’s pointless, amnesia or not.”

“Cara,” he said. “It’s not pointless. Come with me. I promise it won’t take long.” He’d blown it with her big-time, but it wasn’t going to end this way. He glanced at her left hand. She wasn’t wearing his engagement ring. His stomach nose-dived with dread. She hated him.

With wary eyes, she glanced down the hallway that led to the main entry. “My father’s due back in the office in ten minutes. If he sees you here, he’ll have you dragged out of the building.”

Alex took his best shot. He had nothing else to lose. More than restoring his good name to his friends and colleagues in the county, he needed Cara to hear him out. To believe in him again. “Then why create a scene here where you work? I’m only asking for an hour of your time. I promise to deposit you right back here when we’re through.” Or not. If things went as planned, Alex would be taking her to his home in Pine Valley.

An exasperated sigh fell from her lips. She glanced at her watch, then at the front doorway again. He didn’t know it, but Paul Windsor was helping Alex win back Cara. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll go with you, but only because my father’s blood pressure will explode if he sees you.”

Dios, that took some doing.

As for Paul Windsor, if Alex’s suspicions were correct, the man with four ex-wives wouldn’t be available to marry a fifth wife. He’d be in prison.

On kidnapping and attempted-murder charges.

“Give me a minute, Alex. I’ll meet you outside. Where are you parked?”

“First red Ferrari you see in the parking lot.” He smiled. She’d helped him pick out the car. Red was her favorite color. He remembered that about her, too.

He remembered almost everything now.

* * *

Cara leaned over her desk and scribbled a quick note to Gayle, telling her not to say a word to anyone about Alex. She also told her loyal assistant not to worry.

If only she wasn’t worried. She had her doubts about going with Alex. Months ago, he’d disappeared right after their engagement. There had been no sign of him anywhere and at first she’d pretty much panicked. Alex wouldn’t have left without saying something to her. He wouldn’t have given her an engagement ring, pledged undying love and then walked away. She’d held on to the hope that he’d forgotten to tell her he was going on a business trip where he couldn’t be reached. But she’d never heard back from him. Days had turned into weeks. No one had heard from him. As soon as he’d proposed to her, Alex had disappeared. Many people had speculated that his disappearance was suspicious and there was some sort of foul play involved. Some had been sure he was the victim of a crime. Initially, Cara had believed the same.

But as time wore on, she’d secretly feared Alex had run out on her because he didn’t love her enough. Crazy thoughts and doubts entered her head. She’d lived under a constant sense of self-torture. Alex regretted his decision to marry her. Alex had gone back to an ex-lover. She wasn’t the woman for him and he didn’t have the courage to tell her.

Cara sighed as she glanced at the tall, dark and dangerously handsome man staring at her with eyes gleaming. She, along with the rest of the world, now knew the truth.

Alex had been discovered among a group of immigrants sneaking into the United States after their truck collided with another car. It was all one big mystery and Alex claimed amnesia. He didn’t remember much of his disappearance. But he’d had serious injuries, including a concussion and broken wrist from the collision. Cara had thought the worst about him and lived with guilt for weeks, scolding herself for thinking he’d run out on her. Fool that she was, she’d tried everything she could think of to bring back his memory while he was in the hospital. Nothing had worked.

Cara walked out of her office, her heels furiously clicking against sleek gray-slate floors. She had no time to spare. Her father was due back any minute and those were fireworks she never wanted to see.

Stepping outside, Texas sunlight poured over her. She slipped on her sunglasses and scoured around. Alex was hard to miss. She found him leaning against his slick red sports car, his arms crossed and his black hair catching light rays. He was wearing black trousers, a soft white shirt and a devastating smile. Cara’s breath caught again. It happened every time she laid eyes on him.

Fraud, she kept shouting in her head.

Yet, her heart pinged at the sight of him.

Alex Santiago had never really existed and the truth had broken her heart. He was Alejandro del Toro, only son and heir to Del Toro Oil, who’d come from Mexico to spy on their biggest rivals, Windsor Energy. Alex had created a false identity, lived for over a year in Maverick County posing as Alex Santiago and had used her as a pawn to extract information about her father’s successful oil business. The truth came to light after Alex was discovered alive and brought back to town. Concerned about his son’s health and hoping to help him recover from amnesia, Rodrigo del Toro revealed to the world Alex’s true identity and the real reason he’d come to Texas in the first place—to spy on Windsor Oil.

The burn of that betrayal still seared her with pain.

It didn’t matter that Alex couldn’t remember any of it. His amnesia didn’t make him any less guilty. Her father had never liked her choice of fiancé and he’d been right all along about Alex. That was the biggest crime. Her father, who’d been married and divorced four times, had better insight about Alex than she did.

What a fool she’d been.

She left three feet of pavement between them. “I really don’t want to do this.”

“I know. I appreciate your time.”

He came forward to wind his hand around hers and lead her to the passenger-side door. Her palms grew damp from his touch. His strength and power was always a big turn-on. How she’d loved him once.

A part of her was glad he had amnesia. A part of her wished she had it, too.

She stood by the open door. “Where are we going?”

His eyes were nearly black. When they made love, she would slowly sink into them. “You’ll see. I won’t harm you, Cara. I’m still the same Alex you knew.”

Not true. She didn’t argue with him though. She slipped into the leather seat and fastened her seat belt. Alex got behind the wheel and pulled out of the parking lot.

He was quiet on the drive. It was fine with her. She relaxed back against the seat and stared out the front window. For about three minutes. Then her gaze slid from the highway to his handsome face. His profile alone could sell magazines to millions of women. She forced her eyes back to the road.

Don’t remember his hands caressing your body. Don’t remember his mouth pressing yours. Don’t remember the scent of his hot skin when he was aroused and ready to make love to you.

Beautiful memories clicked away in her mind. Her head ached with them. She didn’t want to believe him a liar, user, fraud and spy. But he was all those things. And here she was, sitting beside him, giving him her time and using her father as the excuse to steal away with him.

Cara, you dumbass.

Alex made a right turn off the highway that led away from town. Storefronts and residential streets gave way to the open road. Tight muscles in her neck began to relax. Rolling her shoulders, her stiffness dropped away there, too. She came alive in the country. Across the flatlands, ranches came into view. Roadside wildflowers bursting with color sprouted up along the miles and miles of fences.

Alex hit the controls and the windows rolled all the way down. Gentle springtime breezes replaced the air-conditioning. Her hair blew into her eyes. She didn’t bother trying to fix the mass of blond whipping at her cheeks.

“Now, please close your eyes.”

“Why?”

A few strands of his black hair danced across his forehead as he smiled—a dashing-marauder kind of smile. “Because I asked you nicely.”

She didn’t want to do him any favors, but she’d agreed to this. One hour was all the time she would give him, and twenty of those minutes were already up. She closed her eyes.

“Thank you,” he said.

Those two softly spoken words squeezed tight inside her heart.

Not long after, he parked the car. “Keep them closed,” he said.

The swooshing of quiet waters drifted into her ears. Distant music played and her nostrils were hit with crisp fresh air. “For how long?”

“Until I tell you to open them.”

The driver’s-side door clicked closed and his footfalls grew louder as he approached her side. The door opened and his scent of woods and musk invaded her senses. His subtle cologne meant only for her, he would say, stirred her into restlessness. He brushed her body to help with the seat belt and snap, her heart, as well as her seat belt, were undone. She shifted in her seat.

“Won’t be long now,” he assured her, his melodic voice reaching her ears. It was the same tone he’d used when he told her he loved her. He was so near. So close. Her breath hitched in her throat and she swallowed.

He reached for her hand and helped her out of the car. “Careful, Cara.”

Darn it, she was trying to be. With him.

Under her heels, small stones and uneven ground kept her unsteady, but Alex’s firm grip wouldn’t allow her to fall. “I’d carry you if you’d let me.”

“Not even in your dreams. How much farther?”

“Almost there.”

A sinking ache in the pit of her stomach warned her that this wasn’t a good idea. The road they’d traveled, the scent in the air, the quietly rushing waters, gave credence to her rising suspicions.

The ground under her feet was softer now, her ankles tickled by fragrant wisps of flowers.

Alex stopped and announced, “You can open your eyes now.”

Her eyelids lifted. A beam of sunlight caressed a quiet river. She stood in a field of bluebonnets, the cushion under her feet. Alex took her shoulders and turned her around. She blinked and gazed out. Wooden stakes outlined the skeletal beginnings of a country house Alex had promised to build for her. Inside the house, in what was to be a dining room facing the river, a table was set for two with a floral centerpiece of ivy and gardenias. A quartet of musicians stood off to the side, playing Alex and Cara’s favorite songs.

She didn’t get it. Why had he brought her here? This was where Alex had proposed to her. From childhood, she’d loved this little patch of land where bluebonnets carpeted the banks of the river and mesquite trees grew tall and shady.

When Alex had been in the hospital recovering from his injuries, Cara spent time with him, trying to get him to remember her. Trying to revive his memory about the special love they’d shared. She’d told him of his beautiful marriage proposal and how it had filled her heart with joy. The way he’d proposed had shown her that he’d paid attention. He’d known what she loved. He’d known what little things made her happy.

She’d been desperate to rekindle his memory. She’d been desperate for him to remember their love. But that was back when Cara believed he was Alex Santiago and not a spy and a scoundrel.

Now, her gaze darted from the musicians, to the silver bucket of champagne standing at attention beside the table, to the material-backed Parsons chairs tied with lavender bows. Dozens of small stone planters filled with red roses and tall pillar candles were set around the entire would-be dining room. She’d never gone into detail like this. She’d never mentioned to Alex the flagged stakes in the ground. Or the exact layout to the country house he’d promised to build her after they were married.

She’d never mentioned lavender bows or ivy and gardenias or roses.

She was sure of it.

Her mind swam, fishing for answers. Then, bingo! Her heart slammed against her chest. She shuddered, and Alex stepped up beside her, so close that his presence reassured her. If that wasn’t the oddest thing, that he could still lend her comfort. Giving her head half a turn, she faced him and whispered, “You remember?”

He nodded. “I remember.”

Her eyes squeezed shut. How many times had she prayed for his memory to return? “When?”

“Just recently.”

“So you remember lying to me? Using me?”

His voice gruff, he laced his fingers with hers and gave her hand a gentle shake. “Cara, I remember loving you.”

She melted a little, finally hearing the words she’d hoped to hear for so long. How many nights had she clasped her hands and lifted her head to heaven, praying that Alex would regain his memory? “I—I’m glad for you, Alex.”

“There are only two things that matter to me, Cara. And your love is one of them.”

She dropped her hand and distanced herself. He was too close. And he remembered. Oh, God. “You went to all this trouble to prove to me that your memory has returned?”

“Yes. I went to all this trouble. I wanted to remind you how much we loved each other.”

The corner of her mouth lifted out of sadness. “Once, I loved you.”

“Twice, I’ve loved you, Cara. Once, I loved you as Alex Santiago. Yes, that’s true. But when I was injured, you came to me in the hospital and tried so hard to help me. I began to fall in love all over again. When I returned to my home, a place I didn’t remember, you showed me what love is, what we’d had, and I fell in love with you again as Alex del Toro.”

“Alex, please,” she said. She didn’t want to rehash this. She didn’t want to remember the good times, the love. She especially didn’t want to remember the night she’d seduced him, trying her hardest to get him to remember her. She’d gone all out, using every single erotic move and gesture she knew turned him on, to turn on his memory. It hadn’t worked. Even after that night, Alex still hadn’t remembered her. “What do you want from me?”

“I brought you here hoping that you’d hear me out. Hoping that you’d listen to what I have to say. I want you to understand what happened. I want to apologize for everything I’ve done to cause you pain.”

Alarms clanged in her head. Did he really still love her? Or was his work for his father not through yet? Did he have more damage to do? How could he ask her to forgive him? She still bled from the pain and humiliation he’d caused. Anyone who picked up a newspaper or watched the nightly news knew of the scandal. The headlines might as well have read Cara Windsor—Idiot for Love. “I don’t know if I can accept your apology, Alex.”

The hopeful gleam in his eyes dimmed. He sighed and even that sound came out melodic. “Just listen to me before you decide. Will you have dinner with me?”

“Here?”

He nodded. “Here.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You promised to have me back in an hour.”

He didn’t hesitate. “I’ll honor that promise. I’ll take you back right now if you insist.”

Insist. Insist. But Cara’s darn mouth was stuck in neutral. Nothing came out.

“Please, Cara. I have things to say that I haven’t told another soul. You may not trust me, but I trust you. I need to explain everything to you.”

She deserved an explanation. And he had her curious now. What kind of excuses could make up for breaking her heart and destroying their love? “Send the musicians away. There’ll be no serenading and dancing tonight.”

His breath rushed out. “So, you’ll stay?”

“Only for dinner. I’ll hear you out and then you’ll take me back home.”

A beam of hope entered his eyes. He nodded. “I promise.”

A promise from Alex del Toro?

Maybe someone had some swampland in Florida to sell her, too.

* * *

Cara’s eyes closed as she took her first bite of shrimp scampi. The shrimp and the linguini were perfectly cooked. Garlic and olive oil made everything better. The evening was perfect, right down to the best pairing of wine to accompany the meal and the pink-gold blaze of light setting over the river.

Leave it to Alex to make it all so memorable...even the second time around. But there wouldn’t be any offering of engagement rings or talk of happily-ever-afters tonight.

“It’s delicious,” she said.

She waited for Alex to say something pertinent. He had explaining to do. But instead, his gaze flowed over her like warm honey, shifting from her hair to her mouth. Cara squirmed in her chair, aware of his eyes on her. If only she hadn’t agreed to come here with him.

Was he remembering the last time they’d made love? Was he remembering how she’d seduced him, practically in his sickbed, the day after he was released from hospital? Fools in love do stupid things. She’d actually thought getting naked with him in his home would rocket from his groin to his brain and he’d remember her.

She closed her eyes and banished the memory.

“What is it, Cara?”

“Nothing.” Everything. “Alex, you brought me here to explain. I haven’t heard any explaining yet.”

He set his wineglass down. “Where should I begin?”

“You lied to everyone in Maverick County. That’s a start.”

He began nodding. “Okay, okay. You’re right. It all started with my father.”

“The king of Del Toro Oil.”

“Yes, he’s the president and owner. He built his company from the ground up. When we were children, he worked long hours and there were days my sister and I never saw him. He’s a man who wanted greatness, but he always wanted to protect his family. When Gabriella and I were kids, my mother...my m-mother was kidnapped as a result of his huge success and wealth. She was held for ransom. It all went badly and she was killed.”

“Oh, no! I’m so sorry.” How awful. Her heart ached for the little boy who’d lost his mother in such a violent way. “How old were you when it happened?”

“Eight, and Gabriella was just four.”

As harsh as it was, it only cemented her feelings about Alex. A fiancée should’ve known about her future husband’s hardships as a child. She should’ve known about his family, but Alex had hidden his past from her. He wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with. She didn’t know this Alex at all.

“My father was obviously distraught over my mother’s death. After that incident, he hired bodyguards for my sister and me. We went nowhere without protection. Mexico City can be a dangerous place, especially if you’re the child of a wealthy, powerful man. Finally, when I was older and working exclusively for Del Toro Oil, I convinced my father to let me keep an apartment in Mexico City. I always felt like I was being watched, though my father would deny it. Then one day, he approached me about his plan to gather information about Windsor Energy. I would live in Maverick County and become an entirely different person. To come to America and pose as Alex Santiago, a business tycoon. I saw it as an adventure and my chance to rid myself of the danger in Mexico and finally be free. No one here in the U.S. would know I was Alejandro del Toro, Rodrigo’s son.

“To my father, loyalty is everything. He was giving me this chance to prove myself in his eyes. He was pleased when I agreed.”

“And over two years ago, you came and settled here.”

“Yes, I became Alex Santiago.”

“You ingratiated yourself into West Texas society. You were embraced by your neighbors. You were invited to join the Texas Cattleman’s Club.”

“I made friends, yes. Good friends. I made money here, on my own, and then...then I met you, Cara. And everything changed.”

Her heart wanted to hear what he had to say, but her brain scolded her for listening.

“How? How did it change? You knew I worked for my father. I’m the director of marketing for Windsor. The only change that I could see is that I gave you the outlet to find out more information. You dated me for months and pretended to care about me.”

It was love at first sight. She’d never believed it possible, but the moment she’d laid eyes on this tall, brown and handsome man—the second she heard the deep, rich timbre of his voice at a function at the Texas Cattleman’s Club—Cara was done for. She’d been seeing Chance McDaniel at the time, and she broke it off instantly to be with Alex.

“I do care about you. I always have. When I met you, yes, I’ll admit I thought it would make my task easier to get close to you. But if you think back and remember, I didn’t ask anything of you, my love. I never questioned you about the company.”

“You didn’t have to. I was pretty good at coughing up information. I’d tell you all about my day, the ups and downs. How the company was faring against our competition and what I was doing about it. I’d tell you my strategies for marketing and get your opinion.”

Bile rose in her throat. She hated that she’d been so naive with him. She hated that she’d been played for a sucker. Rehashing it all put a sour taste in her mouth. She pushed her plate away, fighting the burn behind her eyes. Her pride kept her tears well hidden. Crying was the last thing she wanted to do in front of Alex. His betrayal crushed her like a tiny ant under his Italian loafers.

“I can’t make up for the past, for the decisions I’ve made. But Cara, once I realized how important you were to me, I was through with the charade. Right after we were engaged, I’d planned on convincing my father not to go after Windsor Energy.”

Her shoulders stiffened. “Am I really supposed to believe that?”