Page 203 of Modern Romance November 2024 5-8

‘Hello again,’ she said, and realised belatedly how flippant she sounded by the tightening of Evalina’s mouth. But that had always been one of her defences—insouciance meant she couldn’t be hurt. At least, it meant she couldseemas if she wasn’t hurt.

‘Welcome back,’ Evalina replied in her throaty, heavily accented English. ‘It has been some time.’ The words were decidedly, and uncomfortably, pointed.

The staff lined up by the hacienda’s door all murmured their muted greetings as Mia followed Evalina inside. Santos’s hand was pressed comfortingly against her back, gently propelling her forward, which she needed. The truth was, Mia was more than half-tempted to high-tail it back down the drive. But she wasn’t running any more, she reminded herself, even if she wanted to.

Inside the house, the dark wood-panelled walls seemed to close in on her, the muddy oil portraits of various illustrious ancestors blurring before her eyes. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She could do this. Shewoulddo this, for Santos’s sake, for her own, fortheirs.

‘We have tapas and mint tea out in the courtyard,’ Evalina said, her tone as imperious as ever. ‘I thought you would be in need of some refreshment.’

‘Gracias, Madre,’Santos said, kissing his mother’s cheek. ‘That sounds wonderful.’

Mia followed them out to the courtyard at the centre of the building with an ornate fountain in the middle and colonnades of Moorish arches in every direction. A table had been set up with linen and dishes, along with several chairs. Santos pulled one out for his mother and Mia before sitting down himself.

‘So.’ Evalina’s lips stretched in a smile that most definitely did not reach her eyes. ‘You have been away a long time.’

‘We were in Greece for nearly two weeks,’ Santo answered swiftly. ‘So not as long as all that.’

Evalina eyed Mia appraisingly. ‘Long enough.’

‘Yes, about eight weeks, all told,’ Mia agreed, striving to keep her voice pleasant. She had a feeling her mother-in-law was determined to rake her over the coals for her absence, and she couldn’t entirely blame her. From Evalina’s perspective, it had been a terrible thing to do, and yet even now Mia knew she couldn’t have done anything else. She’d been driven to it, whether Evalina would ever understand that or not.

‘Where were you, Mia, as it happens?’ Evalina asked, her voice mild and yet possessing an edge.

Mia hesitated and Santos put his arm around her. ‘It hardly matters, Madre,’ he said with a touch of reproof. ‘She’s home now.’

‘Yes,’ Evalina agreed after a pause, her cool gaze moving from Santos to Mia. ‘Home now.’

An interminable hour later, Mia practically limped upstairs, exhausted from the tension that had vibrated in the air.

‘Your mother doesn’t seem all that pleased to have me back,’ she remarked in a low voice as they headed up the grand staircase, and Santos gave a little shrug.

‘I think she was more displeased to have you gone. But don’t worry, she’ll come round.’

It was what he’d told her before in the same assured, dismissive way, and it made Mia feel like gritting her teeth.

But what if she doesn’t?she wanted to ask, but didn’t. She knew Santos would refuse to so much as entertain the notion. An hour into their return, and she was already coming up against that autocratic arrogance she remembered from before. Was he even aware of it? She doubted it.

‘This isn’t our bedroom,’ she remarked in surprise as Santos led her to an unfamiliar room at the far end of one of the hacienda’s wings. Evalina had her own private wing, while Mia and Santos had had one of the bedrooms in the main part of the house. This room was on its own separate wing, with far more privacy and space.

She glanced around the room, its shuttered windows open to the view of blue skies and vibrant orange groves, a king-sized, canopied bed with soft linen sheets the main piece of furniture.

‘I thought we could do with a change of scene,’ Santos replied. ‘A fresh start, as well as bit more privacy.’ He tugged her by the hand further into the bedroom and she went, glancing around the cool, airy space with appreciation. Their last bedroom had been dark and a bit stifling, despite its size, the walls adorned with portraits of his ancestors. They’d reminded her—and maybe Santos too—of the weight of expectation and responsibility.

‘I suppose we could,’ she agreed with a smile as he pulled her forward for a kiss. It was no more than a gentle brush of her lips, a tender promise, and Mia chose to believe it. It would be all right this time, she told herself. They would both make sure that it was.

Santos kissed Mia once, then twice, before settling his mouth on hers with intent and possession. He heard the soft sigh of her surrender as her body became pliant under his and he wrapped his arms around her as he deepened the kiss, sealing their vows and their future. At least, that was what it felt like. This time it was going to be different—everything was.

Admittedly, there had been tension downstairs with his mother—he’d felt it himself, although he still believed his mother would come round, as he’d told Mia. She was a reasonable woman and she’d married for love herself. Still, Santos had seen how Mia had looked at the estate with naked dread on her face as the car had come up the drive, and his heart had ached for her. He longed to reassure her...and this was the best way he knew how.

Her arms came round his neck as her body melted into his. Santos ran his hand up from her hip to her breast, cupping its fullness, enjoying the soft sigh of pleasure she gave as he brushed his thumb over her nipple.

‘Santos...’ she murmured against his mouth. ‘They’ll wonder where we are.’

‘I don’t care,’ he replied with a growl as he pressed a kiss to her throat, and then another to the tempting vee between her breasts. ‘Do you?’

‘No...’ The word came out in a whisper of breath as she arched back to grant him more access. ‘No, I don’t...’

A very pleasurable hour later, Santos was showered, dressed and heading to his estate office to check on business matters. He’d left Mia still in bed, although she’d said she thought she’d unpack. He’d offered to give her a tour of the estate, something he realised he hadn’t done the first time round, and she’d said she might come and find him later.

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