by MK Meredith
A look of desperation and fear filled his eyes. “No, I was offered to stay, but I turned it down as I handed in my resignation. The whole situation, my time with you, all showed me what is most important. Like you said, you’d always be there for your mother. I feel that as well for my parents, but I wasn’t acting on it. I was stuck because I felt like if I gave up such an amazing job after working so hard to get it, that it would have all been for nothing. I was being stubborn like my father. Holding on to something that didn’t matter. But I see my mistakes in it all now. All of it. Huntington. My deceit.” He gave a sheepish grin. “You.”
Pulling her against his chest, he spoke in a passionate whisper, oblivious to the pilot who tried to give them as much privacy as possible. “Every part of this journey was all to lead me to this place. I want to be with my family. I want to carry our orchard on to the next generation. But most importantly, I want you…to be the one to do it with me. I’m hoping that it’s not too late for joy.”
The hot-air balloon descended slowly to float just above his family’s orchard, and he indicated with his eyes for her to turn around.
“Oh…” She breathed out, glancing at him then back to the lushness below. The balloon lowered a bit farther, and she could make out the little form of Felip running through the trees with his plane. Another figure caught her attention, and she leaned over the edge for a better look, apparently scaring Mateu, if his death grip on her arm was any indication.
She squinted. It couldn’t be. “Is that…is that my mother?”
“I hear our climate is perfect for MS patients and can increase their chances at remission. We just flew her in for a surprise visit. You both will return home together in a couple of days. If you want.”
She turned to him. “How in the world—”
“It was my mother. They’ve been talking almost nonstop since the night of Father’s fall. Mother flew out and got her, hoping I could fix the mess I caused by the time she got back. Your mother’s friend Margo helped her pack.” He held her by the shoulders. “I want you to let me help you. Let us…” He gestured to the family down below. “Help you both. Whether it’s from here in Barcelona or back home in Chicago. It doesn’t matter. The decision is yours. But you don’t have to do it alone anymore. You don’t have to be alone.”
Her heart turned over in her chest and bloomed like a flower feeling the sun for the first time. Help in the past always seemed to come at a high price. “Mateu. This is too much.”
He framed her face. “It’s everything. You are everything. My mother and father need to take a step back, and I am going to put my experience to work in securing our legacy. I know it’s too much to ask you to stay. But just know that is my wish.” He shook his head as if searching for the right words. “We can fly back and forth for as long as it takes. Visits here will be great for your mother’s health.”
“But I can’t afford—”
“London.” He bent his head until she met his gaze. “I can. And that’s what people do for one another. They give, they take, all with the intentions of making life just a little bit better. Your vacation wasn’t just a once-in-a-lifetime for you. It was also a once-in-a-lifetime for me. And I want more.”
She looked from the love and fear shimmering in his eyes to the smile on her mother’s face as she walked arm in arm between Agueda and Margarida. It looked as though she’d found her own YaYa Sisterhood. Her mother had only ever had Margo, because she’d always been so busy working multiple jobs to provide for London.
Accepting Mateu’s help terrified her. It would be hard, and it could end badly. But all those things were consequences for her, not her mother.
Alanna was due for her once-in-a-lifetime, too. The idea that London contemplated, even for a second, getting in the way of that to save her own pride suddenly seemed incredibly selfish. Exactly the opposite of what her mother had raised her to be.
The balloon touched down, and the pilot steadied the basket. Mateu assisted her to the ground but didn’t let her go. The heat of him infused her, chasing out the cold pain of sadness.
“We still have so much to learn about each other. But you and your mother are all set up in the guest house for the next couple of days. You can still finish your work while you’re here, but it will be knowing your mother has companionship, someone who can help care for her if she begins not to feel well.”
He tightened his grip on her hands to the point they were going numb. “Actually, you’ll have a hard time convincing my mother to let her go. She’s very interested in asking your mother for help with product development. You said your mother needed something to feel worthwhile about again.”
“My mother? Your father would never allow it. She’s not family.”
He flashed a huge grin as if in victory. “But if things go the way I’m dreaming they will, in time she will be.”
The sincerity in his eyes stole her breath. Could this be real? She wanted to pinch herself but was afraid of waking up.
“I am sorry for what I did,” she whispered, wrapping her arms about his neck. “Especially knowing about Clara. I’m sorry I was so stubborn about asking for help that I was willing to use the hotel to find a way to make ends meet.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “I know. But I’m the one who needs to make amends; you were simply reacting to my own deceit. I am the one who is sorry. And if you let me, I’ll try every day to make it up to you. Be with me, estimata. We can figure out where later.”
The endearment with his accent rushed over her skin like Cava bubbles, and she stood on tiptoes to press her lips against his.
“Mateu, London!” Cheers from the crowd reached her ears. His parents, Felip, Mateu, even his sister waddled along with her hands over her rounding belly. But it was the look of anticipation in her own mother’s gaze that made her feel as if she were coming home.
Drawing her close, he kissed her again, and it was even better than their first time in the erotic garden. “I love you, London. We still have far to travel before we figure out our forever, but I want take the journey with you. If you’ll have me.”
She kissed him back. “You’ve already taken me on the most exciting once-in-a-lifetime adventure of all.”
He gripped her tight with a fierce look in his eyes. “And what adventure was that?”
“Kissing a Catalan.”
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Acknowledgments
To my children and husband, otherwise known as my heart and soul, thank you for believing in me and always knowing I could do this even when I didn’t. I love you. To my big brothers, Tommy, Todd, and Billy—as goofy as I am, you’ve always held me up. To Paula, my sister of the heart, I’m forever in awe of you. And to my mom, who’s continued to mother me from the other side, I hope I have a fraction of your grace. Thank you. To Kathy and Jim Krans, you have a special place in our hearts. Thank you to my agent, Jill Marsal, for your kindness and for pushing me for more. It’s a lovely feeling to know I’m not alone in this dream of mine. Thank you to my editors, Kate Brauning and Ashley Hearn, for helping me make Playing the Spanish Billionaire my new favorite book. To Entangled Publishing, thank you for giving this writer a home. Thank you to the marketing team—you hold a special place in my heart—to the production team and everyone in between. You’re my very own superheroes. Sarah Ballance, thank you for your amazing support and the kind words that grace this cover. I’m thrilled we’re imprint sisters.
I loved my “time” in Barcelona; if any mistakes are found, they are completely mine, and I apologize. I love the passion of this sensual city and enjoyed learning so many of the unique characteristics found only in Barcelona. Thank you, Jessica Snyder, for your critique efforts in helping me make this book better and for always listening to my ramblings. A huge thank-you to Adriana Galiana Mateu for making sure I stayed true t
o the beautiful Catalan language. I appreciate your valuable time. A heartfelt thank-you to Deonna Caputo for giving me a better understanding of the ins and outs of hotel management. I’m sorry I missed thanking you in Seducing the Tycoon.
Thank you to my Romantics, and my street team, MK & CO, for your friendship and for believing in me. I love everyone in this family, from the very first to the still-to-come. One more exuberant thank-you to the readers of this book. Experiencing life with you in this way is magical. I hope that at least one scene, one line, or simply one word resonates with each of you. And to my sisters and brothers in the fight against breast and all types of cancer. I know both sides, having lost my mom to breast cancer at a young age, and having survived cancer myself. My writing is one of the things that carries me through. I have many more books to write. Thank you.
Hugs, loves, and peanut butter, MK
About the Author
MK Meredith writes single title and category length contemporary romance promising an emotional ride on heated sheets. She believes the best route to success is to never stop learning. Her lifelong love affair with peanut butter continues.
Only two things come close in the battle for her affections: gorgeous heels and maybe Gerard Butler…or was it David Gandy? Who is she kidding? Her true loves are her husband and two children who have survived her SEAs (spontaneous explosions of affection) and live to tell the tale.
The Merediths live in the D.C. area with their sweet fur baby…until the next adventure calls.
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Discover the International Temptations series…
Seducing the Tycoon
Playing the Billionaire
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Malibu Betrayals
Malibu Secrets
Seducing Seven
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