Page 40 of After the Fire
He smiled and grabbed my hand, dragging me inside into the kitchen, where he had set up a spread on the countertop I hadn’t seen on my way in. The wine bottles were lined up neatly on the other side of the island. He grabbed the appetizers and started walking to the living room. “Pick some wine,” he called over his shoulder.
I grabbed the first bottle I saw, not wanting to miss out on a second of being next to him, then walked to the living room, bottle in hand.
“Sit,” he commanded. And I obeyed.
“Well, you are being nosy, but I’ll tell you anyway,” he said as he sat right next to me, his long legs stretched out in front of him, his thighs touching mine. He took the bottle from my hands and then grabbed the opener by my knee. “I’m getting ready to move back home, but the timeline for that is still uncertain. I got an in with the previous owners of the house, so I just went for it. I think I’ll move in a few months, so in the meantime I’ll probably let Lucía stay here until she figures out what she wants because she’s been staying with my parents, and it’s definitely getting on her nerves.” He shrugged.
“Ah, gotcha,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
“What’s that look for?”
“I can’t figure you out, is all.” He smiled, and I shook my head in response. “Whatever.”
He moved a little to the left and crossed his legs, then placed the tray of food in between us. The Santiago I was getting to know now was definitely not the same one that I thought I knew those many years ago, with his calculated pauses and his well-thought-out arguments. This version of him was abysmally different. Looser. Still thoughtful, but less stiff.
“How was your day?” he asked as he opened the bottle of wine. I tucked my legs to the side and under me and balanced my weight on my left hand, angling my body closer to him. He filled two small glasses, then nudged mine towards me while he fixed his gaze on my face. His smoldering look made me squirm in my seat, and a flash of heat went through my body. “Did you have fun with my sister?”
“Yes, she’s the best.” I smiled, remembering the drive up and down the mountain we’d taken just hours earlier. “We went up to the Grand House. God, it’s gorgeous up there.”
I took a small sip of my wine, and when I lifted my head up, Santiago was looking at me with his bewildering blue eyes. He glanced down at my lips and his gaze lingered there, a sweet smile on his lips.
“Good,” he finally said, the tension palpable.
“What was it like growing up here?” I said, smiling awkwardly. He took a long pause, never breaking eye contact. “So?”
“Small.” He laughed. “But quiet and calm most of the time.”
His family was almost like royalty here, in the complete opposite sense to mine. My family was the sort of family that people aspired to be, with the money and the properties and the material things. The influence we exerted over others. His family, on the other hand, was kind and loving. Everyone wanted to be with them, near them, because they opened their hearts to others and couldn’t care less about who they were.
“Yeah, I can see it,” I replied quietly. My world was also small but never quiet and calm. “Sometimes I wish I were a little bit more invisible.”
“I would have never noticed you if you were invisible,” he said, his eyes searching my face for a reaction. “That’s the most attractive thing about you, how you command a room without even trying.”
My nose tingled, and my eyes started watering with panic at all the feelings for him, for Manuel, for my family. I felt safe here with him. Wanted, desired, loved. I swallowed a hard knot stuck in my throat and directed my gaze to the fireplace. The kindling was still glowing, the deep orange comparable to the brightest sun on the hottest day of the summer. I scoffed, trying to push the tears away. He angled his body closer to me and cupped my face with one hand.
“I’m serious,” he said carefully. “Like a moth to a blinding, irresistible flame.”
He looked at my lips, lingering there for longer than acceptable. I licked my lips in response, the movement completely instinctual.
This man was pure fire. This man, who was all smiles and sunshine, was here with me. Genuinely. Not because someone said so, not because of what it meant for either family, but because he was genuinely interested in me and what I had to offer.
Because he likes you.
My mouth went dry at his confession. I had been in denial up until now, but this made it clear. Clearer than water, actually.
And I… I was elated.
Because you like him.
20
THE MOMENT
Time was frozen,and the only thing I felt was my heart thumping inside my chest. Santiago’s thumb swept across my bottom lip, and my lips parted in response. His strong body leaned into me, and a small gasp escaped my mouth. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever was to come. I was not stopping this man; I would let him do whatever he wanted with me. To me.
In a quick succession of movements, he grabbed my hips and pulled me onto him, so now I was sitting on his lap, my legs straddling him. His eyes went dark, feral.
Impulsivity in its purest form.
