The Spanish Tycoon's Takeover

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, Xavier. You expect me to believe the ravings of a dying man? Seriously?’

His head rocked back.

‘And then what? You want to turn this situation—us—into the Montagues and the Capulets? Puh-lease! I have better things to do with my time. And you should have too. One thing you shouldn’t be doing is taking revenge for something your grandfather was too lazy to pursue himself while he was alive.’

‘Too lazy...!’

He couldn’t help but roar the words at her. He pushed himself and his chair away from the table, his stomach cramping as the pain of the loss of his grandfather pounded through him with renewed force.

‘You know nothing about my grandfather! He was the kindest, most gentle of men, and he didn’t deserve what Aggie did to him.’

‘Have you ever noticed that when a man gets his heart broken it’s always the woman’s fault, but whenever a woman’s heart is broken she’s usually found at fault too?’ She shot to her feet, hands on hips. ‘You want to know what your sad little story tells me about your grandfather? That he was a fool risking his motel in a game of cards! What on earth was he thinking?’

A fool? Xavier clenched his hands so hard he started to shake.

‘I also know that Lorenzo married and sired three sons. That doesn’t exactly speak of heartbreak to me. And you needn’t look so surprised. Did you expect me to do no homework on the Ramos Corporation? I know that Lorenzo founded a great hotel empire.’

Lorenzo had thrown himself into work because there’d been nothing for him at home. Not that Xavier had any intention of telling Wynne that.

‘Which means he could’ve bought back Aggie’s Retreat any time he wanted to while he was alive—if it was that important to him.

If? ‘He had his pride!’

Her jaw dropped, but her shock was far from edifying.

‘If he truly loved Aggie, but let pride prevent him from pursuing her, then...then he deserved his broken heart.’

‘You’re as heartless as your grandmother!’

She closed her eyes and dragged in a breath. ‘I’m just pointing out that you know only one side of the story. I can tell you right now that Aggie enjoyed male attention. She never made any secret of it. I can also tell you, with my hand pressed to my heart, that she would never have cheated in a matter of honour. But as you don’t know her I don’t expect you to believe me. And here’s a novel thought for you, Xavier. What happened between Aggie and Lorenzo has absolutely nothing to do with us—it’s none of our business. And I have absolutely no intention of troubling myself with it further.’

The burning in his chest intensified. ‘You do not love your grandmother?’

‘On the contrary—I adore her.’

‘But you do not care that I mean to obliterate every trace of Aggie—your beloved grandmother—from this motel?’

Her brow wrinkled and she leaned towards him. ‘Xavier, Aggie resides in the hearts of all those who love her—in my heart, my mother’s heart... Lorenzo’s heart. This—’ she gestured around the conference room, presumably to encompass the whole motel ‘—when you get right down to it, is nothing more than an old pile of cold bricks.’

The woman didn’t have a sentimental bone in her body! It didn’t give her the right, though, to make him feel guilty or...or juvenile for trying to right a past wrong.

* * *

Xavier lifted his jaw at just that angle—full of imperious arrogance—that made her want to slug him.

‘I’m willing to accept your resignation any time you wish to proffer it, Miss Stephens.’

‘It’s Ms. Also, you left out the “Wynne Antonia”. I promise you the full name carries more weight.’

He glared at her, but before he could open his mouth and fire her she continued.

‘I have no intention of proffering my resignation. I knew you would make changes to the motel. I have no issue with that. Some changes are long overdue. As for the history between our grandparents—as I’ve said, I have no intention of concerning myself with it. As far as I’m concerned nothing has changed.’

Xavier’s glare deepened, but April chose that moment to appear in the doorway.

Wynne stood and excused herself.

‘This had better be important,’ she murmured to the other woman.

April nodded, and as Wynne listened to what she had to say her stomach started to knot.

She swung back to Xavier briefly. ‘I’m sorry, but there’s a situation I need to deal with.’

Irritation flitted across his face. ‘Can’t you get—?’

‘No, I can’t.’

There was no time to stand around arguing. She took off down the corridor to Room Twelve. Ignoring the Do Not Disturb sign on the door, she knocked. ‘Ms Gladstone?’ She knocked harder. ‘Serena?’

No answer.

Without further ado Wynne swiped her master key and pushed through the door. The breath caught in her throat when she saw Serena crumpled on the floor.

‘April, call for an ambulance immediately.’ She raced over to kneel beside the unconscious woman, reaching for her hand. ‘Let them know she’s diabetic and twelve weeks pregnant.’

CHAPTER THREE (#ulink_e3592b87-e6b1-58f3-bb05-a38e411933b6)

WYNNE’S FINGERS SHOOK, but she found Serena’s pulse. Thank you, God! It was faint, though, and that couldn’t be good. She chafed one cold hand between both of her own.

‘Serena... Serena, honey, can you hear me?’

Serena didn’t stir.

And then she was aware of Xavier, kneeling beside her, taking Serena’s other hand.

‘Dios! She is freezing.’

She hadn’t realised he’d followed her. He’d probably meant to fire her once he’d caught up with her, for insubordination. He still might.

He made as if to lift the unconscious woman, but Wynne stopped him. ‘I’m not sure we should move her.’

She was pregnant. What if they accidentally did something to hurt both Serena and the baby?

Without a word, he pulled the quilt from the bed and tucked it around the woman with such gentleness it had a lump forming in Wynne’s throat.

‘What else can I do?’

She swallowed. ‘Can you hold her hand?’