His Brother's Son

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘What do you think, Dr Valdez?’ Tim asked doubtfully. ‘Is Rebecca right?’

  Becky held her breath because she knew that some doctors didn’t agree with the theory even though it had been proved to have positive effects. Would Felipe take the opposite view to the one she had expounded?

  ‘I think there is a lot of truth in what Rebecca said. Many neurologists believe that the brain needs to go through a healing period and now opt for a treatment designed not to over stimulate the patient.’ He shrugged. ‘Of course, there are still many specialists who prefer the older methods and can produce evidence to back them up.’

  Becky let out a sigh of relief that he hadn’t seen fit to contradict her. Maybe it was silly, but she would have felt dreadful if he had. If Felipe didn’t value her as a person, at least he could value her as a nurse.

  It was an effort to hide how much that thought had hurt as Diane and Tim eagerly agreed to try the new system. They left them discussing it and carried on with their tour of the clinic, but Becky couldn’t shake off the heaviness that had settled in her heart.

  She wanted Felipe to see her as the person she really was, but there was no chance of that happening unless she told him the truth. Even then it might not improve his opinion of her to learn that they had paid Tara for Josh. He might think that Josh should have stayed with Tara and that with a bit of encouragement and support the woman would have come to love him in time.

  She had no doubt that would never have happened, but would Felipe believe her if she told him everything Tara had done? It seemed inconceivable that anyone would behave so callously so she could understand if he had difficulty accepting it. After all, she had lied to him once so he might think that she was lying to him again. And she was afraid of what might happen if he didn’t believe her.

  She could end up losing Josh if Felipe didn’t think that she was fit to look after him.

  CHAPTER NINE

  A WEEK passed and Felipe was pleased to see how easily Rebecca had fitted in at the clinic. She was calm and competent, never getting stressed or upset despite the amount of pressure she was under.

  It was one of the busiest periods he could remember since the clinic had opened, and many of the patients they admitted were children. However, she coped with it all in the same professional manner that he couldn’t help but admire. It was yet another facet of her character, another query to add to the growing list—could she be the woman he had once believed her to be and still hold down an exacting job like this?

  He found himself thinking about that question far too many times throughout the day and it worried him that it should be on his mind so much. However, it was at night when he found the situation most difficult to deal with. Although Rebecca was never intrusive, he couldn’t ignore her presence in the villa.

  He would hear her talking to Maria when he got home from work, hear her singing to Josh while she bathed him, simply feel that she was there. His home no longer felt as though it truly belonged to him because he was so aware of her and, frankly, it was a strain.

  He resolved to find her alternative accommodation as soon as possible but, as he’d predicted, there wasn’t anything available. It appeared that he would have to wait until the main holiday period was over, and the thought of having her around for all those weeks wasn’t a comforting one.

  He arrived home very late one evening because they’d had an emergency admission as he’d been about to leave. The patient, an elderly man in his seventies, had had a heart attack on the flight to Palma. He’d been rushed straight to the clinic but, despite all their efforts, had died a short time later.

  It had been a distressing incident for everyone involved, and he sighed as he let himself into the villa. What he needed most at that moment was a drink and a couple of hours on his own, but there was dinner to get through first—a dinner with Rebecca while he carefully masked his feelings in case she realised how mixed up he felt. When he heard her footsteps crossing the hall he steeled himself before he turned then felt his heart sink when he saw the grave expression on her face.

  ‘What’s happened?’ he demanded, hurrying towards her. ‘Is it Josh?’

  ‘No, Josh is fine.’ She gave him a rather abstracted smile then turned when Maria appeared. It was obvious that the housekeeper had been crying and Felipe watched as Rebecca put her arm around her. She looked up and he saw the worry in her soft grey eyes.

  ‘Maria’s son has had an accident. I’ve phoned for a taxi to take her to the airport but I’d like to go with her if you don’t mind. She’s never flown before and she’s a bit scared by the thought of going on a plane.’

  ‘Claro que sí!’ He frowned, dredging his mind to recall something about Maria’s son. He had an idea that José had moved to mainland Spain to work, but he might be mistaken.

  He glanced at Rebecca as the housekeeper hurried away to fetch her overnight case. ‘Is José still living on the mainland?’

  ‘Yes. He was due to come home a couple of weeks ago, but he stayed on to help finish the new hotel he’s been working on,’ she explained. ‘He works on construction sites at the big Spanish resorts during the winter then comes back to Mallorca for the summer season and works as a waiter at one of the hotels in Alcudia. Maria has been so looking forward to him coming home and now this has to happen.’

  Felipe shook his head, wondering how she’d found out so much in such a short time. Maria had been his housekeeper for years yet he’d had no idea that was how her son earned his living. It made him feel rather uncomfortable to realise how little interest he had taken in the past.

  ‘Is everything arranged?’ he asked abruptly, hating the fact that he felt at a disadvantage. ‘What about the plane ticket? I shall pay for it, of course.’

  ‘No, it’s all sorted out,’ she said quickly as Maria came back. She linked her arm through the housekeeper’s and helped her to the door as the taxi arrived and beeped its horn. ‘Josh has had his bath and I’ve put him down for the night, but he seems a bit restless. If you could keep an eye on him until I get back…’

  ‘Of course,’ he said quickly, following them to the door. He patted Maria’s shoulder, seeing how she clung to Rebecca. It was obvious they had formed a close bond and he could barely hide his surprise. Maria was normally very reserved with strangers, but not with Rebecca, it seemed.

  Felipe waved the two women off then went back indoors, still thinking about it. It was yet another indication that he’d misjudged Rebecca in the beginning. She was kind and caring, and the proof of that was the way she had helped Maria that night. How many people would have done what she had, gone out of their way to make the arrangements for the flight then insisted on going to the airport with the old lady?

  It made him even more impatient to get to the bottom of what was going on, but until Rebecca opened up to him there was little he could do. If he could make her trust him then she might, finally, tell him the truth. If she did that, they could move on…

  He sighed because he knew how dangerous it was to indulge in thoughts like that. Letting himself dream that he and Rebecca might one day have more than just Josh in common was inviting trouble.

  He tried to put it from his mind as he made his way to the nursery, stopping off en route to shed his jacket and tie as he passed his bedroom. Josh was singing to himself when he went to check on him, burbling away in baby-talk.

  Felipe crept into the nursery but the moment the child saw him he held up his arms to be picked up. He lifted him out of the cot, tossing him gently into the air and smiling when he heard the baby chortling with delight. He didn’t look the least bit sleepy so Felipe took him to the kitchen while he found himself something to eat.

  He balanced Josh on his knees while he wolfed down a piece of cold chicken, laughing when the child opened his mouth, obviously hoping for a taste. ‘I don’t think your mama would want you to have any of this, pequeño. Let’s see if we can find you something else.’

  Lifting Josh onto his shoulder, he
investigated the contents of the refrigerator and found a punnet of strawberries in the cooler. He took out a handful, grinning when Josh made a grab for them.

  ‘Ah, so you like these, do you? Come along, then, let’s go into the sitting-room and relax while you have your snack.’ He placed a plump red berry into the baby’s hand and smiled at him again. ‘But don’t tell your mama or she might tell me off for spoiling you.’

  He carried the baby into the sitting-room and sat down on the sofa, using his handkerchief as a makeshift bib as Josh munched his way through the fruit. It was rather a messy process and both of them were spattered with juice by the time the last strawberry had disappeared. Josh was starting to look sleepy by that point, but he cried when Felipe got up to take him back to his room.

  He sat down again, settling the child on his knee in the hope that he would doze off. It was very quiet in the villa. Felipe felt his own eyelids drooping and blinked himself awake. However, it had been a long day and within minutes both he and Josh were fast asleep.

  Becky let herself into the villa and quietly closed the front door. She paused for a moment but there was no sound coming from the nursery so she could only assume that Josh was asleep. Where Felipe had got to she had no idea, but he was probably in his study. He spent a lot of time in there of an evening, although she suspected it was less out of a desire to work than a means to escape her. Maybe he found it as difficult having her staying there as she found it being a guest in his house. She was always too aware of him to relax.

  She went to the kitchen and cut herself a hunk of cheese then ate it standing at the counter. Maria had been too upset to worry about making dinner and she found herself suddenly wondering how Felipe had fared. She sighed because her conscience wouldn’t allow her to let him go hungry.

  She left the kitchen and went to see if he wanted her to make him an omelette, but there was no sign of him in the study when she tapped on the door. She backtracked across the hall to the sitting-room and gasped at the sight that met her.

  Felipe and Josh were sprawled out on the sofa, fast asleep. Josh’s clean sleepsuit was now covered in red juice and Felipe’s shirt looked little better. There were red stains all down the front and it was very creased. Frankly, Becky didn’t know whether to laugh or scold them because it was obvious that the pair had been up to mischief. She was still trying to decide what to do when Felipe opened one eye a crack and saw her.

  He came awake with a rush, sitting up and blinking. ‘I must have dozed off,’ he said, his deep voice sounding even deeper with sleep.

  Becky felt her stomach coil into a tight little bud and had to make a conscious effort not to react. Did he have any idea how sexy he looked, she wondered, with his black hair all rumpled and his beautiful brown eyes heavy-lidded with sleep?

  ‘So I can see. What interests me is what you two were up to before you fell asleep.’ She regarded him levelly, praying that she could keep up the pretence long enough to convince him that all she felt was annoyance because of the state Josh was in.

  ‘Why should you think that we were up to anything?’ He shot the baby a quick look and she saw a wash of colour run up his cheeks. It gave him the appearance of a small boy who had been caught doing something naughty. It was such a contrast to his usual air of being totally in control that she couldn’t help staring at him.

  ‘Ah, I see. It seems that I shall have to confess my sins, Rebecca.’

  ‘I don’t think you need to confess,’ she observed with mock severity, struggling to get a grip on herself. ‘The evidence speaks for itself. You two have had a strawberry feast, haven’t you?’

  ‘Guilty.’ He gave her a slow smile that made his mouth curl delectably at the corners. ‘But you must blame your son, not me. He is the one who ate all the strawberries. I was just his willing accomplice. Is that the right word for someone who aids and abets a criminal?’

  ‘Criminal?’ Her brows rose, although it was hard not to laugh at such nonsense. ‘How can you claim that a ten-month-old baby is a criminal? He needed help to commit his crime!’

  ‘Maybe he is very advanced for his age,’ he suggested, completely deadpan.

  ‘He would need to be. You’re saying that he managed to get out of his cot and make his way to the kitchen. And then he opened the refrigerator door all by himself…’

  ‘I just admitted that I was his accomplice,’ he said, with a grin that made her heart melt. ‘I just never realised how quick he is to learn new skills.’

  ‘Especially when there’s someone around who can teach them to him,’ she shot back. ‘You might be leading him down the road to ruin, Felipe, you realise?’

  ‘Oh, I doubt if I could be blamed for doing that.’

  ‘But I could?’ Suddenly it was an effort to hold her smile. Maybe she was being overly sensitive but that comment had seemed rather too pointed. ‘After all, I’m the one who teaches Josh the things he needs to know. If he doesn’t turn out as you hope he will, you can lay the blame at my door, can’t you, Felipe?’

  ‘No! I never meant to imply any such thing—’

  ‘Forget it,’ she snapped, not wanting to hear any more because there was no point. She knew how he felt about her and she’d be a fool to hope that his opinion might have improved.

  ‘Rebecca, please—’

  ‘I told you that it doesn’t matter.’

  She took Josh from him, cradling the baby to her as she hurried from the room. It took only a few minutes to wash his hands and change him. Josh gave her a sleepy smile and immediately dropped off to sleep again when she laid him in his cot.

  Becky moved about the room, clearing up the odds and ends she’d used, and it was only when she caught sight of herself in the mirror over the dresser that she realised she was crying.

  Felipe hated her! He must do. He obviously believed that she was a bad influence on Josh and she didn’t think she could bear it.

  ‘Oh, querida, don’t cry. Please. There is no need. This is all a silly misunderstanding.’

  She hadn’t heard him coming into the room and she froze when she heard his voice. When she felt his hands on her shoulders as he turned her to face him she closed her eyes because she didn’t want him to see how upset she was. If Felipe knew that he had the power to hurt her, he might use it again and again…

  ‘I am so sorry, Rebecca. Truly I am.’ He drew her to him and she could feel his hands moving gently up and down her back as he tried to soothe her. ‘I can’t bear to see you upset like this.’

  Once again his hands slid down her back and she shivered when they gently followed the curve of her spine. Felipe must have felt her tremble because his hands stilled for a moment before they moved on, only this time it felt more like he was trying to caress her than comfort her.

  Becky’s eyes flew open and she felt a spasm run through her when she saw the expression on his face. To see him looking at her with such hunger, such need should have shocked or scared her, but oddly enough it did neither. In some strange, inexplicable way it felt as though she had been waiting for this moment to happen all her life.

  ‘Rebecca.’

  Her name was just a whisper as it came from his lips, but it felt to her as though he had shouted it out loud. Every nerve in her body pulsed with the sound of it, trembled because of the way he had said it. When he bent towards her she was already moving towards him so that their mouths met with a small jolt.

  Becky clung to him as her head spun, feeling the solidness of his body beneath her hands. He was still wearing the rumpled shirt and she could feel the heat of his skin flowing through her palms. The delicate scent of crushed strawberries mingled with the scent of his body to create a musky perfume that stirred her unbearably so that her senses seemed to be far more acute than normal.

  She could hear the rasp of his breathing, the whisper of hers, feel his heart beating and hers trying to match its rhythm; she could taste the heady flavour of him when he opened his mouth and let his tongue slide inside hers…


  Becky gave a sharp, little moan, unable to hold back when she felt his tongue tracing the outline of her lips. Their mouths were barely touching yet it was the most sensually stirring experience she’d ever had. She could feel Felipe’s tongue following the curve of her upper lip, feel her breath catch when it paused while he enjoyed its shape and taste a moment longer, feel the ripple that ran through her when it moved on. By the time he reached her lower lip and gently drew it into his mouth, she was trembling. It seemed the most natural thing in the world when he slowly backed her up against the wall and let his weight settle against her so that she could feel the hard evidence of his desire.

  ‘Feel what you do to me, querida?’ he whispered, his breath warm on her skin as his mouth glided over her jaw and down her throat.

  Becky moaned when she felt little pools of heat collecting beneath her skin wherever his lips had touched. ‘Yes,’ she whispered huskily, unable to manage more than the single word.

  His lips glided back up her throat, found her mouth again, treated her to another drugging kiss. And all the time desire was building inside her, growing stronger with each second that passed. Each touch of his hands made her tremble, each kiss made her burn, each beat of her heart and his made their passion for each other grow stronger.

  What was happening was unlike anything she’d experienced with Antonio. She had loved Antonio very much, but her feelings for Felipe were far more complex. Felipe had the power to hurt her on so many different levels if she wasn’t careful.

  He must have felt her tense because his hands and mouth suddenly stilled. Becky heard him draw in a rasping breath before he pulled away from her. Just for a moment there was a blaze of passion in his eyes that made her ache to have him take her back in his arms. Then it was gone and she saw the bitter self-reproach that had replaced it.

  ‘I apologise, Rebecca. That should never have happened.’

  He turned and strode out of the room and she heard his bedroom door close a moment later. Becky stood where she was, feeling desire growing cold inside her. She had seen the regret in Felipe’s eyes and knew that he would never forgive himself for what had happened. Maybe he wouldn’t forgive her for causing it either. After all, he had come within a hairsbreadth of making love to her, the woman he despised.