Page 109 of The Hermit

“Whatever you want,moja láska.” I bring my hand up and caress her hair.

My phone starts to ring, and reluctantly letting go of Grace, I pull the device out of my pocket.

“What?” I growl.

“Well, hello to you too,” Santiago’s voice comes over the line. “Did I interrupt you having sex or something?”

“No, I’m unpacking supplies,” I mutter.

“Oh, that explains it. I hate shopping too.”

Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh. “Why are you calling?”

“That hurts, Dominik,” he says, sounding serious. “Here I am, taking time out of my busy day to make an effort to give you a call and you can’t even try to sound happy to hear from me.”

I stand rooted to the spot while it feels like my brain is backfiring.

The next second, his laughter bursts over the line. “I’m just fucking with you. Listen, I’m having a Halloween party. Are you coming?”

Slowly I shake my head while muttering, “What the fuck?”

“A party. Costumes. Fun. You can come as a grumpy bear, and that beautiful wife of yours can dress up as an angel because she has to be one to deal with your cranky ass.”

“No.” I keep shaking my head. “Definitely no.”

“Come on. Socializing with people will do you good.”

“No, it won’t,” I argue. “There’s no way I’m going to any party.”

I’m so caught off guard by this call that I hand the phone to Grace and say, “Deal with Santiago.”

She chuckles as she takes the device. “Hi, it’s Grace. Why are you torturing my husband?” She laughs at something he says, and it has me grabbing the phone again.

“Don’t make my wife laugh,” I mutter into the speaker.

“And you think I’m the insane one,” he says.

“I’m hanging up now,” I grumble.

“You’ll learn to love me, Dominik.”

I end the call and shake my head again.

“That man is something else,” Grace says while she grabs the tea and coffee.

“What do you mean he’s something else,” I bark as I walk after her. “To you, he’s nothing.”

Her laughter fills the pantry. “Oooh, are you jealous?”

I corner her against a shelf and give her a playful scowl. “You bet your sexy ass I’m jealous. Never laugh at anything Santiago says.”

“That’s impossible. He’s funny.”

I shake my head. “He’s annoying.”

I grip hold of her hips and tug her against my body before letting my hands travel to her ass.

Knowing what I need, Grace wraps her arms around my neck and says, “You’re the only man who matters to me. The only one who can satisfy me.”

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