Page 92 of Till Death Do Us Part
“Without a doubt. I also approve of what is beneath that dress.” His eyebrows did a little dance. “That will need to wait until we’re home.”
Heat filled my cheeks as I looked over at Silas and Felipe pretending they were suddenly deaf. I turned back to Aléjandro. “Yes, that will need to wait.” I knew what he was referring to; it was something he said that threw my misconceptions of men into a tailspin.
One night while we were being intimate, he made a comment about the lack of hair at my core, saying he wouldn’t mind a landing strip or something to confirm he was fucking a woman and not a child. I was so taken aback I even questioned him. Aléjandro laughed, saying real men weren’t afraid of hair.
Even the memory made me giggle.
“Did you buy me clothes for dinner?”
“No,” I said, my eyes growing wide. “You didn’t mention it. I would have…”
My husband’s laugh rumbled through the plane. “I brought a change of clothes.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “I was teasing.”
Exhaling, I shook my head. “Because I’m not nervous enough about tonight.”
“Tonight is only dinner, and we are honored guests.”
Pressing my lips together, I nodded.
“I’ve spent the entire day with Gerardo.” Small lines formed near the corners of his eyes. “I’d be happy to skip dinner and head home.” He inhaled. “However, I promised you access to Liliana, and I’m a man of my word.” He squeezed my hand. “I need to change, or I’ll appear a beggar beside my wife’s regal air.”
Aléjandro changed from his blue jeans and black t-shirt into black slacks, a black button-up shirt, with his sleeves rolled to below his elbows and the collar unbuttoned showing a gold necklace. He wasn’t wearing socks as he slid his feet into his expensive Italian loafers.
It seemed that Aléjandro convinced one of the drivers to leave a car, allowing Aléjandro and I to travel with Silas and Felipe. The lack of a stranger in the car brought back a bit of my confidence and eased my stretched nerves. My husband took my hand in his as Felipe drove us through a prestigious neighborhood filled with wrought-iron fences, walls of shrubbery, and gates.
Felipe approached one of the gates. As Gerardo’s monstrosity of a home came into view, I had visions of my mother’s home, the one she’d had enlarged to keep her children from hearing her distress.
With Aléjandro’s hand in the small of my back, we walked up the stairs to the main doors. A maid answered, smiling and bidding us entrance. Ángel was standing guard inside the foyer, managing not to make eye contact. I kept my smile in place at the sight of Gerardo towering next to Liliana. Her body language screamed as her lips remained still. She seemed to be thinner than she was at the wedding, and her eyes weren’t reflecting the large smile she was projecting. Her dress was also long sleeved, but hers had tight cuffs.
“Bienvenido,” Gerardo gregariously said. “SeñoraRoríguez” —he bowed— “an honor to have you visit our home.”
“Thank you for having us.”
“Come in,” Gerardo motioned us away from the foyer to a stunning sitting room with a grand piano.
Immediately, two maids entered with trays of wine and water. I took a crystal flute of water as did Liliana. Both men took the wine.
“Do you play?” I asked, tilting my chin toward the piano.
“No,” Gerardo answered, “but my wife is taking lessons.” He turned to her. “Aren’t you?”
“Sí,” she said softly.
“Inglés,” he reprimanded. “We wantSeñoraRoríguez to feel comfortable.”
“I’m sorry,Señora.” Liliana paled and looked down.
Aléjandro reached for my hand as I bit the inside of my cheek. Taking a breath, I replied, trying to lighten the mood, “I’m learning to get used to it. Hopefully, my Spanish will improve.” While Liliana was obviously chastised, I would suspect Ruiz’s driver had done exactly as he’d been instructed. “Your home is lovely.”
Gerardo nudged his wife, causing her eyes to come my way. “Thank you.”
“Is Sofia home?” Aléjandro asked.
I recalled Sofia was Gerardo’s daughter from his first wife.
“She’s at university,” Gerardo replied. “She has an apartment near the campus. Very safe.”
And one less person to hide your abuse from.