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Wedding Party Collection: Proposing To The Planner: The Argentinian's Solace

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2019
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‘Sure.’ She knew she should be relieved he could turn it off so easily and knew she must do the same. ‘I expect I’ll see you at supper,’ she managed in her usual businesslike voice, as if she hadn’t just flung herself at him. ‘You go ahead. I’ll gather up the rest of the things here.’ Along with her senses, she hoped.

Diego walked off in the direction of the stables while Maxie clung to the fact that he had seemed to take their encounter very much in his stride. Not so good was discovering she was the type of woman he found so easy to resist. She couldn’t pretend that didn’t hurt—especially when every part of her had just woken up to the most amazing possibilities.

Diego was seething with anger, all directed at himself. He had ignored every one of his self-imposed warnings and paid for that with the discovery that just being close to Maxie was enough to rock his self-control. He was in the barn now, walking down the line of stalls, searching for the soothing effect the horses always had on him. Today it eluded him. He and Maxie lived different lives. Making love to her would be the easiest thing in the world, but a brief period of elation would be followed by regret. And what form would that regret take for Maxie? Hadn’t he done enough damage in his life? For him, regret would only involve more self-loathing, knowing he had taken something pure and good, just because he could, and trashed it. He was bad news and Maxie deserved better. The animal inside him might be clamouring to be fed, but the man he was said no.

* * *

Maxie spent the next week working as hard as she could on Holly’s behalf. She worked pretty hard at avoiding Diego too. When she had to meet up with him to work on his leg she made sure it was always under Maria’s watchful eye. Diego wanted her to continue the treatment, and Maxie had to prove to herself that she could. What had happened in the pool house couldn’t be allowed to interfere with his treatment when they could both see signs of improvement.

Maxie had decided that the answer in the long term was to train Maria, and ask Maria to pass on the knowledge to whoever could help Diego at his next port of call.

One evening, when she arrived in the kitchen, she found him pacing up and down impatiently. ‘You’re here at last,’ he said, throwing her one of his black looks.

‘Yes, sir,’ she murmured dryly.

‘I want you to come outside,’ he said.

She looked at Maria for clues, but Maria just smiled at her and shrugged, as if to say Maxie would have to wait and see. The first thing she noticed when she stepped outside was the huge bonfire. ‘What are you burning?’

‘Can’t you guess?’ Diego demanded as he matched his stride to hers.

‘Your cane!’ One of the stable lads was stoking the fire with it. But as she tried to grab it Diego stopped her. ‘Gracias, Maxie,’ he said, staring into her eyes.

She went blank for a moment, seeing nothing but him, and then Maria was hugging her and the groom was laughing as he fed the fire with more branches. ‘You don’t need your cane!’ she exclaimed as the penny dropped.

‘I knew you’d catch on eventually.’ Diego’s eyes were dark and amused.

‘But what a massive turning point. This is wonderful!’

‘You have no idea,’ he agreed, turning serious.

‘I do have some,’ Maxie argued quietly.

‘But I still get my treatment,’ Diego threw back at her as he turned for the house.

‘So what about my riding lessons?’ she called after him.

Diego stopped dead in his tracks. That was a very nice back view, she thought, wondering if Maxie Parrish and danger were joined at the hip these days.

‘We start tomorrow,’ he said, slowly turning to face her.

‘Suits me,’ she agreed, playing it as cool as he had.

Diego’s recovery was all she cared about, but with that embarrassing encounter at the pool house still fresh in her mind she was going to have a word with Maria. Linking arms with the housekeeper, she outlined her plan.

‘I’m ready for my treatment,’ Diego announced, the moment Maxie walked through the door.

He was sprawled back on the chair where he usually sat when she massaged his leg, with his powerful arms stretched across the back of it as he regarded her through half-closed eyes. The slight smile on his face only proved how right she was to make some changes.

‘There’s been a change of plan,’ she announced.

‘Oh?’ Diego demanded, instantly suspicious.

‘Sí, Señor!’ Maria exclaimed enthusiastically, bounding forward. ‘Today I am to perform your massage!’

‘What?’ Diego’s eyes were points of steel, but Maria quickly came between them and lost no time getting to work.

‘I won’t always be with you,’ Maxie explained, as Maria pummelled and rubbed with all the fierce efficiency of a champion bread-maker. ‘And I’m sure you’ll agree that in Maria I couldn’t have a better deputy. She’ll pass on everything I’ve taught her to the next person, and so on…’

Diego’s gritted teeth suggested Maxie would pay for this.

CHAPTER SEVEN (#u31e25bab-1c6b-5564-a7c8-16d6a6c59962)

‘SO, YOU’RE frightened of me?’ Diego observed—a little smugly, Maxie thought—when Maria had left them.

‘Rubbish,’ Maxie protested, concentrating on loading the dishwasher. She had offered to clear up, knowing how busy Maria was. She had taken up enough of the good-hearted housekeeper’s time already.

‘You can’t trust yourself to touch me,’ Diego mocked as he reclined in his chair.

‘You wish,’ she murmured under her breath.

‘Why else would you deputise Maria?’ Diego challenged.

‘You’re going to trip over that ego of yours one day,’ Maxie observed coolly, stretching up on tiptoe to put some bowls on the top shelf. ‘The only reason I asked Maria to help is so you won’t be left stranded when I leave.’

‘When are you planning to leave?’

Diego’s sharp tone surprised her. ‘My work here is almost done,’ she pointed out, turning to face him. ‘All the suppliers I need are in place for the wedding, and I’ve got a full programme of events planned. I’m only waiting for Holly’s go-ahead.’

‘Great,’ Diego said, without enthusiasm.

Springing out of the chair, he stalked to the window to stare out. She couldn’t leave. There was too much unfinished business between them. He wanted to know more about Maxie—who she was, and why she was so reticent about talking about her family. He wanted to unearth Peter Parrish, and there was always that faint chance that Maxie might be able to lead Diego to him. Either way, he wasn’t ready to let her go.

‘Good,’ he said, changing his plans as he swung round. ‘It’s time for me to go too. I’ve been here long enough, and thanks to you my leg is almost better. I’m match-fit and my horse has recovered. What point is there in staying?’ He shrugged, a little pleased to see the surprise in Maxie’s eyes.

She had put her challenge out there, hoping, she supposed, that Diego would talk her out of it, only to learn that he wasn’t going to. So this extraordinary adventure was over.

Moving things round at the sink so he couldn’t see the disappointment on her face, she resigned herself to a life of fantasy. She had seized life briefly, but then had taken fright and let it go again. ‘It will be good to get back,’ she said brightly.

‘You’re a terrible liar, Maxie.’

‘I always tell the truth,’ she argued as Diego’s lips tugged in a smile.

‘Do you?’ he said.

‘Yes,’ she said hotly.

‘I like that,’ he commented, angling his stubble- blackened chin to stare at her.
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