CIARA
Dressed in a comfy pair of jeans, a silk blouse, and ballet flats, I walk next to Santiago as we head to the village.
The aroma of grilled meat hits me before we reach the main road, and as I glance down the row of cottages, I see people sitting outside while others stand by tables covered with food.
Fires are lit in firepits, and there’s a happy buzz of voices. I even hear someone playing a guitar.
I recognize a woman and give her a friendly smile. I’m trying to memorize everyone’s names, but it’s going to take a while.
When we near a cottage, I lean into Santiago and ask, “This is where Carmen and Thiago live, right?”
He nods. “And Carmen’s mother, Catalina.”
I grin because I got their names right.
Passing another cottage, I say, “Pedro and Gianna live here.” I met Gianna yesterday on my way to a therapy session.
“Yes.” Santiago gestures at a man standing by a cottage across the road. “Who’s that?”
“Marc.”
He begins pointing out more people, and as I get their names right, my smile grows wider.
When we reach the area where some people are dancing, I see that Eladio is the one playing the guitar.
Santiago steps closer to the man who’s much younger than me, and when he places his hand on Eladio’s shoulder, the music stops, and Eladio looks up. When he sees Santiago, a smile spreads over his face.
“Are you fully recovered?” Santiago asks.
Eladio rolls his eyes. “It’s been a month. I’m as good as new.”
Santiago tilts his head. “Next time you don’t wear an armored vest, I’ll put you in the hospital myself.”
Eladio nods, and I see the love he has for Santiago written all over his face. “I won’t make that mistake again.”
“You better not.”
When Santiago walks back to my side, Eladio strums the guitar. “Any requests?”
Santiago thinks for a moment and says, “Hero.”
Eladio nods, then focuses on the instrument in his arms. When his voice begins to drift into the air, I stand transfixed, because he’s voice gives me chills.
Santiago’s arm wraps around my lower back, and as my eyes dart up to his face, his hips move and he starts to dance.
“Oh God,” I gasp. “I can’t dance.”
With his other hand, he takes hold of mine, a chuckle rumbling from him. “Just follow my lead.”
Santiago’s body commands mine, and I’m surprised that I’m actually dancing without falling over my feet.
His movements are so sensual, my stomach fills with butterflies, and I get lost in him while Eladio sings a song that describes Santiago.
Others start to dance around us, and as I smile up at the man who’s changed my entire life, he says, “It’s done, mi amor. I’ve killed your monster.”
My lips part on a gasp, and while I stare at Santiago, he twirls me in a circle before squashing me to his chest.
Standing between the people he’s saved, a weird calmness settles deep in my heart, and I close my eyes. Santiago keeps dancing slowly, his jaw brushing against my temple.
Every moment since I ran from that house of horrors flits through my mind.
Santiago grabbing me in the field.
Waking up in the hospital to see him sitting in the chair like a guardian angel.
Him waiting patiently for me to come out from under the bed.
His gentle voice and encouraging smiles.
My chin quivers, and I suck in a trembling breath because remembering everything Santiago has done for me is overwhelming.
He’s my hero in every way.
After a minute or so, I tilt my head back and meet his eyes. “Thank you.”
He shakes his head, the corner of his mouth lifting. “It was my pleasure.”
I see a flash of something dark in his hazel irises, but it’s gone as quickly as it came.
Besides, during the attack, when we were on our way to the island, I haven’t seen Santiago’s brutal side.
I lift my hand to his cheek, and when I push myself up on my tiptoes, his head lowers and his mouth nips at mine in a carnal way that has my toes curling.
When he lifts his head and smiles down at me, applause and whistles erupt around us, making a blush creep up my neck.
Pressing my cheek against Santiago’s chest, I smile happily, this moment one of the most perfect ones I’ve ever experienced.
This is where I belong.
This is home.
After a while, Santiago leads me toward a row of chairs, and we sit down with Pedro and Gianna.
Even though I don’t run at the sight of a man, Pedro’s the only one I trust besides Santiago. I’ve seen Samuel and Marc around the house, but I haven’t interacted much with them yet.
Astrid brings us wraps filled with beef slices and vegetables, and when she sits down beside me, I give her a thankful smile.
“Are you enjoying yourself, Cariño?” she asks.
I nod, then ask, “Do you ever get a day off?”
She scrunches her nose. “I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.” Her eyes drift to Santiago. “And someone has to take care of him.” She looks at me again. “And you, too.” Her features soften. “I’m so happy you’ve learned to love him.”
“Thank you for accepting me with open arms,” I tell her, meaning every word.
I think with time, Astrid will become like family to me.
While we eat the delicious food, my thoughts turn to Santiago again.
The words I love you have been hovering on my tongue, but I just haven’t found the right moment to tell him how I feel.
Before the thought pops into my mind, my heart starts to beat faster, as if the organ knew before I did.
Tonight. When we get home, I want to give the final piece of me to Santiago.
Even though I’ve made up my mind, my knee begins to bounce, and I chew at the inside of my cheek.
Santiago leans into me. “Are you okay?”
I nod quickly. “Yes.” My mouth curves up. “Are you having fun?”
“Yes, but I’d rather be alone with you. Ready to go home?”
As ready as I’ll ever be.
Climbing to my feet, I take Santiago’s outstretched hand, and as he leads me in the direction of the villa, anticipation and nerves spin inside my chest.
My teeth keep tugging at my bottom lip, and when we walk into our home, Santiago says, “Let’s shower and put on comfortable clothes, then we can sit out on the veranda.”
“Okay.” Considering what I want to do tonight, a shower is a good idea.
“Why are you nervous?” Santiago asks as we head up the stairs.
I stop by my old room and pull my hand from his. “Let’s shower first, then I’ll tell you.” Worry tightens his features, and it has me adding, “It’s nothing bad.”
“Why are you going in there?”
“To save time,” I answer while nudging him in the direction of his bedroom, “Go shower.”
I quickly dart into the room and shut the door behind me. Placing my hand on my stomach, I suck in a deep breath before I rush to the bathroom. I quickly switch on the faucets and strip out of my clothes.
While I’m washing my body, I try to think of the best way to ask Santiago to make love to me, but by the time I wrap a towel around myself, I’ve got nothing.
Letting out a sigh, I leave the bathroom. When I open the bedroom door, I peek up and down the hallway to make sure there’s no one around, then dart out and run to Santiago’s bedroom.
Just as I shut the door behind me, I hear the shower turn off, and my nerves skyrocket.
I walk toward the closet, but stop when I reach the bed.
Me being naked will spell it out to him. Right?
I take off the towel and as I drop it beside me and turn to face the bathroom, the door opens and Santiago comes out wearing a pair of sweatpants.
He’s looking at something on his phone, then he lifts his head, and he stops dead in his tracks. An eyebrow lifts, and he tilts his head, then a smile slowly lifts the corners of his mouth.
“Is this why you’re nervous?” he asks, taking steps toward me.
“Yes.” My voice is hoarse, and I quickly clear my throat.
He stops in front of me, and his eyes drift over every inch of my naked body. Lifting his hand to my chest, he places his palm over my heart, and his eyes flick to my face.
Tilting his head, he asks, “Are you sure? Your heart is racing a mile a minute.”
Giving him a pleading look, I whisper, “I’m sure.”
He turns his hand and brushes his knuckles over my breast, the expression in his eyes turning dark as desire tightens his features until he looks downright predatory.
He lifts his other hand to the back of my neck, then leans down and kisses me with the same sensuality of earlier. It feels like he’s making a five-course meal of my mouth, and I grip hold of his sides to remain standing.
With my attention solely focused on Santiago as he lifts his head, looking at me as if I’m his beginning and end, the entire world fades away.
There’s only him. The man who’s saved me.
He’s the very glue that keeps all my broken pieces together.
He wraps his arm around my back and yanks me flush with his body, practically squashing my breasts to his stomach. Seeing the hunger in his eyes makes my abdomen tighten so hard my legs go numb.
“Fuck, you feel like perfection,” he murmurs, and using his body, he pushes me onto the bed.
The anticipation building in me is out of control and engulfing my stomach with intense flutters.
My heart keeps beating faster and faster as I lie on my back, then Santiago moves down to my lower half, and it has my heart hammering against my ribs.
He takes hold of my thighs, pushing them open, and I watch as he places one of his knees between my legs.
My breaths are rushing over my lips, and of course, he notices. Leaning over me, he presses a kiss to the side of my neck. “Relax, mi vida.”
I try to, but then he lies down on top of me, and my body trembles from nervousness.
His voice is rough around the edges as he groans, “You’re so fucking innocent it’s killing me.” He braces his forearms on either side of my head. “I’m first going to make you feel good, so you can breathe. Trust me, mi sol. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”
I nod, sucking in a deep breath, and I become aware of every inch of his muscled body touching mine and even though he’s still wearing sweatpants, I can feel his hardness between my legs.
He begins to press kisses all over my jaw and neck, then he moves down to my breast, and his teeth tug at my nipple. It makes my abdomen clench, and when he does it again, his eyes flick to me, and I almost melt into a puddle of drool.
Holy hotness.
His hand brushes over my shoulder, and reaching my breast, he lets out another groan, before moving further down my body.
When his palm slips between my legs, I know what to expect, and it makes me relax a little, but then his tongue swipes over me. My eyebrows fly into my hairline as I gasp from the new sensation that feels surprisingly good. Or that’s what I think, because he begins to rub the tiny bundle of nerves between my legs, and I’m bombarded with pleasure.
Santiago’s eyes flick to mine again, and this time he gives me a hot grin before his tongue sweeps through my folds. A moan drifts from me, and my back arches, the pleasure building more and more as his fingers and tongue work their magic on my clit.
“Santiago,” I cry, my hips beginning to move while I reach down to grab hold of his head.
He lets out a growl against my sensitive flesh, and then the man goes to town on me, ripping another cry from me. The gentleness is gone and replaced with a ravenous hunger as he devours me.
I grip fistfuls of his hair, the tension in my body building and building, tendrils of pleasure unfurling between my legs.
God, nothing has ever felt this good.
Whimpers and moans spill from me and Santiago’s teeth come out to play, nipping at my clit that already feels swollen and feverish while he pushes a finger inside me.
My back arches again, then my body locks down, and it feels as if I’m teetering on the edge of something powerful right before the orgasm strikes.
I can only manage a whimper, my body tensing while the most intense sensations I’ve ever experienced seize my abdomen and the valley between my legs.
Oh God, his mouth is pure magic.
Santiago keeps lapping at my clit making the sensation grow until I’m a gasping mess beneath him.
Only then does he move up my body, and when we’re face-to-face and I see the intense desire burning in his eyes, it makes tingles rush through me again, which has the pleasure lingering between my thighs.
I keep gasping, trying to get air into my lungs.
“Fuck, mi sol, there’s nothing more beautiful than you when I make you come.”
Wanting to give Santiago pleasure as well, I reach down for the waistband of his pants and push at the fabric.
He tilts his head, his expression softening. “Are you sure? I can wait as long as you need. You’ve already given me more than I had ever hoped to get from you.”
As I stare at his face and the love shining in his hazel irises, there’s nothing I’m more sure of.
“I love you.” My heart clenches in my chest, and my feelings for him are so intense, I have to say the words again. “I love you, Santiago.”
Wonder fills his eyes, and he stares at me for a moment before he whispers, “You just made me the happiest man alive.”
I pull my hands out from between us and frame his jaw. Lifting my head, I press a tender kiss to his mouth before I say, “I’m one hundred percent sure I’m ready. I want you to take my virginity.”
Santiago begins to move off me, kissing my neck and shoulder before he climbs to his feet next to the bed. My heartbeat speeds up again when his fingers dip into the waistband of his sweatpants, and then my eyes go round as saucers when he pushes the fabric down his muscled legs.
I’ve only seen one other man naked, and he had nothing on Santiago.
I knew Santiago was long and thick, but actually seeing his cock, he looks much bigger. I become nervous again because there’s no way it’s not going to hurt.
“Deep breaths,” Santiago murmurs, placing his knee on the bed. As he moves over me, he braces his hands on either side of my head and leans down to give me a tender kiss.
His features tighten, then he moves a hand to my chest, and covering my breast, he massages me, his touch amazingly good.
He lowers his head again and presses a kiss to my neck before he lies down on top of me, and I feel his cock between my legs. Then he moves, and his hard length pushes through my slick folds.
“Jesucristo,” he groans against my neck before lifting his head to look at me.
My lips are parted, my breaths bursting from me as the anticipation and nerves in me keep growing.
Santiago presses his forehead to mine, and I feel his hand move down between us. Our eyes are locked, our love bonding us together for life as he positions himself at my entrance.
“Mía para siempre,” he whispers, while pushing his other arm beneath my shoulders. He holds me tightly to him, and I quickly wrap my arms around his neck, holding him as tightly as I can.
“Mine forever,” I whisper, ready to become one with the only man I’ll ever love.
