Read Online Nacho Figueras Presents by Jessica Whitman - Free Book Online
Authors: Jessica Whitman
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bewilderment. The tears. The shock and recriminations from his in-laws…
He shook his head. “It was a selfish thing, niña . Nothing I am proud of. I hurt that family. I hurt my wife. It was not their fault. They had brought me into their circle and offered me everything they had. They had done nothing but love me in their way. They couldn’t understand why I had to leave. But I felt that I was slowly dying there. I didn’t recognize myself any longer. I knew that I would never survive in their world.”
Noni lay her head against his chest. “I understand,” she said. “I really do.”
“I suppose I could have taken half of everything. I had earned a lot of money for the company by that point. Agustina and I had made sound investments. We owned many properties. But I didn’t want it. I didn’t want any of it. I had just enough money left to make sure mi mamá would always be taken care of, and then I left town.
“For a few years, I hired on at whatever ranch would take me, until I knew enough so that when I landed at the Del Campos’, I was ready to be a piloto like my father had been.” He smiled at her, touching her face with his fingers. “Then, of course, I met you. And now I am in trouble.”
Antonia stared up at him, chewing her lip. “Of course, I’m…I’m glad you told me all this, Enzo, but I still don’t see what it has to do with us.”
He stroked her hair. “ Niña , there are rules. Alejandro is very clear about what is acceptable for those who work for him.”
She made an exasperated sound. “That’s ridiculous. What about him and Georgia? He hired her himself and then he ended up marrying her. Besides, Alejandro is my brother, not my father. And I’m a grown woman. Why would my brother tell me what to do?”
“But that’s just it. He is your brother. In little more than a month, you are about to inherit hundreds of millions of dollars. Everyone knows this. Whether you can admit it or not, you are a Del Campo. You are part of a family so powerful and wealthy that they make the Flores clan look like peones in comparison. You are destined to be part of the exact same world that I left behind.”
“What are you talking about?” said Noni. “The Del Campo world revolves around horses. You of all people know that. It’s not the same at all. You’re not making any sense.”
He shook his head and stepped away from her, quiet for a moment. “Why should you trust me?” he finally spit out. “I just told you what I did to Agustina and her family. Why should I get another chance? What if I hurt you the same way? I made a mistake tonight. I never should have…”
She turned her huge, dark eyes on him. Her face was livid was anger. “You never should have what? Been with me? Don’t play stupid, Enzo. I know you felt what I felt. I also know that it’s not always like that. That it’s almost never like that. That people can go their whole lives looking for something like what we just felt between us—and die never finding it. We are best friends—and we can make each other feel like that? Do you know what a gift that is? That is not something you throw away. I don’t care what happened in your past. I am not Agustina Flores. And you are not that same trapped young man. Everything is different now. You’ve changed.”
He couldn’t take seeing the hurt and anger in her dark eyes. He turned his face away from her. “But what if I haven’t? You’ve gone through so much. I don’t want to—”
“Stop,” she barked. “You don’t have a clue what I’ve gone through. You don’t have any idea. Don’t you dare try to tell me that you’re just protecting me or whatever ridiculous excuse you have ready. I want you, and I know you want me. So you can just cut the bullshit and accept what I’m offering with your arms wide open.”
She stepped toward him and stood up on her tiptoes, taking his face in her hands. “Kiss me,” she demanded.
He could not help himself. He
He shook his head. “It was a selfish thing, niña . Nothing I am proud of. I hurt that family. I hurt my wife. It was not their fault. They had brought me into their circle and offered me everything they had. They had done nothing but love me in their way. They couldn’t understand why I had to leave. But I felt that I was slowly dying there. I didn’t recognize myself any longer. I knew that I would never survive in their world.”
Noni lay her head against his chest. “I understand,” she said. “I really do.”
“I suppose I could have taken half of everything. I had earned a lot of money for the company by that point. Agustina and I had made sound investments. We owned many properties. But I didn’t want it. I didn’t want any of it. I had just enough money left to make sure mi mamá would always be taken care of, and then I left town.
“For a few years, I hired on at whatever ranch would take me, until I knew enough so that when I landed at the Del Campos’, I was ready to be a piloto like my father had been.” He smiled at her, touching her face with his fingers. “Then, of course, I met you. And now I am in trouble.”
Antonia stared up at him, chewing her lip. “Of course, I’m…I’m glad you told me all this, Enzo, but I still don’t see what it has to do with us.”
He stroked her hair. “ Niña , there are rules. Alejandro is very clear about what is acceptable for those who work for him.”
She made an exasperated sound. “That’s ridiculous. What about him and Georgia? He hired her himself and then he ended up marrying her. Besides, Alejandro is my brother, not my father. And I’m a grown woman. Why would my brother tell me what to do?”
“But that’s just it. He is your brother. In little more than a month, you are about to inherit hundreds of millions of dollars. Everyone knows this. Whether you can admit it or not, you are a Del Campo. You are part of a family so powerful and wealthy that they make the Flores clan look like peones in comparison. You are destined to be part of the exact same world that I left behind.”
“What are you talking about?” said Noni. “The Del Campo world revolves around horses. You of all people know that. It’s not the same at all. You’re not making any sense.”
He shook his head and stepped away from her, quiet for a moment. “Why should you trust me?” he finally spit out. “I just told you what I did to Agustina and her family. Why should I get another chance? What if I hurt you the same way? I made a mistake tonight. I never should have…”
She turned her huge, dark eyes on him. Her face was livid was anger. “You never should have what? Been with me? Don’t play stupid, Enzo. I know you felt what I felt. I also know that it’s not always like that. That it’s almost never like that. That people can go their whole lives looking for something like what we just felt between us—and die never finding it. We are best friends—and we can make each other feel like that? Do you know what a gift that is? That is not something you throw away. I don’t care what happened in your past. I am not Agustina Flores. And you are not that same trapped young man. Everything is different now. You’ve changed.”
He couldn’t take seeing the hurt and anger in her dark eyes. He turned his face away from her. “But what if I haven’t? You’ve gone through so much. I don’t want to—”
“Stop,” she barked. “You don’t have a clue what I’ve gone through. You don’t have any idea. Don’t you dare try to tell me that you’re just protecting me or whatever ridiculous excuse you have ready. I want you, and I know you want me. So you can just cut the bullshit and accept what I’m offering with your arms wide open.”
She stepped toward him and stood up on her tiptoes, taking his face in her hands. “Kiss me,” she demanded.
He could not help himself. He
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