wrist to examine her watch. She moved her head in stunned disbelief when she saw the time. ‘It’s just after seven o’clock … We left the restaurant at half past four. You don’t mean to tell me that I’ve been asleep on your couch for nearly two hours?’
‘You clearly needed to rest. In this part of the world it is not unusual to take a siesta after lunch.’
‘You should have woken me … what must you think of me?’
It surprised him that she seemed so distressed. Most women would have taken the opportunity to maximise any chance to spend time with him … but not Grace . Accustomed to thinking on his feet, Marco moved towards her, circled his hands round her slim upper arms then smiled down into her upturned face with every ounce of the charm that newspapers and magazines regularly claimed he had. And not for an instant did he chastise himself for utilising that asset.
‘It would have been a crime to wake you when you looked so peaceful. While I sat here and watched you I made the most of the time to reflect upon helping your charity and I’m pleased to tell you—rather than wait any longer—I’ve decided to write you a cheque tonight to pay for the new orphanage. To cover all the costs.’
‘You mean to buy the land, purchase the materials and pay for the work to be done to build it?’
‘That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?’
‘Yes, but I didn’t expect you to—Oh, my God, that’s wonderful! I could—I could kiss you!’ Her cheeks flooded with the becoming colour of dewy pink roses even as her lips curved into the most bewitching sunny smile Marco had ever seen.
‘You won’t find me protesting about that,’ he teased.
‘But … You—you watched me sleep? Why?’
He lifted a shoulder in an unrepentant shrug. ‘What do you expect a normal red-blooded male to do? Ignore the unexpected opportunity to gaze at such sublime beauty—undisturbed and at my leisure—when it was right here under my nose?’ He stole a couple more seconds to look more deeply into her startled blue eyes before dropping his hands from her arms and stepping away … but not too far away. His palms tingled as if they’d been burned by the sun—just because he had touched her.
‘Anyway …’
Unable to disguise her surprise—and also what he perceived to be her general awkwardness at what he’d just revealed—Grace linked her hands as if to steady herself.
‘You really will write a cheque for the orphanage tonight?’
‘I will indeed.’
‘I can hardly believe it. You have no idea what this will mean to the children, and to the people who help care for them.’
‘I think I do.’ Helplessly remembering the long, empty days when he was growing up in the orphanage, craving love and attention and not getting it, he thought, At least now I can do something to help another child growing up in similar circumstances to have a more comfortable and caring existence … ‘Why don’t you come into my study and we will get our business over and done with before dinner?’
His smile enigmatic, Marco moved towards the door, knowing that he had no qualms about the additional unconventional agreement he was going to propose as soon as he wrote the cheque for Grace. None at all …
CHAPTER FOUR
IT WAS about an hour away from sunset, and the fiery orb still burned high and bright in the azure sky as Grace followed Marco through stunning marble halls into his study. In fact the light that beamed through the huge plate glass windows was so dazzling upon their entry that she squinted to protect her gaze. Her companion immediately pressed a button on a wall panel to lower stylish honey-coloured blinds, then gestured for her to sit down opposite him at the large beechwood desk that dominated the room.
Still feeling stunned that Marco was going to give the charity the help it so desperately needed to rebuild the orphanage, and anxious that at any time he might change his mind, she attempted to
‘You clearly needed to rest. In this part of the world it is not unusual to take a siesta after lunch.’
‘You should have woken me … what must you think of me?’
It surprised him that she seemed so distressed. Most women would have taken the opportunity to maximise any chance to spend time with him … but not Grace . Accustomed to thinking on his feet, Marco moved towards her, circled his hands round her slim upper arms then smiled down into her upturned face with every ounce of the charm that newspapers and magazines regularly claimed he had. And not for an instant did he chastise himself for utilising that asset.
‘It would have been a crime to wake you when you looked so peaceful. While I sat here and watched you I made the most of the time to reflect upon helping your charity and I’m pleased to tell you—rather than wait any longer—I’ve decided to write you a cheque tonight to pay for the new orphanage. To cover all the costs.’
‘You mean to buy the land, purchase the materials and pay for the work to be done to build it?’
‘That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?’
‘Yes, but I didn’t expect you to—Oh, my God, that’s wonderful! I could—I could kiss you!’ Her cheeks flooded with the becoming colour of dewy pink roses even as her lips curved into the most bewitching sunny smile Marco had ever seen.
‘You won’t find me protesting about that,’ he teased.
‘But … You—you watched me sleep? Why?’
He lifted a shoulder in an unrepentant shrug. ‘What do you expect a normal red-blooded male to do? Ignore the unexpected opportunity to gaze at such sublime beauty—undisturbed and at my leisure—when it was right here under my nose?’ He stole a couple more seconds to look more deeply into her startled blue eyes before dropping his hands from her arms and stepping away … but not too far away. His palms tingled as if they’d been burned by the sun—just because he had touched her.
‘Anyway …’
Unable to disguise her surprise—and also what he perceived to be her general awkwardness at what he’d just revealed—Grace linked her hands as if to steady herself.
‘You really will write a cheque for the orphanage tonight?’
‘I will indeed.’
‘I can hardly believe it. You have no idea what this will mean to the children, and to the people who help care for them.’
‘I think I do.’ Helplessly remembering the long, empty days when he was growing up in the orphanage, craving love and attention and not getting it, he thought, At least now I can do something to help another child growing up in similar circumstances to have a more comfortable and caring existence … ‘Why don’t you come into my study and we will get our business over and done with before dinner?’
His smile enigmatic, Marco moved towards the door, knowing that he had no qualms about the additional unconventional agreement he was going to propose as soon as he wrote the cheque for Grace. None at all …
CHAPTER FOUR
IT WAS about an hour away from sunset, and the fiery orb still burned high and bright in the azure sky as Grace followed Marco through stunning marble halls into his study. In fact the light that beamed through the huge plate glass windows was so dazzling upon their entry that she squinted to protect her gaze. Her companion immediately pressed a button on a wall panel to lower stylish honey-coloured blinds, then gestured for her to sit down opposite him at the large beechwood desk that dominated the room.
Still feeling stunned that Marco was going to give the charity the help it so desperately needed to rebuild the orphanage, and anxious that at any time he might change his mind, she attempted to
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