CIARA
Sitting in Santiago’s office, I type in the login details for my bank account. Before I can press enter, Santaigo asks, “Are you sure?”
“Unless someone changed it,” I mutter as I press the button, “it should work.” When I get into my internet banking app, I grin at him. “I’m in.”
“Does everything look okay?” he asks.
I go into my account and see a bunch of charges. The balance is higher, though. “I had twenty thousand in my account, but now it shows two hundred and thirty-six thousand.”
Santiago frowns as he comes to look at the screen. “I was under the impression your father had money.”
I point at my balance. “The inheritance was split three ways, and that’s a lot of money.”
He pulls his phone out of his pocket and keeps glancing between the laptop screen and the device in his hand, then he mutters, “That fixes it.”
“Fixes what?”
“Your bank balance.” He gestures at the laptop. “Open an investment account and transfer the bulk of your money over to it. Only keep what you need on a monthly basis in this account.” He lets out a sigh. “Fuck, we need to get you a card.”
He leans over me and gets to work, opening the other account. When he selects the option to make a transfer, I slap my hand over his wrist. “Wait! Something’s wrong with the balance.”
“Nothing’s wrong with it.” He transfers one point seven million to the investment account. “As soon as we have some free time, we’ll go to Ireland to get you a card so you can actually use the funds. In the meantime, I’ll get you a credit card on my account.”
All the typing he was doing a second ago…
I grip his arm tight. “Did you just transfer one point five million to my account?”
He glances at me. “Too little?”
“No!” I get up from the chair, staring at him wide-eyed. “Why would you give me so much money?”
He actually looks baffled as he straightens up. “Because you’re my woman.” Stepping closer to me, he takes hold of my left hand and holds it up between us. “Pretty sure that’s my ring on your finger.”
He’s being so damn cute right now, I drop the subject and say, “Thank you.”
A grin spreads over his face. “You’re welcome, mi amor.” He wraps his arms around me and tugs me closer. “The villagers are planning a party for tomorrow night to celebrate Eladio surviving his first gunshot wound and to welcome the new arrivals. After that, I have some business to take care of, then we can go to Ireland.”
“I’m actually in no hurry to go back there.” Placing my hands on his chest, I ask, “Can we rather go back to the island so I can visit Grace and Kristian?”
“Of course.” The corner of his mouth lifts. “Anything for you.”
When he leans down, I lift my face to him, and the instant his mouth touches mine, my stomach erupts with wild flutters.
Since we had that moment outside, I keep finding myself daydreaming about Santiago. Sometimes I just replay the intimate moment we shared, and other times I imagine us taking things a step further.
Falling in love for the first time is exciting but also scary. The emotions can be extremely intense at times.
When Santiago ends the kiss, I let out a frustrated sound. I start peppering kisses on the side of his throat and down to his chest while unbuttoning his shirt.
“Hmm…I like where this is going,” he says, his voice low and deep.
Just as I’m done with the buttons, he wraps an arm around me and lifts me off my feet. I’m carried to the couch where he lays me down, leaning over me.
God, this man is otherworldly attractive.
I reach up and push the shirt off his shoulders. He drops it on the floor, then places his hand on the armrest by my head while bracing his body over mine. With a clear view of his chest and abs, my abdomen clenches so hard I think there’s a strong possibility my ovaries just exploded.
He leans down, his mouth nipping at my lips in a teasing way that has me reaching up and grabbing hold of his shoulders. Suddenly, he deepens the kiss, his tongue thrusting against mine while his other hand moves up my side until his palm covers my breast.
Feeling him touch me causes a rush of tingles to spread through my body, and I arch my back.
Santiago begins to massage me through the fabric, and I lose myself completely to how amazing it feels to be touched by him.
His hand moves down my body as he breaks the kiss. When I open my eyes, he watches me closely while he undoes the button of my pants before pulling down the zipper.
My heartbeat shoots through the roof and scampers off to God knows where while the breath stalls in my lungs.
“You good with me touching you?” he asks.
I nod quickly, the anticipation in my abdomen becoming a living force of its own.
“Verbal consent, mi pequeño sol.”
I keep nodding as I whisper, “Yes.”
His eyes remain locked on mine as he pushes his hands beneath the fabric, and when I feel his fingers brush over my most private part, my lips part and my hips lift. It feels as if I’ve waited my whole life for this moment, and I realize I need this more than my next breath.
I need Santiago to touch every inch of my body and make me his.
“Please,” I whimper.
“I’ve got you, mi amor,” he murmurs, his tone filled with love, then he cups me, and the expression on his face morphs into one of pure awe.
His middle finger moves feather-light over my slit, then he parts me. I grab hold of his tattooed arm right by my head, where he’s still bracing his hand on the armrest. My eyes are held prisoner by his, and my hips lift again when he circles my clit.
Slowly, his movements speed up, then his finger pushes into my opening, and my head tilts back, my eyes falling shut from the pleasure he’s making me feel.
“Eyes open and on me.” The order rumbles from his chest, and I do as I’m told.
Santiago begins to rub me harder and harder, and soon, my hips are gyrating, and breaths explode over my lips.
He keeps making the tension build and build in my abdomen, then just like the other night, the ecstasy strikes suddenly with incredible force.
My lips part, but no sound escapes as every muscle in my body locks into place. This time there are no moans and whimpers spilling from me, because I can’t even suck in a breath. As the pleasure vibrates through me, Santiago continues to rub me into oblivion. Somehow, he knows exactly how hard to touch me and when to ease up, and it has me convulsing beneath him.
It feels like minutes pass, and as the last of the pleasure ripples through me, he says, “Breathe, mi amor.”
I suck in a breath then tears spiral over my temples, and I turn my face into his arm.
He pulls his hand from my pants, and moving my body, he lies down and positions me partially on top of him. He wraps an arm tightly around me and presses kisses all over my hair and my forehead.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs, his other hand moving up and down my side and hip.
Suddenly, I’m filled with an urgent need, and sitting up, I take hold of my shirt and pull it over my head. I unhook my bra and drop it on the floor before I lie down again, my skin touching his.
I swear my soul sighs at the relief I feel, then Santiago pushes me onto my back again. “You need me to touch you everywhere, mi sol?”
I nod, and when his hands grip my breasts, a sob bursts from me, and I keep nodding. He ducks his head then sucks my left nipple into his mouth. For the longest time, he caresses and kisses my breasts, then his palms rub hard over my stomach and abdomen, and taking hold of my pants, he drags the fabric down my legs.
Lying on the couch, my eyes are locked on his as he touches every inch of my body, and when he gets to my ankles, he presses tender kisses to the scars.
I’ve never felt so loved in my life. There’s nothing sexual about this experience, and it feels as if he’s cleaning my body in a way I’ve never been able to.
Everything calms down inside me again, and Santiago notices. He crawls up my body and lies down on top of me, then just stares into my eyes.
With a tender expression softening his features, he asks, “Better?”
I wrap my arms around him. “Much better.”
“Good.” The corner of his mouth lifts. “You are fucking beautiful.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “And all mine.”
In every way but one.
SANTIAGO
As soon as I’m sure Ciara’s fast asleep, I quietly get out of bed and leave the bedroom. I pull the door shut and head for the stairs.
When I step into the foyer, I see Samuel sitting on the couch in the living room.
He turns his head, and seeing me, he asks, “Everything good?”
I shake my head, my tone low and deadly as I say, “Get Marc to keep an eye on Ciara. I want you with me.”
Only wearing a pair of sweatpants, I walk to the back entrance and leave the villa. The night air is cold on my skin, but it does nothing to cool the rage swirling in my chest.
Ciara’s tears and the desperation on her face for me to erase his fucking touch are the only things I see.
Reaching the heavy door, I yank it open and take the stairs down to where the fucker is lying asleep.
Samuel comes in and says, “Marc is in the villa.”
Standing beside Nolan, I slap his cheek until his eyes open. “Time to wake up. If I can’t sleep, neither will you.”
His head rolls from side to side, and he groans from the pain he’s in.
Bracing my hands on either side of his head, I lean in really close and growl, “Ciara’s asked me to cut off a specific body part, and I can’t deny her a single thing.”
I straighten up and look at Samuel, “We need pliers or tongs. I don’t think he’s big, so tweezers will do as well.”
“No,” Nolan sobs. “Please. I’m begging you.”
Samuel brings the pliers, and as he sets them down beside Nolan, I say, “Remove his pants.”
“Please,” Nolan cries, his voice pitching with raw panic and fear as Samuel tugs the fabric down, exposing Nolan’s pelvis.
He begins to weep, and I stare at him, but it does nothing to appease the rage inside me.
How many times did my woman beg him?
How many times did she cry?
“Did you care when Ciara wept?” I growl. “Or did it feed your ego?” I grab the reciprocating saw and switch it on. “You fucking enjoyed it when she begged you to stop. You savored her tears. Didn’t you?”
He shakes his head wildly. “No. I only wanted to love her.”
My eyes snap to Samuel as I gesture at Nolan’s limp dick. “Hold it up with the pliers. I want to make sure I get all…three inches?” I shake my head. “Did you miss a growth spurt or two?”
Samuel pulls a disgusted face as he pinches Nolan’s dick with the pliers, pulling it up.
“I know,” I mutter. “But it’s the only part Ciara wanted removed so we’ll all fucking power through for her.”
Nolan’s weeping increases as I bring the saw to his dick, and I say, “I swear, if your blood splatters on me, I’m going to fucking beat the shit out of you.”
It only takes one swipe of the saw, and for a moment, I worry whether I got it all. “Is that it?” I ask Samuel while Nolan’s screams reach that annoyingly high pitch I fucking hate.
Samuel tosses the bloody flesh to the side of the room. “Yep.” It looks like he’s going to gag, and I stand back.
“Just don’t puke on Nolan. I don’t want him getting an infection,” I order.
Samuel holds a hand up, and it’s touch and go for a second, then he says, “I’m good.”
“You never get sick. What’s with you?”
“I think the burritos I had earlier were a little off.”
“Oh.” I switch off the saw. “Take care of the wound so you can get to bed.”
I stand back, and while Samuel does his thing, I glance down at my body to make sure I didn’t get any blood on me. There are only a few drops on my hand.
Seeing a cloth on the table, I walk over to it and wipe the drops off. My eyes go to Nolan’s face, which is pale with shock.
“How’s your sanity holding up, Nolan?” I move closer to his head and look down at him. “Don’t lose your mind yet. Ciara survived over nine months with you. Surely you can hold out a few weeks?”
He makes an unintelligible sound, something wounded that sounds like he’s losing it.
“Tsk.” I shake my head. “It’s a pity you’re so weak.” I pat his cheek, but his eyes remain glazed. He doesn’t show any signs that he’s registering the pain.
Letting out a sigh, I mutter, “Don’t bother, Samuel. He snapped.”
I reach for the axe, and lifting it high, I bring it down on Nolan’s neck. I watch as the life drains from his eyes, then say, “Have men clean up the mess in the morning. That’s it for tonight.”
I drop the ax on the table and walk out of the cellar, then a smile spreads over my face.
